Transporting 3 ebikes

[dbbyleo]

Hi all,
I'm totally new to eBikes, but I'm pretty deep in research now. I think I've narrowed down the platform I want and fits my needs, which will be a hub drive, 26" fat tire. M2S All Terrain HT is on top of that list right now, especially with the "sale" the have at $1899 (vs $2299).

At any rate... the next thing I need to sort out is transportation. I can't just buy 1. I'm in it for at least 2 ebikes. But with my teenage daughter... I can easily see this becoming 3 ebikes quickly, if not right from the get go.

I have not come across any racks that are made for that many ebikes, so I'm asking to know what others are doing? Are their hitch racks beefy enough to hold 3? Or would I have to consider a small trailer?

 

[Snoop]

Welcome to the forum!

You’ll have to shop around and be prepared to spend a good penny on a quality bike rack, but in honesty, I think you might have a tough time finding one which can hold the weight of three ebikes (depending on their weight of course)

Mine can hold up to two with a weight limit of something like 62# per bike.

 

[dbbyleo]

Yes... I have my eye on the Hollywood Destination E (only for 2 bikes) - $699. Cost for being able to transport these things will definitely have to be in the equation. Though it'll be great to have at home and around town, these new eBikes will definitely be a vacation/destination thing for us.

 

[CloneWerks]

Let's assume a somewhat worst case scenario of about 70lb per bike. That's 210lb total not even considering any accessories.
So for starters you would need -at minimum- a class II hitch to handle the "Tongue weight".
Then you also need to consider the vehicle. Adding "a person" worth of weight to the rear seat (in front of the rear axle) isn't a big deal because the suspension of all 4 wheels share the load, however if you sling that out behind the rear axle, especially several feet behind, a lot of smaller vehicles (many passenger cars for example) are going to squat hard. That would definitely affect vehicle balance and it could also affect your handling as weight gets taken off the front wheels.

 

[dbbyleo]

Yeah. I totally hear you. It's a full size SUV (Toyota Sequoia). I tow a large popup with it, so I totally appreciate the hitch safety consideration. A tongue weight of 200+ lbs isn't a big concern, since the popup put on at least 300+ tongue weight. I would be missing the WDH I usually have with the popup, but at just over 200lbs (with 3 ebikes), that shouldn't be a big deal (that would be a very small popup, which wouldn't require a WDH anyway with a TV of this size).

 

[CloneWerks]

Yeah. I totally hear you. It's a full size SUV (Toyota Sequoia).

Ah that would handle it fine then. I keep seeing people who want to do this sort of thing with a Prius or a Honda Fit.

 

[dbbyleo]

I'm really wondering if I skip the $699 bike rack (and the limit of 2) ... and just put that money towards a small trailer (and have room for 4). But then the trailer would have to be registered annually ($$) and storage, etc etc. Ugh! I suppose I can go with the 2place bike rack, and put one bike inside the SUV. That would just allow for 3 seats in the SUV, so it some ways, it would be just right, though still not ideal.

 

[Snoop]

I'm really wondering if I skip the $699 bike rack (and the limit of 2) ... and just put that money towards a small trailer (and have room for 4). But then the trailer would have to be registered annually ($$) and storage, etc etc. Ugh! I suppose I can go with the 2place bike rack, and put one bike inside the SUV. That would just allow for 3 seats in the SUV, so it some ways, it would be just right, though still not ideal.

Just have the third person pedal beside the truck.

 

[Nyack Rider]

Tongue weight on most trailer hitches is more than adequate, but just make sure that the rack that goes on the hitch is rated for the anticipated weight of your 3 ebikes. My Tyger rack is rated for 200lbs but they make a 4-bike rack and a 4 bike platform that should do the trick.

 

[Calsun]

Hi all,
I'm totally new to eBikes, but I'm pretty deep in research now. I think I've narrowed down the platform I want and fits my needs, which will be a hub drive, 26" fat tire. M2S All Terrain HT is on top of that list right now, especially with the "sale" the have at $1899 (vs $2299).

At any rate... the next thing I need to sort out is transportation. I can't just buy 1. I'm in it for at least 2 ebikes. But with my teenage daughter... I can easily see this becoming 3 ebikes quickly, if not right from the get go.

I have not come across any racks that are made for that many ebikes, so I'm asking to know what others are doing? Are their hitch racks beefy enough to hold 3? Or would I have to consider a small trailer?

1Up platform bike racks can be added to for the 3 bikes you want to carry. You will want to have a 2" hitch receiver on your vehicle. The third rack bolts onto the 2-bike rack.

Super Duty

The most durable and capable rack, made for transporting any bike under 100lbs, including e-bikes.

www.1up-usa.com

 

[Catseye]

Several companies have folding trailers that take up very little space, Kendon is top drawer. Used ones come up frequently. That's your best option IMHO