Matching Trailer and Bike Wiring
Question: On the TriGlide hitch you sell, what kind of wiring harness comes with it? My trailer has a round 6 pin plug.
Answer: The TriGlide hitch comes with a five-pin receptacle and plug. This works for most trailers, even those that have a six pin plug. Most motorcycle trailers have four signal wires and a ground wire for a total of five wires. If that’s the case with your trailer, you can use the five-wire harness that comes with the TriGlide hitch, you’ll just need to change the plug on the trailer.
Some trailers come equipped with an extra wire for an interior cargo light. In that case, you can do two things — you can find a six-pin receptacle to match your six-pin plug (not difficult), or you can combine the cargo light lead on the trailer with the running light circuit. This means your interior light will only work if the bike is keyed on, which some folks prefer as a way to prevent leaving the light on and draining the battery.
Whatever the case, you can feel free to change up the plug on the trailer to match up whatever works best on your bike. I talk to some folks who are afraid to change it for fear that something new won’t work, but there’s no magic to the plug that’s on it. You just need to make sure the new plug has the right number of pins to accommodate all the functions on your trailer. Five is usually enough.
Got a question about trailering? Feel free to send it to dale@openroadoutfitters.com and I’ll try to answer as best I can. Thanks!
Im looking for the easiest way to hook up a trailer isolation system on a 1999 GL 1500 SE Wing is there a plug and go unit you could recommend I already have a trailer wired but it is directly from the bikes wiring under the seat. My question is there a modular plug system for under the trunk lights I can buy or do I have to wire the relays into the lights by splicing.
Yes, there is a plug-and-play wiring system for the 1500. If you look under Parts and Accessories and click on Trailer Wiring, the first two wiring kits on the list are for the 1500. It has a sub-harness that connects to the plugs in the back, which then plugs into the relay kit. No splicing or cutting required.