Much gratitude for this new section Bert . I'm sure it will bring more interest as time passes .
The Eccentrics have been itching to get a rig set up for Kamping , and with Charlies help , they now have a towbar in their kit .
As mentioned earlier , we have a few members with experience towing with their K's , so plenty of info to harness and share .
I'm looking forward to hearing what others have done and are doing in the future .
Gary , with help from fellow Krew , we have enjoyed our travels with the
Kart .
Some light reading in the mean time .
Shopping for a Motorcycle Trailer
I have travelled about 250,000 miles pulling motorcycle trailers. I have lived out of a motorcycle trailer for six weeks at a time, and found that once you add a trailer to your motorcycle you'll never want to travel without one. A good motorcycle trailer should be designed to carry the things needed for camping and making touring a more pleasurable experience. It should be easy to retrieve anything inside. The floor of a good motorcycle trailer needs to be flat, the sides straight and the front should be square to permit the easiest loading and unloading . A trailer for your motorcycle should be light weight 45- 59 kgs (about 100 to 130 pounds ), and it should handle so well that you can't even tell you are pulling it. The following are the things you should be looking for in a motorcycle cargo trailer.
ITEM 1: You want the trailer to be as light as you can get it and still have the structural quality needed to be a safe product. A solid frame is a must (preferably tubular steel as opposed to angle iron or flat stock), and hand laid fibreglass makes the strongest body possible(as opposed to chopper gun fibreglass). I recommend a trailer that weighs in at 120 to 150 pounds maximum. The more the empty trailer weighs, the less cargo you can carry before the trailer changes from being your friend to becoming your enemy. If you are required to make an emergency stop, you don't want the trailer to prevent you from completing the manoeuvre safely. A trailer that weighs over 160 kgs 350 pounds loaded will produce a very heavy feel in the handling of the motorcycle. That takes the pleasure out of leaning through the turns on all those wonderful back road excursions. If you must pull a trailer that is excessively heavy, you will be best served by purchasing a sidecar or a trike.
ITEM 2: The trailer should not be much wider than a dressed out touring bike with saddle bags, because if the bike clears an object while passing, you want the trailer to clear it also. And besides, a trailer that is much wider than the motorcycle will require you to ride in the centre of the lane where oil and dirt build up. This is not a favourable riding condition.
ITEM 3: The height of the trailer should be less than the bottom of your tour trunk and the front should not be totally flat. Why? Because the low pressure area behind your windscreen can draw the exhaust up and forward to contaminate the rider's space if the trailer doesn't produce an adequate channel for the exhaust to flow under. It can be like having the rear window of a station wagon or van open with an exhaust leak. YOU COULD GET SLEEPY FROM CARBON MONOXIDE OR GET A SERIOUS HEADACHE. They call this the "ENVELOPING EXHAUST GAS BUBBLE".
ITEM 4: Make sure the tires and bearings are of a type that are readily available should you ever have to replace one while on the road. Both the 4.80 X 8 inch and 4.00 X 10" tires are common to most utility trailers and scooters. Timken style tapered roller bearings are much preferred over sealed bearings, and are also commonly used in automotive applications. These bearings are proven to be very reliable as well as readily available in all auto parts stores.
ITEM 5: The trailer should be designed so you can use the space effectively. Odd shapes, rounded fronts, wheel wells and shock cavities that intrude excessively into the storage are to be avoided when you are shopping for a motorcycle trailer. These designs prevent some pieces of luggage, lawn chairs and all but the smallest of ice chests from being packed into the trailer without having to placed at very awkward angles. Don't be fooled by a cute design that won't hold all the things you wish to take with you.
Many motor cycle riders are discovering that pulling a trailer behind their bike improves the quality of their touring experience. A trailer will not only hold all the things that riders now stuff into the saddle bags, but also things like tents, coolers, and cook stoves. If you're not a camper you can take a full sized video camera, all the clothes you need for warm or cold weather, a set of golf clubs and you ladies can take your beauty and cosmetic survival kits too.
Even if you're not taking a trip, you can use the bike and trailer instead of a car to pick up groceries, go to the hardware or auto parts store. A cargo trailer can convert any recreational motorcycle that you love to ride into a "DO IT ALL" kind of a utility vehicle. After all, if you wouldn't rather be riding your motorcycle than driving a car, you wouldn't be reading this article would you?
