...have the Black Widow 600 # aluminum which is very similar to yours. I put the stair step traction tape on the ramp and the carrier. Those can get very slick with dust. I took some of the "road wobble" out of the ride by taking a strap from a solid tie point on the bike into a tie point in the bed of truck....could do the same with a strap to the trailer chain loops there on the receiver if on a SUV. That stabilizes the "road wobble" well with my 310GS. Truck is a RAM. Definitely use the loop end straps like you or carabiner style hook straps. Use the cam buckle staps with double loop straps .
"Tractor Supply" My favorite go-to. I have a small wheel single bike trailer that goes behind my VW Diesel Beetle .... 37MPG pulling the bike and trailer!
I love mine. Use it all the time for the same reason you got yours. I also have a small class C motor home, and it’s much better to haul the 390 on the back than it is to pull a four wheeler. Thanks for another great video.
I put a moving blanket on the back of my truck to allow my bike to lean against it while I’m getting my straps ready. Saves the panic that can set in if the bike tries to get against the truck. I’ve always found the loading and unloading process sketchy. My rack is pretty stable in motion, but I don’t like carrying anything over 300 pounds.
We use one of these with a transit connect cargo van. Typically I load the 390 into the back of the van and put my wife's dual sport on the rack, as I think the 390 is probably pushing it on the limits for the rack/tongue as you mentioned, but agree that these are great way to move bikes, and a big benefit of the 390 is it can be put on something like this.
In my experience, the heavier they are, the more durable and stable they tend to be. No matter what you’re carrying, I recommend purchasing a carrier that’s rated for way more weight than you plan to put on it. There really isn’t any way to drive conservatively where I’m from. The roads are not necessarily horrible, but when you’re hooked up, traveling 70mph down the interstates around here, there is always that one bridge or overpass, that when you come down off of it, it puts any load and or hitch to the test. You never know where those spots are, unless you travel the same routs all the time. Also, don’t buy one with a short ramp. Get one with a ramp that is as long as the carrier, like this one. I take the ramp off when I’m handling the carrier to make it lighter. If anyone has purchased a nice steel carrier, but it came with a short steel ramp, you could go to a fab shop and pick up a longer piece of aluminum channel to replace it with. You would just have to mod the end to attach it to the carrier.
I have a strap ready, like you did, however, I put it on the inside. That way I can ratchet the handlebar on the inside, making it impossible for the bike to fall away from the vehicle. I store the rack about 250' from the driveway. I feel like I am going to die when I set the damn thing down. - Frank
I have a camper shell on the back of my pick up and used to have a light trailer for our bikes. Now my boys are grown, I'm just hauling my bike so I wanted a hitch carrier. All the ones available looked light and sketchy so I fabricated one myself. Turned out I had a bunch of leftover steel so I didn't have to buy much to finish it. I also built a platform on the inside of the rack for fuel can's and smaller gear bags. Mine is much stronger, but also heavier than store bought, and I know it's American made! It took a bit to get comfortable using it, but it's a great option for hauling my dual sport to places I want to ride and having my camper for sleeping. Great vid to highlight the benefits of a hitch hauler......
Thanks for the feedback. Your carrier sounds awesome. What you built is what I really wanted but I am not much of a fabricator. You have a great setup. Well done!
I had a hitch carrier for a bit. The flanges on my Land Cruiser hitch (same era as your GX) didn't line up with the anti-sway gizmos at all. Or the bolts didn't line up. I used to stick some JBWeld on it for a day trip. That's about how long it lasted. I hated the swaying though, and that was with a crf230. Bought a truck, much more simple, but bed was pretty high, so that was a pain. Bought a cheap trailer, liked it for ease of use, but didn't like it taking up 1/2 the garage. Sold it, and bought a used kendon, which i much prefer. actually sold that one for misc reasons, but looking for new one. Don't have anywhere to store a trailer except in the garage. Right now, i just do a $25 uhaul motorbike trailer for an occasional jaunt. My ideal solution would be an El Camino lol. Some kind of lowrider truck. There's been some talk on my FB ADV group about a possibly TX BDR, which will probably just be roads around Big Bend, as TX is lacking in much more than that, and some Hill Country trails.
Nice, look for an old Toyota 2wd truck. Those sat pretty low. A Texas BDR is over due. If the East Coast can have two why not Texas. Sounds awesome to me.
@@advmatt had a first gen tundra 4x4. That was the problem. Tall. An old T100 would have been better. Or if they’d just come out with the new “scout” or whatever, that would work. I’d daily drive a little truck without a problem.
