My brother just bought a new motorcycle, and we were thinking about buying a carrying rack to put on the back of my 1999 XJ.

The thing is the XJ has the original leaf springs and they are sagging. The motorcycle weighs ~160kg (~352 lbs). Could this cause any problems? The leaf springs aren't broken or anything, but they look a little bit like a inverse smile

 

New motorcycle ,new rack, and new springs would be on the list... You didn't say how many miles on the XJ but age alone would suggest some improvements are needed if you can see the sag... You'd find out quickly the weak link be it springs or bushings back there...Does it have a class 3 hitch ??

 

It has around 240k miles... It does not have a class 3 hitch, I don't really know much about any of this suff so I apologize if this seem like a dumb question ​​​​​​​

 

Not a dumb question at all... I was always taught the only dumb question is the one you didn't ask before you ruined it...lol...Anyhow.. You'll need to add a class 3 receiver hitch like this one.. That will get you a tongue weight rating of 500lbs...More than your new motorcycle and carrier will weigh... At 200,000 plus miles I'd assume the springs and shackles would need changed to get the rear suspension up to the task... You could post pics of the rear springs if you like so we can confirm the suggestions...

 

If you're already sagging, you answered your own question.

Get new leafs.

 

Thank you . Here are some pictures of my leaf springs.

 

lol right, so I should be using sagging leaf springs?

 

Those are definitely due for a replacement, they're inverted. Carrying that much on inverted springs could cause issues, you'll probably be on bumpstops the whole time.

 

Get a few of your biggest buddies to bounce up and down on the rear bumper to simulate what the motorcycle would do when cantilevered off the back. I'll tell you right now, its going to be comical.

I personally would not feel comfortable with a bike rack on the back of an XJ. Brand new from the factory, they had a 500 lb tongue weight rating when used with a class 3 hitch. The rear unibody is now 25 years old. If you live anywhere other than southern California, the unibody probably has some level of rust and will not handle weight as well. The structure that you're bolting the hitch onto is just so thin. I would not trust 500 lb hanging off the back while driving, even on a good day.

IMO you should be looking at getting a small trailer for the bike.

 

Thanks for the replies guys, I will add those leaf springs to things that need changing on the XJ. I'm glad I asked here