A well designed motorcycle trailer can also improve the handling of your bike. Remember that overloading the motorcycle with gear strapped on the gas tank, tour trunk or sissy bar, raises the center of gravity and makes for poor handling. With a trailer, all unnecessary weight is off the bike and inside the trailer. That in turn, lowers the center of gravity and allows your suspension to function properly. The rear wheel of the motorcycle produces a gyroscopic effect that makes any well designed cargo trailer almost transparent to the rider, and in some cases, a trailer behind your bike can actually keep you from going down. I've had the experience of hitting a slick surface (all of a sudden with no warning), and had the rear wheel start to slide out from under me. By accelerating the motorcycle, the trailer acted as a balance, (like a small safety parachute) and kept the back end of the motorcycle from going away completely. I have also found the trailer to stabilise my bike in gusting cross winds and the air currents generated by large semi trucks that I have encountered on two lane highways.
BIKING WORLD MAGAZINEPulling a trailer with a motorcycleby sam • July 19, 1993 • Motorcycles by design are unable to carry copious amounts of luggage or cargo. Sidecars increase loading capacity and distribution of weight, but there is nothing better than a well manufactured trailer to alternatively load a motorcycle. The main problem with loading the back-seat of a motorcycle is improper weight distribution, wear and tear, and handling problems. With proper technique, design, and loading a trailer can be added to most motorcycles.
A quick perusal through most owners manuals will provide the famous words “Vehicle not manufactured for use with a sidecar or trailer” ” use of a sidecar/trailer can/will void warranty”. Obviously the addition of any accessory to a motorcycle must use caution, the manufacturers place these warning for reasons. The selection of a trailer would be an entire article by itself, what we will deal with here is the operation and techniques of trailering.
The hitch on the motorcycle should be sturdy (connected at least to four points on the bike). Hitches should not be connected to moving suspension components, swing-arms, shock-absorbers, or drive shafts for the obvious reasons. There should be no movement in the hitch. Hitch height should be at hub-level of the rear wheel. The distance between the rear wheel and the hitch should allow the rear wheel to move up and down unimpeded, but it should not be an excessive distance from the hub.
The best designs of trailers use the largest tire height possible and high speed bearings in the wheels. Beware the use of cheap lawn and garden tires on trailers. These types of tires are made soft and compliant so as not to damage lawns and are in no way recommended for highway use.
Trailers come in all shapes and sizes. A trailer should contain the following design features. A hitch assembly rated at a significant value higher than the gross vehicle weight of the trailer (total weight of the trailer). The trailer should have an axle width to tongue length of around 1 to 3 approximately. A significantly shorter trailer tongue will not track behind the motorcycle correctly, and a significantly longer trailer tongue will create cornering problems. There should be enough overhang to the rear of the trailer of the cargo area to allow proper loading. However, it should not be so great of overhang as to possibly drag the curb when leaving your favorite gas-stop.
A trailer is an alternative method of loading gear. A motorcycle has particular design characteristics that are being modified to allow the operator to carry more gear. As the operator you will have to decide how much is enough. A trailer is not a “blank check” to bring everything. Some simple rules for loading trailers is to take everything you would put on or in the bike and put it in the trailer instead. This is true alternative loading. Of course if you look down at the wide open maw of the emptiness of the trailer and start filling remember; the trailer total weight should be distributed over the axles so that the tongue weight is about 10 – 20 percent of the total weight of the trailer. Ideally ball weight around 10-15 kg ( 22 - 33lbs) , not more than 20 kgs ( 44 lbs ) Figure the total allowance of weight for the bike by looking in your owners manual. Add all the gear weight on the bike including passengers and riders. Don’t forget to add the tongue weight of the trailer. If you are in the positive and not overweight your doing good. If the amounts are over start shedding gear. Motorcycles are very finicky on how much weight they are moving.
Remember all of the weight (trailer, motorcycle, rider) is still going to be stopped by those same brakes, and accelerated by the same drive train. Depending on the weight of the trailer you choose to tow, all of the components on the motorcycle are going to wear a lot faster. Brakes and tires may be the most effected component on the motorcycle. Proper loading is going be the most important part of trailering because its going to effect every other part of the handling of the motorcycle.
When starting out and stopping a trailer you want to be as straight as possible. The degree of difference at the hitch between the trailer and motorcycle is going to create side forces on the motorcycle as it begins to move. The resistance to moving of the trailer will pull the bike over in the direction the trailer is. For an example if the motorcyclist stops with the trailer “kicked out” to the right the motorcycle will be pulled to the right as it begins to move forward. With the motorcycle and trailer in line the resistance will not effect balance. If the hitch is to high, and is mounted significantly over the level of the hub a lever of force will be created when starting out lightening the front wheel of the motorcycle. The resistance of the trailer creates this effect and steering wobble is usually the result. The effect of the trailer on the bike can be very slight or so severe a hazardous riding condition will result. No matter how well the trailer or bike is setup and designed the trailer will have some of these effects.
