Help me decide how to transport my dirtbike.

[theycallmeebryan]

Not sure if any of you know this, but i'm a huge motocross fan and just got back into riding last year. However, I'm in a bit of a situation here (not a jersey shore one).

I've moved up to Pomona,NY (just outside of New Jersey) from Manahawkin,NJ (south jersey) for my new job. I live in a condo and have no outside storage space, and my condo is on the 2nd floor. Currently, my yz250 is back home at my father's house in the garage (where it's always been). Storage in my new situation is not a problem though because my girlfriend's aunt is letting me use her shed, and she's about 20 minutes from my house. I'll be moving the bike up here as soon as i figure out how i'll be transporting it around.

Before i moved, I used to use my father's Chevy Tahoe with a motorcycle carrier on the hitch to transport my motorcycle around. However, i now drive around a cheap 99' Saturn SL1 as a commuter car for when i can't ride my street motorcycle (weather, etc). I currently don't have a way to transport my yz250.



This is the carrier i have: 400 Lb. Receiver-Mount Motorcycle Carrier

So here are my options. I'd like some opinions.

Keep in mind, my main objective is to spend as little money as possible :thumbsup:

1. Keep the car and install a toe hitch. I've seen toe hitch's for about 150$ that i have to install myself. They are only rated for a 200lb tongue weight and are class 1, so i'm worried that the weight of my motorcycle carrier + yz250 will be too much for the hitch. To make matters worse, the hitches for this car only come in 1 1/4", and the carrier is 2". I'd need to use an adapter plate which essentially cuts the tongue weight in half.

2. Keep the car, install hitch, sell carrier and get a small trailer. I could get about 75-100$ or so for the carrier, and i can buy a small trailer for the dirtbike. I'd still have to install the hitch, but the tongue weight shouldn't be a problem since most of the weight will be distributed over the trailer tires. Downfall to this scenario is parking the trailer somewhere. I think i'll get a bunch of crap for leaving a trailer in the parking lot in my condo complex. Also, i'll have to register and insure the trailer which is extra money

3. Sell the car, sell the carrier, buy a small pickup truck. I could try to sell my car, probably get about $1000 or so for it, and try to find a pickup truck to haul my bike around.

4. Other. If you can think of anything else i could do, let me know.

Thanks guys.

[NHRABill]

Well you sure have a decision to make...

I would sell your carrier cause it just won't work with he saturn. get a class 2 hitch if possible and buy a cheap motorcycle trailer home jobber from Craigslist or pickup a cheap trailer from Harbor freight that you can stand on end next to the bikes storage shed ...

I could find a trailer solution for under $300 and not sure about NY but in NJ a trailer like that needs no insurance it is covered under your basic policy all you need to do is register it and pay for the place apx $200 for the DMV by the time you do the title for the trailer and all.

your hitch is typically around $100-150 then Wiring kit $20 for a universal flat 4 setup...

SO how much do you like to ride will be the deciding factor.

If it was me I would buy a S10 and call it a day lots of ecomod potential on them trailer is an expense that you will need to maintain an a whole ordeal every time you want to go out a S-10 get a ramp load bike go have fun

[Ryland]

How about getting lights on your dirt bike so you can ride it on the street?
Personally I would go with a very small folding trailer as well, when they are folded and stood on end they take up about as much space as your motorcycle.
If you buy a truck you are going to end up paying more for the truck, for gas and repairs then you would on your saturn, I was quoted around $250 for a hitch for my civic, installed with wiring and I would imagine that a saturn would be around the same.

They cost a bit but I bet you could build something like the "motorcycle trailer in a bag" by just buying a trailer axle and some steel, you could even make the whole thing brake down for storage.

http://www.discount-trailers.com/trailer-in-a-bag.htm

[rmay635703]

My father had built something that locked the front motorcycle tire into the trailer hitch while the rear was on the ground.

It may have even worked if he had put training wheels on the cycle, as it was you couldn't go over 25mph.

Not sure if a more usable and commercial version of that exists.

[Odin]

Trucks are amazingly useful, so if you want one, have the room and money you will get a hell of a lot more use out of it, i had the same choice for hauling my atv to the mud and the truck has come in handy a hell of a lot more, but its probably a lot more work than just finding a small craigslist trailer and getting a hitch

[redyaris]

Look for one of those foldable trailers, I think they are good for 1000 -2000lbs I have seen them at most big box stores like Home Depot, Canadian Tire, and the like... when folded up they don't use much space.