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So a few months ago I was in motorcycle shop in Edmonton and saw this "bike carrier" made by a company called "Versahaul". I thought it was a great idea but seemed flimsy and the bike rocked even with their "locking system", with a price tag over $600 CDN, I kept walking.
I kept thinking about this carrier and liked the idea of taking the Katana with us on our trip to BC at the end of June. I love to ride on the BC roads!! So I drafted up a few ideas until I decided to build a "Kat Cradle" that incorporates 3 receivers, not just one so that the bike will not rock, and is obviously stronger. I also had to manufacture a new bumper/hitch for the back of our 5th wheel. The bike gets strapped down at 4 points, directly in the 2x2s going into the outside receivers.
So I bought some metal and between last night and today, here is the result. It is not totally complete yet, I still need to paint it all black, because black is clearly the fastest colour (look at my Kat).
The Kat Cradle includes a detachable ramp, and is mounted during transport (as shown). I will get more pictures later this week with the bike on the carrier, I'd like to hear what you think. My next project will be adding the 2 extra hitch receivers to the frame on the MegaCab, just in case I need to transport a bike in need of a ride.
Overall picture of the Kat Cradle on a 27' Kustom Koach
The riding surface on the right is where the bike will ride during transport, it includes an end stop to prevent pushing it right over. In this picure you can see the 4 tie-down points.
The center receiver is reinforced with a 7/16" steel plate, I will add another length of 2"ID so I can Haul my boat behind the carrier if I chose to.
Behind the scenes, the outer receivers are reinforced by the 3/8" steel mounting brackets.
A lock to keep the Kat where it belongs
I kept thinking about this carrier and liked the idea of taking the Katana with us on our trip to BC at the end of June. I love to ride on the BC roads!! So I drafted up a few ideas until I decided to build a "Kat Cradle" that incorporates 3 receivers, not just one so that the bike will not rock, and is obviously stronger. I also had to manufacture a new bumper/hitch for the back of our 5th wheel. The bike gets strapped down at 4 points, directly in the 2x2s going into the outside receivers.
So I bought some metal and between last night and today, here is the result. It is not totally complete yet, I still need to paint it all black, because black is clearly the fastest colour (look at my Kat).
The Kat Cradle includes a detachable ramp, and is mounted during transport (as shown). I will get more pictures later this week with the bike on the carrier, I'd like to hear what you think. My next project will be adding the 2 extra hitch receivers to the frame on the MegaCab, just in case I need to transport a bike in need of a ride.
Overall picture of the Kat Cradle on a 27' Kustom Koach

The riding surface on the right is where the bike will ride during transport, it includes an end stop to prevent pushing it right over. In this picure you can see the 4 tie-down points.

The center receiver is reinforced with a 7/16" steel plate, I will add another length of 2"ID so I can Haul my boat behind the carrier if I chose to.

Behind the scenes, the outer receivers are reinforced by the 3/8" steel mounting brackets.

A lock to keep the Kat where it belongs
