[EricW88]

I’m looking at adding a trailer hitch and trailer hitch rack to my 2018 Wing for a dry bag/extra storage...maybe mount a cooler too but mostly would be to mount a dry bag or possibly a pelican box for extra storage. I’m looking at the Kuryakyn hitch rack. It functions the same as the Rivco hitch rack but is slightly larger. The Kury rack is 18x12” and the Rivco is 16x11. It is also powder coated black to match my non-tour Wing better.

The one concern about the Kury is that it is stamped steel vs the aluminum Rivco version. The steel Kury is 8lbs and the Rivco is only 3lbs.

My question is for those that have ever used the Rivco or Kury hitch racks:

1)Have you ever scraped the rack leaning over in curves? I like to ride spiritedly in turns and definitely don't want to add a rack that scrapes or limits the possible lean angle of the bike.
2)Do you think the extra 2” of the Kury would scrape in comparison to the Rivco?
3)Do you think the 3lb vs 8lb difference would be worth the smaller Rivco rack?

Any other advice or experiences you have with using a hitch mounted rack?

Here is the Kury:
https://www.kuryakyn.com/products/338/trailer-hitch-rack

and here is the Rivco:
https://rivcoproducts.com/shop/honda-goldwing/gl18008-11-x-16-quick-detach-motorcycle-rack-kit/

 

[gw.rider]

I have a concern about hitch racks. Remembering that 70% of your braking is accomplished by your front brakes, transferring or adding weight to the rear of the bike will have a negative impact on your braking performance since you are removing weight from the front wheel.

 

[EricW88]

I have a concern about hitch racks. Remembering that 70% of your braking is accomplished by your front brakes, transferring or adding weight to the rear of the bike will have a negative impact on your braking performance since you are removing weight from the front wheel.

True...but even a decent amount of weight on them is probably no different than riding with a passenger or towing a trailer.

Yes, the weight distribution would be different but having 20lbs on the hitch rack down low vs 180-190+ rider weight on the backseat probably isn’t much different to bike braking/turning dynamics. Also 20lbs-30lb hitch rack is what a lot of people are running on trailer tongue loads.

I’m sure it will affect handling and braking slightly...but it would be something I would adjust my riding style for.

 

[doug of no fl]

EricW88, Questions: 1,2,3, NO,

You should have no adverse handling problems with either rack unless you grossly over load them & already have a suspension problem. You should not even be able to tell it is back there. With the weight low and near to the axle is a preferred way to carry xtra cargo. imho..

50yrs & a half million miles of pulling trailers and mfg hitches and using racks on several different M/C's.

EricW88: I agree with your post #3, Go with either rack that fits your needs, your choice.

Ride safe!!

 

[EricW88]

EricW88, Questions: 1,2,3, NO,

You should have no adverse handling problems with either rack unless you grossly over load them & already have a suspension problem. You should not even be able to tell it is back there. With the weight low and near to the axle is a preferred way to carry xtra cargo. imho..

50yrs & a half million miles of pulling trailers and mfg hitches and using racks on several different M/C's.

EricW88: I agree with your post #3, Go with either rack that fits your needs, your choice.

Ride safe!!

Thanks for the advice and experience Doug! I likely will go with the Kury then since it’s already powder coated black and slightly larger leaving more options available for packs. Thanks!

 

[oldbikerbill]

Using a hitch rack, small, with waterproof high viz bag, two bungees for securing, perfect for incidentals ya can't get on other luggage spaces. No prob covering the license plate. Point is, not much weight back there and does not affect the performance of the trike in any way, simple to remove for a night stopover.

 

[EricW88]

Using a hitch rack, small, with waterproof high viz bag, two bungees for securing, perfect for incidentals ya can't get on other luggage spaces. No prob covering the license plate. Point is, not much weight back there and does not affect the performance of the trike in any way, simple to remove for a night stopover.

Thanks for the experience info!

 

[rtbmrgl]

I had this on my '05, Bushtec hitch and cooler holder. No issues.



.

 

[EricW88]

Anyone with warranty experience with a hitch or hitch rack? I posted in a local MI riding group and all the HD guys were quick to post that HD denies all bike’s with a trailer hitch and records their vin numbers. I posted what Rivco writes about federal law requiring a manufacturer to cite a specific aftermarket item that caused the failure...they said it didn’t matter and posted pictures of HD manuals that said HD would not warranty bikes with trailer hitches.

I know the Honda manual states accidents can occur and that Honda doesn’t endorse or recommend trailering...but it doesn’t say warrant work will 100% be denied for having a trailer hitch.

Anyone have past experience with warranty work and bike with a trailer hitch?

Is it false just like people claiming Darkside bike’s won’t be covered by insurance if they wreck? (note: I completely totaled out my 2003 Wing in October and my insurance didn’t mention anything about my clearly Darkside bike). Not trying to turn this thread into a darkside thread or dangers of trailering...simply using it as an example to ask about warranty work and experiences from those with trailer hitches.

Thanks!

 

[Sparky57]

Anyone with warranty experience with a hitch or hitch rack? I posted in a local MI riding group and all the HD guys were quick to post that HD denies all bike’s with a trailer hitch and records their vin numbers. I posted what Rivco writes about federal law requiring a manufacturer to cite a specific aftermarket item that caused the failure...they said it didn’t matter and posted pictures of HD manuals that said HD would not warranty bikes with trailer hitches.

