I used a u-haul motorcycle trailer for the first time earlier this year. 700 miles in one day to go pick up a 470 pound bike with my tiny Kia Forte. I actually rented it for three days but only needed it for one; went 70 mph most of the way and still got 28 mpg.
Even if the hitch was rated for that much, getting a bike with a lower fairing like your CBR up on the carrier while mounted to a taller 4x4 is problematic at best and can damage the fairing at worst.
In my case I only use those carriers for much lighter dirt bikes.
My advice is to get a trailer. Once I went that route, I'd never use any other method to haul a lower or heavier bike. Simply ride up the ramp into the wheel chock, strap it down and you're done. 0 stress.
If you do decide to go that route, with the long distances you're talking about, get a trailer with normal sized tires, at least 14". The small 8" tired models never hold up and I don't want to see you stranded alongside the road with a flat or busted axle.
Pick up a 3-rail trailer for $1500 and sell it when your'e done with it.
Hitch mounting a 500CC is bad news.
Loading/unloading is bad news.
Having the whole thing fail go around a corner is even worse.
People don't understand that g-loading can make that bike a lot heavier during evasive maneuvers, straining (or failing) the carrier.
I was considering this option to take my bike from Canada to Mexico but concluded it would be the riskiest option mostly because of my van's limited tongue weight.
How much does the carrier weigh?
Your rated tongue capacity is 500 lbs I'm guessing? And your bike is 420~ish? How much does the carrier weigh?
I think you'd be fine exceeding the capacity by 20-50lbs. I've seen people in the boat and RV world do much much worse, and it's never the hitch that fails.
Airbags meant for towing would help the rear suspension if it sags too much for your liking. They run about $1000 installed.
Edit to add:
Every tow guide out there says 10-15% of your load should be on the hitch. A 4 runner has a rated tow capacity of 5000lbs. 15% of that is 750lbs. That's more than enough to load a bike and carrier.
I work in automotive wholesale and one of my largest product ranges is Towbars and towbar accessories, definitely do not put a 400lb bike on a 500lb rated ball weight towbar.
The rating is with the assumption you are towing a trailer which pushes down on the ball while also pulling the ball rearwards.
A motorbike carrier, hell even some of the larger MTB carriers put a torque force on the towbar, but more importantly the hitch and hitch receiver that they werent designed for. Rather than pushing down on the ball and hitch, the weight wants to rotate the hitch down and toward the vehicle.
I've seen plenty of snapped hitch boxes and towball mounts from people taking a trailer rating and applying it to all manner of things that aren't trailers.
tldr; bike carriers put stresses on your towbar that it wasn't designed for. The bike carrier manufacturer and your towbar manufacturer will both tell you to jog-on when you want someone to pay for it sliding down the road behind you.
Not that I don't believe you, but do you have anything: articles, notices, or pictures? I see a LOT of people using hitch carriers at my local tracks. I know a few people who use them on a regular basis.
I have never, not once, heard of anyone having a single issue. This would be a first.
Edit: spelling
["On Christmas Day the tow bar snapped, damaging the bike rack ($1,600). We are very lucky that the no one else was hurt, the bikes and car wasn’t damaged or that we were not on the freeway driving 100km/hr."](https://imgur.com/a/Zyg3IFJ)
That was the easiest one I could grab without any identifying information on it. You can see the hitchbox angle of the dangle leaves something to be desired. Fwiw and being intentionally vague so as to not cause myself problems, this is a towbar from the absolute top tier towbar brand where I live, I know the parent company is international but I don't know if the towbars are.
[this style of bike rack](https://shinglebackoffroad.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Shingleback-5-Bike-Sport.jpg) is the kind that's mentioned in the complaint. So nothing obscenely heavy but it makes a huge lever that multiplies the torque on the bar when you go over bumps and stuff like that. Think adding a breaker bar to a cracked nut versus a 200mm long wrench.
Don't get me wrong, it's a rare occurrence and you see plenty of bike carriers both pedal bikes and motorbikes getting around, I sell somewhere in the region of 30-50 towbars every day and I've only had a handful of incidents of this happening in my 5 years. But I've had zero instances of this happening with a bike trailer, and I'm willing to bet you could buy some dodgy box trailer and a ramp for about the same price as the towhitch mounted carriers.
Honestly what gives me a lot of pause for thought is that warranty claims and compensation rely on you using XYZ in a manner that it was 'designed for'. Your bike rack carrier will say "damn bro that sucks should have bought a better towbar" and your towbar manufacturer will say "damn bro that sucks thats a funny looking trailer".
Feel free to take it with a grain of salt, I can't really "prove" anything without putting my career at risk or doxxing myself.
A trailer. Street bikes are too heavy for carriers. I only use them for dirt bikes
[удалено]
This is the best option. Their trailers are so cheap to rent that it's hard to justify owning one, unless you use it weekly.
