SuzukiSavage.com - Car subframe based Savage hauler

Oldfeller--FSO

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Re: Car subframe based Savage hauler
Reply #15 - 07/04/10 at 08:12:01

I am at work until about 7:00 tonight so no pics today

(double time for 12 hrs today -- whoopee !!)

Towing hooks are slightly below wheel hub high and are only offset slightly inside the wheels (looking from back to front). Hooks are actually steel plates with oblong hook holes cut inside them, not much very room for any extra drilled holes in the plates as it is mostly the oblong hole form.

I could put a large bolt through the plate oblongs trapping the construction of the carrier mount to the bottom of the trunk, but the surrounding sheet metal is thin and kinda flimsy when you get away from the hooks themselves ....

I need to jack the car up and lay under there and think about it a bit.

Logically, when you hit a pothole or a speedbump you are gonna point load those mounting points with 500-600 pounds of force multiplied through a lever system.

Tons of effective force, in other words.

It is gonna require a third strong mounting point nearer to the butt end (center) of the car to cut down on the potential lever effects.

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Charon

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Re: Car subframe based Savage hauler
Reply #16 - 07/04/10 at 09:56:35

Just for information, when I weighed my stock S40, I got 215 pounds rear, 172 front. I did have a Plexifairing III on it, which would add a couple of pounds in front. But the fuel tank had about 20 miles run out of it, so there was a loss of two or three pounds of fuel. Otherwise it was full fuel and all fluids installed. If I were going to tow it backwards, whether on one wheel or on a trailer, I'd remove the windshield.

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RidgeRunner13

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Re: Car subframe based Savage hauler
Reply #17 - 07/04/10 at 09:58:31

You'll need to look under the plastic bumper cover to see what is there to brace from. Look were the bumper support mounts to see if you can build from there. You'll probably have to cut holes in the cover to access the mounts.

I built my first 1-wheel towing setup about 1974 for my RD350. The 1st one was a pipe the axle would fit thru welded to a plate that bolted to my trailer hitch, using the ball to hold it. Removed the front wheel, slid a piece of wood in the caliper with a bungee holding the lever, and put the axle in. Still had to tie the bars off & you could not back up worth a *#@^. But it worked, always removed the chain too.
The next, for a Yamaha 650 twin, was similar but used pieces from an oil drum for the front tire to rest in. Still removed the chain.
Never tried pulling one backwards. I think it would be easier on the bike & car to go foward.

Is there enough room to take the belt loose & tie it out of the way?
It would be easier if you can find some sort of hitch. Cool

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Oldfeller--FSO Serious Thumper ModSquad Offline Hobby is now "concentrated neuropany" Posts: 12671 Fayetteville, NC Gender:	Re: Car subframe based Savage hauler Reply #18 - 07/04/10 at 10:04:31 It would be a lot easier to find a relative to borrow a truck from !!
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verslagen1 YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline Where there's a will, I want to be in it. Posts: 28884 L.A. California Gender:	Re: Car subframe based Savage hauler Reply #19 - 07/04/10 at 10:52:28 I have a front wheel tow cradle, don't like it cause it tips the bike in turns. you are going to have to build your own "receiver" then look at fleabay for ideas on the type of tow hitch you want.
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Jack_650

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Re: Car subframe based Savage hauler
Reply #20 - 07/04/10 at 15:37:09

I don't see much good in hauling a bike around on one wheel for more than very short distances. We had a guy on here a few years ago who was wanting to do this same thing to haul his bike somewhere out west for a big move he was making with a girl friend and a small car. The general consensus back then was that it was a bad idea.

I got my little 4'X4' you-put-it-together utility trailer for around $100 at a fall close-out sale. The bike rails that came for it cost almost as much and the back part isn't near wide enough for the stock 650 tire so the big jawed channel locks were used to bend the sides down..

I bolted a 7' or so 2"X10" down the middle of it and the bike rides on that. When I want to pull the trailer with the bike I remove the "bike board" and use it with just a plywood floor on the trailer.

A point here is that in MN you license/register small utility trailers once and it's forever. I forget what the annual cost was before we went that way, but it couldn't have been much. (I have a larger enclosed trailer that's licensed in the same manner.) You get a 40-60 lb. tongue weight that any car can handle. We've got a '07 Civic and there's a hitch that you can get. Honda will install or the directions don't look that hard.

I've even thought of getting a GoldWing just to haul my Savage around with.

Jack

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Ed L.

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Re: Car subframe based Savage hauler
Reply #21 - 07/04/10 at 18:43:15

You are going to get a lot of wheel flop by towing the bike backwards unless you figure out how to lock the front down tight. I used a hitch carrier to get my bike home after a flat rear tire and had a lot of problems with the front end slapping back and forth. The back end of the bike was strapped down real tight onto the carrier. The front end had straps tying the handle bars to the frame and untill I got them real tight the front tire would slap back and forth over 20mph. It was a little bit un-nerving having the bike jump back and forth when under tow. Don't know if it would work for you cause the rear tire of the bike carries most of the weight and you are limited as to how much weight you can carry.

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