Author Topic: Tow bar (Read 7335 times)

Keith Cross · « **on:** February 10, 2012, 08:03:04 »

Well I went and did it yesterday, had a tow bar fitted to my Vstrom 650. It was a bit of a task as I live in Tadley, near Basingstoke and the company who fitted the tow bar, Freewheel Trailers is in North Walsham in Norfolk.
that's 186 miles each way, with the return trip in snow judged as `interesting' especially the last few miles with snow laying on the roads.
The towbar was made form scratch by the company and seems firm enough do do the job OK.

I will post pictures later and of course a report on how the 650 copes with towing a small trailer.

As for those who may ask `why'. I have towed a trailer many times behind Goldwings and it does make thinks better in many ways. Apart from the increased carrying capacity (my wife likes her comforts), the weight of a lot of your camping gear is placed in the trailer and not loading up the bikes suspension. This in turn results in a better handling bike. It does still have the same effect on braking and acceleration as loading the bike up does though.
As for getting through traffic, the legal max for a trailer behind a solo motorcycle in the UK is 1 metre (or 3ft 3 and 3/8 inch for those still stuck on imperial measurements) so if the handle bars go through then the trailer will. It also means that bike is actually narrower with a trailer than it is with panniers on

In the future I might even let others have a go on my 650 to see what they think of this way to carry enough gear for longer trips.

Keith C

Dilly · « **Reply #1 on:** February 10, 2012, 08:56:57 »

Rather you than me,

Brockett · « **Reply #2 on:** February 10, 2012, 09:21:02 »

Keith Cross : You are a bloody hero. 370 mile round trip in this weather. The lane down to the road and the road is still slippery with compacted snow and I thought I was doing well to walk to the shops.

Gassoon · « **Reply #3 on:** February 10, 2012, 09:28:34 »

Quote from: "Keith Cross"

This in turn results in a better handling bike... It also means that bike is actually narrower with a trailer than it is with panniers on

In the future I might even let others have a go on my 650 to see what they think of this way to carry enough gear for longer trips.
Keith C

Have you tried just weaning your lass off her 'comforts'!?

I might be a failure of my imagination (or my imagination being over-active!) but does being narrower under those circumstances confer any benefits? Do you dart between lanes of traffic? Scary. And better handling? Not if you took less stuff! But assuming that is the baseline of stuff you need to take, then I can see how the trailer solution would work for you...Must admit I'm 99% certain I'd never do it, but would take you up on the offer to try it out, fair-do's Keith! : )

Oh, and second what brockett48 said as well!

temporaryescapee · « **Reply #4 on:** February 10, 2012, 19:43:56 »

Sounds mental to me but I will look out for it - my mum moved to Pamber Heath a few years back and I am there every couple of weeks.

Hutchie · « **Reply #5 on:** February 10, 2012, 20:38:42 »

Nice one,
Looking with interest at the ride report on this.

What sort of load can towbar take?

Keith Cross · « **Reply #6 on:** February 10, 2012, 23:09:17 »

OK took this picture earlier. And yes I know its not the prettiest of modifications, but is mainly obscured by the panniers when they are fitted and I am sure it will work well.

I will as I have promised take the bike out as son as I can towing a trailer and report back. I am also sure it will be fine though.

Keith C

Gassoon · « **Reply #7 on:** February 10, 2012, 23:17:57 »

Do you have to have an electric hookup thing, so brake lights come on the trailer and all that malarkey?

Hutchie · « **Reply #8 on:** February 10, 2012, 23:26:19 »

your rear brake looks nearly as bad as mine

That looks grand, and I have a trailer lighting bar , but, as Gassoon hinted at, how would the wee cope with one of those big round output things?

ffs, you could tow a bike

or a wee teardrop supertrendy caravan.

I would so love to go down the tip with a trailer of garden rubbish behind the bike.

Paint it bright colours, charge for trips up and down mablethorpe beach

Make a wee burger van , that can do a decent bacon butty. Park up near any decent road and start cooking. You;ll soon be rich.

Man, I'm so into this

Gassoon · « **Reply #9 on:** February 10, 2012, 23:32:55 »

Check this out Hutchie - fk the flask!...

