Anybody here carry a big bike in a cruiser lift or hydra lift? I'm thinking about getting one and would like to hear from those who have them. Pros and cons, which would you recommend, etc. I'm kinda leaning toward the Cruiserlift. I think the winch may have less potential for problems than hydraulics.

I just installed a hydra lift and took a 1, 400 mile trip. Very satisfied. Had to learn to load and unload but other than that never had any issues hauling it along with toeing out 2012 focus. However there are concerns with the install. I think each is differant but doable. The way I installed mine I can install or remove in30 min. Or less. I really like this mount. Larry

Go to blueox.com and use their formula for computing the amount of weight you'll be putting on your rear axle before going out and buying anything. If you don't have a TAG axle on your MH you will in all probability be overloading your coach's rear axle with the weight of the lift and MC.

Being not far from M/C mecca Sturgis, we see every contrivance possible to carry a bike. On MHs, lifts work well, we predominately see hydraulic units when the dinghy is flat towed. More & more we see bikes cross loaded on the dolly in front of the towed.

B's Bunch wrote:I just installed a hydra lift and took a 1, 400 mile trip. Very satisfied. Had to learn to load and unload but other than that never had any issues hauling it along with toeing out 2012 focus. However there are concerns with the install. I think each is differant but doable. The way I installed mine I can install or remove in30 min. Or less. I really like this mount. LarryHey Larry, Is that you Bud? Scott here. How's the Hydralift doing? Got all the "kinks" worked out and get the loading and unloading down? Hope all is well. Still thinking about taking you up on your offer for tours when we get back that way. MNawman, If Larry is who I think he is, he's got my old Hydralift. Without a doubt, the Hydralift is by far, the best lift/carrier on the market. I've thoroughly gone over all of them before I purchased and, while Hydralift is pretty proud of their product in terms of price, the quality and type of construction, mechanism, amount of moving parts, strength of moving parts and pivots, design of moving parts, are all superior to any other lift on the market. When I say they're proud of their product, they are by far, the highest cost too. The last time I checked, a brand new Hydralift, hovers around $4,500, plus or minus. And that does not include tax and shipping. Hydralift, predominantly only ships to a "dealer/installer" of your choice when purchasing new. If you're lucky to find one used, it's up to you to get it to your location. The durability, quality and assurance of their product is top shelf. Both the Cruiserlift and the Hydralift are powered by an electric motor but, one powers a hydraulic pump and one powers a winch. The dependability of hydraulics now days are outstanding. After all, about 99.99999999% of the jacks/levelers on todays coaches are all hydraulic. Very, very few folks have issues in terms of leaks or problems in the hydraulic side. I used that Hydralift for over 8,000 miles on our '04 Itasca Horizon 36GD with the 330 C-7 CAT and, never, repeat NEVER, had any issues of any type. That includes handling problems of any type, structural problems of any type, or anything related to that. The primary reason I sold it was because we were a bit over weight and, we wanted a change in toads. So, the Hydralift went bye-bye and we purchased a 2011 GMC Sierra 1500 4x4 Extended Cab. Now, we still wanted to carry the Honda Goldwing so, the intent was to purchase a "Rampage" lift/carrier for the truck. Well, that's our picture as of now. As for your choice, if you were to put both lifts side by side, and watch the action of both, I'm pretty sure you'd like the Hydralift over the other. It all depends on just how much you want to spend. Now, the second part of the equation. What kind of coach, length, engine, etc. do you have to mount this kind of weight on? The Hydralift itself weighs in the neighborhood of 300, plus or minus a few. Most of the "unknowing" will tell you about all kinds of issues you're going to have. Unless they've done it, and drove with it, and had that kind of weight addition back there, I don't put much faith in what many have to say. Larry will give you first and, new experience on just what kind of effects it had/has on his particular coach. Ours, like stated, is a 36' diesel and it did flawless. I weighed our coach, front and rear prior to the lift install and the weight of the bike, and it removed exactly 100 lbs. off the front end. BIG DEAL! The ride height sensors compensated for the additional weight and the coach road at the exact same stance fully loaded as it does now, with no lift or bike on it. Larry used the same mounting characteristics and components that I had. Although with a little "sneer" here, Larry's a bit slow on the removal of the lift for rear of the coach service. If I recall, start to finish, I could have that lift off the back in right close to 8 minutes. I'm sure he's got the process down though. LOL. Anyway, as you can see and read, I'm definitely a fan of the Hydralift. And, I've got experience with both types of lift mechanisms. The Rampage lift utilizes a winch. Without a doubt, the winch system is antiquated and not near as positive as the hydraulic operation is. Your choice. Scott

