Kawi2strokes.com Forum

Today I rode up to South Hill, VA, to the Harbor Freight store with my daughter and a friend. It was a nice 80-ish mile ride in mid 70s sunny weather.

I'm interested in getting a motorcycle carrier for a 2" receiver hitch, and I've never looked at one up close, so I thought this would be a good way to learn a little about them, and if I liked one there, I could drive back with a bigger vehicle and get it. I got there and looked around for a couple minutes, and got a guy who worked there to tell me where the trailer stuff was. He pointed me in the right direction, and I found hitch mounted carriers of many types, but not a motorcycle carrier. Apparently they had them though, because there was a stack of tickets, and if you wanted to buy one, you're supposed to take the ticket to the cashier and pay, and I guess they bring one out of stock. I took a ticket to the cashier, and told her that I drove up to their store in hopes of seeing a motorcycle carrier, and asked if there was a way to do that. She pushed some buttons on her register for a while, and then proudly pointed to an image of one from their online catalog. I explained that I had seen pictures of them, but was hoping to get a look at a real live one in person. She called a guy over, who then explained that they don't have one on display. I asked if there was one somewhere I could look at, but he became bewildered, so I said "never mind" and left.

Back out in the parking lot, the three of us were putting our helmets on when a guy came running over and asked me if I was going to buy the carrier. I chuckled and explained that I had ridden there to look at one, but didn't get to do that, and didn't have a way to carry one on the motorcycle anyway. He seemed to understand that, and explained to me that they don't have everything they carry on display, because they don't have enough room. I saw the display area for hitch mounted carriers, and there was no problem with room at all, but by this time I really didn't have any desire to do any business with HF.

The ride home was excellent, on twisty back roads, over the lake a couple times, across the dam, and home just in time for dinner. The local Walmart has several hitch mounted motorcycle carriers, so I guess I'll go look at a couple soon.

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If it surges, that's normal, upshift.

Man I can relate to that story. I've called parts stores only to hear the clerk say "the computer says we have one in stock". I ask if they can confirm and they get an attitude. Then it turns out the computer was wrong. I try to learn from those experiences. How NOT to treat people.

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Crankshaft Testimonials viewtopic.php?f=25&t=7593

"Let's keep your crankshaft great!"

A ying for your yang Jim.
My HF experience was an opposite of your encounter today.
I called the HF in Albany 90+ miles away.
Said they had the foot pedal lift in stock but just one.
Manager told me on the phone he would hold it for me.
Drove up the next morning to find out it had been sold.... grrrrr

Manager offered me the better hydraulic model and I gave him crap for trying to upsell me.
No no he said, you can have IT for the foot pedal sale price of 279.

Luck of the draw at HF most times.
Must be they put as much effort into hiring competent employees,
as the Chinese do into making the tools they sell.

Always look like a bunch of misfits when I go to a store.

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Bad decisions make the best stories.

Jim,
I am sorry for your experience at HF. My future son-in-law is a manager of a store in NC. He has worked at 5 HF stores in TN and NC. The newer stores are bigger just so that they can have every item on display. Some of the older/smaller stores don't. If they had room, I am not sure why they would not display the item. The store I bought my trailer at had them on display in the back, so I had to walk through their storage room to see it before purchase. Also, as with all storefront businesses, not all are very well run. Please don't rate all HF stores by one bad experience. I need to keep my son-in-law working!!

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You are not old until you have more regrets than dreams! - John Barrymore (rephrased)

75 H1
78 CB400II Hawk
78 KE175

Thanks Steve. This is a very new store. Maybe the crew was not well trained. They certainly didn't seem to be interested in helping me spend money. They had the back area you described. There was no door or sign saying not to enter, so when I first got there I started to go back and look around at the inventory, but I was stopped by an employee.

I went to the Walmart website and found one of their motorcycle carriers on clearance for $79.95, free shipping. It's rated for 500 lbs. max, and should carry my 200 lb. DT100 fine, so I ordered it.

One of the few reasons left to go to a physical store is to actually see the things you're thinking of buying, and have their features explained by sales staff. It's odd to go to one and find that's not available.

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If it surges, that's normal, upshift.

This one Jim? https://www.walmart.com/ip/Steel-Motorcycle-Scooter-DirtBike-Carrier-Hauler-Hitch-Mount-Rack-Ramp-Anti-Tilt/156439332.

I also use a similar carrier for my H2 - just more expensive (and overkill for your lightweight bike) from http://www.versahaul.com/vh55ro.php, and have also since purchased and installed their tail/brake light option which plugs into the towing harness already on the truck, for safety since my bike tends to partially block my truck's lights.

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"Only cheat the cheaters, boy - you can't cheat an honest man!" Mordecai Jones - The Flim Flam Man.

That's the one, Darrin. I doubt if the DT100 will block the van's lights, but at least you've warned me to check. I probably have some trailer lights around here if I need to add them.

I'm also prepared to add extra tie-down points if I'm not happy with the two on the one I ordered. I have plenty of square steel tubing.

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If it surges, that's normal, upshift.

I have the HF Aluminum Motorcycle rack. Works pretty decent with my KE100. The anti-sway on it works ok. I supplement it by using a ratchet strap from near the upper shock mount on the bike to the nearest outer corner of the hitch. Almost completely sway free that way.

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Aaron
1980 KE100 (ZomBessie)

Cool, thanks Aaron. I still need to install all the stuff on my van. I'll get to it before DG, but I don't know how much before.

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If it surges, that's normal, upshift.

I am "semi retired" from Ace Hardware Corp. (After 25 yrs. with them) and took a job with one of my old store chains with 21 stores. I'm in charge of their training, so boy do I understand how hard it is to get good people. With about 600 employees, a lot of them part timers for spring business rush, you can quickly be in a real can of worms situation....even though we have a great training program. My generation often went to work with their fathers or worked on a farm or had some work experience. Not so much anymore. Way too many white collar worker situations where kids can't work with their parents and too few kids that want to work.

I picked up a Northern Tool steel bike rack from craigslist for 75 bucks a couple years ago and immediately welded up all the joints and added some 2 foot wide bars on each end with eyebolt so to get better triangulation for the straps. I also have a set of those magnetic tail lights that I fasten on with zip ties... just in case. That seems to work pretty well.

The other thing I did was to drill and then weld a nut on the side of my receiver so I can tighten a bolt against the hitch insert and that virtually eliminates sway.