Bikes and trailers...

[Gerry.GEG]

When I traveled to Hyder Alaska last month I witnessed a MC accident that had a lot to do with the bike being a "cruiser" style hauling a trailer. The guy had to be airlifted due to internal injuries when he was unable to break effectively and ultimately ended up in a ditch. Tough break for sure.

Now, this last week I was in YellowStone NP (not on a bike). I was on the East side of the park when I heard a siren come up behind. I pulled over to see a Ranger vehicle pass me at a high rate of speed. My first impression was an accident of some kind. About 20 min later we came upon a GoldWing with a trailer that was twisted and the rider being loaded into an Ambulance.

Another trailer, Hmm? Now, I can't say they were the cause but common sense tells me that towing something increases one's risk of having maneuverability and stopping issues. So, what can we gleen from this? Not a lot, but I thought it important to raise the issue here even though I'm leaving much to interpretation.

Feel free to comment especially if you've seen similar wrecks.

Thanks for listening and stay safe.

 

[canucklehead-biker]

I think it's clear that you can't ride with a trailer on a bike the same as you would without... any more than you can drive a car the same way. Difficult to speculate whether the trailer was a contributing factor or not... there are plenty of inexperienced and/or unskilled riders who crash whether they are pulling a trailer or not.

Not sure there's been any research on it, but it'd make an interesting study - the accident rate for folks who haul trailers versus the rate for folks who don't, etc.

Anyone know of any studies on this?

Griff

 

[charismaticmegafauna]

I know a guy who crashed and was injured when he came to a "T" and coudn't stop and the trailer he was towing pushed him into the ditch across the "T" -- admittedly, poor riding and planning (but....).

Maybe m/c trailers need trailer brakes (maybe with ABS...?)?

I'm pretty sure that no motorcycle manufacturer condones towing a trailer with their products -- nor do they (OEMs) make hitches, etc. for that purpose.

(I may be wrong on that -- there are some really big motorcycles out there; and m/c 'related' vehicles?)

 

[Bungie]

Two years ago, buddy was all excited about getting his new trailer for a trip. Not a hooligan in any sense of the word, and has been riding for about 30 years. On the shakedown (poor choice of words) run he dropped the trailer wheel onto the gravel shoulder. Trailer pulled his wing onto the shoulder and caused him to go off roading. He was okay and and superficial damage to the wing.

Ask him about trailers behind bikes now and he'll tell you that their flat out dangerous.

Of course, theirs a thousand other guys who'll tell you their perfectly save and the cats ass. Kinna like car tires on bikes.

 

[HotRodZilla]

I have never pulled a trailer with a motorcycle, but I have pulled thousands of them with trucks. I have pulled goosenecks, 5th wheel's and bumper-pulls of all sizes and weights. The rule is basically this: Anything that pulls from the bumper is inherently more dangerous and harder to pull than a 5th wheel or gooseneck. It is also much safer to pull a trailer equipped with brakes than one without.

Those facts lead to issues with motorcycles because they are always set up in a bumper-pull configuration, and I have never seen a MC trailer with its own brakes. The heavier the trailer, the worse it gets because MCs don't really have that much braking force as it is. There are only two wheels providing traction and the front is doing most of the work. When that is the case, the trailer is just another wieght that has to be stopped. Remember that when going into turns, the trailer is working on inertia and 'wants' to continue going straight. If it has enough weight and speed, the rear tire of the MC can break loose and be pushed by the trailer. These issues are present in a vehicle too, but without ever having done it, I would bet the effects of attempting a manuver with too much speed and a trailer are felt much more on a MC.

When pulling a trailer, we need to slow down and allow extra space for stops, turns, lane changes... basically everything we do.

 

[happyPuppy]

Do they have any sort of sway control bar for bikes and trailers? I understand full well what can happen without brakes. I had a pickup once and we were going Deer Hunting and towing a 19' travel trailer , and it did not have any brakes. It was some years ago and I am not sure what happened , but the trailer started to move violently from side to side and pulling my pick up too. I gave the truck a surge of gas and it pulled it out of the sway and stopped it. The trailer dealer put a sway bar ( a thick metal 4" x 12" steel bar that slide into a female metal sheath ) on that connected the pickup and the trailer and it never happened again.

 

[Patriot]

Well, two of my riding podnas pull a leizure lite pop up camper frequently on out of town tours. One of them went down recently in a slow speed, hit the front brake with slime algae on the ashphalt at an intersection (no ABS on his $35k Goldwing - duh) and went down at 10mph. They both opted for a swivel hitch and Wing Man was glad he did. He falls down and the bike goes skidding across the intersection on it's side with sparks coming off the front and rear crash guards. Trailer just gently followed right behind like nothing bad was happening in front of it. Kinda impressive IMHO. Bike was fine, friends just lifted it up, started it right up, and rode and parked it in the emergency lane. Wing Man had some more damage, but nothing broken as he was ATGATT (he thanks me for agravating him for a year to purchase good gear) with Tourmaster armored flex jacket & pants, decent pair of gloves, custom cruiser boots, and a Symax helmet. Would have gone on a life flight without decent gear. Ended up with some strains, pains, and bruises and continued to ride another 11 days with us on Run For The Wall.