I have same ramp. Very heavy. Works great though. I put a strap on both sides of the roof rack as a fail-safe. I never want to look in my rear view mirror and see my bike (DRZ400) flipping down the highway. I know that it's overkill but it takes an extra 5 min and gives me piece of mind.
Great, thanks! I'm actually about to do this with the Black Widow and a GX too! Good idea on the grade 8 bolts, I may replace a few of the key ones now that it's on my mind. I bought plastic plugs for the rearward steel tubes, and plan to add semi-permanent tennis balls too, def seem like shin-biters. I think I'm also adding LED brake lights and drill a couple holes to mount the license plate while hauling too, just to avoid any imperial entanglements... Nice vid!
Right on Matt!! I purchased my hitch carrier a few months back for a different reason. After a long day of riding, I find it tough on my body to push my bike up a ramp into the back of my truck. Merry Christmas my man and best wishes to you and your family.
What the heck man! I just bough the heated jackets for myself and my wife, now this!? Haha, just joking, I will be buying the hitch carrier to put on my RV trailer. Thanks for sharing as this gives me more purchasing options.
I have a hitch carrier. I used it to bring my ktm 390 adv home and that is the last time I used it. Great for smaller bikes but I feel my 390 is close to max. Don't like the wobble.
Appreciate the tips! Really like the idea using the clutch while unloading and having it in gear. Also the the Velcro on the front brake in transit. Thanks!!
I took my 690 and now my 300l on the back of my ford expedition from Austin to Colorado for the last 3 summer trips, those carriers are very solid mine is rated to carry 600lbs, I also used it from plano TX to Austin when I bought my 456lbs f800gs but that's about as heavy as i will go just to safe, So as long as you don't exceed the the tung weight capacity of your vehicle you should be perfectly fine Cheers !
Yep, the limiting factor is the tongue weight. I am impressed it worked for the F800GS. That is right at the limit. The 300l is perfect for driving and riding. Colorado trips, right on. Great riding. Cheers.
I’ve thought long and hard about using one of those carriers on the back of my F350 for my 500 EXC. On it’s face, I think that it is a great idea, but in reality that’s a lot of weight hanging off the back, and even driving conservatively, that weight is going to be felt, big time. Hell, even with the bike loaded in the bed of a bonafied truck like mine you feel it. It’s not hard to imagine what you are feeling in your SUV. Your reasoning for this type of rig is well understood, but for anything other than a short trip I would think it to be pretty unbearable, at least for me. Don’t get me wrong, my comment is NOT meant to bash your setup in any way. All that to say that it doesn’t work for ME. I do enjoy your videos, including this one❤. Keep up the good work😊
I understand where you are coming from. This carrier is not for everyone. I do notice a bike back there. The rear end is carrying a lot of leveraged weight. My primary purpose is airport runs. Uber is not an option since I live in the mountains. I agree, keep it to short trips. Thanks for watching and commenting.
I'm trying to convince my wife to buy a jeep gladiator and do the same with my 390 and travel around the country and make videos. Can't sleep in it though but we can carry lots of stuff in the back like camping stuff.
@@advmatt Doesn’t it just. I was thinking about getting a KTM 500 EXC and a device like this. Would be cool to have a really strong version that could do these bikes, but also big bore ADV bikes.
FYI you could buy a Black Widow Aluminum. Less than half the weight of that one (I have the same model). I am using the original Chinese bolts with both. - Frank
I looked at Black Widow, I couldn't bring myself to spending the money for the aluminum one. Good to know the carrier is still working for you with the original hardware. Cheers.
I hitch the 390 1400 miles to South Florida every January. Have since 2020! Took it 2400 out to South Dakota a few years ago. - Frank
What hitch are you using?
Hopefully I will get as much use out of this as you have. I usually take my mountain bike everywhere, now I have options.
...have the Black Widow 600 # aluminum which is very similar to yours. I put the stair step traction tape on the ramp and the carrier. Those can get very slick with dust. I took some of the "road wobble" out of the ride by taking a strap from a solid tie point on the bike into a tie point in the bed of truck....could do the same with a strap to the trailer chain loops there on the receiver if on a SUV. That stabilizes the "road wobble" well with my 310GS. Truck is a RAM. Definitely use the loop end straps like you or carabiner style hook straps. Use the cam buckle staps with double loop straps .
Great tips to remove the wobble. I will do that next time. Thanks.
@@advmatt ...yes my "road wobble" was literally eliminated by doing that...👍
"Tractor Supply" My favorite go-to. I have a small wheel single bike trailer that goes behind my VW Diesel Beetle .... 37MPG pulling the bike and trailer!
Nice option instead of using a trailer. Definitely more economical to use. Thanks for posting Matt.
