well that why i wanna know how your build went becacue well im 17 so not much money coming my way and i have the material to make one so i thought this would be easier
yeah sorry again been a big girl about this i'll get some pics tonight for you, in the mean time here's a rough idea of what it should look like
the box tube should be the same size as the ID of the receiver hitch i'm thinking 3 inches off the top of my head, drill 3 thru holes slightly larger diam. than your hitch pin, space evenly so you can adjust the depth/length of the
main support beam (think different length handle bars and whatever feels comfortable for you)
next get some C-channel slightly wider then the width of your tires and then cut to match the length of your bike or to match the width of your runner, your preference i went with the runner so i had room for larger bikes if needed.
next get out the oxy and paint marker, mark out the spots where your tires will sit and burn profiles out, these will allow the bike to sit in some grooves to secure it properly and also stop it from rolling back and forth too much. as well as lighten the weight of whole thing (more on this later)
next get some decent size angle cut (2) little pieces off and drill holes for
your strap hooks (i find a key hole profile works best) (circle with a triangle at the top) something like this but upside down
it allows you to get your strap through easy enough but also holds it quite well while your trying to cinch it down.
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weld it all down now, center the c-channel over the box tube, weld, weld tabs on, and you should be ready to rock, i painted mine with bright yellow rustolem so if i'm driving with no bike on there people will see it and not smash their ride up on it, mine could do SERIOUS damage to a honda, lol
also for a sweet easy ramp for it i just carry a short 3 foot long piece of wood with 2 bolts in it and drilled 2 more holes on either end for teh ramp to attach. like this on the carrier
then when your ready to load your bike, pop the bolts attached to your little wood ramp through the carrier holes above and it makes it super steady and easy.
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ok back to the profiles and general rules of thumb,
1.MAKE SURE YOU USE THICK ENOUGH MATERIAL, disaster is abound if you don't
2.DEBURR THE PROFILES and BREAK ALL EDGES, saves your fingers,tires and a law suit when someone cuts them self on your hitch in a parkinglot,
3.i not responsible for anything that may happen from the use,building or function of this carrier (disclaimer disclaimer) ect ect, mine works fine if you do something stupid it's your fault.
4.the size and dimensions of the wheel profiles are crucial make sure the wheel sits far enough in the channel to be stable enough to support the bike with one hand. that way you are able to do the tie downs by yourself. other wise you may need some one to balance the bike for you while you strap it down, i need no help.
5. ONCE YOUR BIKE IS ON THE CARRIER PUT IT IN GEAR!! FOR SAFETY REASONS. (i have no end caps on either end of the channel so i can load from either side depending on the terrain, feel free to weld a end cap on the channel to prevent any rolling in the forward direction, also the profiles for the wheels should stop 90% of that if done correctly, i have about 500 miles of bike carrying on mine and have had zero spills or problems.
i also found some strips of rubber on the top and bottom of the box tube, reciver side, make it a almost perfect slip fit in the hitch, try it first without to be sure you need them.
with the pics and information above you can figure it out the rest of the way using only a tape measure (distance from handle bar to back window is the main concern) yourself, i will however post pics of mine tomorrow with the dimensions i used to help guide you, this is dyi and most likely will differ (size of bike handle bars ect ect ect) from yours, but mine should work for as is, i built it around my xr 400 but gave more room just incase i needed to carry something else.