We have a 2003 American Coach Tradition with a CruiserLift installed for the last two years. Carries a 2009 Harley ElectraGlide Ultra Classic that weighs around 975 pounds. Also tow a 2013 Chevy Silverado.Have had this setup installed for almost 34000 miles with zero issues. And that bike goes up and down on that lift at least three times each and every weekend from March to November.Takes about 5 minutes to remove the bike carrier and then also the rest of the lift mechanism for access to the engine bay area.We over-engineered the mounting tubes on the frame rails and we have seen zero issues with the frame with the weight of that bike back there.It does use quite a bit of power off the batteries, just make sure that you use the appropriate gauge wire (we used some 8 gauge) to run directly from the batteries to the electric motor. The front wheel chock really locks the bike in place also. And it will take some good leg power to pull the bike out of that chock, especially if you are parked with the front of the bike down hill. Found ours used on Craigslist and purchased sight unseen and drove 1000 miles to pick it up. I would highly recommend the CruiserLift to anyone looking.

Who takes a motorcycle with them | Good Sam Community

Skid_Row_Joe
Explorer
Dec 27, 2013
FIRE UP wrote:
Skid Row Joe wrote:
Supercharged wrote:
I carry a 250 cc scooter.

What type of set-up carrier did you go with, Superchargerd?

Do you use a cover on the scooter, or leave it in the elements?

The Honda Ruckus is the size scooter that I am zeroing-in on for a quick hop to the library, grocery store or Walmart wherever I'm parked.

I used to carry a TW 200 Yamaha on this hauler that I built. Too bad you're too far away, I'm going to put this one up for sale 'cause it just doesn't get used any more. It's got a receiver on it too for towing while hauling. It worked flawless.
Scott

Scott,
Thank you for your post/pictures!

That's right-up my alley of usefulness on my Class C. That's a nice looking rack you have there. I'm sure you can get a good bit of interest on the RV section of your local CL (craigslist)!
FIRE_UP
Explorer
Dec 27, 2013
Skid Row Joe wrote:
Supercharged wrote:
I carry a 250 cc scooter.

What type of set-up carrier did you go with, Superchargerd?

Do you use a cover on the scooter, or leave it in the elements?

The Honda Ruckus is the size scooter that I am zeroing-in on for a quick hop to the library, grocery store or Walmart wherever I'm parked.

I used to carry a TW 200 Yamaha on this hauler that I built. Too bad you're too far away, I'm going to put this one up for sale 'cause it just doesn't get used any more. It's got a receiver on it too for towing while hauling. It worked flawless.
Scott
Skid_Row_Joe
Explorer
Dec 26, 2013
Supercharged wrote:
I carry a 250 cc scooter.

What type of set-up carrier did you go with, Superchargerd?

Do you use a cover on the scooter, or leave it in the elements?

The Honda Ruckus is the size scooter that I am zeroing-in on for a quick hop to the library, grocery store or Walmart wherever I'm parked.
Skid_Row_Joe
Explorer
Dec 26, 2013
dan23 wrote:
I'll add my two cents because I solved the issue of carrying a motorcycle with me a bit differently than any of the posts so far. The closest is the guy who carries a scooter.

At first, I looked at power lifts and decided the weight with mc and cost of the lift seemed silly and unworkable, so I rejected that solution.

Then I looked at trailers and nearly bought one, but decided against it because of the hassles of towing, plus pretty much always needing a pull-through site... rejected that idea, too. Extra size can quickly shut you out of your preferred camp grounds if you're not careful.

