Trailer? for 1100

[OregonRider]

Has anyone modified their XJ/XS1100 to pull a trailer.
I'm curious what the drawbacks would be. besides the obvious that comes with towing extra weight...
I'm looking at a light 180lb trailer to haul a tent, bags, etc in.

[3Phase]

Here you go, Rider:-

Trailer and hitch info

[crazy steve]

I ran a trailer behind my '78 for about 7-8 years, and was very pleased with it's utility. But there's a few 'do's' and 'don'ts' involved.

First, you want to be reasonably careful not to exceed the total gross vehicle weight that the bike is rated for (bike+accessories+riders+luggage+etc). While this is aimed mostly at trying to avoid overloading the suspension, it also has relevance to braking performance. Too much weight, and you ain't gonna stop...

Next, your hitch needs to be pretty rigid. You can't have the trailer tongue moving around relative to the bike, or it'll try to 'steer' the bike. Jerry used Heim joints, but I used a conventional ball/hitch and it gave me more than enough 'travel' for leaning into corners, etc.

Third, weight of the trailer/load. 180 lbs isn't 'light' for a motorcycle; that's the upper limit for your total weight including load, so you'll need to put that trailer on a diet. The trailer I had (specifically built for motorcycle use by CycleKamp) weighed a bit under 100 lbs empty, and I found that if I kept the total below about 160 lbs you rarely even knew the trailer was back there. Get to 200 or more, and the trailer would 'push or pull' the bike around which could be disconcerting under good riding conditions, a disaster in wet/slippery ones. Mine had roughly the same storage space as Jerrys, and that was plenty big enough for typical camping/touring gear.

Back when I bought mine, you could buy ready-made bike trailers from several manufacturers. Mine was a simple box, but at one time you could get motorcycle tent trailers that slept six!?? They've all disappeared, as there was way too many accidents with riders getting killed/injured towing too-large trailers. Virtually no motorcycle makers sanction towing anymore because of the issues.

But don't get carried away, and they're a great addition to a bike if used with common sense...

[Jerry]

I used my trailer over the 4th of July weekend for the Colorado Rally. Also used it this year at the Santa Mararita (California) rally, see photo below. Pulled it around 2,300 miles all told so far this year.



Crazy Steve is correct on the weight. I built my trailer because the commercial ones I saw were to heavy, IMHO, including the basic trailer frames available from Harbor Freight and other outlets. Empty weight, with spare and jack, is about 120 and loaded is near 180 if I take everything, including 2-burner camp stove, food, water, and folding chair. Basic kit, which I had in Durango for the rally, comes in closer to 150 -160, as it it only the tent, air mattress, clothing, and sleeping bag. I'm looking at getting a JetBoil to replace the Coleman stove and a self-inflating mattress to replace the air mattress. Both would cut the weight by a few more pounds.

In my case, I feel the trade-offs (including decreased gas mileage and increased tire wear) are worth it to have a larger tent, more clothing, more comfortable matteress that one typically hauls without a trailer. I like a tent I can stand up in to change gear or get dressed. Not essential - ask any rider who camps out with his/her bike - but nice to have if you want it. Same with a folding chair and hatchet, both part of my full kit. I've had campfires in remote locations a couple times because of the hatchet, and sat around them in my folding chair.

Like any other piece of equipment, you need to determine what it is you want to carry that you could not or would rather not carry on the bike, and how essential those items are.

For the record, my '06 Connie has a smaller engine than my XJ, its only 997 cc.

[Jerry]

I used my trailer over the 4th of July weekend for the Colorado Rally. Also used it this year at the Santa Mararita (California) rally, see photo below. Pulled it around 2,300 miles all told so far this year.



Crazy Steve is correct on the weight. I built my trailer because the commercial ones I saw were to heavy, IMHO, including the basic trailer frames available from Harbor Freight and other outlets. Empty weight, with spare and jack, is about 120 and loaded is near 180 if I take everything, including 2-burner camp stove, food, water, and folding chair. Basic kit, which I had in Durango for the rally, comes in closer to 150 -160, as it it only the tent, air mattress, clothing, and sleeping bag. I'm looking at getting a JetBoil to replace the Coleman stove and a self-inflating mattress to replace the air mattress. Both would cut the weight by a few more pounds.

In my case, I feel the trade-offs (including decreased gas mileage and increased tire wear) are worth it to have a larger tent, more clothing, more comfortable matteress that one typically hauls without a trailer. I like a tent I can stand up in to change gear or get dressed. Not essential - ask any rider who camps out with his/her bike - but nice to have if you want it. Same with a folding chair and hatchet, both part of my full kit. I've had campfires in remote locations a couple times because of the hatchet, and sat around them in my folding chair.

Like any other piece of equipment, you need to determine what it is you want to carry that you could not or would rather not carry on the bike, and how essential those items are.

