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Discussion Starter · #1 ·
Considering TW200, XT250, and Honda CRF230L for use on hitch mount on 4x4 pickup with camper.

1. Easy to load on bike rack.

2. Best for slow speed exploring in back country.

3. Fun to ride.



Any other bikes to consider for this purpose? I had a Suzuki DR650, but was to heavy for this use. Must be street legal, but will ride 90% or more off road. I welcome all suggestions.
 

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I've had a Honda CRF230. I got it because it seemed like it would an ideal bike for my needs. I found it to be very uncomfortable to ride from an ergonomic standpoint and the seat was like a board. The front forks allowed the front wheel to bounce all over the place and the rear shock way too stiff. I couldn't wait to get rid of it.



I've never ridden an XT250 so I can't offer any opinions there.



My vote would be a TW200 for your needs.



Brian
 

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1. Easy to load on bike rack.

2. Best for slow speed exploring in back country.

3. Fun to ride.




You have just described a T-dub to a T!!!!! I would only add:



4. Ultra reliable

5. Fun to ride

6. Quiet

7. Fun to ride

8. Cheap

9. Fun to ride







Get one, you won't be sorry! Think about changing the front sprocket to a 13 if you ride a lot in the mountains at altitude.
 

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I hope you either have a really light camper or a really heavy duty truck. Load the camper with your normal travel load, full tanks, and whomever travels with you, then weigh the front axle. Measure the horizontal distance from the front axle to the center of the rail or baskets of the carrier. Look up the wheelbase of your truck. Divide the front axle-to-carrier distance by the wheelbase. Multiply that quotient by the front axle weight. Deduct that product from the Gross Axle Weight Rating listed on the sticker on the door jamb. The difference is the weight of motorcycle AND carrier you can safely carry.



Gross Axle Weight Rating - (Front Axle-To-Carrier Distance / Wheelbase) Axle Weight = Weight of Motorcycle AND Carrier



or

G - (R / W)A = M

where

G = Gross Axle Weight Rating

R = Front Axle-To-Carrier Distance

W = Wheelbase

A = Axle Weight

M = Weight of Motorcycle AND Carrier



My guess is that unless you have a really heavy duty truck and/or a really tail-heavy camper, you won't have the carrying capacity on the front axle to safely load 350 pounds of motorcycle and carrier. If you are close, you can try redistributing the load in the camper to free up some front axle capacity. Alternatively, you could seek out a lighter weight motorcycle, say, a CT70 would by cool, or one of the Chinese clones.



EDIT: Front-mount hitch receivers for pick-ups are fairly common. There are a host of accessoroes that mount in recievers, winches, cooking grill, tables, bicycle carriers, cargo carriers, folding bench seats with rod holders for surf fishing, cargo platforms, tent poles, radio antennas and towers, tall poles for lanterns with polished stainless reflectors to attract the bugs away from the outdoor kitchen while still lighting the kitchen area, poles to hold solar showers and enclosures, etc.. Lots of folks who tow boats or travel trailers find them handy for "backing" trailers down curved ramps or into tricky campsites.
 

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Discussion Starter · #8 ·
I hope you either have a really light camper or a really heavy duty truck. Load the camper with your normal travel load, full tanks, and whomever travels with you, then weigh the front axle. Measure the horizontal distance from the front axle to the center of the rail or baskets of the carrier. Look up the wheelbase of your truck. Divide the front axle-to-carrier distance by the wheelbase. Multiply that quotient by the front axle weight. Deduct that product from the Gross Axle Weight Rating listed on the sticker on the door jamb. The difference is the weight of motorcycle AND carrier you can safely carry.



Gross Axle Weight Rating - (Front Axle-To-Carrier Distance / Wheelbase) Axle Weight = Weight of Motorcycle AND Carrier



or

G - (R / W)A = M

where

G = Gross Axle Weight Rating

R = Front Axle-To-Carrier Distance

W = Wheelbase

A = Axle Weight

M = Weight of Motorcycle AND Carrier



My guess is that unless you have a really heavy duty truck and/or a really tail-heavy camper, you won't have the carrying capacity on the front axle to safely load 350 pounds of motorcycle and carrier. If you are close, you can try redistributing the load in the camper to free up some front axle capacity. Alternatively, you could seek out a lighter weight motorcycle, say, a CT70 would by cool, or one of the Chinese clones.



