DIY Winch Assisted Motorcycle Hitch Carrier (No-Weld)

There’s nothing quite like the exhilaration of hitting the open back roads, exploring uncharted terrains, and conquering rugged trails on an adventure motorcycle. But riding out to these remote locations can be risky; not only is there the possibility of encountering mechanical issues or sustaining significant damages, but out in the wilderness, less-than-ideal conditions could leave you stranded without access to cellular connectivity, resources or equipment.

For these reasons, having a support vehicle not too far from me that I can drive out to these remote locations is ideal.

However, while a truck bed or traditional motorcycle hitch carrier in the back of an SUV might suffice for this purpose, it's still daunting and risky loading and unloading a heavy 500-lb. adventure bike by yourself in the middle of nowhere!

A better working solution is needed. Thus, integration of a remote-controlled winch for smooth assistance with loading and unloading the motorcycle is an ingenious solution, which can make this task easier and safer!

The winch-assisted design can also be applied and adapted for many uses, such as loading other types of motorcycles, motocross or dirt bikes, or even mobility scooters. Even if you’re someone who prefers more sane adventures, I hope you can take away some inspiration from this project.

So, if you're someone who is looking for an easier and safer way to load and unload your motorcycle or scooter, consider giving this easy DIY winch-assisted motorcycle carrier a try. It's made a world of difference for me, and I'm sure it'll do the same for you!

Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get started!

Supplies

The following parts are needed to build this Winch-Assisted Motorcycle Hitch Carrier:

For the Motorcycle Carrier:

600-lb Motorcycle Hitch Carrier – There are multiple brands to consider – for example, Black Widow, Versa Haul or Haul-Master.
5/8-in. Receiver Hitch Coupler Pin - I used this locking pin from Harbor Freight.
Anti-Rattle Hitch Tightener. - Find it here.
Vehicle with 2-in hitch receiver and tongue weight (TW) enough to carry the motorcycle, motorcycle hitch carrier and hardware. - Read more about how to calculate TW here.

Winch and Winch Mount:

Badlands 2500-lb. Winch with Wireless Remote. - This one with a wireless remote was a must-have for me!
Badland Winch Mounting Plate. - Find it here.
Weather-resistant box to store the winch electronics wiring.
Rubber Grommet for wiring. - I used this grommet set.
4 pcs – 5/16-in. x 2.5-in. bolt, washer and locking nut set.
2 pcs – Metal Strip. - I found these attached to a 5/16-in. X 2.5-in. U-Bolt set.
Soft Loop Tie Down Strap - used for attaching the winch hook to the motorcycle. - I used this 4-pack.

For the Winch Redirection:

2 pcs – 3/8-in. Wire Rope Clamp (size may vary with the hitch carrier used – if using the front wheel chock as a redirect, measure the diameter of the wheel chock loop and use appropriately sized U-Bolt Wire Rope Clamps.)
1 pcs – 3/8-in. Quick Link. - Find it here.
1 pcs – 3/8-in. Jaw and Eye Swivel. - This one worked well.
1 pcs – Lifting Block Pulley - I used this 4000-lb. capacity lifting block.

For Re-mounting the Carrier Ramp:

2 pcs – 5/16in. x 2in. bolt, split washer, and wing nut set.

Tools Needed:

Socket and Wrench Set.
Drill with 5/16-in. drill bit.
Thread Locker - Useful to prevent nuts from backing out. Can be used in the hitch Anti-Rattle, Winch mounting hardware and Rope Clamp U-Bolts.

Step 1: Assembling the Motorcycle Carrier and Mounting It to the Vehicle

A new motorcycle carrier will likely need to be assembled following the instructions given by the manufacturer; I found a deal for a used motorcycle carrier on Facebook Marketplace that was pre-assembled. If you need to assemble your motorcycle carrier, follow the instructions given by the manufacturer.

Now, to begin mounting your assembled motorcycle carrier:

First, insert the motorcycle carrier into the hitch receiver. For this part, it helps to have a partner to lift the carrier, as you will need to align the holes on the carrier with the holes on the hitch receiver. Once the holes are aligned, insert the hitch coupler pin to secure it in place. I used a locking coupler pin to secure the motorcycle carrier.
Next, take the Anti-Rattle Hitch Tightener and attach it as close as possible to the hitch receiver. Using the socket set, tighten the nuts on the Anti-Rattle Hitch Tightener U-Bolts while holding the plate in place. Use some thread locker to keep the nuts in place.
Once secured, don’t forget to say, “That ain’t goin’ anywhere!”

Note: I decided to remove the rear half of the wheel chock since it made loading and unloading the motorcycle easier.

Step 2: Mounting the Winch to the Motorcycle Hitch Carrier

Place the Winch Mounting Plate on the Motorcycle Carrier hitch arm and insert the first set of two 5/16-in. x 2.5-in. bolts with a metal strip under the hitch. Firmly fasten with two washers and locking nuts.
Set the Winch on the Winch Mounting Plate, carefully lining up the next two holes of the mounting plate. Insert the second set of two 5/16-in. x 2.5-in. bolts through the two holes with a metal strip under the hitch. Add two washers and firmly fasten with locking nuts to secure the winch to the mounting plate. You are now done mounting the winch to the Motorcycle Carrier hitch arm.
Before moving to the winch redirection, using the hardware provided in the winch assembly kit, you need to attach the Winch Fairlead Guide to the Winch Mount.
First, ensure the winch cable is threaded through the Fairlead.
Next, using the hardware provided, insert the bolts with washers through the holes in the Fairlead and Winch Mounting Plate, adding split washers before securing it with the nuts provided.

