single wheel trailer "on the cheap"
Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2012 2:22 pm
this isn't a chopper build log, but it's mc related at least and considering all the talent that frequents here, I could use a some guidance/advice/feedback on this (considering what minimal metal forming skills/experience I've had).
I really don't know what to make of the apparent issue the moco has with pulling trailers. Read a few stories online about it and decided I would attempt to create a light weight trailer that should have minimal impact on the bike.
The bike this will be pulled behind is a for the most part a totally stock 2010 FLHTC with over 27,000 miles on her so far, and is out of the warranty period - although if a twist of fate happens and I have an extra grand + (yeahhh right!) I'll renew the warranty for a couple of years if just for this years trip to the west coast. One of my daughters will be going with me this year, thus the need for extra storage room. As I figure it now the bike itself will be fully loaded with just our riding gear (rain gear, chaps, helmets and such) so the plan is my daughter and I will each have our own bag to store our clothes in, one on each side of the trailer.
warning, I unintentionally ramble on every now and then and I will try to keep things to a minimum and not go over board.
The design I've come up with uses a rear swing arm from a kawi dirt bike which I've already bought off ebay. That swing arm - as used on the orig dirt bike - used a 12" wheel with a 12mm axle. I've up'd the size of the wheel to a 14" with a 15mm axle, which I've also bought off ebay plus some online retailers for odd parts (tubes, 14" street tire, swing arm & wheel axles, baskets, shocks, etc)
so far I've had a friend mill out the swing arm to accept a 15mm wheel axle and I have bought enough axle spacers for it (that will need some slight milling with the addition of washers on one side to get the wheel centered in the swing arm correctly)
After I had bought of lot of these items, I then went to the DMV of MN to find out what's needed to register a homemade...luckily I kept all the receipts although I don't know what to expect with the swing arm from the previous dirt bike - sounds like it may be an issue using something from a bike for re-use on a trailer. Guess I'll find out when I go to register it.
This design has changed sooo many times already it's become second nature to change things - so if anybody sees anything that stands out that is totally wacked or f'd up, say something please!
One of the last few changes I made was to increase the "bed" height of the trailer to approx 15" - I did this to get the lights up to min DOT requirements (15" and up IRC).
I'm still on the fence about the "spare wheel" as shown in the pics - hopefully with some early summer testing I'll find out how well the tread wears and decide if I really need a spare wheel assy or not. My original plans about a spare were to just bring along a spare tire and spare tube + tools that would allow me to change it on the side of the road. However...it was a bitch putting that tire onto the rim by hand and a friend asked me "why not just mount a complete spare wheel assy to avoid that hassle".
Oh Yeah, about the baskets...sure, I'd like to find a enclosed light weight container or two but that likely wouldn't happen unless I had it/them specially made. So I opted to go with baskets or cages that would hold a water-tight/proof bag I found at Cabalas that measure 12x12x24. The side baskets shown are 12x24 and the forward basket is 12x18 (good for a dirty clothes bag or cooler perhaps)
The overall width of the trailer as the current design stands equals the width of my bike - from saddle bag rail to saddle bag rail, roughly 33".
current weight design limitations;
bike hitch (already bought and mounted); 300 lbs towing capacity with a 30 lbs max tongue weight
4" shocks (already bought, same type used for mc seats for example); 300 lb rated spring with a max load of 175 per shock (original design I had only had one shock, current design could be changed back to one shock if needed)
14" street tire; (already bought) 225 lbs load capacity apparently rated to 70 or 75 mph going by text I found online stating "all 2.5 x 14 tires are rated for 70 or 75mph" (shouldn't be a problem at all)
So the gross weight if I understand it right cannot be any more than 225 lbs which also shouldn't be a problem going by early estimates.
Enough rambling for now, I'll add to it as things progress, which should be later this week when I begin working on the "u-joint coupler" I've so named for the hitch connection.
The attached pics were created on a pc. I cheated and found a side profile pic of my bike (tks to moco's website) and created an acad dwg showing the approx profile of the trailer behind the bike. I'll add real pics as this progresses.
