Is Trailering Safe?
When I talk to a rider who has never pulled a trailer before, I often hear something that starts like this…
“I know this guy who knows a guy who heard that a guy was towing a trailer and it caught the edge of a bridge abutment and yanked his bike so hard it threw him over the bridge onto the Interstate and a truck runned over him.
“I heard about this guy that had a pop-up camper and it popped open whilst he was a running down the Interstate and caught like a parachute and throwed him off.”
“I heard about this guy who…”
Once you’ve heard a few of those stories, you probably start thinking, “Jeez, is towing a trailer safe?”
I understand what people mean when they ask this question, but it’s the wrong question. After all, is riding a motorcycle safe? Motorcycling is an activity that entails risk. Those who ride have judged that they are willing to accept the risks in order to enjoy the reward of riding. Smart riders do things to reduce their risks.
Similarly, towing a trailer with a motorcycle can add some risk to the act of riding. Sometimes people forget they are pulling a trailer or ride too aggressively, and when the trailer hits an unexpected bump or falls off the shoulder of the road, it can momentarily upset a bike’s handling. If you’re caught completely off guard, it might lead you to over correct and crash. On the other hand, if you’re a smart rider, you choose the right trailer, and you learn good habits, your actions can offset those risks. One of the primary aims of this site is to help you make good decisions and learn good habits.
Thanks for sharing your insight. I am a new rider educator for GwRRA
Chapter FL1-G in Deltona Florida. Started researching trailering as an educational tool for our chapter at our parking lot practices.
Really didn’t think I’d find anything worthwhile but your site has been very helpful.
Thanks again for sharing…..
My pleasure Ken. I actually have a lot more content to post, I am slowly migrating it from another site about trailering that I used to maintain. Decided to roll it all into one, but porting all that content takes time.
And, if there’s anything in particular you have questions about or would like to see, feel free to suggest.
Hello,
I have never towed a trailer with a motorcycle before and wonder if you could help answer a couple of questions for me. I purchased a Little Guy “Rascal” teardrop camper. It weighs 490 pounds with a tongue weight of 40 pounds unladen. I will be towing with an ’09 Harley Ultra weighing about 900 pounds. With myself, wife and a few items onboard, I am guessing the weight will get to about 1200 pounds. I am planning on carrying everything on the bike, nothing in the trailer.
I have had people tell me the weight of the trailer is too much to tow, and in the next sentence they say they tow a Bunkhouse at 400 pounds, and then added a cooler with ice, lawn chairs and so on until the weight of their “lighter” trailer must surely exceed 600 pounds.
So, any comments or thoughts on this??? Thanks so much, Jeff
Jeff, that’s a great point and I think you are exactly right. How “light” is a trailer when you’ve added all that crap? It isn’t. I think that all of this really boils down to what level of risk you are willing to accept, or, for those folks with the 600 lb “lighter” trailer, what amount of denial you wish to apply to your situation.
Your bike has enough power to tow the camper. You can expect faster wear on tires/clutch/drive belt, but those are all regular service items anyway. The issue will be what happens when you suddenly and unexpectedly need to woah it down. In order to stop the bike in a controlled way, your stopping distance will be a lot longer and the heavier the trailer, the further the distance. It’s just math and physics. You can offset some of the risk by changing your riding habits when you tow. When pulling a light cargo trailer, you don’t have to change your habits that much. But when pulling something that’s 50% or greater than the weight of the bike, you’ll need to make significant adjustments, e.g. slowing down, adding considerable following distance. I think in some respects you’re in a situation where you’re “trailer poor” meaning that the trailer is so big you can’t take full advantage of it, i.e. packing stuff in the trailer. I would generally consider that kind of trailer suitable for a trike and I would probably have preferred to start with a smaller trailer first, maybe a mid-size cargo trailer, just to get a feel for it, just as you would typically buy a smaller bike before moving up to an Ultra.
Don’t know if those comments were helpful, but I do hope you have a safe and enjoyable towing experience!
I am inquiring about the use of optional electric brakes on a popup camper. Dry weight of the trailer is 335 lb. I may have as much as 500 lb but probally less when camping. The bike is a Harley FLHX Streetglide. I have towed a trailer for the last 4 years but this is an upgrade from hauling camp gear and tent in a cargo trailer. I have heard various opinions pro and con and would like your opinion or those of your readers.
Bill, if you are okay with the additional setup it takes to get the brakes adjusted and the occasional tweaking of them, they’re okay.
Most of what I have to offer is personal opinion: I am not wholly crazy about them, only because they’re more stuff that could possibly fail and there is a fair amount of fiddling required to get them right. A brake controller is essential. You’ll spend time setting them so they assist in the braking without overwhelming or upsetting the bike. As for myself, I try to modify my riding to account for the extra weight of the camper by slowing down and adding more following distance.
