easy to use single motorcycle trailer?

[lucydad]

All,

My brain is pondering the concept of buying a small SUV (like a Mazda CX-5, or similar), and trailering my bike to places like central NM, hometown of Durango, CO, and even far west TX, and then ride.  My buddy Mitch has one, and he says it has a wheel chock, and he can load his bike by himself.  I am sixty, not particularly tall or strong, and frankly the idea of trailering gives me pause. 

So, advice please? 

Motivation is prompted by the more and more likely retirement horizon either late 2015, or at latest mid-2016.  Time will be on my side for a change.

The V7R will get fired up tomorrow as it is cleared out, warmed up and dried out.  Today featured many important errands including helping Ms. LD decide on a new washing machine, and visiting Mr. Barrister to start the process of updated wills, and other legal instruments. 

thanks in advance!

[lucydad]

Dusty,

The oil price crash may decide retirement for me.  Had lunch with two retired buddies yesterday.  Also more long talks with Ms. LD and financial planners.
The reality that I can actually pull the trigger is sinking in.  One big goal left though:  get youngest out of college and at least sort of independent.  That should happen this summer/fall.  I have a dream of riding the V7R on my old home roads in SW Colorado.  Highway 550, 160 and my favorite Wildcat Canyon.

[Bill Hagan]

As for retirement, do it if you can.  Suspect you can.  Perhaps you've heard: life is short.  ;)

Yet, I gnawed my nails way too much for a couple of years about the fiscal piece.  Responsibilities mean we must do that, of course, but, even with the grandbabies constantly squawking like hungry chicks for more of everything, Kathi and I spend an incredibly less amount of money than we diid before.  Still not entirely sure why that is, but it clearly is.  With younger daughters, you have more challenges; all ours have grown, wedded, calved, and are nearing 40!   :o  Tempus really does fugit.

Now, as for the trailer (and spending money  :D), lots of choices out there and some great, but very expensive ones.

I am, however, looking at this as a great answer to your question and my own need:

http://tinyurl.com/Cheap-M-C-Trailer

I need to find out if I can use that with a simple screw-in-the-number ball for my little '93 Toy pickup. 

Bill

[fotoguzzi]

I used to always ride there and diss'd the trailerers but I'm north of 60 now too. the comforts of a 4 wheel vehicle are more attractive..
the wheel chock is great, I have them in my garage and just ride onto them and dismount w/out a care..
get a trailer with a long wide ramp so you can walk it up a not too steep incline or ride on but have ramp you can get a foot down on.
I've trailered home many barn finds on my cheap 4x8 I got for about $500 as a kit back when ebay was brand new..



had it at the great Guzzi nat'l flood rally,



then just about lost my Trail 90 when this happenend,

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

I will most likely buy a used Kendon single-rail trailer the next time one pops up for a good price. Found one for $900 a while back, but it sold almost instantly. One nice feature is they fold up and stand up when not in use.

[krglorioso]

LD:  Why not a Harbor Freight Tools 4' x 8' folding trailer with a sheet of 3/4" plywood over it?  Cost you around $300.  You just bolt two 12" long 2x4 pieces about 4" apart at the front to act as a front wheel chock.  I did this about 10 years ago, then bought my pick-up and two 10' arched aluminum ramps from Rampmasters.  Now, when I want to haul a bike, even the 600# Stones, I just ride right up into the truck's bed (all the while looking anxious and singing, "Nearer my God to thee"). 

I'm a goodly bit older than you and I suspect a bit smaller and moving the bikes this way is sometimes nerve-wracking but I don't do it that often.  Your V-7 is a lot lighter, too, and even a light trailer will suffice at modest cost. 

Ralph

[Frulk]

+1 on the Kendon. I bought this one off a friend for $500 practically new. It's their UTV version. Very light. I pick it up with one arm and pull it around the driveway.  Independant suspension. Rides nice and steady and low drag.  I planned to weld the mesh you see on atv trailer gates on the middle section along with a wheel chock to allow me to use it to haul my ADV bike at the time. That was 3 years ago....I'll get around to it eventually. To trailer the V7R I wanted something enclosed so I picked up another trailer from a buddy, a Haulmark 5X8 for $450. The Haulmark is very light as well and can be moved with just one arm on the hitch and easily lifted to the ball for hookup

[clubman]

 :+1 on the Kendon. A friend has been pulling one for 5 yrs behind a BMW 2 seater (X4YZJK%$ or whatever it is) and loves it. I've been using a Peterson Bros. utility all steel model for the last 10 yrs (2 transcontinental trips and thousands of miles regional trips), no problems. Several Cos. making single rail lt. wt. aluminum models for compact cars, should be just the ticket.  Anybody gives me any crap about trailering a bike, I tell 'em to get stuffed. I've been driving big trucks all over North America for the last 10 yrs, average of 115K/yr. I've seen plenty of Interstate, err all of them, prefer to drive to the ride (twisties!!) and arrive fresh and ready to go. Do your own thing.    