It's hard to shuttle with a trailer parked at the airport, so this did the trick.
I love mine. Use it all the time for the same reason you got yours. I also have a small class C motor home, and it’s much better to haul the 390 on the back than it is to pull a four wheeler. Thanks for another great video.
Good to hear others out there carrying the 390 the same way I am. Glad it is working for you. Excellent endorsement. Cheers.
I put a moving blanket on the back of my truck to allow my bike to lean against it while I’m getting my straps ready. Saves the panic that can set in if the bike tries to get against the truck. I’ve always found the loading and unloading process sketchy. My rack is pretty stable in motion, but I don’t like carrying anything over 300 pounds.
Great tip to use the blanket. I am pushing the limits. I saw reviews of riders carrying much heavier bikes, if the reviews can be trusted.
We use one of these with a transit connect cargo van. Typically I load the 390 into the back of the van and put my wife's dual sport on the rack, as I think the 390 is probably pushing it on the limits for the rack/tongue as you mentioned, but agree that these are great way to move bikes, and a big benefit of the 390 is it can be put on something like this.
It has sure helped me with my shuttle needs. I am not sure I would go across the country using this carrier, but shorter trips, perfect.
In my experience, the heavier they are, the more durable and stable they tend to be. No matter what you’re carrying, I recommend purchasing a carrier that’s rated for way more weight than you plan to put on it. There really isn’t any way to drive conservatively where I’m from. The roads are not necessarily horrible, but when you’re hooked up, traveling 70mph down the interstates around here, there is always that one bridge or overpass, that when you come down off of it, it puts any load and or hitch to the test. You never know where those spots are, unless you travel the same routs all the time.
Also, don’t buy one with a short ramp. Get one with a ramp that is as long as the carrier, like this one. I take the ramp off when I’m handling the carrier to make it lighter.
If anyone has purchased a nice steel carrier, but it came with a short steel ramp, you could go to a fab shop and pick up a longer piece of aluminum channel to replace it with. You would just have to mod the end to attach it to the carrier.
Great points. I agree. I received a few tips on the comments that should help with the day. Thanks!
I have a strap ready, like you did, however, I put it on the inside. That way I can ratchet the handlebar on the inside, making it impossible for the bike to fall away from the vehicle.
I store the rack about 250' from the driveway. I feel like I am going to die when I set the damn thing down. - Frank
I like your staged strap idea. Might try that. Thanks for watching and commenting. I appreciate our engagement on our videos.
Same here
I have a camper shell on the back of my pick up and used to have a light trailer for our bikes. Now my boys are grown, I'm just hauling my bike so I wanted a hitch carrier. All the ones available looked light and sketchy so I fabricated one myself. Turned out I had a bunch of leftover steel so I didn't have to buy much to finish it. I also built a platform on the inside of the rack for fuel can's and smaller gear bags. Mine is much stronger, but also heavier than store bought, and I know it's American made! It took a bit to get comfortable using it, but it's a great option for hauling my dual sport to places I want to ride and having my camper for sleeping. Great vid to highlight the benefits of a hitch hauler......
Thanks for the feedback. Your carrier sounds awesome. What you built is what I really wanted but I am not much of a fabricator. You have a great setup. Well done!
I had a hitch carrier for a bit. The flanges on my Land Cruiser hitch (same era as your GX) didn't line up with the anti-sway gizmos at all. Or the bolts didn't line up. I used to stick some JBWeld on it for a day trip. That's about how long it lasted. I hated the swaying though, and that was with a crf230. Bought a truck, much more simple, but bed was pretty high, so that was a pain. Bought a cheap trailer, liked it for ease of use, but didn't like it taking up 1/2 the garage. Sold it, and bought a used kendon, which i much prefer. actually sold that one for misc reasons, but looking for new one. Don't have anywhere to store a trailer except in the garage. Right now, i just do a $25 uhaul motorbike trailer for an occasional jaunt. My ideal solution would be an El Camino lol. Some kind of lowrider truck. There's been some talk on my FB ADV group about a possibly TX BDR, which will probably just be roads around Big Bend, as TX is lacking in much more than that, and some Hill Country trails.
Nice, look for an old Toyota 2wd truck. Those sat pretty low. A Texas BDR is over due. If the East Coast can have two why not Texas. Sounds awesome to me.
@@advmatt had a first gen tundra 4x4. That was the problem. Tall. An old T100 would have been better. Or if they’d just come out with the new “scout” or whatever, that would work. I’d daily drive a little truck without a problem.
