Determined to make trailering FJR simple...

[too_many_hobbies]

I bought the single bike aluminum trailer specifically for hauling my motorcycles. I added the aluminum toolboxes so I can store most of my riding gear with the trailer. The trailer has an aluminum ramp that slides under the trailer when not in use. I added what I think is called UHMW to the slides to make it slide in and out of the trailer with very little effort. My idea is to be able to quickly run the FJR up on the trailer and take it with me on family outings in case I get a chance to do a little riding. I took my Busa with me several times to our cabin at the lake and never unloaded it, but I had it there if I wanted it. The trailer is the same width as my vehicles and before I added the wheel chock and toolboxes, the trailer only weighed 380 pounds so you don't even know it is behind the tow vehicle.

So far I have tied down my FJR the same way I tied my Busa by tying to the triple tree and somewhere from the back of the bike. The shields inside the fairing of the FJR make it difficult to get the soft ties built into my straps around the triple tree. I also have to put tape on the mufflers to keep the back straps from rubbing a place on them. I am using one of the Baxley wheel chocks that holds the bike up once you ride into it so I can tie the bike down by myself.

I am determined to make the process of tying the FJR down as easy and quick as possible. As is shown by the yellow lines, I am considering using a Canyon Dancer setup on the handlebars and not tying around the triple tree at all. I am also considering making a bracket to hook around that would be a permanent addition behind the bracket that holds the bottom of the saddlebags. I would then add another tie point to the trailer at the angle shown which would do away with the need to add tape anywhere. To connect my extra bracket that I would tie to, I plan to use longer bolts that would stick out the back side enough to fit my bracket on and tighten down with washers and nuts on the back side. I think there is enough room between the back side of the frame where the saddlebag bracket fits and the inner fender to accomplish this.

My questions are:

1. Has anyone used the Canyon Dancer with the FJR? I am a little concerned because the height of the handlebars would apply a significant amount of leverage to the bars.

2. Does anyone have a better idea on how to tie to the back of the bike that beats my idea of an extra bracket on the inside of the frame?

Thanks in advance,

too_many_hobbies

 

[Hotboot]

CD's have ruined the grips on my FZ. Twice. Secure the bike from the lower triple camp with soft nylon straps.

 

[Ignacio]

Proud to say I've only trailered my FJR once and that was from the dealer as I couldn't get anybody to take my truck home. Bought a Canyon Dancer style setup and it worked great on the handlebars. They had soft inner fleecy lining. The handlebars are beefy and I wouldn't worry about leverage at the 45 degree angle.

As for the rear tire dance I used a 10 foot version of the black strap you have, went from the side points like you did, made a loop around the rear wheel and tire just behind the tread center, and below the license plate. Cinched it down and the loop of nylon gave enough friction that after 120 miles it didn't move an inch.

....nice trailer. :dribble:

 

[too_many_hobbies]

CD's have ruined the grips on my FZ. Twice. Secure the bike from the lower triple camp with soft nylon straps.

I had not considered damaging the grips, the thought had crossed my mind that the Canyon Dancer could be harmful to the throttle.

The straps I use have soft ties built in, but I also have a short and a long set of individual soft ties. I thought about leaving soft ties looped around the top of the triple tree and hooking them together under the headlight someway when not in use so they wouldn't flop in the wind.

Thanks for the advice,

too_many_hobbies

 

[Rickster]

Don't have my FJR yet, but have trailered bikes (when I have to) for years -- I've used CD's --they work great for me, but have had them damage a grip or 2.

Mostly I've found if the front wheel's secured well (you pic shows it in a chock -- so you're fine), and the front forks are compressed well -- there's no problems.

 

[fjrchik]

Canyon dancers = bad.

See here.

 

[RTSR1/FJR]

CD's have ruined the grips on my FZ. Twice. Secure the bike from the lower triple camp with soft nylon straps.

What do you mean? CD are great! A little secret though, go get yourself some 1 1/2" ID thin wall PVC pipe and cut it the length of the grip, slide it on the grip, then slide the CD over it. Protects the grip and won't rip it! Don't ask me how I know this! lol

 

[ronjrieth]

TMH,

I would reconsider the tie downs from the bars...I wouldnt worry about the grips...I would worry about the bars. Also, compressing the front forks...not good if you compress them too much.

Look at looping some straps around the forks from the top and bring them out underneath the fairing and look for a forward tie down spot.

Nice looking rig, congrats.

Tow safe...

Ton

 

[bikerskier]

too...

Great looking rig, do you mind sharing where you got and it what you had to pay for it? I trailer from time to time and this looks like a winner. I tie to the triple forks as a primary with a loose bar tie down for insurance.

 

[weekend rider]

Wow FJR riders are coining a new word rite up there with the harley riders.

