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  • PHeller

    Oct. 8, 2010 6:59 a.m. PHeller Dork

    I need some way of hauling my motorcycle. I don't really have the budget for a cheap truck, even if a cheap truck were really cheap. The gas mileage and extra registration and maintenance would suck right now.

    However, trailers aren't, and neither are hitches. BUT, my girlfriend's car has a hitch and I'm sure I could find one for my Escort.

    First question: How long is the average motorcycle? I don't forsee myself buying some huge new Boulevard, so when I say average I mean how long of a trailer would I need to haul...a Sportster? but mostly sport bikes and classic bikes (what i have now).

    Second question: Do Harborfreight trailers require welding?

    Third: What kind of a hitch am I looking at?

    So, what all ya think?

  • Dr. Hess

    Oct. 8, 2010 7:15 a.m. Dr. Hess SuperDork

    How long is the bike you're going to haul? I can go measure a Sportster in a couple hours if you want.

    The HF trailers do not require welding. Welding makes them better after you bolt them together, however, but many are put together without it. HF wire feed welders are on sale for ~$90, BTW. The 4x8 trailer is handy for bikes. I borrowed a friend's once and put my FLHT on it when we moved. He had it rigged up for bike hauling and it was very nice.

    A small hitch should be just fine for a bike trailer.

  • White_and_Nerdy

    Oct. 8, 2010 7:33 a.m. White_and_Nerdy Reader

    Why not a Boulevard? An S40 is pretty tiny (formerly known as the LS650 / Savage). :)

    Seriously, though... I had the teeny tiny 4x4ish Harbor Freight trailer, primarily intended as an autocross trailer to tow behind Miata #1. That said, when I got a bike, I thought it would be handy to be able to tow it around. So I bought a "motorcycle rail," also from Harbor Freight. It was probably intended for a 4x8 trailer, but it worked with minor modification on my 4x4. The rail just stick forward onto the tongue a bit, and stuck out the back. Basically, it's a rail that the tires sit in, with a bit angled up at the front to hold the front wheel securely. At the back there's a small ramp that attaches and detaches.

    Small problem - I had a 1980 Suzuki GS550E. I don't know what the wheelbase was, but it was long enough that when the bike was loaded, I didn't have enough room between the rail and the back tire to pull the ramp out. I had to MacGyver a short extension in the middle of the rail to stick the rear portion back a few more inches so I could get the ramp out.

    An Escort could tow it fine. My Miata and my FWD Civic wagon had no trouble with the weight (about 500lbs, plus the trailer itself).

    The trailer itself bolted together just fine. Welding not required. However, the wiring for the lights took a lot of extra work. The paint they use is a great insulator, and turned the wiring and grounding into a nightmare. Scrape off bits of paint where the pieces of the frame meet so they'll touch and maintain a decent ground. MUCH easier to do this during assembly.

  • alex

    Oct. 8, 2010 7:37 a.m. alex Dork

    My two (relatively short, sporty) motorcycles are 7' and change from the leading edge of the front tire to the trailing edge of the rear.

  • wcelliot

    Oct. 8, 2010 8:45 a.m. wcelliot HalfDork

    Used utility trailers are on my local CL all the time for nearly nothing.

    I splurged and spent about $800 (used) on an all aluminum 5x10 tilt with a 2500# axle. So I can move even small cars on it, but it weighs less than the standard 4x8 steel versions.

    I end up using this about 10x more than the other trailers I have combined. Just loaded it last night in fact. If it were a 4x8, I'd have to be using my dual axle car trailer as my Gator wouldn't fit... fit's perfectly on the 5x10.

    Depending where you are, snowmobile trailers are also cheap... the alloy 5x10 replaced a 6x11 sled trailer (that finally rusted in half!)

  • Ian F

    Oct. 8, 2010 4:18 p.m. Ian F Dork

    I also vote for CL, even if buying a H-F trailer. Let somebody else get it registered and tagged, which depending on where you live can be a hassle and/or time consuming.

  • loosecannon

    Oct. 10, 2010 8:18 p.m. loosecannon New Reader

    Here's what I use to haul my quad, it can be pulled by nearly anything:

  • CarKid1989

    Oct. 10, 2010 9:22 p.m. CarKid1989 Dork

    how about a jet ski trailer? they seem to go pretty cheap.

    might have to make some mods to have a platform or something but the idea appeals to me

  • novaderrik

    Oct. 10, 2010 10:00 p.m. novaderrik Reader

    i'd just find an older pickup or van for a few hundred dollars and get that.

    i don't know about where you are, but here in MN it only costs $39.95 to get collector plates for any car or light truck that is more than 20 years old- and that registers it for life. no inspections or emissions tests or anything like that, either.

    just insure it whenever you want to drive it, and you are golden.