I have same ramp. Very heavy. Works great though. I put a strap on both sides of the roof rack as a fail-safe. I never want to look in my rear view mirror and see my bike (DRZ400) flipping down the highway. I know that it's overkill but it takes an extra 5 min and gives me piece of mind.
That's a great idea.
Great, thanks! I'm actually about to do this with the Black Widow and a GX too! Good idea on the grade 8 bolts, I may replace a few of the key ones now that it's on my mind. I bought plastic plugs for the rearward steel tubes, and plan to add semi-permanent tennis balls too, def seem like shin-biters. I think I'm also adding LED brake lights and drill a couple holes to mount the license plate while hauling too, just to avoid any imperial entanglements... Nice vid!
Right on Matt!! I purchased my hitch carrier a few months back for a different reason. After a long day of riding, I find it tough on my body to push my bike up a ramp into the back of my truck. Merry Christmas my man and best wishes to you and your family.
Thanks dude. Happy Holidays, all the best this December.
What the heck man! I just bough the heated jackets for myself and my wife, now this!?
Haha, just joking, I will be buying the hitch carrier to put on my RV trailer.
Thanks for sharing as this gives me more purchasing options.
Certainly provides some travel flexibility. Cheers!
I have a hitch carrier. I used it to bring my ktm 390 adv home and that is the last time I used it. Great for smaller bikes but I feel my 390 is close to max. Don't like the wobble.
Yep, I get it. It does wobble around.
Appreciate the tips! Really like the idea using the clutch while unloading and having it in gear. Also the the Velcro on the front brake in transit. Thanks!!
You bet. There are some great tips in the comments as well. Thanks for watching and commenting. Cheers.
I took my 690 and now my 300l on the back of my ford expedition from Austin to Colorado for the last 3 summer trips, those carriers are very solid mine is rated to carry 600lbs, I also used it from plano TX to Austin when I bought my 456lbs f800gs but that's about as heavy as i will go just to safe, So as long as you don't exceed the the tung weight capacity of your vehicle you should be perfectly fine
Cheers !
Yep, the limiting factor is the tongue weight. I am impressed it worked for the F800GS. That is right at the limit. The 300l is perfect for driving and riding. Colorado trips, right on. Great riding. Cheers.
Thanks for the review! much better than pulling a bike trailer 👍🏻
Much better.
Love it!
I’ve thought long and hard about using one of those carriers on the back of my F350 for my 500 EXC. On it’s face, I think that it is a great idea, but in reality that’s a lot of weight hanging off the back, and even driving conservatively, that weight is going to be felt, big time. Hell, even with the bike loaded in the bed of a bonafied truck like mine you feel it. It’s not hard to imagine what you are feeling in your SUV. Your reasoning for this type of rig is well understood, but for anything other than a short trip I would think it to be pretty unbearable, at least for me. Don’t get me wrong, my comment is NOT meant to bash your setup in any way. All that to say that it doesn’t work for ME. I do enjoy your videos, including this one❤. Keep up the good work😊
I understand where you are coming from. This carrier is not for everyone. I do notice a bike back there. The rear end is carrying a lot of leveraged weight. My primary purpose is airport runs. Uber is not an option since I live in the mountains. I agree, keep it to short trips. Thanks for watching and commenting.
That's another reason I'm ditching the big ADV bike and sticking with my dual sport
Way more versatile. Everything but 1k mile days are easier.
I'm trying to convince my wife to buy a jeep gladiator and do the same with my 390 and travel around the country and make videos. Can't sleep in it though but we can carry lots of stuff in the back like camping stuff.
Great idea, now just work on your power of persuaion. Diamonds tend to help.....
The wet weight for the 890 is more than the T7, at least as per specs. Did you do something to lighten your 890?
I am riding a 390 Adventure. Wet weight before any add ons is around 380lbs. The 390 looks a lot like the 790/890.
@@advmatt Doesn’t it just. I was thinking about getting a KTM 500 EXC and a device like this. Would be cool to have a really strong version that could do these bikes, but also big bore ADV bikes.
@@ryanmalone2681 it would be great if it could carry a heavier load, like my T7, but all the same it is serving a very specific purpose.
I carry my 790 this way. But on a full size pickup that can take 500 pounds like that.
Nice. Good to know you have been carrying a heavier bike with no problems.
FYI you could buy a Black Widow Aluminum. Less than half the weight of that one (I have the same model).
I am using the original Chinese bolts with both. - Frank
I looked at Black Widow, I couldn't bring myself to spending the money for the aluminum one. Good to know the carrier is still working for you with the original hardware. Cheers.
LOL... I went to TSC and bought the new bolts that everyone said were necessary. They were probably 100% fine.