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XJ1100 manual states not to use trailer?

Discussion in 'XJ Modifications' started by jamings67, Jun 5, 2016.

  1. jamings67

    jamings67 Member

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    Hi, whats the problem with hooking my 1100 to trailer. I want to do just that. What do I need to know and how do I go about doing it? Or is it just a bad idea?
     
  2. k-moe

    k-moe Pie, Bacon, Bourbon. Moderator Premium Member

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    No motorcycle manufacturer (to my knowledge) authorizes towing a trailer.

    I tow a trailer sometimes.

    You will have to build your own hitch as I do not recall anyone making one commertially (and finding one now would be lucky).
     
  3. jamings67

    jamings67 Member

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    I don't know much about motorcycle hitches. I don't even know where or how it should be connected to the bike. Anyone get any picks of XS or XJ 1100 hitches?
     
  4. k-moe

    k-moe Pie, Bacon, Bourbon. Moderator Premium Member

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    I'll take some photos of the hitch I made and post them some time this week. It's for a single-wheel trailer, but the general idea can be adapted for a swivel-hitch to tow a 2-wheeler.
    ADVRider.com has several threads about towing, and making hitches (and trailers).
     
  5. Xjrider92117

    Xjrider92117 Active Member

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    if you could put a side car on the bike what's the difference with a trailer? Other than the hitch. It's not like the powers not there... ????
     
  6. k-moe

    k-moe Pie, Bacon, Bourbon. Moderator Premium Member

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    Sidecars have an extra brake; trailers generally do not. The extra weight is also distributed more evenly on the motorcycle frame when fitting a sidecar.
    There are also some very scary handling characteristics that can come into play when you need to make a panic stop with a trailer.
     
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  7. jamings67

    jamings67 Member

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    Thank you! Rather nice of you. I have been looking a the different kinds of trailers for bikes. I seen some info on trailers on XS110o forums and they said that as long as it's under 1/2 the bike weight you should be okay as long as your careful. I am thinking about a claim shell two wheel trailer at 144 lb unloaded. I just want to take it camping and maybe grocery shopping when boon docking in the middle of nowhere. What would the ideal height of the ball? Can I just uses a regular ball hitch? Looks like other ppl have done it with out problems.
     
  8. Maxim-X

    Maxim-X Well-Known Member

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    See if this link works
    http://thirdwheeltrailers.com/trailer-specs/
    It's a place near me that has been building and developing bike trailers since 2008.
    Maybe you can get an idea from the vids or contact them for more info.
     
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  9. mlew

    mlew Well-Known Member

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    There were some who made hitches for the XJ1100, I had one and pulled a small trailer with it. You might get lucky and find one on EBAY sometime. The XS11 and XJ11 are almost identical in the rear frame / suspension setup, an XS11 trailer hitch could also be adapted to use.
    Fabricating one would be the way to go.
    http://www.appleattic.net/hitch/default.html
    Not hard if you have some basic fab skills and a welder. I made another one for my Venture and pull a trailer all the time.
     
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  10. mlew

    mlew Well-Known Member

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  11. jamings67

    jamings67 Member

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    This helps a lot. thanks I will make one when the time comes.
     
  12. Toomanybikes

    Toomanybikes Well-Known Member

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    Not all sidecars have an extra brake I have ridden a wing with a Vetter side car and also an Eqalean side car and for the most part I'll take a trailer first
     
  13. k-moe

    k-moe Pie, Bacon, Bourbon. Moderator Premium Member

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    The pics I promised. I decided on a hitch that mounts up high for a couple of reasons; concern that the lower bar may rub on the lower shock mount, concern that the footpeg mounts my flex too much and crack, and the fact that my trailer is limited to 240 pounds gross weight (it could handle more, but I wanted to retain the option of carrying a passenger or more gear).

    The hitch:
    [​IMG]

    Side view mounted:

    [​IMG]

    Rear view mounted (don't mind the worn tire. I took these photos just before putting a new one on). :

    [​IMG]

    Front frame mount (bolt that is just under the orange tail fairing):

    [​IMG]

    Rear frame mount:

    [​IMG]

    Lower mount for the rear frame mount (my original intention was to allow for these to be unbolted so the hitch can swing up for wheel removal, but I decided that the additional stiffness from the strap being braced against the angle was necessary. I will revisit the idea later).

    [​IMG]

    I'll get photos of the finished trailer in my gallery sometime this week.
     
  14. jamings67

    jamings67 Member

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    Yeah that setup is better .....cleaner looking too. Thanks.. looks like it's not that hard to make one like that.
     
  15. k-moe

    k-moe Pie, Bacon, Bourbon. Moderator Premium Member

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    I do think that the other hitch has an advantage in how it spreads some of the load to the lower frame member. If I were towing a heavier trailer I would have worked-out something to connect to the passenger peg mount mounting points and maybe incorporated passenger pegs into the hitch design. I do think that what I did would probably be fine if a person were towing a 2-wheel trailer with 150 pounds of tongue weight or so, but I didn't run that scenario past my engineer.

    The most difficult part of building the thing was making a jig to get the hitch plate angle correct, but even that only took about an hour.

    All the mounting points on the bike are at pre-existing, threaded holes.
     
    Last edited: Jun 8, 2016
  16. jamings67

    jamings67 Member

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    Last edited: Jun 9, 2016
  17. jamings67

    jamings67 Member

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  18. k-moe

    k-moe Pie, Bacon, Bourbon. Moderator Premium Member

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    ADV Rider has tons of thread about those. You'll have to dig a little to find the threads that pertain to towing one with a motorcycle: http://advrider.com/index.php?search/5250268/&q=harbor+freight+trailer&o=relevance&c[node]=70

    This one is geeared more toward single-wheel trailers, but has some 2-wheels in it along with other hitch ideas. http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/dual-sport-trailer-assembly-thread.113997/

    The advantage you'll have with a 2-wheel trailer is the lower tongue weight.
     
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  19. k-moe

    k-moe Pie, Bacon, Bourbon. Moderator Premium Member

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    Months late, but here are pics of the trailer that go with my hitch. Don't mind the dust; it's been unused all year. The rear fender was a quickie-job so I could use it for a trip last year. It may get re-done this winter if I have time.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
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  20. jayrodoh

    jayrodoh YimYam Premium Member

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    That's a slick little trailer, did you build that?
     

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