[chucktx]

i am thinking of pulling a trailer behind my 06 electraglide to do long trips. anybody else doing this?? any pros and cons?? maybe some tips to make the go easier??
thanks
chuck

[FLHTbiker]

Hi Chuck, I have pulled trailers for years of all sizes and weights.
First thing is the size and weight of the trailer you will be pulling.
I wrote an article about trailer pulling for our HOG chapter and here is the link t it.
http://www.rosecityhog.com/ Click on the link for traveling tips. The web master put it in Italics so its a little hard to read but still has good info.

[Sleepy]

Gonna take a little getting used to but lots and lots of advantages if you're two up out on the road for an extended trip. There may be the odd purist out there..[I've met a couple] telling you that you may as well be driving a car as to pull a trailer with a bike. I told the one fellow that my other bike is a Ducati and compared to riding it the Harley is like driving a car so trailer or no trailer the ride's the thing and your E-G should handle most trailers with little fuss.
Marc's article is pretty good..he's been pulling trailers for a long time. I've got a few years in now..[used to be one of those purists eh?] I'll add a few things to Marc's article. I wouldn't want a trailer loaded to weigh more than 50 per cent of the bike's weight. My tent trailer weighs about 220 lbs empty. We put about 100 lbs of stuff in it. The trailer doesn't push the bike around much. If you're getting a conventional hitch/ball setup I'd look at getting a swivel hitch on the trailer..If you've got lots of green and want a Bushec, their setup works really well..just a great pulling trailer. I've got an old tiny mite tent trailer I run about 20-25 lbs of air in the tires to keep the trailer from bouncing. Your gas mileage is going to take a hit, your back tire is going to melt on a hot day and there are going to be days where the motor isn't going to like you much when it's 100+ degrees and you're pulling a 6 per cent grade two up. I run synthetic oil, my motor works pretty hard.
What I really like about the trailer is being self reliant. You carry all the stuff you need. We go to Sturgis...camp, pack the stove and cooler. When we get to the Black Hills the trailer stays put and we ride around. When we get sick and tired of eating in restaurants there's nothing like cooking your own meal. Steak/fresh corn/baked potato...nothing better.
It'll take some getting used to pulling the trailer...gotta be careful pulling into the gas station, don't want to clip the pump island with the trailer..I've seen it done.
There are a few hitches for your bike..got mine from CD..pretty basic solid hitch....works really well.
just a couple of things to think about........it's all good

[chucktx]

thanks for the replys. this is the trailer i am looking at.....
http://www.trailmasterinc.com/cargo/backpack.html

to me it looks like a good starter package for the money. i really apreciate the link to your instructions, flht....and the added comments from sleepy. we will probably stay in motels......we have had our share of camping on the bike in the last 40 years the ol lady now says if there aint a mint on her pillow, she is ruffing it!!!!
chuck

[FLHTbiker]

Nice trailer Chuck. They are like a car top carrier on wheels. I've got a Coleman Caboose cargo trailer for sale. If you can find one of those used in your area grab it they are great trailers for the money and their very light weigh but hall a lot of stuff.
My wife put a vibrating recliner chair at Street Vibrations last fall in ours and brought it home. It was in sections of course, however there was not any room for anything else. Trailering is OK and means that you can pack lots of stuff and shop and bring home lots of stuff. I don't recommend putting in a vibrating recliner chair though, that was a sort of a sore subject between us.

[scooter]

They make any trailers for sportsters?

Or should I just wait until I get the Road King?

Wait.

See?! ANOTHER reason I NEED to get that RK!!!!!

scoot

[dutch]

I have pulled a trailer thousands miles with my old FLH loaded most of the time with campimg gear. I would say that trailering is alot like helmets how much is your head worth meaning this is not the place to cut costs. After a few mistakes I bought a Bush Tec dollar for dollar it can't be beat its has the best suspension, frame, and tonque set up. Check around at the next rally or ride your on see what others have to say before you make up your mind. Dutch

[FLHTbiker]

Scoot, yep the best thin g would be to wait. They do make small one wheeled light weight trailers but if your thinking of a RK then good idea to wait.

The Bush Tec trailer is a very good trailer but certainly not the only good quality trailer out there. The trailers by California Sidecar and Champion are some trailers with very high quality.