For the record, my '06 Connie has a smaller engine than my XJ, its only 997 cc.

[fredintoon]

Go single track?

Hi 'Rider,
look here;- http://www.singlewheel.com/OneOfAKindFR.htm
You may need to limit the load with a single-track trailer but you can still split traffic, eh?

[OregonRider]

Thanks for all the info guy's. I like the single wheel idea. saw a team of riders in northern CA last year with them. But they did say it takes some getting used to beyond a two wheel trailer. especially if there is a little slop in the hitch side to side causing bounce, kind of like having a passenger that can't sit still. also side to side weight distribution is much more critical.

I like the trailer idea since my wife and I like to go M/C camping. But with my 290 lbs. a faring, bags, trunk, wife (who I'm not allowed to talk about weight). with minimal gear we are already close to the limit. So maybe a trailer is not such a good idea. well until she gets her license.

[Eveready1100]

Here's a couple of examples from Australia:



An XS11 will pull a trailer comfortably. The other guys have just about got the pro's and cons covered, though i would definitely fit the unit with a swivel type hitch, as a standard hitch will prevent the bike from leaning over as far as it may need to in the event of a corner suddenly tightening up on you, which would probably end up badly for you. I also fitted mine with a brake system which really helps overcome the other main problem created by the extra weight. Stopping.


^ Master cylinder and extra lever


^ Stoppers

[psycoreefer]

with that brake setup do you have to bleed the brakes every time you connect/disconnect the trailer, or do you have some sort of quick connect fitting between the two systems that keeps the air out? Why not use electric brakes and a controller like most newer trailers?

[Eveready1100]

No, Psycoreefer. Nothing as complicated as that. Just undo the two nuts that hold the base plate on, and the whole shebang comes off and I sit it on the drawbar of the trailer when not in use.



Oh, and I have to remove the eye thingie that keeps the line away from the rear tyre (one 10mm nut)



The main reason I haven't used a newer type setup is A: the cost, and B: my budget.
The whole brake setup only cost me $50 to build so I'm on target there. besides that, I haven't seen any other setups that give you absolute control of the trailer brakes, at least any across the counter gear. With my foot across both rear brake pedals, I just twist it slightly to modulate the power going to either one. Better that any over-ride setup, particularly in an emergency stop.

[OregonRider]

Very nice Eveready, I was wondering about trailer brakes after talking to another trailer puller. They said you have to get used to powering thru a turn and avoid braking in a turn. my first thought was trailer brakes.
So what's the empty weight of your trailer?

[Eveready1100]

63kgs or 138 lbs US.

[crazy steve]

Why not use electric brakes and a controller like most newer trailers?

I would think the main problem would be lack of available power; electric brakes draw a fair amount of current, something in short supply with the XS charging system. The other issue would be their lack of modulation; they're either on or off, and I for one wouldn't want a brake system like that at the rear of my bike.

If you're going to run trailer brakes, something like Eveready's hydraulic brakes would be the way to go, but you're not going to find a off-the-shelf setup...

[BA80]

I think a setup like that could be fairly easily built Steve. Some modification to the tongue and just use a front M/C, or something similar, to actuate.

[crazy steve]

I think a setup like that could be fairly easily built Steve. Some modification to the tongue and just use a front M/C, or something similar, to actuate.

Well, I don't know about 'easily', but it could be built. Getting brakes on the trailer wheels would be a chore as very few small trailers have them, and stepping up to larger wheels brings a weight penalty, along with the weight of the brakes.

It wouldn't be hard to put together a lightweight trailer; mine originally consisted of 2 pieces of angle iron bolted to the fiberglass box on each side for the spring mounts and a light-gauge (1/16"?) 2" square-tube tongue also bolted to the box. If that sounds a bit spooky, it was; the front bolt on the tongue pulled through the 'glass (well, it wasn't really fiberglass, but that's another story...) on mine and almost took me off the road when it did, but that was 4 years into using it and I used to run logging roads with it, so it had been 'well used'... I repaired it by welding in a front/rear crossmember and never had any more problems.

If starting with one of those HF utility trailers, I'd keep the axle/wheels, probably narrow the axle, and remove all the spring leafs except the main. I'd build a new frame from scratch, with a light-gauge 2" square-tube tongue and a simple perimeter frame out of 1/8" wall x 2" angle to keep weight down, slap a fiberglass or plastic car-top carrier on it (also used on motor homes, so you may be able to get one used cheap) and you've got a trailer that's light enough that you don't need brakes on it.

You really don't want a heavy trailer behind you IMO, brakes or no brakes. I overloaded mine a few times out of necessity, and while on good roads it towed ok, on curvy or rough roads it pushed/pulled the bike around quite a bit, to the point that if you got into anything slippery I could see the rear tire washing out. In any kind of emergency manuever, a heavy trailer is not going to be a good thing...

Oregon, if you want pics of my hitch for a build guide, let me know in a PM...