Case study

Motorcycle and spare wheel carrier for an expedition truck

Venture Expeditions wanted to carry a motorcycle and a spare wheel at the back of their expedition truck, without giving up any off road capability or reliability.

The challenge

Joints free of play: on rough tracks, vibration amplifies any play into rattling and wear.
Compact on the road: stay within the outline of the vehicle.
Keep the departure angle: the carrier must not catch on steep slopes or ditches.
Weight behind the rear axle: the motorcycle acts as a lever on the axle and the chassis.
Easy to operate: loading and unloading the motorcycle has to be quick and simple.

The solution

A fold down carrier platform that stands upright against the rear wall while driving and folds down into a loading platform on site. An adjustable frame holds the motorcycle firmly in place.

Every hinge and locking point is built free of play. Because the motorcycle sits close to the rear wall, the overhang and the lever effect stay limited. With the truck as a reference model in Inventor, clearances, overhang and ground clearance were checked early in the design.