Mattyp
Cows go boing
She'll be right.
BIKE RACKS AND CARRIERS FOR CARS MEGATHREAD - all questions asked and answered here
- Thread starter THE Manik Man
- Start date
caad9
Likes Bikes and Dirt
YOLO
I’m no engineer but I fail to see how a single bike can cause more stress than towing 1800kg
ozzybmx
taking a shit with my boobs out
1800kg is pull weight max, the 180kg will be max ball weight.
A 5 bike shuttle rack could easily leverage more that 180kg as it bounces around but a simple rack like a ISI, Gripsport or the likes would be fine.
slowmick
38-39"
As Ozzy says one of this style with your ebike on it would have less torque on the tow bar tongue than one of the anodized marvels below
And no one anything about loading these up with 4 bikes on a std 80s tow bar - no 50mm hitch.
BTA are protecting themselves against 150 kg of bikes, 30 kg rack and 1500mm of leverage.
So did you get the Delica?
I have something similar to this. Not to discount anything that people have said above, but when I watch it in the mirror as I drive, I can definitely see that it rocks from side to side a bit (there's a little bit of play between the hitch and the carrier that can't be removed), which would create torsional forces.
That’s the one I have too.
The 180kg is the load that the "ball" can take and only at the ball. Even putting a longer tow tongue in, lowers the rating.
Once a bike rack is added the center of gravity moved rearwards and up. You are effectively moving the "ball" away from the original position where the load is rated.
There have been a number of towbars broken by having a big bike rack on the car.
The rack itself might be rated to X amount, but the towbar won't be rated for the position of the mass.
Once a bike rack is added the center of gravity moved rearwards and up. You are effectively moving the "ball" away from the original position where the load is rated.
There have been a number of towbars broken by having a big bike rack on the car.
The rack itself might be rated to X amount, but the towbar won't be rated for the position of the mass.
ozzybmx
taking a shit with my boobs out
The rating of 1800/180kg on smaller cars is easy to state for towing as it doesn't really change apart from a loaded trailer/van, even then, a balanced loading is only adding to trailer weight and not so much towball weight as weight rear of the axle approximately evens out front weight between the axle and towball.
Where bike racks don't have the support of an axle to keep the weigh relatively stable.
Probably easier for a lot of towbar manufacturers to blanket state no bike racks due to the variable setups that can be fitted.
A simple 2 bike rack would be perfectly fine but stating that a bike rack is OK for use then someone fitting a ~50kg Singletrail shuttle rack with 5 x 20kg+ ebikes on it has the possibility to snap off $50,000 of bikes on to the road and cause an accident.
The overhang of a loaded shuttle rack makes 99% of cars using them illegal anyway, so there's a bit of common sense involved as potentially a pissed of policeman could have the bikes removed roadside and slap a fine.
FWIW, I see a bloke I know regularly arrive with a shuttle rack on his Tesla model 3 with 2-3 ebikes on it and a strap steadying the rack. I posted a pic here before. A quick BoBo looks like Tesla 3 is 1000/100kg.
EDIT: Found the pic.
If you are carrying 5 ebikes your tongue should fall off. That's nature.
Cardy George
Piercing rural members since 1981
An unloaded verticle rack is illegal on most cars. We did a quick introduction to bike racks for a newbies ride. The factory tray on a Mitsubishi Triton goes damn close to using all the legal overhang.
ozzybmx
taking a shit with my boobs out
Yes, especially ones that are capable of carrying them. Was it the Ford Ka that ended up a legal vehicle due to the position of the rear wheels
Kutla eebs on the Kaaaa would make it do a wheelie.
Stredda
Runs naked through virgin scrub
In some states it advised that you remove the rack when you don't have a bike on it.
I'm seeing an increased amount of vehicles driving around Sydney & Newcastle with empty vertical racks on, so not sure if this is policed (or not).
I've had my vertical rack (early version Stackrack) for 3.5 years. Despite peoples personal opinions that either the overhang is too great, the number plate is obscured (I zip tie the auxiliary bike rack plate on), it has no lights etc. I have never had any unwanted (negative) attention from the police - loaded or unloaded, day or night. Good test was last summer holidays I parked in the middle of several HWP cars & bikes at a rest stop - when the boys in blue finished their lunch I saw them looking at the back of the car, one said to me is that yours? I said yeah...he replies nice bike!
My view is if it looks dodgy it probably is.
Stredda
Runs naked through virgin scrub
Yeah, my vertical rack stays permanently on my RAV4 and I've never had an issue. It is actually within the overhang limit (only with dropper posts down).I'm seeing an increased amount of vehicles driving around Sydney & Newcastle with empty vertical racks on, so not sure if this is policed (or not).
I've had my vertical rack (early version Stackrack) for 3.5 years. Despite peoples personal opinions that either the overhang is too great, the number plate is obscured (I zip tie the auxiliary bike rack plate on), it has no lights etc. I have never had any unwanted (negative) attention from the police - loaded or unloaded, day or night. Good test was last summer holidays I parked in the middle of several HWP cars & bikes at a rest stop - when the boys in blue finished their lunch I saw them looking at the back of the car, one said to me is that yours? I said yeah...he replies nice bike!
My view is if it looks dodgy it probably is.