" lets trailer my farley ( FJR ) :yahoo: so wee can go ride ou bike :yahoo:

Very nice looking trailer if I may say so

 

[Blue1]

I've trailered my 2005 FJR many times using Canyon Dancer straps.

Never had a lick of trouble. I also used two straps in the back.

B)

I don't claim to have any special technique, but whatever I'm doing, it

works. Go figure!

 

[worldbound4now]

Blue1, you're alive and still have your FJR. I hope you have quite a few more miles on it than on our initial contact.

Trailer an FJR? What? Bueller... Bueller... Bueller? It should be illegal and with the right amount of money, we could make it that way in NV.

BTW, what happens in Vegas...

ends up on the web.

 

[dcarver]

Here's what I'm working on to trailer my FJ. Yes, I trailer. I like taking the camper and trailer to a home base then riding the local area. I have a 16' enclosed trailer with a 'front rail' the front tire nestles into.

I currently use soft ties around the forks where at the tube / stanchion area. Two Ancra's go from the each soft tie to the tie down points. That way, should one Ancra let loose, fail, etc, the other is still strong.

It's kind of awkard getting to the front fork area, so I've asked to see if Skyway can drill some holes or a slot into his pretty sliders so I can anchor from that point forward. I think he can but he's been a bit busy latley what setting 1k rides and stuff :clapping: The sliders are bolted to an engine bolt (06) so they should be plenty strong to use as an anchor point.

I use Canyon Dancers as a *BACKUP* only.

The ass end gets strapped so that the back end can't hop around..

Good Luck!

 

[too_many_hobbies]

too...Great looking rig, do you mind sharing where you got and it what you had to pay for it? I trailer from time to time and this looks like a winner. I tie to the triple forks as a primary with a loose bar tie down for insurance.

As can be seen in the photo, this is an Aluma MC-10 which can be found here: Aluma. Aluma also offers a 2 bike trailer. I wanted the absolute lightest trailer that would reliably haul a motorcycle up to a Gold Wing. There wasn't an Aluma dealer in my area so I was able to talk one of the sales reps down to $1500 with me traveling about 100 miles north of my location to pick it up.

When I started shopping for a trailer, I looked for a tilt but a couple of the trailer manufacturers admitted that it is difficult to design a tilt that will not wobble because of where they have to mount the axle to effect the tilt feature. I did not want a ramp that folded up because of the drag from the air that it catches. The MC-10 has a fairly heavy duty ramp that slides under the trailer when not in use. The MC-10 also has torsion bar axles which places the bed of the trailer closer to the ground thus reducing the angle of the ramp.

I am more proud of the Baxley wheel chock than anything else about the setup. At the time, I think I paid $275 for my LA Trailer Chock Baxley Wheel Chock. The chock rotates over when you ride into it and holds the bike up so you can tie the bike down by yourself. Baxley also makes some really slick operating bike trailers, but they are a little pricey.

I purchased the aluminum toolboxes from Unique Truck Accessories. They were $100 per box.

I purchased the Ancra straps with the built in soft ties for $24 per pair from Baxley Trailers.

This setup was all I wanted to spend, but still about half what one of the top-of-the-line aluminum enclosed trailers cost. And the aluminum enclosed trailers weigh more and catch more wind. The first trip this trailer made with a motorcycle was to the Honda Hoot behind my daughters Jeep Rubicon pulling my Hayabusa. Once on location, my son and I rode the Busa and my wife and daughter traveled along in the Jeep with the top off. We do everything as a family and this trailer allows me to take the motorcycle with us to get as much riding time in as possible among our other activities.

too_many_hobbies

 

[too_many_hobbies]

It's kind of awkard getting to the front fork area, so I've asked to see if Skyway can drill some holes or a slot into his pretty sliders so I can anchor from that point forward. I think he can but he's been a bit busy latley what setting 1k rides and stuff :clapping: The sliders are bolted to an engine bolt (06) so they should be plenty strong to use as an anchor point.

I go to bed at night thinking about these projects and often figure out how to solve problems in my sleep. Using frame sliders as tie points was one of the ideas I woke up with this morning. I was amused to also see that solution in your response.

With the '06 not requiring any fairing modification for sliders, that would be a straightforward solution. I don't mind having mulitiple straps to connect, if the connection points are easy to get to. I may end up with straps coming off the frame sliders to keep the bike from backing out of the wheel chock and straps coming from behind the saddlebag brackets as shown by the yellow line in my original post. With those two methods helping to hold the bike up, I could then probably get by with using the Cycle Cynch to connect to the handlebars for a point higher up on the bike.

At this point I am finished thinking about it and will start today implementing the ideas gleaned here.

Thanks to everyone,

too_many_hobbies

P.S.

In highschool, a group of us boys would go to the library and read motorcycle magazines each day during study hall. One of my favorite pictures was of a pickup turned over in a gulley in a gravel pit with a dirt bike hanging upside down still tied in by only ties from the handlebars.