Happened near Dallas, TX and he made it to Washington, DC and then back home to Picayune, MS.

Swivel Hitch is the babe...

let's ride safe and be careful out there,

Mike in Nawlins'

 

[Gerry.GEG]

Interesting discussion gents.

One thing that I think about is; let's take a Wing for example. Beautiful bike (I'm sure I'll own one someday) but they don't get very good gas mileage for a motorcycle. Now, add a trailer, fully load the luggage and see it plummet. I averaged 22.9 mpg in my 2004 Nissan Quest van on the trip to YellowStone and back. Van has a 3.5L six, and is very comfortable with plenty of room for really, anything (BTW, cruise was set at 80 mph with the AC on constantly).

My point is; I get it and know why we ride bikes on trips and such although, if while riding a Wing, towing a trailer, and lacking some of my cargo capacities, is it worth it? Clearly, my trip to Hyder last month wouldn't have been the same not on my FJR but I averaged 20 MPG more than the van and was infinitely more fun!

If I got 25 MPG with the aforementioned set up I might rethink taking a bike.

Just a thought

 

[Patriot]

Interesting discussion gents.
One thing that I think about is; let's take a Wing for example. Beautiful bike (I'm sure I'll own one someday) but they don't get very good gas mileage for a motorcycle. Now, add a trailer, fully load the luggage and see it plummet. I averaged 22.9 mpg in my 2004 Nissan Quest van on the trip to YellowStone and back. Van has a 3.5L six, and is very comfortable with plenty of room for really, anything (BTW, cruise was set at 80 mph with the AC on constantly).

My point is; I get it and know why we ride bikes on trips and such although, if while riding a Wing, towing a trailer, and lacking some of my cargo capacities, is it worth it? Clearly, my trip to Hyder last month wouldn't have been the same not on my FJR but I averaged 20 MPG more than the van and was infinitely more fun!

If I got 25 MPG with the aforementioned set up I might rethink taking a bike.

Just a thought

not a big deal in Wing Man's humble opinion (WMHO)

he got close around 40mpg at 75mph, and when towing the trailer, most economical is 65mph and still gets 40mpg.

he paid $6500 for the camper new and gas is the same at a slower speed. Used is cheaper. Granted, you have to like to camp, and with motels at most $75 a night, you have to camp alot of nights to break even. But he's been on the road 100 days easy in the 2 years he's had it, so he feels he's ahead and the rest is gravy. I'll motel it, thank you.

 

[McDee]

I've only got about 4000 miles towing the pop-up trailer detailed in another post somewhere.Since the trailer tires extend about 2 feet on either side of the bike, I find that I feel like I really have to pay attention while cornering to avoid putting the trailer either over the center line or over the fog line. I'm not positive, but I think that this extra awareness is making my entries and exits to curves much better planned than I ever did without the trailer.

As far as braking goes, the trailer weighs 250ish empty and I would guestimate that with the spare tire, cooler, and all my gear loaded, I'm dragging 400 or so pounds behind me. One of my first "experiments" with emergency braking was a downhill, right-hander marked at 40. I was coming out of it in the neighborhood of 60 to find a semi pulled across the road, backing into a side road about 50 yards ahead of me. Stood on the brakes and stopped with plenty of room to spare. Didn't even really notice the trailer.

Based on my limited experience, I have noticed that I'll go into corners at no more than 10MPH over the marked speed. Less if on a poorly maintained road as the craters left by chains and such tend to make me feel a bit of a grab as the trailer tires hit them.

I don't have a swivel hitch, but when the bike fell over (Tennessee mud sucked up the center stand while I was suiting up) with the trailer on, the ball was still firmly in the hitch. I have no illusions that it would hold during a laydown at speed, merely an observation.

 

[Bugnatr]

Interesting discussion gents.
One thing that I think about is; let's take a Wing for example. Beautiful bike (I'm sure I'll own one someday) but they don't get very good gas mileage for a motorcycle. Now, add a trailer, fully load the luggage and see it plummet. I averaged 22.9 mpg in my 2004 Nissan Quest van on the trip to YellowStone and back. Van has a 3.5L six, and is very comfortable with plenty of room for really, anything (BTW, cruise was set at 80 mph with the AC on constantly).

My point is; I get it and know why we ride bikes on trips and such although, if while riding a Wing, towing a trailer, and lacking some of my cargo capacities, is it worth it? Clearly, my trip to Hyder last month wouldn't have been the same not on my FJR but I averaged 20 MPG more than the van and was infinitely more fun!

If I got 25 MPG with the aforementioned set up I might rethink taking a bike.