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=h ... AA&dur=134

Hutchie · « **Reply #10 on:** February 10, 2012, 23:36:49 »

Seriously, I'd get that

man, this is getting mental, I'd buy that for going camping

Keith Cross · « **Reply #11 on:** February 10, 2012, 23:41:35 »

Sorry

This is the other side of the bike and you can see the plug for the electrics.

Standard ball hitch (which gives more than enough lean angle for normal riding) is covered by standard issue cover to keep it clean and stop grease form getting on clothes etc. None of the trailers I tow behind a bike are braked. No real need has been found over the thousands of miles spent towing a trailer on my Goldwings.
As for capacity, the max you can tow is 2.5 meters from the rear most part of trailer and the rear wheel spindle, 1 meter wide at its widest point and a max of 150kgs.
For piccies of suitable trailers see
http://www.freewheeluk.net/products-gallery
And
http://www.camperlands.co.uk/campmaster ... tents.html
Which maybe a little heavy for the 650
And of course
http://www.watsonian-squire.com/trailers.html

Let the micky taking begin

Keith C

Keith C

Gassoon · « **Reply #12 on:** February 10, 2012, 23:49:02 »

Keith said : "Let the micky taking begin"

Not from me, not my thing, but I can see how it might work in some situations. Interesting.

WeeStromer · « **Reply #13 on:** February 11, 2012, 08:10:20 »

Well done keith. I like the idea of pulling a trailer or a burger van! I'd be interested to experience a strom and trailer whilst going through some twisties.

temporaryescapee · « **Reply #14 on:** February 11, 2012, 08:31:20 »

How about a sidecar too?

http://www.vstrom.info/Smf/index.php?topic=6100.0

Keith Cross · « **Reply #15 on:** February 11, 2012, 09:10:34 »

I have ridden an outfit in the past, a truly frightening experience. If you haven't yet its something you should try. With the sidecar on the left (as it would normally be in the UK) the whole thing tries to turn left on acceleration and right when braking. Although this can be used to your advantage its hard work. Plus on left handers the sidecar wheel lifting is another hazard to be aware of and scared the sh1t out of me when it happened the first time as the whole thing went straight on, good job there was a side junction I could use

But in a perverse way they are fun to ride/drive

Plus of course its as wide as a car so defiantly no filtering :(
A trailer on the other hand is no wider than the bike

As for handling on the twisties I have covered thousands of miles on a Golding towing a trailer and much prefer to carry weight in a trailer than on the bike and have never yet reached the limit of how much lean a standard tow hitch can accommodate. With a trailer acceleration and braking are effected, as they are when you load the bike up. But with a trailer the bikes suspension is only effected by the trailer nose weight. In other words the bikes suspension travel is unaffected, nor is ground clearance. This is important on a Goldwing as the bike doesn't have much ground clearance to start with so keeping what you have is important.
Still to each his own.

Keith C

temporaryescapee · « **Reply #16 on:** February 11, 2012, 09:27:56 »

Joking aside I think it's great keith - we should all enjoy our bikes as we want to rather than according to someone else's preferences or prejudices.

I have never ridden a side car outfit but am lining up a long distance trial in 2013 on one, complete with off road hill climbs which should be great (for great read terrifying) fun.

WeeStromer · « **Reply #17 on:** February 11, 2012, 10:56:31 »

So I looked at the link for the side car. I thought that's pretty good, both kids could tag alone for a ride out at the same time. I checked the prices and they start from €6999

that's more than the cost of a new bike! I don't think I'll be getting one of those.

Brockett · « **Reply #18 on:** February 11, 2012, 15:42:05 »

Keith Cross
Useful info and pics

What sort of trailer do you have or have in mind?

I am interested in fitting a tow bar to my cruiser and I looked at the freewheel web site for a trailer but the site is not responsive at present. A Motorcycle trailer would maybe enable me to go camping more often and take a good deal of stuff for a "summer away" After setting up I would unhitch and ride solo. Hmmm. now I'm thinking .....

Juvecu · « **Reply #19 on:** February 11, 2012, 17:40:30 »

Build your own trailer, it's just a box on wheels