Carrying 2 Bikes on a 2003 and 2006 Honda Civic with a Class I Hitch

Question:

would we have any problem with weight for a two bike carrier rack on ether car. THANKS. and could we use the 11/4 to 2 to use our old rack or should we get a new 11/4 rack. our old rack weigt is around 40 pounds

asked by: bud l

Expert Reply:

The tongue weight capacity for all of the hitches available for the 2003 and 2006 Honda Civic is 200 pounds. You will need to check your owners manual or with the dealer to be sure that your vehicles tongue weight will support the weight of the bikes and carrier you choose to use.

If you decide to use an extender for the 2 inch rack that you currently have it will reduce the tongue weight of the lowest rated component by 50 percent. So, if the bike rack, hitch and vehicle are all rated at 200 pounds then the extender will reduce your capacity to 100 pounds. This would only allow for 60 pounds to be placed on the bike rack. This would be very close to the maximum with 2 bikes in most cases.

I would recommend a 2 bike rack like the 2 Bike Carrier for 1-1/4 inch and 2 inch Trailer Hitches - Wheel Mount, # S64650, which will fit in the 1-1/4 inch hitch and will leave 170 pounds of capacity if your vehicle is rated for 200 pounds.

expert reply by: Robert G