Just a thought

I rented a wing a few years back, fully loaded with the Mrs. and averaged 45+mpg. Never pulled a trailer but I doubt with big engine bikes pulling a trailer make much difference.

Seems you base your fun on mpg. I would still ride no matter what the mpg.

 

[Auburn]

I haven't done a lot of towing with mine yet. But I have experimented with different speeds. corner entries, etc...I find the tongue weight makes the most difference as to how it feels towing. I can say that I don't really notice the wieght of the trailer when braking heavily or rapidly. I do notice the two up wieght more. (And my wife is not heavy) It has more to do with how high the weight is.

As far as MPG, installing the PC3 has had more negative affect on MPG then towing. The PC3 dropped it from 45-50 down to 39-42. Towing I usually average 35-38. That's two up fully loaded on the bike and trailer full.

I do pay particular attention to corners and having the right entry speed. We tow the trailer to alow more flexability in where we stop and when. Last year on our 10 day trip it felt like we were running from hotel reservation to hotel reservation. Not this year. We will still hit a hotel every 3-4 days just because. Those will probably be days where it is raining and we don't feel like setting up the tent in the rain.

 

[canucklehead-biker]

I'm planning on hauling a small trailer on my trip to NoCal <CLICKY>and back at the end of the month. All up weight for the trailer with our camping gear in it is +/- 250 lbs. I'll be very careful, particularly with corner speeds and such... but others I've spoke with have said that unless I'm driving 8/10ths or better, I probably won't even notice the trailer is there.

Not to hijack the thread, but Auburn, what tongue weight are you using? That is for sure the biggest consideration for trailer stability, and there's a formula for working it out based on trailer weight, but I have no idea what it is.

Griff

 

[Auburn]

I'm planning on hauling a small trailer on my trip to NoCal <CLICKY>and back at the end of the month. All up weight for the trailer with our camping gear in it is +/- 250 lbs. I'll be very careful, particularly with corner speeds and such... but others I've spoke with have said that unless I'm driving 8/10ths or better, I probably won't even notice the trailer is there.
Not to hijack the thread, but Auburn, what tongue weight are you using? That is for sure the biggest consideration for trailer stability, and there's a formula for working it out based on trailer weight, but I have no idea what it is.

Griff

I try to keep it less than 25 lbs. if I can by moving the weight around in the trailer to balance. I have had as much as 40 lbs, and you do feel it on the rear in the corners on rough roads. It feels like a stock shock that is worn out. One point of clarification - I have had the suspension on the bike re-done. I have a Penske on the rear and forks reworked. The suspension is perfect for two up all bags, including the top trunk) loaded without the trailer. I will be experimenting with suspension settings while towing on the trip.

 

[rnees]

...this is why I'm a part of this forum. I just started doing some research on acquiring a trailer....and along comes this thread.

Thank you all for the great info. Here and elswhere... :yahoo:

 

[msfchris]

I've towed trailers with a number of bikes, including home brew 2 wheel trailers, and currently a single wheel Uni-go.

You definitely have to ride with a little more caution, as the trailer does have an effect on handling.

I found the 2 wheel trailers tend to push when cornering, as they were trying to go straight due to inertia. It wasn't bad

unless you were taking the corner aggressively, but it was something you needed to be aware of.

With my Uni-go, it doesn't push like the 2 wheelers did, but it still has an effect. You now have three tires tracking

instead of two. I can feel it wallow a bit at times, especially on grooved roads, or poor surface conditions. With

the trailer attached to the bike through a universal joint instead of a ball hitch, crosswinds and turbulence from trucks

is definitely more pronounced. It's like increasing the surface area on you bike by 30%.

I like the Uni, as it only weighs ~70 lbs empty, and has an estimated capacity of 110 lbs. Tongue weight is ~30% of

the trailer gross weight. I've had the Uni for a couple of years, and just hooked it up to the Feej about 2 months ago.

What I really like about it, is that the cargo weight is low, below 20". Before, I'd have the bags packed, and then throw

a duffle bag over the passenger seat. Clothing, tent, air mattress, etc... but the weight was way high, and made the

bike more top heavy. It also made it more difficult to throw a leg over, as there was a mountain of cargo on the

back seat. I seem to be towing the trailer more now than ever before, as it makes it much easier to

pack. I've never approached to max capacity of the trailer, and don't plan to do so.

Again, it does affect handling, and you need to ride accordingly. Increased awareness, and riding with a little more

reserve are required. 70 lbs, even low, is outside of of the bikes load triangle.

All said, I still find myself towing more often lately, as it's convenient, and I can fit my gear in it a lot easier than trying

to cram it in my side bags.

 

[NightShine]

Leesure Lite pop-up tent trailer towed by my '05. Gas mileage trivia:

FJR without the trailer going 75 mph -- 41 mpg

FJR with the trailer going 75 mph -- 32 mpg

FJR with the trailer going 60 mph -- 37 mpg