Can A 2017 Mazda 3 Handle The Tongue Weight From An E-Bike

Question:

Were upgradingfoot one of our 2 bikes to a Trek e-bike. Im concerned that the approx. 50lb weight is an issue with our car/hitch/rack setup. I have the EcoHitch 306-x7303 from etrailer installed on my 2017 Mazda 3 4-door sedan in 2019. It was installed by a recommended installer. I use it with a Kuat bike rack. I saw that the tongue load is 300lbs, but that requires that the vehicle youre installing it on is fit for purpose, right? Mazda says the car is not designed for towing, so Im wondering about the capability of the car/hitch installation to carry the bike load. Id appreciate your thoughts about this. Its always worked fine with our two regular bikes, but with the added weight, I dont like to think about the catastrophe related to the whole assembly, bikes and all, tumbling down the road and into following traffic. Thanks

asked by: Hal R

Expert Reply:

The owner's manual for a 2017 Mazda 3 does state not to tow a trailer and has nothing about the tongue weight capacity of the vehicle, but instead talks about not overloading vehicle with cargo. You should see a sticker in the door frame with "The combination of weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed XXX kg or XXX lbs so you'll just want to remain under this capacity. Realistically you're only adding an extra 20-30lbs to the hitch/bike rack and shouldn't have an issue unless the bike rack isn't rated for the heavier bike.

Just like the EcoHitch Hidden Trailer Hitch Receiver # 306-X7303 has a tongue weight capacity the bike rack has a per bike capacity. Most standard bike racks will typically have a 30-35lb per bike capacity so you'll need to ensure that you rack is capable of handling a 50lb bike. When hauling the bikes you'd also want to always keep the heavier bike closer to the vehicle otherwise you'll get a springboard effect and end up damaging the rack over time. If you need to replace your bike rack with a higher capacity one then let me know what kind of style you prefer and I'd be happy to look for the right fit.

expert reply by: Kevin C