[Bob Wegman]

I have been thinking about a trailer also.  I like to ride to rallies but my wife can't do long distance on the motorcycle.  I would like to have her meet some of you great folks so a trailer could help make that happen.  It would seem simple enough to find a trailer to hold the motorcycle, but I would like the trailer to have more than one job to do, like picking up some building materials and be able to be stored without taking too much room in the garage.  I have kind of a short list of trailers now, one being a single Kendon, also a single rail folding model called the Stinger, and one that is sold in Britain or England or whatever they call it. That one is called a moto lug.  http://www.motolug.com/index.php .   I like the TE model.

[Kiwi_Roy]

Motel room on wheels ;-T

Seriously, you could crash in there on a stormy night.

[Frulk]

That's what the thick Thermarest inside the trailer is for. Never take it out.

[fotoguzzi]

a Haulmark 5X8 for $450

NICE! I'm gonna look for one of them. can you pull with a Miata? or I'll have to use wife's Tribute..

[inditx]

I thought this posted before but I can't find it.

Check these out; http://the-ultimate-trailers.com

I love mine, alas they are not cheap…..out of Denver CO.

inditx

[Frulk]

a Haulmark 5X8 for $450...NICE!

 Fotoguzzi, I walked into this deal at the right time. That buddy of mine is a Colonel that I fly fish with and he just retired from the AF. He used the trailer to haul his wifes personal family heirlooms to his last two stateside assignments rather than risk the movers shipping them. We were standing behind his house looking at the barn and making small talk just a short time after he retired when he said he had no use for the trailer anymore (bought a flatbed atv trailer for his hobby farm a week before). I said make me an offer. He said "for you.....$450.00". I said "done". Miata should have no problem hauling one. Its really seriously light when empty.  I installed some floor tie-downs with self taping screws. Perfect for my V7R

[Guzzistajohn]

Have another pair of hands with you the 1st few times you load the bike. It's not a big deal when you get used to it. DON'T use those damned ratchett type tiedown straps.

[pehayes]

I was about to recommend the TRAILER-IN-A-BAG as a fine product until I found this:

http://www.stromtrooper.com/general-v-strom-discussion/214561-trailer-bag-guy-died-any-alternative-need-help.html

The website seems dried up. 

Patrick Hayes
Fremont CA

[dilligaf]

About 10 years ago Marion and I pondered the same question. Some how winning he oldest rider award or longest distance two up turned out to be not all that big a deal but having a tent large enough to stand up in, cots to sleep on and rugs on the floor was good.  Did we want good gas millage and tow trailer or go this route.
http://www.versahaul.com/  
Towing a trailer can be a bit of a PIA and will kill your gas mileage.
Retired you no longer have to drive to work, it's called retirement, so gas is no longer a line item for the budget.
How much gas are you going to save per year with a larger SUV compared to a smaller SUV?
Not the first time I've posted this picture.

 We also have a trailer that is seldom used.  We are planning a ride this spring and we will be riding two up and camping but the idea is to be underway around 0800 and be in camp by 1600 with many stops in between.  200 maybe 250 miles on a good day.  Anything longer we take the SUV and the big tent.  ;D  :BEER:
Matt

[Goosecoop]

I've owned a Kendon 2 bike and currently have a 4X8 utility trailer with a single chock on it and a Ironhorse double wide. Sold the Kendon because I was tired of the bikes getting really dirty when trailered and there was no place to put luggage. I use the utility trailer to pick up and deliver bikes locally that don't need to travel far. It takes a lot of effort to get the bike on and off by myself. I usually need help with the heavier bikes.