When stopping a motorcycle trailer combination allow increased room to stop. Only experience will show how much, but the increased weight being stopped of the bike and trailer will require more brake effort over longer distances. When stopping the bike should be kept as upright and straight as possible. The surge of the trailer forward as the bike stops should be directed as straight as possible through the bike. If the bike is leaned over and turning during braking the surge will have a tendency to push the bike over in the opposite direction, or push the rear wheel to the side. This effect can be minimal or severe depending on the amount of braking and the weight of the trailer.
If the hitch is set up wrong another problem can occur. On hitches that are above the rear hub of the motorcycle when braking the weight shift normal to stopping lightens the rear wheel. This effect will be exaggerated even more by a high hitch. Some trailer manufacturers attempt to engineer methods that lessen or do away with this effect by the way their trailers are made.
Another frightening effect can be the front wheel lightening on braking. Excessively heavy trailers on low slung hitches can lighten the front wheel and create a wobble when slowing. A simplification of the problem would be a five hundred pound trailer with fifty to sixty pounds of tongue weight. Most of the weight of the trailer during braking is being transmitted to the hitch. Depending on the degree of difference between the hitch and hub that weight can transmitted in a downward direction on the hitch increasing tongue weight significantly. The effect would be similar to a five hundred pound giant standing on your hitch while you try to balance and stop.
Depending on the weight and design of a trailer in slow speed turns it will tend to pull the bike aside in the direction of the turn. This effect will be dependent on the weight of the trailer and the resistance to rolling. In high-speed (highway turns) the trailer can track on the outside of the turn pulling the bike up-right. This effect is usually minimal but can drastically effect the operation of the motorcycle if the trailer is overloaded.
Obviously the motorcycle trailer combination is going to operate easier if it is properly maintained. Most trailer manufacturers have excellent suggestions on tire inflation, bearing care, and care of hitches. The problem usually lays in the operator not doing the recommended service. Tires fail and so do bearings. The operator is the final inspector for safety when a trailer goes out on the road. Most manufacturers recommend at least seasonal maintenance on bearings and side-wall pressure ratings of tires for fully loaded trailers. As part of your pre-ride inspection of your bike include the trailer and inspect every item just like you do on your bike. Include the hitch assembly depending on the type of hitch check for obvious problems and wear. On hitches try and insure proper lubrication and fit to the bike.
Safety chains should be included on all trailers. We all have heard the excuses for improper safety chains. Some riders state they would rather have the trailer “break away” in case of accident or massive failure. Some riders think that safety chains are not required on motorcycles. Most states require safety chains or cables. If the trailer “breaks away” where is it going to go and who is it going to hurt. Ultimately the rider is responsible for any damage his vehicle or trailer causes.
Safety chains should come in pairs and be attached to the frame of the trailer and motorcycle. Some states allow appropriate cables to substitute for chains, but check your local police for verification. Chains or cables should not drag the ground and should cradle the tongue if the hitch fails. Insure that the chains or cables are long enough to allow the bike to turn.
Trailers allow a motorcyclist to include the extra gear desired and not pile the bike high with everything. A trailer may be the way to entice the significant other to come along, lured by the charms of an opulent camp sight. The trailer allows a motorcyclist to bring “real” luggage when checking into a hotel. With proper technique and set up a trailer allows more flexibility for touring/grocery getting. The signs of shock from check out staff at the local grocer are excellent.On May 1st 2016 , we encountered a collision with a tin top whilst returning home from a local outing .
My son and I were travelling with Ol'Blue and the kart on the M1 freeway near Newcastle , it was just on dusk and a car neglected to pass us in the correct manner .
The result was both the bike and trailer being a "write off" , and a night in the hospital for observations and tend to my sons broken wrist. Many thanks to Tom for his time to visit us in hospital during this short period .
Fortunately the drivers insurance has settled payment with us , including the return of Ol'Blue and the kart to us at no additional cost .
We have both since returned to riding K bikes , no trailers attached .
Time will tell as to our thoughts on adding a trailer.
Until then we will make the most of our travels and experiences on K bikes , and the continued komraderie with the Krew here on this wonderful forum .
Below are memories of travels with my son to Tasmania in 2015.
Cheers Ed.
K's and trailers Sat Nov 07, 2015 12:09 am
ROB the Red Old Bike 
1986 k75, 1985 K100rt, 