  • novaderrik

    Oct. 10, 2010 10:00 p.m. novaderrik Reader

    i'd just find an older pickup or van for a few hundred dollars and get that.

    i don't know about where you are, but here in MN it only costs $39.95 to get collector plates for any car or light truck that is more than 20 years old- and that registers it for life. no inspections or emissions tests or anything like that, either.

    just insure it whenever you want to drive it, and you are golden.

  • Teh E36 M3

    Oct. 11, 2010 7:40 a.m. Teh E36 M3 HalfDork

    I towed my bike behind an HF 4x8 foldable utility trailer. Got a Pingel(?) wheel chock and some tie down straps and bob's your uncle. The trailer is still going strong 8 years later. One of the best $300 I ever spent- don't have or need a truck- tow the trailer and bike behind the Subaru.

  • PHeller

    Oct. 27, 2010 6:53 p.m. PHeller Dork

    Old post:

    I'd get a cheap old van or truck but I need to haul at highway speed for longer than 5 hours. That gets to be slightly uncomfortable when your truck/van is wandering all over the place and can barely do the speed limit.

  • 914Driver

    Oct. 28, 2010 6:06 a.m. 914Driver SuperDork

    I contemplated building one of these. Looks easy enough, strong enough for a bike, light enough to tow with a Ranger.

    http://www.radindustriesinc.com/motorcycle-trailers-stowaway.php#Monorail

  • Cotton

    Oct. 28, 2010 8:11 a.m. Cotton Dork

    How heavy is the bike? I have a hitch mounted carrier for my dirtbike that supports up to 400 pounds. I had a thread on it in the sprockets section....not much of a thread though....very little interest in these I guess.

    http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/sprockets/cheap-dirtbike-carrier-review/268...

  • Grtechguy

    Oct. 28, 2010 10:22 a.m. Grtechguy SuperDork

    Most street bikes are over 400lbs.. my bandit is in the 450 range. Cruisers are more like 550+

    +1 for Dans trailer idea.

    or CL search for "Motorcycle Trailer"

    example: http://grandrapids.craigslist.org/mcy/2018549324.html

  • PHeller

    Oct. 28, 2010 1:47 p.m. PHeller Dork

    A hitch for my Escort wagon won't be strong enough to support a bike.

    The RAD trailer is nice, but it costs more than a Harbor Freight 4x8 and is less versatile.

  • PHeller

    Oct. 28, 2010 2:08 p.m. PHeller Dork

    What can I expect in terms of performance while hauling a trailer with my Escort? Would I be able to do sustained 75mph? How will hills be? I know its very load dependent, but I'd like to get an idea.

    My girlfriend already owns a 4.6L Thunderbird with a hitch, so I could use her car to haul the trailer when its really loaded.

  • 914Driver

    Oct. 28, 2010 2:16 p.m. 914Driver SuperDork

    Make a RAD trailer, balance the bike so 10% of its weight is on the tongue and you may get 75 mph.

    or....

    Buy one similar to the three-place bike above, get wicked narrow tires and remove two of the ramps.

    Dan

  • Cotton

    Oct. 28, 2010 3:25 p.m. Cotton Dork

    Does the RAD trailer have any suspension? After owning a trailer with no suspension what so ever I hate them now. I paid $250 for my used 5x8 and it has leaf spings, which does help. It's light and I use it when I'm not using the hitch mounted carrier.

  • PHeller

    Oct. 28, 2010 4:02 p.m. PHeller Dork

    this guy took a smaller HF trailer (40"x49"), and put a motorcycle tray on it.

    If an Scion XB can tow it so can my Escort.

    I wonder if there is any way of lowering the trailer for easier access, more stability and loading.

  • 914Driver

    Oct. 29, 2010 6:17 a.m. 914Driver SuperDork

    Click the link, it doesn't look like any suspension on the RAD.

    Dan

  • thatsnowinnebago

    Oct. 29, 2010 1:23 p.m. thatsnowinnebago Dork

    loosecannon wrote:

    Here's what I use to haul my quad, it can be pulled by nearly anything:

    Why does your truck have a big handle on the back?

  • 914Driver

    Oct. 29, 2010 3:30 p.m. 914Driver SuperDork

    PHeller wrote:

    .

    I would do an axle flip to lower the CG. Plus, tired end of the day, beat up bruised and now you have to push something uphill?

    Oy.

  • Vigo

    Oct. 30, 2010 1:31 p.m. Vigo HalfDork

    I dont see how you can be concerned about towing that small of a weight. The weight of a motorcycle +tiny trailer is not any different than the weight of having 4 or 5 people in the car. Do you honestly doubt you could do 75 if you actually had an adult in every seat? No difference..

  • PHeller

    Nov. 18, 2010 10:35 a.m. PHeller Dork

    Can you do an axle flip on a HF trailer?

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