To carry stuff!

 

can't argue that statement 100% true hell up the numbers 10,000 bikes pulling trailers will have far less accidents than 1,000 inebriated dummies leaving the bar at 2:30am

 

I don't have anti sway bars or load stabilizers added to my bike knowing how to load a trailer properly is key to stop any sway I also don't have a oil cooler on my '04 flhtc but I may buy one as for heaver shocks a properly loaded trailer will only add 20-60lbs of weight to the suspension of your bike

 

Maybe because we want too, or maybe because we have alot of stuff to move between point a and b,or maybe just because...

 

I don't have a trailer, yet. But I do have a buddy with an older Bushtec and every year in June we ride over to Idaho for an annual golf tournament. His trailer easily hauls both sets of clubs if we take our drivers out of the bags and place at an angle. I always follow due to the increased stopping distance for him so I have watched how that trailer performs for hundreds of miles on every type of grade, speed, turns, etc. That trailer tracks perfectly. Other than increasing stopping distances and planning stops with no need to back-up, he pretty much just rides as normal.

I think the biggest safety factor here is the quality and design of the trailer. This Bushtec has narrow wheels and tires. Similar to the front wheels on a small motorcycle. Swivel mount so if the bike lays down, the trailer stays upright. It also has independent suspension with a finely tunable air shock system that works with the standard HD shock pump. If you lift the trailer you can also see that the wheels are slightly cambered in. The ability to adjust the suspension is a huge and improper adjustment can result in poor handling, bounce, or worse. As others have mentioned, load / weight distribution when packing is critical.

There are lots of less expensive options out there with solid axels, non-adjustable shocks, wide tires, standard fixed hitch, etc. You can build one for a few hundred by buying a PVC car topper and bolting it onto a cheap Harbor Frieght frame and wheels. I am of the opinion that an MC trailer is NOT a good place to go cheap.

 

Essentially, you're correct. However, like I said in a previous post, manufacturers are "very" conservative in their published load rating. Harley's web site states my Ultra has a "ready to ride" weight of 889 lbs. My owners manual lists a GVWR weight of 1360 lbs. That gives me a useful load of 471 lbs. Doesn't sound too bad, does it? Take my 220 lb frame (in my b-day suit) and add another 15 lbs in clothing and riding gear and I'm up to 235. Add an SO, who's pushing 200 lbs and again 15 lbs in clothing and gear for 215. The two of us together would be 450 lbs so we can fill up the tour pack or one (1) saddlebag and we're at gross weight for the bike. These numbers are not extreme in our society these days and some folks exceed them easily.

My point is simply that I think the majority of us are running these bikes over their rated capacities anyway and the machines are handling it just fine. Harley, like all manufacturers, are simply trying to cover their own backsides from a legal point of view and from what I've seen so far, whether or not we get any problems with warranty issues depends on the dealers attitude. Some will make a federal case out of the hitch being on the bike and some will not.

FWIW!
Ride Safe,
Steve R.

 

Well, I pulled a trailer a lot in the 1970's. It was a Calafia (anybody remember them?) and the hitch was a four point attached to the rear fender brace and the saddlebag mounts. The wheels were like you might find on a light duty utility trailer, and the whole thing empty was about 80#. I pulled it with my 1967 Electra Glide from Southern California to Arkansas loaded with maybe 100# of gear in it, and aside from noticing I had to brake a little harder to stop, and a little less acceleration, it was barely noticable back there.

It didn't track real good, and would sway a bit side to side at 65-70 mph, but I never found it objectionable at all.

BUT: if loaded to heavy to the rear, and not enough weight on the hitch, under deceleration or heavy braking, it could subtract some of the load from the tractive effort of the rear wheel and possibly skid or slide the rear wheel, making control extremely difficult.

I tell novice riders all the time about the work done by the rear wheel of a motorcycle. It transmits engine power to the ground, and also must keep the bike going straight while braking. If the tractive ability of the rear wheel isn't enough to handle those forces, control loss results. When braking, the total weight of the motorcycle, the rider and passengers, and static load in the bags and tour pak shifts forward, and unloads the rear wheel to some extent. A trailer amplifies the unloading of the rear wheel if the wheel isn't carrying enough tongue weight. Loss of control will come sooner than that for a bike without a trailer.

The reason riders safely pull trailers with their motorcycles, is that they recognize these factors, and allow for them. I personally won't pull a trailer anymore because I don't want to deal with it.

By the way, I sold that trailer to a friend of mine. The axle came loose from its spring on one side of the trailer, twisted backwards, and put my friend into a dangerous skid. He managed to get stopped okay. Then he unloaded the trailer contents onto his and other motorcycles with him, removed the license plate, and tossed it into a ravine somewhere in Colorado.

 

the best thing about pulling a camper, is that now we can really camp....no need to go to a restaurant, etc.

Do I drive differently when pulling it? Damn sure do....

Common sense rules here. One of the first warnings in any Harley manual is to "raise your kickstand before riding."