I know the Honda manual states accidents can occur and that Honda doesn’t endorse or recommend trailering...but it doesn’t say warrant work will 100% be denied for having a trailer hitch.

There are a number of answers to the many questions you have asked here.
It would be against the law for a mfr to deny a warranty claim simply due to the existence of a trailer hitch, unless it is specifically forbidden in the warranty. And a mfr can't just arbitrarily decide to forbid it. The law has specific requirements that must be met as far as justification goes in order to do that.

That sounds like a lot of ammunition the owner has, but be aware that you as an owner has responsibilities too. If any accessory you install causes a failure, the mfr is entitled to deny a claim if they can prove it. For example, if your rear subframe breaks, and you have a trailer hitch, you can bet that Honda is going to look into it very closely and ask a lot of questions because the two are very closely linked. Everyone should be aware that there is always some level of risk involved with installing unapproved aftermarket accessories of any kind.


It also should be noted that there have been many reports of dealers that tell customers that a claim will be denied it they install a hitch. They are completely FOS of course, but that's just the way some dealers are. They think they are more important than they really are. The problem is that even though they have no authority to deny a claim, (only a mfr can do that), they are still the middle man rep for the mfr, and can give you a lot of unjustified grief. Avoid dealers like that at all costs. (FWIW, I have never heard one say that, so I don't know how true those rumors really are.)

 

[EricW88]

Just called my dealer (major dealer in West Michigan) and they said “As long as your not overloading the bike you should be good.” They seemed to not have any concerns about it...so they must not deny many/any claims due to it.

Note: they are a Honda/Yamaha/Indian/Kawasaki/Suzuki/ect dealer but not Harley Davidson...so perhaps HD people get denied by HD dealers...but this major dealer didn’t seem to have any concerns as long as the bike wasn’t “overloaded”.

 

[Sparky57]

I have a concern about hitch racks. Remembering that 70% of your braking is accomplished by your front brakes, transferring or adding weight to the rear of the bike will have a negative impact on your braking performance since you are removing weight from the front wheel.

I agree with the sentiment given here. Just about anything you put on your bike changes the weight bias, from carrying a passenger to loading up a trunk and saddlebags. All those things have somewhat of an effect on braking. But unless you are running your bike at the track right at the bike's limits, you will never notice any difference. I have done the Dragon hard many times with and without my Bushtec cooler rack, and if it was making a difference, I couldn't feel it.


From a physics standpoint, your question is logical, and one that has to be asked, but the reality is, don't worry about it. It's not a factor.

 

[Sparky57]

I don't know how any of the cargo racks on the market are made, but an issue I had on the road a number of years ago is something to think about. I use a Bushtec cooler rack, but this would also apply to cargo racks.

On the Bushtec, the arm that connects the receiver to the rack is a thick plate made of mild steel. It sometimes irritated me, because once in a while I would be standing behind the bike and it looked tweaked. It is fixed easy enough by grabbing the rack and bending it straight.

But then I found out why it was engineered that way., While on a trip, we came out of a very steep restaurant parking lot exit, and when I reached the road, the rack hit the pavement and made an awful sound. I pulled off to the side and found that the arm was bent about 4 inches upwards.

I straightened it, and realized that the arm was intentionally designed to bend. If that arm had been made of something like a rigid tube, I likely would have broken my frame or subframe, or at least broken the hitch. My rack does not sit low, but there is a lot of length from the back tire to the end of a rack. A transition from a steep embankment makes it very easy to bottom out the rack. Whatever type of rack you are considering, look at the design and see what provision, if any, the mfr has provided for bottoming out.

I don't know anything about other products out there, but it's something to think about.

 

[EricW88]

I don't know how any of the cargo racks on the market are made, but an issue I had on the road a number of years ago is something to think about. I use a Bushtec cooler rack, but this would also apply to cargo racks.


On the Bushtec, the arm that connects the receiver to the rack is a thick plate made of mild steel. It sometimes irritated me, because once in a while I would be standing behind the bike and it looked tweaked. It is fixed easy enough by grabbing the rack and bending it straight.


But then I found out why it was engineered that way., While on a trip, we came out of a very steep restaurant parking lot exit, and when I reached the road, the rack hit the pavement and made an awful sound. I pulled off to the side and found that the arm was bent about 4 inches upwards.


I straightened it, and realized that the arm with intentionally designed to bend. If that arm had been made of something like a rigid tube, I likely would have broken my frame or subframe, or at least broken the hitch. My rack does not sit low, but there is a lot of length from the back tire to the end of a rack. A transition from a steep embankment makes it very easy to bottom out the rack. Whatever type of rack you are considering, look at the design and see what provision, if any, the mfr has provided for bottoming out.


I don't know anything about other products out there, but it's something to think about.

Good points! I’m used to taking slopes at an angle from my race car days. My race car (which rarely drove on the street) was a pain to get into parking lots or gas stations due to only a few inches of ground clearance and a 4” splitter off the front end. I would be extra careful with a hitch rack hanging way off the back. I don’t know how well the Kury would take bottoming our.