The Ironhorse is a fantastic trailer that can haul 2 full baggers and all the luggage for 4 people. I highly recommend it. Bikes and luggage are protected from the weather. I found mine used. Ironhorse makes single open and enclosed trailers. I pull the double wide with my Volvo. Yes, the gas mileage drops but it's worth it to me. The new Ironhorse trailers have an aluminum frame and are a lot lighter than the older ones. Mine weighs 1300 pounds and the new ones are 250 pounds lighter. The single trailers can be towed by a Miata. They cost more than most others out there but they are really worth it.

[dilligaf]

I've owned a Kendon 2 bike and currently have a 4X8 utility trailer with a single chock on it and a Ironhorse double wide. Sold the Kendon because I was tired of the bikes getting really dirty when trailered and there was no place to put luggage. I use the utility trailer to pick up and deliver bikes locally that don't need to travel far. It takes a lot of effort to get the bike on and off by myself. I usually need help with the heavier bikes.

The Ironhorse is a fantastic trailer that can haul 2 full baggers and all the luggage for 4 people. I highly recommend it. Bikes and luggage are protected from the weather. I found mine used. Ironhorse makes single open and enclosed trailers. I pull the double wide with my Volvo. Yes, the gas mileage drops but it's worth it to me. The new Ironhorse trailers have an aluminum frame and are a lot lighter than the older ones. Mine weighs 1300 pounds and the new ones are 250 pounds lighter. The single trailers can be towed by a Miata. They cost more than most others out there but they are really worth it.

That is good to know.  We were looking at a nice Miata yesterday.  :BEER:
Matt

[jas67]

I will most likely buy a used Kendon single-rail trailer the next time one pops up for a good price. Found one for $900 a while back, but it sold almost instantly. One nice feature is they fold up and stand up when not in use.

Charlie -- go for the double or triple -- you never know when you want to haul more than one.     The Kendon triple that I have is good for one or two street bikes, or 3 dirt bikes.     I got lucky and got mine for $1,000 with a bike that I purchased last year.

[jas67]

:+1 on the Kendon. A friend has been pulling one for 5 yrs behind a BMW 2 seater (X4YZJK%$ or whatever it is) and loves it. I've been using a Peterson Bros. utility all steel model for the last 10 yrs (2 transcontinental trips and thousands of miles regional trips), no problems. Several Cos. making single rail lt. wt. aluminum models for compact cars, should be just the ticket.  Anybody gives me any crap about trailering a bike, I tell 'em to get stuffed. I've been driving big trucks all over North America for the last 10 yrs, average of 115K/yr. I've seen plenty of Interstate, err all of them, prefer to drive to the ride (twisties!!) and arrive fresh and ready to go. Do your own thing.    

You don't need an SUV to pull a single motorcycle on a trailer.   I pull my Kendon triple behind a VW Golf (about the same weight as one of those little BMW 2-seaters).



The trailer weighs about 380lbs., so, with your V7 on it, it will still only be about 800 lbs -- ANY car can pull that safely.

One thing that I really like about the Kendon vs. most utility trailers is that the load height is a LOT lower.    This makes it a lot safer to load bike, esp. the non-running barn finds that I drag home periodically.   When the clutch went on my Breva 1100, I was able to load it (no power) by myself.    I wouldn't have been able to do that with the 4x8 utility trailer that I used before this, as the load height was twice as high.

Plus, the built-in wheel chocks are real nice, and make loading easier and safer.

Of course, the best feature of the Kendons, is, when they're not in use, they fold up and store vertically, taking only about the space of one motorcycle in your garage.

[jas67]

 Fotoguzzi, I walked into this deal at the right time. That buddy of mine is a Colonel that I fly fish with and he just retired from the AF. He used the trailer to haul his wifes personal family heirlooms to his last two stateside assignments rather than risk the movers shipping them. We were standing behind his house looking at the barn and making small talk just a short time after he retired when he said he had no use for the trailer anymore (bought a flatbed atv trailer for his hobby farm a week before). I said make me an offer. He said "for you.....$450.00". I said "done". Miata should have no problem hauling one. Its really seriously light when empty.  I installed some floor tie-downs with self taping screws. Perfect for my V7R

I don't think the weight of that Haulmark would be a problem for the Miata, but, it could get real hairy in a strong crosswind.   :o

[rocker59]

I will most likely buy a used Kendon single-rail trailer the next time one pops up for a good price. Found one for $900 a while back, but it sold almost instantly. One nice feature is they fold up and stand up when not in use.

