Vehicles Suitable for Using Hitch Motorcycle Carrier with Total TW of 650+ Pounds  

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Most passenger vehicles have a tongue weight (TW) capacity - TW is downward force on the frame - that usually ranges from a low of about 150-lbs up to about 500-lbs. Larger pickups that have a much higher towing capacity will naturally also have a higher TW rating since their frames are built to be much stronger.

TW for a hitch is usually rated at 10-percent of the towing weight limit for that hitch. For example, the 2-inch Class IV Curt hitch # C14355 has a tow rating of 10K and a TW rating of 1K. This hitch various versions of the Ford F-series pickups. For a motorcycle that weighs close to 500-lbs, and for the hitch-mounted carrier for it, which could easily weigh another 100-lbs, I recommend a hitch and vehicle rated for no less than 750-lbs TW. A tongue weight rating of 1000-lbs would be better still, of course.

Hitch makers typically engineer their aftermarket hitches to closely match the capacity of the host vehicle it will be mounted on. There would be no sense/benefit making a hitch that can handle 2K-lbs TW for a vehicle whose frame can only handle 1K-lbs. Just the same, just because there is a hitch rated for 1K TW made for a certain vehicle that does not automatically guarantee the vehicle shares that exact same rating.

I suggest you plan on using a 2-inch Class IV hitch and a pickup truck to ensure you have a good safety margin. But if that is not possible some Class III hitches, like the Curt # C13182 that fits select model years of the Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee, still gives you a 750-lbs TW rating. For this same Durango example vehicle Draw-Tite offers a 900-lb-TW Class III hitch # 75713.

One thing to keep in mind is that having a 750-lb cargo load suspended from a rear hitch will definitely tend to cause some rear-end sag. You may want to consider a rear axle suspension enhancement kit, especially if the vehicle is older. These kits include air bag systems, rubber jounce springs from companies like Timbren and SuperSprings that simply bolt up in place of the factory bump stops, and also helper leaf spring kits. All work to help compensate for that saggy rear end caused by the TW of the hitch-mounted carrier and motorcycle. I would urge you to plan on using one type of kit or another.

expert reply by: Adam R

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