motorhome carrier 2005 gs1200

[morgsfx]

hi
i want to carry the gs by supporting it under the engine and back to the main stand area( the crash plate area)
obviously a new bottom plate will be fabricated to take the weight but fitted to the original mounting points and probably to the crash bar bottom plates
but not supported under the wheels
does anyone see any reason that this is not possible
i have used motorcross carriers like this but not for bigger stuff
thanks for your input
Morg

 

[Greg Masters]

What vehicle are you hanging this off and will your vehicle support the weight?

 

[morgsfx]

motorhome

7.5 ton mercedes truck ........its the gs that is my query
sorry i should of stated this in the first post but because of what the motorhome is it didnt cross my mind
thanks
Morg

 

[(RIP) Arkwright]

Mine has done many thousands of miles in the rear garage of a 7.5 tonne Mercedes based motorhome and thoroughly enjoyed it!

(sorry for the hijack)

 

[Bendy toy]

The wheel lifting rings as used by Eazy Rizer lifts would avoid stressing the centre stand.

But it would need a tail lift mech to lift a GS.

 

[morgsfx]

i already have an hydraulic easy lift and 2 other bike carriers that carry under the wheels with a ramp
but i intend to fabricate a kind of new sump guard from 6mm steel that extends from the front of the engine to between the centre stand that the bike sits on when on the rear carrier
i will have a jib that lifts the gs in the air and then fold out the carry platform which will only be about a foot wide under the engine area then lower the gs down and lock it onto the platform
if that makes sense

 

[Bendy toy]

The engine is effectively the frame, so while the standard bash plate is probably not strong enough for transporting the bike something from Touratech or Wunderlich is much stronger.

I use an Eazy Rizer lift. It takes the bike's weight 60% on the bash plate and 40% footrests. Its very stable but the "spectacles" would be much easier for jobs not involving the wheels.

 

[Greg Masters]

I'm sure that a 7500kgs Merc will do the weight without a problem.

But, as the others have said, you'd surely want to support the bike under its wheels. If you support only under the centre, there would be quite a lot of polar rotational forces which would load up your mount considerably.

 

[morgsfx]

the truck and mount would not be an issue
my concern is that having the wheels hanging in mid air whilst driving along may cause something to break or cause some unforseen damage or the underside of the engine cannot support all the weight
changing the front fork seals periodically or some other bearing or bushes is not problem but if its going to bend the frame or crack the engine casing then its a no go

 

[brianmaslen]

Not sure if this is correct or not but I remember reading something that stated that an unsupported rear wheel on a GS would put undue stress on the drive shaft joints/connections/gears over an extended period due to the increased angle. Obviously not a problem on those rare hump back bridge lift offs of course.

 

[morgsfx]

i can understand the prop joints not liking it
i could always just put a short strap around to help support the rear wheel i suppose
and its not for long periods because the gs will be in daily use when transported on the rack
the bike wont physically move but the g force weight on the suspension and wheels will change with exceleration and deceleration as the rear of the motorhome moves up and down

 

[Pukmeister]

I thought I saw a pic on the BMW Reprom showing a lifting bracket that bolted in place of the sump guard on 08 onward GS models to raise the bike and remove both wheels. Sounds like what you are trying to achieve.


Sent via my iThingumabob

 

[birdseye]

there is a big difference between the way you might attach the bike to lift it in a garage and what would be a good idea for holding the bike as the motorhome bounces down a bumpy road. The bike is not designed to absorb shocks directly through the engine casings - thats what the suspension is for. Additionally, with back and front wheels overhanging the central support you will get increased and fluctuating loads as the bike tries to pitch longitudinally when the truck pitches side to side. So whilst I would happily lift it in the way you suggest I would want there to be some support for the front and back wheels taking at least a part of the weight once the whole set up is moving.

 

[brianmaslen]

What I'm struggling to understand is what is actually driving you to support the bike under the centre rather than under the wheels in the normal way. If you have a lifting mechanismn to lift under the sump why on earth wouldn't you develop it to lift and support under the wheels? At least the normal way would avoid any undue stress to the bike or lift. I'm sure I must be missing something.

 

[WindyChuffer]

I wouldn't carry a GS this way as its such a heavy bike. Most bashplates out there are shite with weak mounts including the BMW and Touratech ones. AltRider do a good bashplate that is fixed to frame and centre stand mounts.

Would suggest you carry using wheels.

Speak to specialist engineering company such as Watling Engineers - they can make towbar / motorbike mounts for any vehicle.

See:
http://www.watling-towbars.co.uk

 

[Neil W]

If it is a 7 1/2 tonner would you not be better off trying to pick up a used folding tail lift and fitting that , I would go as far as replacing the tail lift platform with a box section frame that supports both wheels and either the bash plate or centre stand and incorporates decent strap down points