[Guest]

I just picked up the "cheapo" Harbor Frieght 4x8 trailer, comes without a bed so its going to need to be sorted out. Any good ideas on how to set it up so it can haul 1 or 2 bikes. Thinking of just doing a plywood deck, need to sort out some tie down hooks, and perhaps 1 or 2 wheel chocks. Anyone have any good ideas or photos of their open trailer setups? Thanks alot.

 

[Guest]

Re: customizing motorcycle trailer? (duc_748)

I would get some good 1" wood from Lowes and a can of sealer. You can also buy the tie down hooks from Lowes. I would do them up front and the back on the sides. You may want to get some large "Eye" bolts with large washers for the front & back in for the middle of the trailer wood between the bikes.
The beautiful thing about wood as a base is that you can drill through it and set up holes for a block of wood to be held in place by a long bolt or pin for wheel chocks once the bikes are on it. It may be overkill but your options are limitless.

 

[Guest]

Re: customizing motorcycle trailer? (duc_748)

http://www.bearingbuddy.com/

 

[Guest]

Add a condor MC chock to it with the tie downs.

 

[Guest]

Re: (Karlb)

Thanks karlb, the condor is pretty bling, but its as much as I paid for the whole trailer so I need to find something abit less $. Track days are expensive!

 

[Guest]

Re: (duc_748)

Keep in mind, you can take the Condor chock off the trailer and use it as a paddock stand as well. So you're getting two vital pieces of equipment for the price of one.

(And having a bike fall over just one time will cost more than the Condor costs in the first place...)

 

[Guest]

it is worth the bucks, I bought a used trailer all metal and since I didnt care about the paddock stand aspect I welded the condor to the frame of the trailer and it is rock solid. Also pay attention to your wheel size on the trailer (didnt see that mentioned) if they are 8" -12" wheels you need to DRIVE SLOW 13-14 inch wheels are alot better for the trailer wheel bearings.

 

[Guest]

Do you have the 'foldable' 4 x 8? I bought one earlier this year and used 3/4" thick plywood (as per recommended instructions that came w/ it). Got a standard type removable front wheel chuck as I was on a budget.

I used pressure treated plywood to better cope w/ the elements but the trailer is stored indoors. One note (if foldable) ... be careful how you route the wiring. A buddy has one and has had problems and I did too w/ shorts only after 3 uses. The recommendations that came w/ the trailer aren't advisable and wires can snag when you fold trailer.

 

[Guest]

What do you guys think about the quality of those trailers? I've been looking for a trailer for track days for a while now, and saw the Harbor Freight ones, but were afraid they'd be junk. I also need a foldable trailer. Do you think they're worth the money? How far / how fast have you gone with them?

 

[Guest]

Re: (AZ Scott)

AZ, do you have a condor chock, are they better than the baxley ones?

 

[Guest]

Re: (georgeb)

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by georgeb »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> I also need a foldable trailer. Do you think they're worth the money? How far / how fast have you gone with them?</TD></TR></TABLE>

I've got one I've been using for a few years. I got the largest wheels they had for it and have towed for up to 11 hour stints at freeway speeds (75mph+) with no problems.The base is 3/4" plywood, with a lot of eyelets scattered around in various places to give me options. I'd rather have a dedicated motorcycle trailer that was easier to load, but for my limited use (twice a year or so) and limited storage space, the foldable trailer is a decent option.

In addition to the front straps I typically run a pair of tie downs from the rear of the bike to the front of the trailer to hold the bike in place, and they saved my butt one day. One of the front straps wasn't attached correctly or something, I went up a rough driveway while turning and it let go. The rear pair held everything in place just fine though, so no drama. I never run the rear straps towards the rear of the trailer anymore!

 

[Guest]

Re: (DesmoDog)

Here are a few pics of what one of our clubmembers did with his.

http://ducsunlimited.com/gallery/Utility-Trailer

 

[Guest]

Re: (Capt. Home Slice)

That looks good! I have that same trailer, but never thought to use it for my bike, I might do the same thing just to have an extra one.

 

[Guest]

Re: (Capt. Home Slice)

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Capt. Home Slice »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Here are a few pics of what one of our clubmembers did with his.</TD></TR></TABLE>

The Wheels on that trailer look kind of thin, does that present any problems with stability at highway speeds?

 

[Guest]

Re: (georgeb)

i followed that guy up to traverse city (5 hours) over the weekend. he was topped out at about 65 mph.
the trailer has no suspension, but looks to be pretty flexible which i think helps in balancing the forces from the road. i did, however, see the back end of the two bikes he was hauling hop up about 3 ft when he hit some rough road through a construction area.

 

[Guest]

Mine has leaf springs (std) & 12" wheels. Only used for 1 bike ('95 900 SSCR) but no worries. I know someone who's routinely trailered 2 DUC's on his.

I have done over 80mph on hwy towing with a car. One advantage of the HB trailer is light weight (< 300lbs) so can be towed adequately with most cars.

You'd need to tie down the rear (as on any trailer I'd guess) to prevent it from hopping on bumps.

 

[Guest]

Re: customizing motorcycle trailer? (duc_748)

Here is ours - aluminum ramp mounts on front and doubles as a rock guard. All tie downs bolt through the frame. At the moment the front wheel chocks are fabricated aluminum but the condor or baxley is the way to go.

 

[Guest]

Re: (georgeb)

I have one of these and have used it over the last 4 years. We've taken many trips to the Shenandoah Nat'l Forest (approx. 600+ miles from here), a couple of trips to Chicago, a few to Akron and lastly, one to Madison to pick up the ST4s.

I've towed it with my little Nissan truck and the wife's Land Rover Discovery. I've not had any stability problems going 75 to 80 mph. Usually, I keep my speed between 65 and 70 mph. I've used it (once) to tow a couple of heavy Yamaha XS750 bikes back from Chicago. The trailer is rated for 1,000 lbs (1/2 ton) and I wouldn't do that again. For hauling one bike, it's not too bad.

I clean/grease the hub bearings regularly, usually before every trip. I put on a set of the "hi-speed" 12 inch tires. The ones on the trailer are almost bald now so I need replacements. I always inflate the tire to 50 lbs..

As you can see in the pic, I put eye hooks through the stake pockets. This is o.k. for the older Yamaha, but both Ducatis I've put on it were a little shorter then the Yamaha. The rear strap ends up pulling the bike backward, out of the chock. That's why the blue strap is around the front tire.

Two things that will happen if you have this trailer:

1. The fenders will fall off. They vibrate and it weakens the steel "bracket" holding them on. Makes a hell of a noise when they go.

2. The tail light/license plate bracket will eventually fall off also. Same reason as the fenders. The license plate catches the wind and the vibration, along with the weight on the tail light, fatiques the bracket and it snaps off.

Here's the pic:

-Bob

 

[Guest]

Re: (ryanr256)

thanks so much for all the info! ryan, do you think you could put on 2 bikes if you had to? a 748 and M900, would most likely be around 875lbs or so of bike wieght?

 

[Guest]

i've towed two bikes on one before, a 749 and a m600, with no problems.