Getting your bike to the track or riding area is a problem everyone who rides must face. At EDM, with the vehicle tests we do, we try to show you the options you have without having to go out there and test each one yourself. One of the options we have left out until now is the single bike hauler design. By placing a platform that mounts into your vehicles trailer hitch these units let you carry your bike parallel to the vehicles axles in a similar fashion to a bike rack. They take up less room to store in your garage and you don’t face any difficulty when reversing like you would with a trailer.

We called the folks at Versa-Haul and asked them to send us the VH-55 RO, one of their Single dirt bike carriers. When fully assembled the unit simply slides into your two inch receiver, insert the locking pin and you are ready to load your bike. This can be done by one person. However, the system weighs about 91 lbs. and installation is made far easier when you have help. Once mounted to your vehicle you roll your bike onto the unit with the included ramp, secure the bike with tie-downs front and rear and you are ready to go riding. These haulers are great for families who don’t have a truck and groups who do have a truck but want to take a third bike.

Assembly is required but doesn’t take any special skills, just a little patience. Our model came with one accessory, the redundant tail lights $50, and included the very important, anti-wobble device. The lights simply plug into your existing trailer wiring harness and are a good idea. The anti-wobble device is critical, it slips over the carrier tongue and with three bolts cinches tight the carrier to the receiver of your car. We feel this is a must have as it make the entire system feel more secure. The loading ramp easily stores beside the main carrier rail.

Our first use of the Versa-haul carrier was with Brian the intern, he went home to Wilmington, a four hour trek to the coast from G-Town in NC. He drives a 97 Pathfinder with 170k miles on it and it’s not as tight as new vehicle will be, the perfect test. He said for the first thirty miles he was really paranoid about his bike hanging off the back of his SUV and how some 300-odd pounds hanging off the rear was going to make his car respond. .................................Continued