 :+1

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Charlie -- go for the double or triple -- you never know when you want to haul more than one.     The Kendon triple that I have is good for one or two street bikes, or 3 dirt bikes.     I got lucky and got mine for $1,000 with a bike that I purchased last year.

It would be towed behind my Eurovan, which will swallow a bike (or two) plus lots of other junk besides.





In the last 9 years, I've only needed to haul more than a single motorcycle once. So, I don't really need more than a one bike trailer, but if a larger Kendon came along for the right price, I'd buy it.

[Goosecoop]

I like the load height of the Kendon and the Ironhorse. I ride my bike right up the ramp on the Ironhorse. The Kendon I pushed the bike up but needed help to do so because of the angle of the ramp, which was short and thus too steep. I actually had a ramp made for it that was longer than stock which solved that problem. Of course, I had to mount it to the deck while the the stock one slid under the rear tail section and was held on by wing nuts. The wing nuts would come loose on a long trip. Also the brackets holding the fenders on would crack their welds on a regular basis. I think that problem has been fixed by the manufacturer. I had to have the fender brackets reinforced by a welder twice when I was on a trip with it.

My 2 bike Kendon also took a lot of effort to stand it up. It is heavy at the mid point, and I lift weights 3 times a week at my gym. So I'm pretty strong for a 70 year old man. The result was I rarely stood it up. I suppose if you have a large garage you could use a hoist to help stand it up. The singles would not be as hard to stand up as the doubles.

The Ironhorse is going to take up more room when stored than a Kendon that is stood up. Not a problem for me since I have the room to store the trailers.

[rocker59]

  Miata should have no problem hauling one. Its really seriously light when empty.  

I don't think the weight of that Haulmark would be a problem for the Miata, but, it could get real hairy in a strong crosswind.   :o

Yeah, it's not the weight of the trailer, when the trailer is a box.  Regardless of wind, a small low powered car like a Miata would really struggle dragging a box trailer through the wind.  Been there, done that, with small Chevrolet S-10 pickups.

If the box trailer isn't a V-front, it'll be miserable to pull with a small, low powered car.  An SUV is a little better because it will cut the wind for the trailer.

Anyway, I think all this trailer talk is more than lucydad is looking for.  If he gets anything other than a Kendon, he will have to pay to park it somewhere, because he doesn't have the space to park it at home.

[Arizona Wayne]

I have a do all tilting 5' x 8' trailer I've carried 2 Guzzis on behind our Rav4 that has a 1,500 # towing capacity and it only costs us 2  mpg doing it.  Bought it about 10 years ago as a kit for $450.   ;D  It was actually built for a quad.

[skromfols]

In addition to my motorcycles I have an ATV that I occasionally tow, so I needed a full size trailer.  I purchased a small utility trailer that was large enough for my ATV, and added a wheel chock in front for my motorcycles.  Since I'm not confident enough to ride onto the trailer I added a winch on the front of the trailer, sorta like what you have on boat trailers, so that I can walk the bike up the ramp as my wife winches it up (which she says is very easy to do).  Since I tow my ATV fairly long distances I changed the tires from 13" to 15" and added a mount for my spare tire on the side of the trailer. 

Since I tow for fairly long distances I bought a 2014 VW Jetta Sportwagen (turbo diesel) with a standard transmission.  I towed my Triumph America down to Southern California and back a few months ago, and at freeway speeds got 34.7 MPG. 

[Nick]

Hey Matt,
Ever have any problem (LEOs) with the car/SUV's license plates being blocked by the bike?
Thanks,
Nick

[cookiemech]

I bought one of these a year or so ago, and can't believe how excellent it is:

http://www.baxleycompanies.com/SBX09FoldUp.html

The loading area lowers essentially to the ground. You could push a light bike up on it by yourself (front wheel goes into an L.A. Chock, so there's an over-center front wheel grabber) or ride it on. If the bike happens to be disabled, there's a hand-crank winch that someone else could operate while you sit on the bike and guide it up (attach the winch strap to something on the handlebar). Once the front wheel is in the L.A. Chock, you can get off the bike, strap it down, crank the loading area back up to normal height, and go.

I don't ordinarily trailer a bike anywhere, but needed to take my MG to a dealer for recall work (bike and trailer are still there, since October). This trailer is phenomenal, the best I've seen. Not cheap, but since it folds, it fits in a small area in my garage.