Guys that pull trailers with a bike.

Well great then that i do have experience. A LOT of experience with trailers. I used to tow them for a living, 120.000 miles every year for a decade.

Yeah i know trailers. All kinds.

Here is my piece of advise: You don't want a trailer behind a bike if you can avoid it.

Well everyone now knows the pros and cons of the trailer towing with a bike. If you want to, just do it. If you don't want to, well don't then. For me I will continue to tow a trailer, I have many friends who also tow trailers, I am sure that they will also. And many that don't. I too have lot's of trailer and bike experience, seen just about it all, more than 3,000,000 miles on 18 wheels and more than 200,000 on 2 wheels, I speak from experience. If you ride/drive beyond your experience level and/or some else you meet has done the same, the road is gonna slap you down. Have a great day compadres.

Wow, THANKS... Be sure and come back to let us all know when it doesn't work out for you or your friends

Size two font in White works better.

Well, let me know if any of your friends fall off thier bikes while not pulling a trailer.......it's just like this, wrecks happen all the time, no matter if you bubble wrap yourself. Riding a bike has it's risks, trailer or not.

Have many.....many miles pulling a trailer... and safely to boot.
Yes they are not for everyone. And anything can happen on a bike.
I would rather pull a trailer than ride an over loaded bike.
But I believe it has alot to do with the trailer and experience.
Plus you do have to change your riding style when pulling.
You must have a good suspension on the trailer. Trailing arms with shocks are much better than springs. A well built trailer will pull just fine.
I hardly ever unhook the trailer.

This is riding up Moik Dugway Sept.2012. 2 up with trailer. 4300 mile trip in 9 days.


April last year AR HY7. the wife and wing. 3 days 2200 miles.


Lee

yep, what he said. Anyone know Tom Finch? Bah, what does he know.

We pull a Bunkhouse camper (Bunkhouse is now part of Bushtec) with electric over hydraulic brakes. The running lights power up the system and brake light circuit operates the pump. You set the pump to bypass at a certain pressure (takes a little tweaking to get it right and I have different setting for different road conditions) don't want the brakes to stop the bike just not let the trailer push the bike. I built a dolly to carry the weight of the trailer tongue. First one was with a KwikKamp and worked great, second was built to pull the Bunkhouse and did not work at all. Had it not been for the brakes we would have gone down when the trailer started to sway violently. Pull the front brake lever enough to turn on the brake lights and apply the trailer brakes. Could hear the trailer tires squeal when it would sway over and unload the tire enough for the brakes to lock the wheel. Built the dolly to save wear on the rear tire, which it did. Load the trailer right and get the weight distributed correctly and it's not bad. Don't do that or go to fast/not leave yourself enough stopping distance and you can get hurt quick.

I keep my tongue weight at about 40 pounds or so, since I went to the sidecar rig it is not so critical. If you pull a trailer, always think safety first, not third.

Thought I would chime in . Motorcycles are dangerous ! Not to mention unless you have a boss hog with a 572 you won't have enough power to pull a small hill ! All the bullshit aside , I used to pull a nice little trailer with my Kawasaki 440 . I will be the first to admit that going over the rocky mountains I had to downshift and my mileage dropped down into the thirties . My buddy and I took turns pulling it and we added short ATV flags to the fenders so we would remember it was there . Emergency maneuvers were a bit more dicey . I came over a hill near Devils Tower and a full sized station wagon was passing a logging truck and had to run myself into the ditch . It was a bit of a pucker moment but no harm , no foul (just a bitch tilling sand getting back up on the road) . The total weight loaded was around 320#. Just remember I had around 45 HP and multiple hundred pound tow rig . Here is the only pic really showing the rig going to Sturgis in 81' .

<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/A8IZM2WNF1O-GcPIgGHtZdMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-QmM39sacyCM/T9SBzE53QrI/AAAAAAAAAD0/vQMbPSmCHhI/s800/IMG_0814.jpg" height="600" width="800" /></a>

<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/qDM5HiLi5bFNiTNjW9X07dMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-f7ZQ4R4OePw/T9SBeCWrwpI/AAAAAAAAEzE/1p-AcYr6tok/s800/IMG_1048.jpg" height="600" width="800" /></a>

<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/GMB6JCIKVozRRy3FEDEEZ9MTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jXLtYNj8Nr8/UPN3_oM9dtI/AAAAAAAADzA/tC_vzGxLQIg/s800/TrailerTrash1.jpg" height="479" width="720" /></a>

And for DAKEZ, a load of hogs.
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Ux9w12-_SiHQI6wo7YQO-dMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-pygd1NlRBV8/T9SB6s1JPZI/AAAAAAAAAEM/z6PsWjpoyLc/s800/hogs1.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a>

Do you have to put automobile tires on your bike in order to tow a trailer with it?

no

Yes

maybe?

A lot of People Die every year riding a Motorcycle, you are 33 times more likely to die on a bike than in a car (based on miles driven) So many people who do not ride will tell you that "Riding a Motorcycle IS a FOOLS game"

Why does that not stop you from riding. there are people all over the world that are telling you how dangerous it is everyday and showing you crashes and fatalities yet you still ride. <!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

question to verify what may be common sense or maybe I'm over or under thinking

I have never pulled a trailer with a motorcycle yet, but am considering, maybe even building my own

seems like a solid axle trailer with no suspension would impact the composure of the tow bike when the trailer hits a pothole more severely than a trailer with a suspension

is a trailer with suspension easier to tow on a rough road?

The trailer I posted had simple (cheap) leaf springs . It also had small tires and a standard 1 7/8" ball hitch . We didn't pull it off road , but did hit a few rough gravel roads . The biggest learning curve was how heavy of load versus tire pressure . Didn't really have any problems except at low speed . If you dropped a tire in a hole at under 5 MPH , hang on sport it would make everything go sideways quickly . I would imagine trailers with motorcycle wheels / tires would make rough roads a bit more pleasurable and cut rolling resistance . Always wanted to try a tent trailer , back when I had my Aspencade 1200 . No desire with my Wee Strom .

YOU do the comparison:

Case One-



Case Two-



No situation is exactly the same as any other. Some motorcycles can be over-loaded WITHOUT any luggage being involved-



At other times, its an excess (or improper distribution) luggage load involved-



And to those who question whether a motorcycle can stop under heavy braking while towing . . . . I can testify to braking so hard that the ABS intervened when almost missing a turnoff while towing my trailer and kayak.

In addition, I would NEVER tow without attaching the safety chains. The vehicle operator is responsible for WHERE his trailer ends up. A well behaved trailer with its coupling unattached behaves quite similar to a rear flat on a solo.

That's double dangerous to a new level.....only the bravest of riders would court danger in this foolhardy manner.

Motorcycle plus car tire plus trailer equals triple dangerous.
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/GMB6JCIKVozRRy3FEDEEZ9MTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jXLtYNj8Nr8/UPN3_oM9dtI/AAAAAAAADzA/tC_vzGxLQIg/s800/TrailerTrash1.jpg" height="479" width="720" /></a>