I realize this isn't exactly a perrty design by any means...it's just meant to be functional and to get the job done.
Am I thinking too far outside the box? LOL
I really don't know what to make of the apparent issue the moco has with pulling trailers. Read a few stories online about it and decided I would attempt to create a light weight trailer that should have minimal impact on the bike.
The bike this will be pulled behind is a for the most part a totally stock 2010 FLHTC with over 27,000 miles on her so far, and is out of the warranty period - although if a twist of fate happens and I have an extra grand + (yeahhh right!) I'll renew the warranty for a couple of years if just for this years trip to the west coast. One of my daughters will be going with me this year, thus the need for extra storage room. As I figure it now the bike itself will be fully loaded with just our riding gear (rain gear, chaps, helmets and such) so the plan is my daughter and I will each have our own bag to store our clothes in, one on each side of the trailer.
warning, I unintentionally ramble on every now and then and I will try to keep things to a minimum and not go over board.
The design I've come up with uses a rear swing arm from a kawi dirt bike which I've already bought off ebay. That swing arm - as used on the orig dirt bike - used a 12" wheel with a 12mm axle. I've up'd the size of the wheel to a 14" with a 15mm axle, which I've also bought off ebay plus some online retailers for odd parts (tubes, 14" street tire, swing arm & wheel axles, baskets, shocks, etc)
so far I've had a friend mill out the swing arm to accept a 15mm wheel axle and I have bought enough axle spacers for it (that will need some slight milling with the addition of washers on one side to get the wheel centered in the swing arm correctly)
After I had bought of lot of these items, I then went to the DMV of MN to find out what's needed to register a homemade...luckily I kept all the receipts although I don't know what to expect with the swing arm from the previous dirt bike - sounds like it may be an issue using something from a bike for re-use on a trailer. Guess I'll find out when I go to register it.
This design has changed sooo many times already it's become second nature to change things - so if anybody sees anything that stands out that is totally wacked or f'd up, say something please!
One of the last few changes I made was to increase the "bed" height of the trailer to approx 15" - I did this to get the lights up to min DOT requirements (15" and up IRC).
I'm still on the fence about the "spare wheel" as shown in the pics - hopefully with some early summer testing I'll find out how well the tread wears and decide if I really need a spare wheel assy or not. My original plans about a spare were to just bring along a spare tire and spare tube + tools that would allow me to change it on the side of the road. However...it was a bitch putting that tire onto the rim by hand and a friend asked me "why not just mount a complete spare wheel assy to avoid that hassle".
Oh Yeah, about the baskets...sure, I'd like to find a enclosed light weight container or two but that likely wouldn't happen unless I had it/them specially made. So I opted to go with baskets or cages that would hold a water-tight/proof bag I found at Cabalas that measure 12x12x24. The side baskets shown are 12x24 and the forward basket is 12x18 (good for a dirty clothes bag or cooler perhaps)
The overall width of the trailer as the current design stands equals the width of my bike - from saddle bag rail to saddle bag rail, roughly 33".
current weight design limitations;
bike hitch (already bought and mounted); 300 lbs towing capacity with a 30 lbs max tongue weight
4" shocks (already bought, same type used for mc seats for example); 300 lb rated spring with a max load of 175 per shock (original design I had only had one shock, current design could be changed back to one shock if needed)
14" street tire; (already bought) 225 lbs load capacity apparently rated to 70 or 75 mph going by text I found online stating "all 2.5 x 14 tires are rated for 70 or 75mph" (shouldn't be a problem at all)
So the gross weight if I understand it right cannot be any more than 225 lbs which also shouldn't be a problem going by early estimates.
Enough rambling for now, I'll add to it as things progress, which should be later this week when I begin working on the "u-joint coupler" I've so named for the hitch connection.
The attached pics were created on a pc. I cheated and found a side profile pic of my bike (tks to moco's website) and created an acad dwg showing the approx profile of the trailer behind the bike. I'll add real pics as this progresses.
I realize this isn't exactly a perrty design by any means...it's just meant to be functional and to get the job done.
Am I thinking too far outside the box? LOL