Lots of choices out there and there are lots of used trailers out there if one is trying not to spend to much.

Marc

[Goose]

Had a guy eyeing my little camper trailer this morning, said he has a FLH he wants to pull one with. Told him no sale, just too danged useful. I don't drive a car much, need to be able to haul groceries and things as well as camp on the road.

I have a flat bed I built out of a kit from Northern Tool I also tow. I built it specifically to pull a race bike or small dirt bike. Works great behind the Wing! I go to the flat tracks this way, but may be using the car more since it gets just as good mileage. I'm going to order a hitch for it. When the wife wants to go, we can drive the car, but if she's not going, I may still use the Wing.

[Goose]

Originally Posted by scooter

They make any trailers for sportsters?

Or should I just wait until I get the Road King?

Wait.

See?! ANOTHER reason I NEED to get that RK!!!!!

scoot

A trailer is a trailer, but you need a hitch. Hitch Doctor makes hitches for Sportsters. http://www.hitchdoc.com/

[2fastnaz]

Nothing like the looks you get pulling a bike on a trailer behind another bike huh Goose?? Used to pull a little dirt bike trailer behind my 700 Virago in San Diego. Only had to go a couple of miles to get to the end of Palm ave., but man would I get some stares.

[GreyBear]

Goose wrote: I have a flat bed I built out of a kit from Northern Tool I also tow. I built it specifically to pull a race bike or small dirt bike. Works great behind the Wing! I go to the flat tracks this way,

What a picture that makes Goose! Going flat tracking pulling the race bike behind your street bike.....now if that doesn't qualify a a "real" biker I have no idea what does..right on goose!

[Goose]

Yeah, I do get some looks, even more puzzled lookin' than when I had my sidecar rig. I was loading up for practice in Katy in this shot. I have a spot on the trailer to tie down tools, gas can, and my riding gear duffle, everything I need at the track except that I'm limited on spares if I need 'em. This is my little XR road racer. I have a simlar bike for flat track and a KX80 motard bike for mini road racing through Texas Mini GP ( http://www.tmgps.8k.com ). Of course, I can only haul one bike at a time. I flat track over east of Houston at Huffman and Baytown and road race up at Katy, sometimes go to Texas World for CMRA stuff, only an hour further, for CMRA mini racing. I don't have a big bike racer anymore, can't afford it, and to be honest, the little stuff is a lot more fun. It's cheaper, it's somewhat safer (crash speeds are lower), and the competition is stiff on a .33 mile track with 7 turns. Our flat tracks are short tracks, 1/5th mile, and a total hoot! I just can't give it up, so I found a cheap form of racing and a cheap and fun way to get there. I hate driving, but if I can ride, it makes the trip more fun. Now days, gas prices give me more of an excuse, too.

[scooter]

Thanks for the replies!! I was only half kidding about the sportster trailer, but am surprised they DO make hitches and trailers for 'em. Hmm, ya just never know!!

scoot

[FLHTbiker]

Here is a picture of our Harley with our tent trailer set up behind it from this weekend.

[Bobcat]

Bike&Boat.jpg
Try this with a Honda

[Goose]

Well, I used my Wing to pull my boat out of the yard to mow a couple of days ago.

[Bobcat]

Hey Goose, How ya been ???
The biggest problem I have is at the boat ramp. The Hog don't run to good underwater, eh?

[Goose]

Yeah, how about traction on the algae that's always growing on the ramp? ROFLMAO! NOOOOO thanks, I got a van with a big ol' V8 for that.

Used to haul a 20 foot pontoon boat with a Toyota 4x4, 22R engine. Guys would line up at the boat ramp in Port O'Conner to watch me pull it out of the water, probably taking bets. Lock that baby in low lock and just drop the clutch idling and it'd pull right off the ramp. I turned a lot of disbeliever's heads. Of course, on the way home against any wind, 55 mph.

[dutch]

Goose, Steve calls me for backup when he knows the ramps are worse than normal. Kidding this pic is about fourteen years old it was the last organizied racing I did. The best part was the wife and I showing up at hill climb events this way no matter how the climbing went. Dutch tn_scan0001.jpg