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Can Subaru Baja carry a Moto?

MidnightSun

MidnightSun

New member
Joined
Jul 13, 2003
Location
Daly City
Moto(s)
one with two wheels
Name
Tim
I just saw a for sale ads for Subaru Baja in classified section. I think it’s a pretty neat car/truck. I’m curious to know if it can carry a moto. I haven’t seen the car up close yet. I would imagine the main problems are weight distribution and bed length. From what I’ve read on the net, the payload is 1050 lbs. But the bed length is really short. It’s about 41” long with tailgate up. 59” with tailgate down. Modern sport bikes are around 80” long. I wonder if the moto rear wheel can make it on the tailgate. Any thought or experience?

Cargo bed measurements (measured by Joe Spitz)
Bed length: 41"
Tailgate down adds: 19"
Rear seat folded flat adds: 30"
Longest length with tailgate down and rear seat pass-through open: 90"
Bed Width: 49"
Bed Wall Height: 19"
Cargo wall Pass-Through opening: height 13", width 30.5"
Offical measurements:
Cargo bed: weight capacity 1050#, 17.7CF
Tailgate holds 661#
Cargo bed is recycled rubber compound





 
Why not get one of those hitch mounted m/c carriers? You can get one for under $200.
You might have to upgrade (helper spring or bags) the rear springs but that is pretty easy.
 
A Baja owner assured me that she's carried a YZ MX bike in there mounted crosswise. I never saw it myself.

I wouldn't hesitate to carry minis in there. Road bikes - I'd hesitate, but I'd defer to someone who's done it. ;)

Too bad it's AWD. I'd be tempted by one for my leetle bikes if it were RWD.
 
Googled this image:


I wouldn't try and get any road bike much bigger than a YSR50 in that bed. Throw a trailer hitch on it and get a little trailer. My WRX hauls two bikes on a trailer easily.
 
Yes it does. SUPERCHICKEN here on the forum had one and would bring his 600RR to trackdays in it all the time:thumbup

It is no problem, just a little angle.....if you have not owned a Baja or have not borrowed one to move a bike, perhaps opinions to the contrary will only be spreading incorrect or, for lack of a better word, *bad* information.

It will work. If you want to tote around your Goldwing.....it will not work....your sportbike, yes, it will, end of story.
 
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My best friend has one. We put two 1986 yamaha 250 dirtbikes in the bed. fit fine with the tailgate down.

I will also tow three snowmobiles on a trailer through snow. Very tough little vehicles. I know this from first hand experience living at 5000ft elevation in the mountains. I also have owned three subaru's and used to sell them as well as beat the snot out of them doing work, commuting, messing around, or rally cross.

Good buy for sure :thumbup
 
This months Motocross Action has a blurb about just such a critter. I'm too lazy to go look it up, but it's in the first few pages.
 
MidnightSun said:
I just saw a for sale ads for Subaru Baja in classified section. I think it’s a pretty neat car/truck. I’m curious to know if it can carry a moto. I haven’t seen the car up close yet. I would imagine the main problems are weight distribution and bed length. From what I’ve read on the net, the payload is 1050 lbs. But the bed length is really short. It’s about 41” long with tailgate up. 59” with tailgate down. Modern sport bikes are around 80” long. I wonder if the moto rear wheel can make it on the tailgate. Any thought or experience?

Cargo bed measurements (measured by Joe Spitz)
Bed length: 41"
Tailgate down adds: 19"
Rear seat folded flat adds: 30"
Longest length with tailgate down and rear seat pass-through open: 90"
Bed Width: 49"
Bed Wall Height: 19"
Cargo wall Pass-Through opening: height 13", width 30.5"
Offical measurements:
Cargo bed: weight capacity 1050#, 17.7CF
Tailgate holds 661#
Cargo bed is recycled rubber compound





Click to expand...

you mean you can't figure this one out?:deadhorse
 
Looks like a nice compromise between a car and a truck. What's wrong with AWD tho?
 
If it doesn't have two rear-facing jumpseats, it's not a Subaru with open bed. :laughing

287699547_9e266cb41f.jpg
 
It's in the March edition on pg. 186 or 189. Someone wrote in asking about a Baja they saw driving around SoCal with two bikes in the back. The ramps were a custom set-up.
 
Teddy said:
Yes it does. SUPERCHICKEN here on the forum had one and would bring his 600RR to trackdays in it all the time:thumbup

It is no problem, just a little angle.....if you have not owned a Baja or have not borrowed one to move a bike, perhaps opinions to the contrary will only be spreading incorrect or, for lack of a better word, *bad* information.

It will work. If you want to tote around your Goldwing.....it will not work....your sportbike, yes, it will, end of story.
Click to expand...

Nice:thumbup It would be cool to see a pic of it. I already have a Toyota truck that I use to haul two sportbikes on regular basis. Like I said, I was just curious.
 
I wonder if there is some way to mount a thick piece of wood to the bed that would allow the rear tire to have someplace to rest? The majority of the bikes weight would be in the bed on the front tire with the tiedowns in effect so there wouldn't be much to deal with in the rear. I'd be worried about that plank falling out the back though. There's probably some lagalities to deal with too, at the very least you'd have to flag off the rear overhang.
 
It looks like one bike could fit kitty-corner. The back seats, the AWD, and the fuel economy make it attractive.
Then there's...
 

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Did you measure from the front of your bike's front tire to the rear axle?


Sharky said:
Why not get one of those hitch mounted m/c carriers? You can get one for under $200.
You might have to upgrade (helper spring or bags) the rear springs but that is pretty easy.
Click to expand...

There's so much wrong with that for a car this size. You'd move so much weight to the back and off the front wheels that it'd border on dangerous if not cross the line. Not to mention: you may run into doing a number on the unibody frame. But for a truck: it's ok - but they weight more, have a full frame and distribute the weight well for this purpose.
 
I dunno, I would Imagine it would be interesting proposition without any special equipment. It would probably do fine for the occasional emergancy transport, but I would expect that you would need some "extra" bits to make it feasable on a reguar basis. But if you like the truck enough, id go for it, depending on the availiability of MC towing ideas you can dig up. You can probably get some interesting ideas for custom setups on the web tho.
 
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