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Trailers

 
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sidecarkeith



Joined: 06 Jan 2007
Posts: 336
Location: yorkshire uk

PostPosted: Fri Jul 03, 2009 7:39 am    Post subject: Trailers Reply with quote

Trailers, I'm thinking of getting one, not a big tent rig just something to put a few bags in.

So do I get one which pulls behind the bike like gold wings trailer, or have one that is hooked in the centre of sidecar & bike ?

Any tips about pulling and braking with one would be appreciated.

Keith
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Dar



Joined: 04 Mar 2006
Posts: 349
Location: Ballston Spa, NY

PostPosted: Sat Jul 04, 2009 2:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Keith,
I never have pulled a trailer with either a 2 wheeler or a sidecar rig, so take this only as thoughts from somebody who really doesn't know what he's talking about. (and sometimes my thoughts get off onto some pretty strange tangents, or so I've been told.)

My first thought is about the footprint on the road: if you pull the trailer directly behind the bike, unless it's very small or you have a particularly wide bike, it will probably stick out further on the opposite side from the sidecar - the whole setup will be wider than just the bike and sidecar, not a particularly good thing, to my thinking.

And this is not any original thought from me, but an observation: There were 3 rigs at our recent Maggie Valley Gathering that were equipped for pulling small wheelchair trailers; they all had the trailer hitch between the sidecar and bike. As for the handling and braking dynamics, all I can say is that some of them go a lot faster around the curves with a trailer than I want to go without a trailer. Here's a link to a picture of one in action: http://www.photoreflect.com/pr3/orderpage.aspx?pi=04RK00YC030253&po=253 (and a couple more pictures in that sequence before and after that one on that website)

Any comments from Doug or Mike?
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Hooky



Joined: 14 Feb 2009
Posts: 39
Location: victoria ,australia

PostPosted: Sat Jul 04, 2009 9:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Keith, I agree with Dar, I would be mounting the hook up point as close to the bike as possible .I would try to have my right side trailer wheel tracking on the same line as my bike wheels. I would imagine the closer the hook up point is to the bike the less the trailer will effect your steering. I to have no trailer experience on bikes so I could be wrong.Hows the bike weather going for you its cold and wet here? Hooky RAIN
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JayBoy



Joined: 26 Jan 2005
Posts: 234
Location: Lexington, KY

PostPosted: Sun Jul 05, 2009 2:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This might be a guy you should ask about trailering with a sidecar. Very Happy

http://public.fotki.com/RalphG/sidecar_stuff/my_sidecar_history/rm81radb.html

http://public.fotki.com/RalphG/sidecar_stuff/my_sidecar_history/rm85sc.html
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docmike



Joined: 27 Jan 2005
Posts: 630
Location: Eastern NC

PostPosted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 12:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Keith,

So far I've put only a few miles on our little trailer. Its set up to pull between the bike and side car.

I pretty much can't tell its back there.

Mike
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Ralph



Joined: 27 Jan 2005
Posts: 603
Location: Lexington, Ky

PostPosted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 5:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I would set it up to pull between the bike and side car. How ever you could tell that the cooker,boat and bike was back there Big Grin
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sidecarkeith



Joined: 06 Jan 2007
Posts: 336
Location: yorkshire uk

PostPosted: Sat Jul 18, 2009 9:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Cheers,

Sorry been on our hol's this last couple of weeks, at a care home for Anne in Scotland.
No real photo's since it rained most of the days, so we didn't get out much, just chilled out.

Thanks for the advice, I was thinking along those lines putting it between the bike & sidecar.
But the bit about getting it closer makes sense.

Keith
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sidecarkeith



Joined: 06 Jan 2007
Posts: 336
Location: yorkshire uk

PostPosted: Sat Aug 08, 2009 7:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote



Managed to pick something like this up off EBay, but I did have to do a 400 mile round trip to pick it up.

Now just need to find somewhere to attach it Merlins are not much good for attaching things on the back Question

Keith Big Grin
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Polar Bear



Joined: 24 Oct 2008
Posts: 110
Location: Denia Spain Ex Birmingham UK

PostPosted: Sun Aug 09, 2009 6:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Glad you've found something suitable Keith.
Where in the world was the 400 mile round trip to?
It just needs a couple of Yellow 'go faster' stripes and a spare wheel Smile
Please send me some photo's, I'll be very interested to watch the progress.

Stay Safe mate, load the ball! Trev (The Polar Bear in Spain)
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sidecarkeith



Joined: 06 Jan 2007
Posts: 336
Location: yorkshire uk

PostPosted: Sun Aug 09, 2009 6:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The real Trailer




As you can see there's very little work to be done on it, it's the fixing too the middle between the sidecar/bike.
Given Merlins are not designed to pull things, where HPS's

Bought off Ebay for £370 then found out the seller was in Swindon, (which is near London) south England.
So Leeds to Swindon is 200 miles away and the round trip was 400 miles, in a day.

Keith
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