Bushtec Trailer (Turbo 2)

[101stpathfinder]

I would like to ride more 2-up rides in the upcoming years and have been considering buying a Trailer for the FJR. I am leaning towards a

Bushtec Turbo 2 trailer. Wondering how much room they take up? Can they be stored standing up on rear bumper? Do you find them a good

equipment storage place in the garage for gear? What should a buyer beware of when buying a used one? Could you park one & 2 cycles in

on bay? …

Any info, tips … would be appreciated.

 

[Millsaps2]

Bushtec makes a hanger to hang the trailer from the wall, never tried it myself. Pulled a Quantum trailer for several years with an '03, '07, and '11 FJR without any problems. Gen I takes a different hitch since the swing arm length changed with Gen II. For a used trailer make sure the air suspension is air tight. If you go to Daytona in March Bushtec is usually there near the old Harley place on Beach Street down from the BMW shop.

 

[Bugnatr]

I have a 95 turbo and really like it. I have stored mine on the back bumper no problem. Wheel bearings are cheap from NAPA etc. The tires were old so I replaced them with kenda's motorcycle tire.

Pulls like it's not there.

 

[FJRay]

It's hard to go wrong with the Bushtec. I'm on my second one and tow it with a wing. Towed the first one many miles with the 03 FJR with no issues at all. Good used ones show up on the wing forums all the time. The Turbo+2 has a bit more space than the standard one and the cooler package for me is a must have farkle. The top rack is handy for hauling bulky light weight items.

A big plus is that you get the excess weight off the bike suspension so it works like it's supposed to and the trailer takes care of the rest. IMHO the Bushtec independent air suspension is the best for M/C use .

 

[Jack D]

Ditto on making sure the air system has no leaks. The air shocks for the older trailers are no longer available. Never open the trailer in windy conditions!

 

[Auburn]

Ditto on making sure the air system has no leaks. The air shocks for the older trailers are no longer available. Never open the trailer in windy conditions!

I have a 92 Turbo trailer. The shocks are not available, but you can find others to replace them if needed. I would find an early 2000's if you can. As Ray said, the Bushtec is a great trailer.

 

[wingshot]

In case others are reading and looking, there are two used bushtec trailers in the Medford/Ashland section of the Oregon craigslist.

 

[wingshot]

Forgot to add the links, hope I did this correctly...

https://medford.craigslist.org/mcy/5154422833.html

https://medford.craigslist.org/mcy/5154401678.html

 

[101stpathfinder]

Thanks wingshot !

I need to find out what year those trailers are.

Neutral colors, just what I am looking for!.

 

[Colin24]

Highly recommended.

I've towed one behind the FJR for years. Got the FJR in 2004, think I got the trailer in '06. Have used a couple other trailers behind other bikes but this one beats them all hands down.

The handling is great. Just follows straight and true. Out in west Texas some years back and I was running at triple digit speeds for an somewhat extended period and the thing was rock steady the whole time. The suspension is a full air suspension (not air assist to springs) and fully independent. For it to handle properly you need to get the air set right for the load. There is a bit of a procedure to this but its pretty straight forward. My experience has been to slightly over inflate what they recommended. You can experiment to determine your personal sweet spot.

They use their own design for the wheels. They are quite skinny. But this gives their design over all the competition that uses the standard "trailer" wheel. When you open the trailer up you have a lot of space to pack stuff in between the wheel wells. One of the previous trailers I had that used standard trailer tires ended up having considerably less space inside specifically because of this issue.

One of the other reasons I chose this trailer is its size. The trailer is no wider than the FJR. Were talking the tips of the mirrors here. But fundamentally if the bike fits through a gap then the trailer will.

It's tempting to tip the trailer up on end while wheeling it around. But you need to be careful if there is no rear bumper since the bodywork will scrape and mark the paint. (Dont ask me how I know). If you had a piece of carpet or something you might be able to tip it up on end.

Get the front bra for the trailer. The debris that gets thrown up will chew up the front of the trailer and the bra does a very good job of hiding the cumulative stone chip damage.

When I ordered it they painted it to match the bike. Had to send them a piece of the bodywork because they dont rely on the consistency of paint codes. And they did a great job, the resulting paint was spot on match.

When I ordered mine I picked it up at the factory. Placed the order ahead of time. They shipped me the hitch. I installed the hitch and wiring at home. Arranged to have my camping gear delivered and kept in the trailer. Then drove down the factory in TN and picked it up and carried on with my first trip. Take the time to call them to place the order. They were very helpful with me when I placed my order arranging for everything. I would buy another trailer from them in a heartbeat. Of course the one I have is still going strong so I've no reason to replace it.

- Colin