Then one day I was looking through on-line ads and found a nice used Kawasaki KLR for far less than the cost either a trailer or a lift, and bought it. Then I got a 600 pound rated carrier that cost less than a third of either a lift or a trailer. I sometimes pull the front of the mh up on a block to lower the carrier so it's easy for my wife and me to push it up and tie it down. Problem solved.

In addition, I now have another choice of motorcycle, and more choices of where to ride, etc. and have not had so much fun motorcycling since my high school days when every manufacturer sold a version of so-called street-scrambler motorcycles. It's a lot easier to find low-traffic areas to ride and KLRs are famous for ease of care, eliminating the need for a cover when transporting it, although I do cover it in camp.

Everyone will have their own opinion on this, but to me, possessions can possess their owners and trying to carry one of my other motorcycles would leave me in that situation. Which is why I do without slides and a towed car, too.

This IN BOLD, hits the nail on the head for me too. I am in the market for some sort of carrier that would carry a scooter like the Honda Ruckus. I just need/want something smallish and easy to go just a very few miles on surface streets/State/National Parks from the RV while in any area. I do not want to tow a car.
FIRE_UP
Explorer
Dec 25, 2013
Flanz wrote:
Fire....Since you did buy one, did you use it while travelling with the MH?

If so, how did it work out? Did it create any issues/concerns to the MC while in motion? I know you said it "touched" the MC, but overall did it perform okay and cause NO damage to the MC?

Was it just the fact that it was advertised that it wouldn't touch the bike an issue?

Just trying to become informed....

Flanz,
No Sir, I didn't travel one inch with that cover in place. Because it touched the painted surfaces in so many points, and even a couple of chrome garnishments here and there, I knew for a fact that all those touch points would have done some intense harm, by the time we drove our first 100 miles. So, to answer your question, nope, the rig never even pulled out of our home with it on.

As for the cover you do see on there, It's made by "Ultrgard" and, it's manufactured as a travel cover for a bike of that size and nature. It's real thick and doesn't flop around in the breeze/currents/turbulence back there. That cover doesn't move one micro-inch. It's a bit of a pain to install but, it's the best that can be done, in that kind of a situation.
Scott
Flanz
Explorer
Dec 25, 2013
Fire....Since you did buy one, did you use it while travelling with the MH?

If so, how did it work out? Did it create any issues/concerns to the MC while in motion? I know you said it "touched" the MC, but overall did it perform okay and cause NO damage to the MC?

Was it just the fact that it was advertised that it wouldn't touch the bike an issue?

Just trying to become informed....
FIRE_UP
Explorer
Dec 25, 2013
Flanz wrote:
Hello,

I'm also leaning towards a Hydralift to carry my Road Glide Ultra. Looking around at this moment for a used.

Someone mentioned covering the MC while travelling. Hydralift offers an enclosure that can be used while driving and at the campground. Although I haven't really looked at it it may be an option.

http://www.hydralift-usa.com/accessories/enclosure/

Comments?

Flanz,
Well Sir, I've got direct experience with all that you ask. Yep, the Hydralift is by far, the best lift/carrier on the market, without a doubt. But, there's one flaw in them, THEY'RE VERY PROWD OF THEM! They are pretty pricey, as you most likely know. But, we too looked around for a used one and found it on ebay. We live in San Diego and the Wife found it on ebay in Scottsdale AZ.

Well, a phone call to the owner, some questions, negotiations, and, a deal was made. ROAD TRIP!! We picked it up for $1800.00, complete. I did the install which, was fun but, tactical.

When it was all said and done, it worked absolutely flawless. We used it for over 8,000 miles of traveling on an '04 Itasca Horizon, 36GD with the C-7 330 CAT. None of the so called "Ill Fated" problems EVER cropped up. No ill handling, no porpoising, no wandering, no LIFTING OF THE FRONT END, no damage to the coach or frame, NOTHING.

