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Motorcycle Lift
Looking at the ad for this Royale, 05 Royale , I see the triple hitch that is sometimes used to mount a motorcycle lift/carrier.
How concerned should someone be with potential chassis damage? Would a Prevost service center be able to do a proper inspection for damage? Short of a magnaflux test, what is the chance of finding a minor crack in the frame that could lead to problems down the road?
Thanks,
Les
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10 Replies
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The issues start when traveling down the highway with weight attached on the tail end of the bus frame.
With the entire weight of the motorcycle carrier and motorcycle attached to the rear of the bus all is fine until…we bounce like a sea-saw.
I believe with the addition of the carrier and motorcycle the owner has compromised the structural integrity of his bus frame. Cracks have also been found in top horizontal cap joints./ seams.
FWIW….AL
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There are two considerations regarding exceeding the hitch limitations Prevost has imposed.
The first is damage does happen. If the limit is 1500 pounds 8″ from the bumper, it is highly likely a motorcycle whose center of gravity when mounted is 24″ (to allow for some room and the width of handlebars and mirrors) the allowable weight will be more likely 500 pounds and that includes the motorcycle and the carrier.
Even with the addition of two receivers for the motorcycle carrier, the weight imposed is still on the engine cradle. Prevost makes it clear the hitch is well capable of straight line pulls, but tongue weight is what causes the damage. That damage occurs not only to the engine cradle structure, but to the chassis structure hidden behind the outer skin and the interior panels. Which introduces the second consideration.
Prevost washes its hands when it comes to repair of structural damage from excessive weight in the rear. They will not repair a bus with damage of a structural nature. I am guessing it is because the only way to be sure all damage is repaired is to start removing the skin and the interior.
On XL coaches that had the rear caps riveted in place it was easy to see part of the damage from excessive hitch toingue weights. The areas on the cap around the rivets would show cracks. Those were the result of the weight on the receiver flexing the rear of the coach. Long term damage showed up as a crack in the cap all across the rear of the coach. Nobody could see if the welds in the frame and engine cradle structure had cracked because they were hidden.
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I have a 3 reciever hitich that i had put on but before useing it i read on PC it was bad so it was not used . Guess it is bad to have it on the bus , but just because its there dose not mean damage has been done.
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The seller confirmed that the hitch was used with a motorcycle lift and that the bus has not been inspected by Prevost for delamination.
Due diligence would be needed before serious consideration.
Les
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Hi All,
I have a quick follow up question:
Does anyone carry a scooter or sportbike on a platform?
Not a lift & a cruiser.. just a light carrier and a ducati (400-450 lbs wet) or a vespa.
There are times when I’d like to have a bike – but not a trailer … or is a trailer the only real option?
Thanks!
Joe
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As long as the weight of the bike (scooter, moped or whatever) plus the carrier does not exceed the Prevost limitations you are OK. If your receiver has a 1000 pound limit 8″ from the receiver, it has a 500 pound limit if the CG of the lift and bike is at 16″ from the receiver. The longer the lever arm the lower the weight the coach can handle.
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I carried my Harley several time on a lift . I decided never to carry it on a lift ever again as it got incredibly dirty and the cover scratched the paint. I would not recommend it to anyone.
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Joe,
Ive never used a hitch carrier on the coach, but I used it on the truck as well as my FJ Cruiser. Have carried sportbikes with no problems. Just make sure the carrier is rated to carry something that heavy. Some are cheaper then others. The weight of a sportbike is under the limits of the hitch limits so you should be fine there.
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It is not the weight of the bike being carried that determines if it is acceptable. It is the weight combined with the distance that determines the acceptability. If you have a long enough lever arm the weight of a kids tricycle could exceed the Prevost limit.
The limit is a specfic weight 6 or 8″ from the rear of the bumper or hitch. If the data plate is missing that defines that check with Prevost. If the distance to the center of the mass is twice te allowable distance the weight is 1/2 that specified. As the distance increases the weight allowed gets progressively less.
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thanks!!!
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