towing capicity

[cowboy5]

hello, does anyoneone know the towing capacity of the xj1100 maxim 1982. i want to build a teardrop trailer for it and need to know the allowable weight
thanks

[DiverRay]

There is NO printed tow capacity for the XS. Bikes didn't tow when these came out.
I would keep the TOTAL weight to 500Lbs, and tongue weight would be 50 Lbs. with the weight of the bike, and the BRAKE CAPABILITIES, You could NOT stop safely if it was heavier. I would also UNLINK the brakes, and put SS lines all around, just to give myself a little edge.
JMHO

[cowboy5]

thanks i will try it that way

[crazy steve]

For what it's worth, I towed a trailer behind my '78 years ago and had no issues with it. That's in terms of handling and braking. Now, I seldom went over about 350 lbs total weight (including the trailer) but did carry the whole top end off a motor to a machine shop once. That one time you could feel it 'push' the bike a bit during braking. Tongue weight was less than 15 lbs. If you're carrying clothing and/or camping gear, it's pretty hard to get any real weight

The trailer was an old 'CycleKamp' and was nothing more than 3' x 4' square car-top carrier on a simple frame. For touring or even just carrying 'stuff', it worked great.

'78E original owner

[crazy steve]

And I'll add that whatever you do for a hitch, it's critical that your design has NO side-to-side play or flex. If you do, you can get oscillations that can get very spooky. The trailer came with a 'universal adjustable' hitch set-up (you could only get purpose-built hitches for Harleys in those days) and it was flat-out dangerous. I ended up scratch-building my own.

'78E original owner

[tarzan]

My first XS came with a trailer hitch attached.The guy I bought it from and his buddy tried to start a business building motorcycle trailers back in the 1980's.I think they made a few hundred over in Seattle.Anyway he claims he pulled that thing around evrywhere.And the bike had like 60,000 miles on it when I got it.
BTW- the guy I got it from still works with me.I'll quiz him on his thoughts about towing with the XS.

[Crazcnuk]

I towed a trailer all over Canada and the U.S. with an '85 Shadow 1100.

Rule of thumb: Trailer weight (total) < 1/2 the tow vehicle or less or you need trailer brakes.

I used an ordinary 1 7/8 ball hitch. A local muffler shop made the trailer hitch mount on the bike, and I bought a 40"x48" Canadian Tire trailer frame kit, and put a box on it. It is 28cuft.


Point of interest, with the trailer on, your rear brakes become much more useful.

[rover]

towing capacity

I once towed a uhaul cherry picker about 12 miles back to the rental place. Had my hands full, would not recommend this to ANYONE

[trbig]

Posted once upon a time by another member.... but I think this may exceed things a bit.





Tod

[Jerry]

DiverRay is correct...Yamaha specifically advises against using an XS or XJ for towing. That said, I pull a trailer often and have thought about a teardrop unit as well. Unless one could be build out of carbon fiber or light-weight composites, my conclusion is that such a trailer would be to heavy for the XJ to pull.

Not necessarily in HP, but the stock XJ handling would be compromised. Those single-piston calipers on the front brakes were adequate in their day but are not up to the demands of several hundred extra pounds of trailer. Tire patch on those narrow tires is also an issue.

Several people have pulled trailers; do a search and you will find several threads. However, in all cases I am aware of the fully loaded trailer was less than 200 pounds, or about the weight of a heavy passenger.


(Approaching Yosemite National Park, June 2008)

While I like the idea of a teardrop or pop-up type unit, for the XJ these units are just to heavy for safety given the brakes, tire contact patch, and other factors.

FWIW...my XJ is running stainless-steel brake lines,EBC pads, Tkat fork brace, and Progressive front fork springs. It may be possible to upgrade the XJ for better trailering, such as swapping on dual-piston front calipers, which a few people have done. I would not go much over 200 pounds with a stock bike. My rig weighs about 120 empty, around 190 ready-to-go. I've towed it every year now since the Arkansas Rally in 2000, usually at least a couple thousand miles each year.

[Crazcnuk]

I don't think most of that is really a factor.

The single caliper brakes are fine for slowing the bike down from 130mph, I think they can handle trailering at 65mph or less.

Pulling a trailer, like anything else, takes a different mindset. You won't be screaming through twisties, or racing your buddies.

As I mentioned, the rule of thumb (if not law) is that the trailer has to be less than half the tow vehicle weight (including passengers and/or accessories) or you need trailer brakes.

If you have a larger trailer, and the trailer brakes are kept in good order, they will more than compensate for the extra weight.

Trailering does put more strain on the drivetrain. After ~90,000kms of pulling a trailer maybe 30% of the time, my Shadow started burning oil. Maybe this is normal, but don't think the trailer helped.

I had my trailer over 160kph (100mph) on a couple of occassions, but I do not recommend this.

The only difference the trailer made to normal handling was that the handle bars twitch (slightly) anytime one of the trailer wheels hits a bump and at high speeds the trailer could start the usual side to side wobble.

With a trailer you also have to be thinking ahead when you park. It is quite difficult to back the trailer up unless the road is flat or downhill. Parking on hills is fun as the bike has no E brake.

Also, when loading heavy objects on the trailer (ie Washing machine) make sure you have someone hold the bike so you don't knock it off the sidestand. DAMHIK

[Jerry]

2001 rally in Colorado. Indy Rick was pulling a home-built trailer (wood, quite something) behind his XS when he hit a cobblestone stretch in a town. Tried to turn, the "push" from the trailer kicked the rear end of his bike out and down he went. Skinny tire on a dry but uneven surface...lost traction. I don't know what the trailer weighed, but I do know it was considerably more than mine.

I also travel in rain, gets interesting when you have a trailer on behind.

Granted, the XJ can probably tow a heavier trailer; like all endeavors, one has to decide how much risk is acceptable. In good, dry and smooth conditions a lot is possible. In rain, wind, and steep grades you may wish the trailer was lighter....

IMHO, around 200 pounds is a good balance between risk and the convenience of having a railer. Dry weight for the XJ is 566 pounds; if you use Crazcnuk's 50 percent guide, 283 pounds would be tops. So, we are 70 - 80 pounds apart on this.

The lightest of the teardrop trailers I have seen start at around 400 pounds empty, although you could probably build lighter by using tube framing and composites. A lot of weight is in the tube axle and wheels; going to torsion axles and smaller wheels may save some weight. Scaling one down to a 1-person size would save some weight. I strongly suspect any teardrop trailer, though, when loaded with gear is going to be more of a load than is safe to handle with an XJ.