But again, if you have the time and inclination to get them set up properly, I could see where they might help decrease your total stopping distance. I would not, however, use that as a substitute for modifying your speed and following distance.
d.
Nice site. Thanks for your comments. I ride a BMW K1200LT. I want to add a dog trailer for my 90 lb. german shepherd. Any thoughts on trailering a dog? Thanks.
Bringing your dog would be an easy task for your bike with the right trailer. The folks at WAGS make the perfect pet trailer. It has many ventilation options and windows so your dog will feel comfortable. the smaller trailer should be fine. Your dog should be able to stand up in that and turn around. The bigger trailer they offer is better suited for trikes and small cars that can’t hold a dog comfortably. WAGS also offers cool mats so if you’re planning on traveling in warmer climates, the dog will still be comfortable. I think the idea is that as long as you have air moving through the unit, they’ll be fine.
Hi,
I have a Vulcan 800 Classic. Is my bike to small to tow the mini mate?
Thanks,
JD
Hi John, I think the bike would have enough power to pull it without straining the bike. You’d have to decide if it has enough stopping power to be safe. I don’t know that there’s any way to objectively determine that, but I think that would be the primary consideration.
I ride a road king, want to start towing a trailer to camp in. What size and weight (500lbs) should I consider? what is too big?
thanks
Dave
Hey Dave, good question. Although there’s no hard and fast rule, I’d recommend your fully loaded trailer/camper not exceed 50% of the bike’s wet weight. Less is better. If your Road King weighs in at, what, 800 lbs?, then a suggested max loaded weight would be around 400 lbs.
Some folks are comfortable running a very heavy trailer with electric brakes. I really hate electric brakes – I think they feel funny, even when they’re adjusted right. Getting them adjusted and keeping them adjusted are tricky, and another potential point of failure.
You’re better off, I think, if you pull the lightest trailer that will suit your needs AND you modify your riding (mostly by slowing down a little) to accommodate the extra weight.
I need a little help understanding trailering before I run out and buy one. I am planning a trip down to the “Tail of the Dragon” and I want to ride my Kawasaki Z1000 ninja on the Dragon but would rather take my Goldwing (93) down from Mass due to the comfort factor. The Z1000 weighs 500lbs and I will be riding solo. Would this be too much weight to tow behind my Goldwing and if it is not, what will the Bike feel like trailering @ 70mph.
Thanks
Frank
Hi Frank – I am aware that some folks have built trailers to pull a bike with a bike, but it’s largely a one-off, custom build and they’re typically using them to haul small dual-purpose bikes. I think there are a couple of issues with this scenario. First, you’d have to build a trailer wide enough that it would be stable handling that much weight at speed, probably wider than your bike. Towing a trailer that’s wider than the bike is chancy. Second, I think it would be too heavy. If the trailer is 200 lbs and the bike is 500, you’re looking at towing nearly the weight of your bike. I don’t think that would feel comfortable, nor would it be safe.
can i pull an little guy rascal with my v star 1100 s
You could probably pull it. Getting it stopped would be another matter. Before adding gear, that’s 490 lbs. And those measures are usually skewed toward the light end. it’s probably over 500 when actually delivered. I’d feel okay with that behind a trike but I think it’s just too heavy for a bike to pull and expect to stop safely.
Dave,
Thanks for your interest and willingness to share your expertise in the area of using a motorcycle as a tow vehicle. I have seen a discussion on wheel sizes and the related maintenance necessary for bearing longevity, but I have not seen anything on one other important piece of equipment, and that is the hitch. In addition to the obvious, such as making sure the ball is on tight, routine inspection of all the nuts and bolts holding the hitch to the frame is essential. Some, if not most, hitches come in pieces that are bolted together. Anything loose should be tightened. Signs of rust at the joints may indicate a closer inspection is necessary; this may include removal and inspection of the joint fasteners. Any cracks in the members require immediate replacement. Now, for the war story. A fearless and experienced friend of mine (who shall remain nameless) was riding his trusty GL1500 pulling his camper down a washboard gravel road, when the trailer suddenly left the bike and took off down the ditch. When he turned around to see what had happened, he found the trailer coupler attached to the ball, safety chains attached to the receiver as well as the member with the receiver. It seems the member with the receiver had broken off at the hitch frame. The broken edge revealed one half was rusty and the other half was bright and shiny. A thorough pre-ride inspection may have detected this fault and prevented an embarrassing escapade.
That’s a great comment, thank you Gary. You’re absolutely right – it’s important to periodically examine the entire trailer-pulling setup, including the hitch. They’re so well hidden these days, it’s easy to forget them.