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Our New Motorcycle Trailer


mags
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Spent some time with a trailer manufacturer to design a trailer for our trials, enduro and road bikes.

Criteria was...

Single axle with disc brakes, 1400kg capacity, tare weight around 500kg, longish drawbar with big gear box and lockable, wide ramp to ride bikes into trailer, fully enclosed. 2 bike capacity normal with 4 in when needed, recessed tie-down pionts as we want to sleep inside at trials events and not stub toes, fully painted outside and underneath, new wheels and tyres not second hand, led lights and full registration for road.

We have achieved our goal and it came in just over $10,000 aussie or about $7000 eurodollars.

We will mainly use the trailer for trials and enduro overnight stays so will attach an awning and sleep on camp stretchers inside the trailer with bikes under awning.

The box for riding gear on the front is huge and takes the helmets, boots and gear easily.

Mods for the near future are a solar panel, battery... to run my waeco fridge for food and drink for a few days. Some internal led lights can then be installed and one outside for cooking after dark. The awning will great for rain and place to sit in the shade in summer.

We also intend to take two road bikes about 3000 kilometres to the great ocean road and set up a base and then ride the 500 k or so round trip across the great ocean road. Towing the bikes down will allow the kids to come on the trip and just pillion the 500 once there.

Big trip at Easter in it to a working cattle station of about 15,000 acres... taking the enduros and maybe one trial bike for around campsite. It has 20, 30 and 60 kilometre loops and we will ride the 4 days and travel home. Round trip is about 1000 kilometres. About 10 bikes going so far from 4 families.

Mags

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That looks Way cool , Until like every thing in life , you wish you had gone a bit bigger ... I speak from experience , I wish my shop had just a few more square feet

I hope you have fun on your rides ,

Your a lucky dog !

Glenn :)

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How you mounting the rear wheels?

My own trailer is 6' x4' and I have found I can even squeeze a third trail bike in: facing reared and with the bars turned at an angle.

Surprising how many trials bike you can squeeze in the space of single big adventure bike.

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Smart but that seems quite a bit of money.

What do people think is reasonable price (in UK) for trailer generally as follows

Unladen weight 200 to 300 Kg

Max weight loaded 750 kg, therefore unbraked

4 wheel

Painted steel frame, plywood floor, lower sides 3mm aluminium, upper sides and roof 1.5mm aluminium

able to carry 3 trials or 2 mx bikes.

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I initially wanted the trailer bigger but I can man handle the thing without hooking up to vehicle. This makes it much easier to shift around at home.

A Mk2 model may be bigger but it still has to be a single axle so it can spin 180 virtually in its own length.

In the pics the tie-down shackles are not fitted in the floor and thats what holds the rear wheels down. The front wheel in the cradle with two tie-downs and the rear held with one. I'm looking into fitting a removable channel for rear wheels that has a heavy dog collar type strap to hold rear wheel. Also looking into a rear wheel cradle tie-down with tensioner.

It was a little on the expensive side I suppose but it is 1.4 tonnes legal and disc braked. The lockable ally box on the front was $1000 alone, they are $1600 retail.

Painting is done with two pack marine (Jotun) and it is painted and sealed underneath as well, that cost fair bit extra. Spent a week at ally boat refinisher.

The rear door is sprung like a horse float so the door can be raised without a hernia.

Its axle centre length from tow point has been properly designed and set for correct ball weight when loaded... it tows beautifully at 120kph loaded or empty.

Axle, springs, wheels and chassis are heavy duty and should see years of service. The maker has a similar trailer at the factory that has been sitting outside for 8 years. It looks the same still but just has medium faded paint. Mine is under cover at home.

Mags

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I have a Triton AUT864B with sides and all the bells and whistle's . I can put 4 Bikes on it and sleep in the nissan NV towing it .

Last bike trailer I will ever buy ... http://nissannvforum.com/uploads/gallery/album_10/gallery_182_10_825509.jpg

Glenn

Added a link to a old photo on edit ...

Edited by axulsuv
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  • 3 weeks later...

I have a few pics of best system I've found to hold bikes down. The straps dont compress suspension as they use a tyre gripper pad and ratchets.

Also a pic of the 8 flush mount floor rings. The ring fold down when not in use so you dont stub toe!!!

Bike also stand upright when it locks into front tyre mount (grey wheel holder/chock) no need to hold or use side stand while you attach straps... so one man job!

Mags

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I use these http://motocinch.com/products/off-road they only compress the suspension a little bit and the bike becomes part of the trailer . I've had more than one tie-down strap self destruct , I just don't trust them anymore .

But your tire grippers are cool , never seen them before . Just alot to clean up after a muddy day ...

Glenn

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Glenn,

Those motocinch look great! Probably $500 plus for two sets landed here? The guy who makes them passed away and the company stopped making them????

The straps will be a pain to clean but we only ride mud once or twice a year... mostly dry terrain where we practice.

I'm going to fit some solar power to trailer roof. Run the 60 litre fridge and lighting for camp site at night. 180w panel, 120 amp agm battery and plasmatronics 20 amp controller.

Have to do the canvas awning, as well.... on a sail track. I have industrial sewing machine so I'm able to make the canvas awning.

The straps are for the road bikes as well! We plan a big trip with two road bikes in the next year or so. We also cart the road bikes down a coast for annual hols... they come in trailer and we use the holiday place as a base to ride the state below us.

Mags

Edited by mags
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