Motorcycle tow bar & Trailer??

[Grendel]

I'm thinking of getting back into kayaking/canoeing but not sure how to transport it about so I wandering if anyone has put a tow bar on a solo motorcycle and would it be capable of carrying a small trailer with kayak and paddle???

I've seen trailers on Goldwings and Ural combo's but never on a bike like my 600TA?

[Jenna]

legally the big issue is that most bikes are not type approved to tow a trailer, then you have issues with towing weights and so on....

you may get away with a plastic dagger but think you would be pushhing your luck with a canadian!!

you considered an inflatable, I looked at some to take abroad with us (litimited space on a service truck) the pro ones are really nice!

[davsato]

there is no problem putting a tow hitch on the back of most bikes, i think its a bit awkward for SSSA bikes but its a doddle on twin boom swingarms. there are professional kits and diy options, and one of the best set ups ive ever seen was a pair of homemade trailers involving car UV joints pulling single wheeled boxes with scooter swingarms on the back for suspension. very simple but genius, as the trailer had full freedom to move except in a twisting motion.

it would be worth looking into the legal aspect though, as there are width and weight restrictions on motorbike towing. dont know about length though, the ones ive described were pretty long so maybe ok to pull a canoe?

[davsato]

just found this;

Motorcycle Single Wheel Trailer Law in the UK

In the UK in 1984 it became legal to tow a trailer behind a motorcycle. The rules governing the use of trailers behind motorcycles is set out in the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986. As far as motorcycle trailers towed behind a motorcycle are concerned the law is basically:-

• The towing motorcycle must exceed 125 cc engine capacity.
• The trailer has an overall width not exceeding 1.00m
• The distance between the rear axle of the motorcycle and the rearmost part of the trailer must not exceed 2.5m.
• The Motorcycle must be clearly and indelibly marked with it’s kerbside weight.
• The Maximum towed weight, including the trailer and it’s load must not exceed 150 Kg (330 lb) or two thirds of the motorcycles kerbside weight, whichever is the least.
• The UK speed limit is 60 mph on Motorways and dual carriageways and 50 mph on all other roads unless a lesser limit is in force.

There are other regulations regarding lighting (The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989) specifying the number, type and spacing of lights and reflectors and the particular "E" marks they should all carry to be fully road legal, trailer bulb failure warning and regulations covering the actual construction of the trailer (The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986)
Towing a motorcycle trailer abroad is not a problem as visitor laws apply - basically the trailer being towed must be legal in the owners home country.

2.5m from the rear axle to the back of the trailer, pushing it for a canoe? if you cant live with an inflatable like jenna says then the only option will be some crazy sidecar like that ural with the boat on it.

[Jenna]

thats the kiddy, if you take the bike as 200kg for ease then you’re working on a 130 max weight for :the bike tow bar (yes that’s now part of the tow weight!!), the trailer and the trailers contents.

Realistically I guess you could work on an 80kg load,

The 2.5m reg is not so much of an issue as it states the 'trailers' rear most part... not the load, if you run a warning triangle/marker light that distance is considerably more. If your sneaky and run the trailer axle at very rear of the trailer your balance point of loading is also moved back.... sooo that 2.5m could be doubled effectively to nearly 5mts which would be enough for an average canoe (think the monster Pelican Canadian is 5.3mts!).

Before you do anything though talk to your insurance company as you still have that problem with type approval of the bike.

the type approval reference to bikes towing is:
97/24/EC C10 Trailer Coupling Devices

[Grendel]

I was thinking of getting a Perception Scooter (Sit-on-Kayak) or as suggested been looking at inflatable’s but since some of them are near the same price as the Sit on it seemed more logical to get a ridged. Also being close 17 stone not sure if I wouldn’t sink an inflatable one? Although they do seem the obvious answer otherwise it's fitting a tow bar to the MR2 which would a right PIA.

Found this about Tow Bars:
Trailers to pull with a motorcycle

[Jenna]

The idea of using a cv is good but a cv is not designed for shaft loading so you would need to weld the shaft to cv hub to not be relying on the circlip to pull your load.

The guys in Oz's are well clued up with nailing a trailer on anything that moves, they use a similar idea for the offroad trailers that allows both vertical and horizontal movement using the uj principal, they also use a bonded elastomer block with through pin as opposed to a conventional ball and cup as this eliminates shock loading being metal-rubber-metal and not metal-metal.

[meljordan]

Might give you a few ideas......


Motorcycle Trailer Index

[davsato]

The idea of using a cv is good but a cv is not designed for shaft loading so you would need to weld the shaft to cv hub to not be relying on the circlip to pull your load.

eh? no load on the circlips, mounted as it is in a car, one side mounted rigid on the bike somehow, the other on the trailer chassis with the cross in the middle as normal, like this;
(scuse the sketch have you tried drawing something with a laptop mouse pad?)

[Boris]

I suspect a case of misreading has happened here. Davsato mentions UJ and Jen CV. As I'm sure you will both know quite different beasts.

Go to the back of the class both of you.