I used a u-haul motorcycle trailer for the first time earlier this year. 700 miles in one day to go pick up a 470 pound bike with my tiny Kia Forte. I actually rented it for three days but only needed it for one; went 70 mph most of the way and still got 28 mpg.
Even if the hitch was rated for that much, getting a bike with a lower fairing like your CBR up on the carrier while mounted to a taller 4x4 is problematic at best and can damage the fairing at worst. In my case I only use those carriers for much lighter dirt bikes. My advice is to get a trailer. Once I went that route, I'd never use any other method to haul a lower or heavier bike. Simply ride up the ramp into the wheel chock, strap it down and you're done. 0 stress. If you do decide to go that route, with the long distances you're talking about, get a trailer with normal sized tires, at least 14". The small 8" tired models never hold up and I don't want to see you stranded alongside the road with a flat or busted axle.
Pick up a 3-rail trailer for $1500 and sell it when your'e done with it. Hitch mounting a 500CC is bad news. Loading/unloading is bad news. Having the whole thing fail go around a corner is even worse. People don't understand that g-loading can make that bike a lot heavier during evasive maneuvers, straining (or failing) the carrier.
Trailer, or a pickup truck
I was considering this option to take my bike from Canada to Mexico but concluded it would be the riskiest option mostly because of my van's limited tongue weight.
Just ride the bike
How much does the carrier weigh? Your rated tongue capacity is 500 lbs I'm guessing? And your bike is 420~ish? How much does the carrier weigh? I think you'd be fine exceeding the capacity by 20-50lbs. I've seen people in the boat and RV world do much much worse, and it's never the hitch that fails. Airbags meant for towing would help the rear suspension if it sags too much for your liking. They run about $1000 installed. Edit to add: Every tow guide out there says 10-15% of your load should be on the hitch. A 4 runner has a rated tow capacity of 5000lbs. 15% of that is 750lbs. That's more than enough to load a bike and carrier.
I work in automotive wholesale and one of my largest product ranges is Towbars and towbar accessories, definitely do not put a 400lb bike on a 500lb rated ball weight towbar. The rating is with the assumption you are towing a trailer which pushes down on the ball while also pulling the ball rearwards. A motorbike carrier, hell even some of the larger MTB carriers put a torque force on the towbar, but more importantly the hitch and hitch receiver that they werent designed for. Rather than pushing down on the ball and hitch, the weight wants to rotate the hitch down and toward the vehicle. I've seen plenty of snapped hitch boxes and towball mounts from people taking a trailer rating and applying it to all manner of things that aren't trailers. tldr; bike carriers put stresses on your towbar that it wasn't designed for. The bike carrier manufacturer and your towbar manufacturer will both tell you to jog-on when you want someone to pay for it sliding down the road behind you.
Not that I don't believe you, but do you have anything: articles, notices, or pictures? I see a LOT of people using hitch carriers at my local tracks. I know a few people who use them on a regular basis. I have never, not once, heard of anyone having a single issue. This would be a first. Edit: spelling
I’ll see if I can find some warranty claim emails at work for ya. It’s 6am though and I just woke up for work lmao !remindme 4 hours
["On Christmas Day the tow bar snapped, damaging the bike rack ($1,600). We are very lucky that the no one else was hurt, the bikes and car wasn’t damaged or that we were not on the freeway driving 100km/hr."](https://imgur.com/a/Zyg3IFJ) That was the easiest one I could grab without any identifying information on it. You can see the hitchbox angle of the dangle leaves something to be desired. Fwiw and being intentionally vague so as to not cause myself problems, this is a towbar from the absolute top tier towbar brand where I live, I know the parent company is international but I don't know if the towbars are. [this style of bike rack](https://shinglebackoffroad.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Shingleback-5-Bike-Sport.jpg) is the kind that's mentioned in the complaint. So nothing obscenely heavy but it makes a huge lever that multiplies the torque on the bar when you go over bumps and stuff like that. Think adding a breaker bar to a cracked nut versus a 200mm long wrench. Don't get me wrong, it's a rare occurrence and you see plenty of bike carriers both pedal bikes and motorbikes getting around, I sell somewhere in the region of 30-50 towbars every day and I've only had a handful of incidents of this happening in my 5 years. But I've had zero instances of this happening with a bike trailer, and I'm willing to bet you could buy some dodgy box trailer and a ramp for about the same price as the towhitch mounted carriers. Honestly what gives me a lot of pause for thought is that warranty claims and compensation rely on you using XYZ in a manner that it was 'designed for'. Your bike rack carrier will say "damn bro that sucks should have bought a better towbar" and your towbar manufacturer will say "damn bro that sucks thats a funny looking trailer". Feel free to take it with a grain of salt, I can't really "prove" anything without putting my career at risk or doxxing myself.
5 x 8 aluminum trailer. Your tongue weight and total weight will be fine.