Now, you mention the "Garage cover" that Hydralift sells as an accomplishment/augmentation to their lift. Well I purchased one. Hydralifts claim to fame on this product is, it's a NO TOUCH cover. In that, it's not supposed to touch any portion of the bike, NO MATTER WHAT BIKE YOU'VE GOT ON THEIR LIFT, AT ALL!!!

Well, I did the install of that cover. I will give them this, It's a nice cover, well built, a very good thought process, well designed and, yes, with just a little bit of effort, it's completely removable from the lift and can be used as a great cover, that basically seals the bike to the ground, when camping/traveling/at home and more.

But, we have an '08 Honda GL 1800 Goldwing and, that cover, when installed and adjusted as they instruct, STILL TOUCHED the bike/painted surfaces, IN MULTIPLE PLACES!! I called them and talked with the top two techs, several times and, they simply said I had no idea how to adjust it and, they have several Gold Wing owners that are having no problem in "touching" the bike with that cover.

Well, after about 45 year of fabricating, engine building, welding, metal working, wood working, plastic welding, motor home repair/vehicle repair/motorcycle repair, and a whole host more of items and accomplishments in my life, I figured I was fairly competent in "ADJUSTING" a simple cover to get to be "touch free".

Well, no matter how I adjusted it, in every way and manor it could be adjusted, it still touched the bike, in multiple places. So, with some serious argument, I got them to take it back but, not without some "install" costs to me. That is, since it had been installed, and there were signs of it, I would not get a full refund. I was so tired of arguing with them, I gave in.

Anyway, like stated, it's a great cover but, not for a bike the size of at least our Gold wing. Now, just how much different a full dress Harley is, in dimensions, ANY dimensions, one would have to pull a dresser up next to a Goldwing to really get a good comparison. That cover cost me about, $1,000.00, if I recall.

So, that's my story on it.
Scott

This is a picture of a "travel cover" that is NOT the cover from Hydralift.
Flanz
Explorer
Dec 25, 2013
Hello,

I'm also leaning towards a Hydralift to carry my Road Glide Ultra. Looking around at this moment for a used.

Someone mentioned covering the MC while travelling. Hydralift offers an enclosure that can be used while driving and at the campground. Although I haven't really looked at it it may be an option.

http://www.hydralift-usa.com/accessories/enclosure/

Comments?
dan23
Explorer
Dec 22, 2013
I'll add my two cents because I solved the issue of carrying a motorcycle with me a bit differently than any of the posts so far. The closest is the guy who carries a scooter.

At first, I looked at power lifts and decided the weight with mc and cost of the lift seemed silly and unworkable, so I rejected that solution.

Then I looked at trailers and nearly bought one, but decided against it because of the hassles of towing, plus pretty much always needing a pull-through site... rejected that idea, too. Extra size can quickly shut you out of your preferred camp grounds if you're not careful.

Then one day I was looking through on-line ads and found a nice used Kawasaki KLR for far less than the cost either a trailer or a lift, and bought it. Then I got a 600 pound rated carrier that cost less than a third of either a lift or a trailer. I sometimes pull the front of the mh up on a block to lower the carrier so it's easy for my wife and me to push it up and tie it down. Problem solved.

In addition, I now have another choice of motorcycle, and more choices of where to ride, etc. and have not had so much fun motorcycling since my high school days when every manufacturer sold a version of so-called street-scrambler motorcycles. It's a lot easier to find low-traffic areas to ride and KLRs are famous for ease of care, eliminating the need for a cover when transporting it, although I do cover it in camp.

Everyone will have their own opinion on this, but to me, possessions can possess their owners and trying to carry one of my other motorcycles would leave me in that situation. Which is why I do without slides and a towed car, too.
JetAonly
Explorer
Dec 22, 2013
I just hauled my R1200GS in the back of the pickup from Ohio to Florida. It was yucky when we left and didn't get out of the salt until Kentucky. No corrosion except on a couple of zinc covered fasteners. I used the S100 to clean it when I got to FL. Good to go. Bike was not covered in truck. We are staying 2 blocks from the beach. I imagine I'll get more salt exposure here than enroute.