motorcyclebloggers.com

This is something I’ve been meaning to do for quite some time. I have owned the unit for almost two years now and today was its second use. Up until about a year ago, I could ride right from my garage through the subdivision into the desert of northwest Phoenix. My old stomping grounds is now being developed. I knew this was coming so I took advantage of a sale that Ride Every Day Motorsports had at $299 + free shipping and paid the $39 for the gas can holder. The system is called the MotoJACKRACK (MJR).

As an SUV owner (’01 Rodeo & ‘04 Highlander), its pretty inconvenient to store a trailer without RV parking at my house as well as relying on my buddies to pick me up. This unit has an advantage over the ramp-style hitch receiver unit as the front and rear wheels will spin when lifted. This functions just like a race stand for chain lubing and adjustments as well as tire/wheel changes. Enough background and on the the good stuff!

Here’s a shot of the deck in the lifted position ready to go. Note the anchors that fasten the pegs to the MJR deck. This is the only attachment method the unit uses and hence the claim for quick loading and unloading. Those anchors are designed to hook over the foot pegs and drop throught a hole vertically in the deck. A T-bolt is then tightened perpindicular into the anchor shaft securing it by a pinch force. A hydralic bottle jack does the heavy lifting - raises and lowers the deck through the unit’s linkage. Another T-bolt goes through the MJR deck arm and fixed frame taking the load off the bottle during transportation as well as providing a mechanical support for the weight.

I didn’t know how the wife’s Highlander would handle the weight given the fact its a Camry chassis (read: a car). I was pleasantly surprised overall. You can see the sag on the rear suspension, but the steering feel really was not impacted. The vehicle did feel like it was riding with a full load especially when I hit a couple of repeated undulations in the road.

Loading and unloading would probably be a breeze if I used the thing often. Since it had been a year, I fumbled through the process a little. The claims for quick load and unload I believe to be true given normal use and a little practice.

I discovered something that is worth mentioning. The first time I used the MJR was on the back of my Rodeo. The Rodeo has a flip-up window and a swing-open (horizontally) door combined to make up the tailgate. While the door cannot be opened very far, but the window is fully functional and I can throw my gear in back through the window. This is not the case with the Highlander that has a one-piece swing-up (vertically) tailgate. This cannot be opened very far at all with a bike installed. This doesn’t seem like a big deal, but the Highlander is fitted with two car-seats in the second row among the toys and other crap that the family trucksters haul around. My gear bag had to go in back and it was a little bit of a pain when I realized after the fact. You get the point…just be aware of this if your SUV has the swing-up tailgate.

I also modified the anchors to add a little safety factor to the design. I threaded the ends (9/16″ standard thread) for almost two inches and made some beefy wing nuts. While I’m sure that the factory design is time-tested, I wanted some extra assurance that if a pinch bolt came loose, that a backup joint is there to readily take the load. It just gives me peace of mind knowing that the anchors are secured by more than pinch bolts. I am sure that a local machine shop would knock the threading of the shafts out as you wait for about $20-$30…a worthwhile investment IMO.

Finally, I think a comment about the MJR deck is needed. The rack really needs some sort of rubber, carpet, (insert any durable cushioning material) to prevent metal on metal contact with the frame or in my case aluminum aftermarket skid plate. I called to ask the company if this feature was forgotten as the deck came bare unlike the picture showed at the time. I was told that the rubber pads were discontinued due to the epoxy not holding and they were falling off. Hmmm….rivets anyone??? I am disappointed to report that the MJR webpage still shows the deck with rubber pads. IMO, they should change the pic or sell the unit with the pads if they haven’t added back that feature (I don’t know the answer to that).

MotoJACKRACK Ratings:
The Good:
* Very innovative design and simple to use with a little practice.
* Gas can holder is a perfect add-on especially if you don’t want fumes inside your vehicle.
* Reasonable price considering competitors.
* Race stand function when ‘in the field’.
* Stores in a shed, etc. pretty easily.
* A lot better than dealing with a trailer!
* Instructions and assembly were easy.

The Bad
* One piece swing-up tailgates will probably not open fully with a bike secured on the deck.
* I think the anchors should be threaded. Right now there is no back-up redundancy should the pinch bolts fail.
* Put the rubber pads back on the deck. Rivet them on.
* A little heavy/awkward to install into a trailer hitch receiver (no big deal really, just a factoid)…but still better than a trailer if your hurting for storage space.

The Ugly
* The finish - this is a perfect candidate to be powder-coated but the paint looks to be Krylon out of a can. The finish quality of the paint looks awful.
* The anchors IMO should also be coated with something…something.

Overall Rating:

Final thoughts
Overall, I like it and recommend it. The MJR gives me the capability I need to haul around my dirt bike and be self-sufficient without the hassles of a trailer (I have nowhere to store a trailer). The innovation of the design is great and it performs its duty very well. I think all of the weak points (aside from weight) can be addressed by the owner, but I would rather pay some extra $$jack$$ up front in the purchase price if necessary for these features and not have to deal with it.

EDIT - 25May2007  It is worth mentioning that about a year ago, the hydraulic bottle jack started a slow internal leak.  It will not stay upright any more without the locking pin installed.