EDIT: Front-mount hitch receivers for pick-ups are fairly common. There are a host of accessoroes that mount in recievers, winches, cooking grill, tables, bicycle carriers, cargo carriers, folding bench seats with rod holders for surf fishing, cargo platforms, tent poles, radio antennas and towers, tall poles for lanterns with polished stainless reflectors to attract the bugs away from the outdoor kitchen while still lighting the kitchen area, poles to hold solar showers and enclosures, etc.. Lots of folks who tow boats or travel trailers find them handy for "backing" trailers down curved ramps or into tricky campsites.
Thanks for information, on more research I find that the headlights being blocked, and weight on front end put a stop on front mount. I have Four Wheel Camper on it now, with air overload shocks on back, so I think I can use rear mount as long as I don't do any rough 4x4 trails.
 

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Thanks for information, on more research I find that the headlights being blocked, and weight on front end put a stop on front mount. I have Four Wheel Camper on it now, with air overload shocks on back, so I think I can use rear mount as long as I don't do any rough 4x4 trails.


If you're talking about air shocks, those are a really bad idea. Coil booster springs on shocks are an equally bad idea. Shock mounts are not designed to support weight. Don't ask me how I know.
Switch to coil boosters that fit between the axle and frame, additional leaves, or air bags, whichever is appropriate. Much safer.



Also, watch your rear axle capacity carefully--sitting on the side of a dirt road miles from nowhere with a toasted axle bearing really sucks. Don't ask how I know about axle bearings in the boonies, either.
Might want to check your tire capacity, too. Tires are an easy fix, though, more ply rating will carry about anything, but big ol' mudgrips generally have a pretty good capacity, anyway.
 

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Seems like it would be a lot less complicated and easier on the truck to just hook up a small trailer and take the bike in tow.
A trailer can be a problem on poorly maintained roads. The solution is tall tires on the trailer, but tall tires take heavy wheels and before you know it, the heavy wheels and tires have a mind of their own under a lightly loaded trailer. It's too much unsprung weight and not enough sprung weight.
 

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I carry my TW on the back of my 12' cabover. I ride 90% off road (lot of NFS roads, logging roads, some single-track, etc.). Either the XT or TW are good at this. The TW is considerably lower to the ground, so easier to ride for non-accomplished riders (like myself). Yet even accomplished riders find the large footprint tires handle irregular trails better without having to stay on the gas.



I load my TW on the ramp by myself and I'm no Hoss. A little technique goes a long ways. A helping hand is seldom discouraged though.
 

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I used to have a small camper for my ford ranger and I could fit my trail 90 right in thru the back door










Side note:



I normally do much wilder things on my lighter bikes then the tw when I'm in the woods.



I only take the tw if I have to hit hilly paved roads and want to stay ahead of traffic.
 

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Considering TW200, XT250, and Honda CRF230L for use on hitch mount on 4x4 pickup with camper.

1. Easy to load on bike rack.

2. Best for slow speed exploring in back country.

3. Fun to ride.



Any other bikes to consider for this purpose? I had a Suzuki DR650, but was to heavy for this use. Must be street legal, but will ride 90% or more off road. I welcome all suggestions.


I currently own a Honda CRF230 (not the L), CRF250 (very fast but a terrible slow speed exploring bike), and a TW200 (which really is the best choice for your described mission). The rack & TW together will weigh more than 300 lbs so pay attention to the advise given in a post above. If your truck will handle it, have fun.



Chip
 

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I am interested in your rack on front of truck, can you post a picture of bike loaded. Where did you get front rack, and is it hitch mounted? Having rack in front would make it possible to enter the rear door of camper without moving bike.


You can get front hitches from Hidden Hitch, I have an aftermarket Buckstop bumper with a built in front reciever.
 
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