Step 3: The Winch Redirection Setup

To pull the motorcycle onto the Carrier, the winch cable must be redirected through the Carrier wheel chock.

Fasten the 3/8-in. Wire Rope Clamp. (or other size variant) to the front right side of the wheel chock, leaving sufficient space to attach the 3/8-in. Quick Link between these two U-Bolt clamps.
Attach the 3/8-in. Quick Link to the chock loop between the two Rope Clamp U-Bolts.
Run the jaw of the 3/8-in. Jaw and Eye Swivel through the 3/8-in. Quick Link.
Take the Lifting Block Pulley and using a wrench and socket, loosen and remove the bolt for the top small pulley to remove the pulley wheel and lifting block hook. Save the bolt hardware, including the bolt, spacer and nut for the next steps. However, you can set aside the small pulley wheel and lifting block hook; these pieces will no longer be needed for this project.
Run the winch cable through the pulley, over the lower big pulley wheel from the right.
Insert the eye of the Jaw and Eye Swivel in place of the original small lifting block pulley wheel.
Re-fasten the original hardware, including the pulley spacer, bolt and nut, to secure the swivel eye in place.
To complete the redirect setup, you need to attach the winch hook to the metal loop at the end of winch cable:
First, remove the cotter pin holding the winch hook pin in place and remove the winch pin.
Next, align the winch cable loop with the winch pin and thread the winch pin through the cable loop so that the winch pin secures the cable loop to the winch hook.
Once you have reinserted the winch pin, reinsert the cotter pin, twist the pin ends to secure the hook and cable in place.

Step 4: Re-Mounting the Carrier Ramp for Storage and Transport

The motorcycle carrier loading ramp must be attached and detached each time loading and unloading the bike. I found the most reliable and efficient way to store and transport the ramp was to mount it directly to the back of the carrier. As you can see from the photos, it was previously mounted to the front of the carrier where the winch now sits. As such, we need to re-mount the ramp to the back of the carrier.

To accomplish this, drill two 5/16-in. holes – one on each side of the carrier ends – such that the two holes align with the two existing holes in the ramp.
To mount the ramp for storage, align the holes in the ramp to the holes in the motorcycle carrier and insert two bolts from the underside of the carrier up through the holes in the ramp.
Add a split washer to each bolt and fasten a wingnut to the end of each bolt on top of the ramp.

Step 5: Winch Wiring and Electronics

To house the wiring and electronics powering the winch, a weather resistant box was used.

First drill a large 3/8-in. hole to the left side of the box. This hole will have the winch motor cables passing through it. A rubber grommet was used to help protect the wires passing through the hole.
Drill two small holes on diagonal ends of the box to help with mounting it to the vehicle. With my vehicle, these holes lined up directly with pre-exiting holes in my bumper. This step will vary based on the vehicle on which it is installed.
Place the electronic motor controller within this box and run the winch motor power cables through the large hole.
Attach the positive motor controller wire to the positive terminal of the Motor and the negative motor controller wire to the negative terminal of the Motor by screwing the nut over the terminal connectors.
Using zip ties, fasten the box with the motor controller to the bumper.
For this application, I used a heavy-duty battery pack which offers sufficient power to pull a load the size of a motorcycle; for other heavier-duty applications, 6 gauge or 4 gauge wires from the plastic box could be directly connected to the battery of the vehicle to power the winch.
When you are ready to power the winch, open the box to access the Winch Motor Controller battery wires. Connect the positive and negative wires from the controller to the respective terminals of the external battery pack.

Step 6: All Done! Loading the Motorcycle

**Note: For safety reasons and to avoid any mishaps, I recommend the help of a partner to assist in steadying the bike while loading and unloading for the very first time.**

Unscrew the loading ramp attachment and securely align it with the motorcycle hitch carrier platform.
With the ramp in place, align both the front and back wheels of the motorcycle to the ramp attachment.
Loop one Soft Loop Tie Down Strap through the bike’s right crash guard (or through the front right fork).
Using the wireless remote, extend the winch cable with winch hook to reach the motorcycle.
Attach the winch hook to the Soft Loop Tie Down Strap.
Retract the winch cable just until the cable is taut.
Using the winch remote, retract the cable and steady the bike while the winch does most of the heavy lifting.
Once the bike is nested at the wheel chock, it is time to secure the motorcycle.
Use a rachet strap to hold down the rear left foot peg of the motorcycle. For now, the left rear only needs to be strapped in just firmly enough to let the motorcycle lean ever-so-slightly to the right. Next, move over to the right side and strap the right rear foot peg in place. After tightening, return to the left rear foot peg and finish tightening the rachet strap.
For the front, use a bar handle strap (like the Canyon Dancer Strap) and a couple of rachet straps to tighten the handle bars of the motorcycle and secure it firmly in place. I was unable to show this step since one of my front mounting points was broken and needed to be welded back in place.
Finally, remove the loading ramp and set it back in place by tightening the securing wingnuts.

After this, you're all done and ready to set off on your adventure exploring the unknown with your two wheeler of choice in tow!

Future Updates and Improvements:

Add chains to secure the motorcycle rather than using rachet straps.
Install trailer lights to make the carrier more visible at night and mount the rear license plate in clear view.
Fabricate a square metal tube that runs through the motorcycle hitch carrier and the hitch receiver tube to further strengthen the motorcycle hitch carrier.

This Instructable was inspired by the projects demonstrated in this and this video.

Good luck on your next project, and keep on safely adventuring!