Bike haulin' time

Well this weekend I have a four day break some classes so I am making the trip 550 miles back home to minnesota so I can trailer the XJ to school. Only thing is I'm not sure if my car can pull it.

I'm pretty excited about it. I'll be getting a hitch for the econobox ( 1.6L honda civic) and I have a really light trailer I can pull it with.

My initial thoughts were to take the rear wheel and forks off and set in on an old mattress in the back of my car (it's a hatchback). I measured and it would fit but then I realized we had that little trailer behind the shed.

The trailer is light enough that I can pull it uphill by hand. My car is rated for 2000 lbs of pulling with 200lbs tongue weight. It's also got like 106 hp and about 90 or so ft-lbs of torque. The car only weighs about 2000 lbs tho so the power to weight ratio isn't all that bad.

I figure trailering it is within the cars specs so I should be fun but I don't expect to break any speed records lol.

What do you guys think?

 

Make sure you pull out to pass on a downhill straight, with a tail wind.

Take your time, enjoy the scenery and you'll have no problem.

 

lights, safety chains, wheel bearing grease
is this a tie it down or a lay it down trailer?

 

tie down

 

tie it down good and tight and take your time. should be fine. check the fluids in the Civic before you leave.

 

I just took my 'ol girl for a tow in a utility trailer, and it worked out great. I had it on the centre stand, a strap in the front compressing the forks down a good 2-3", and one nice and tight holding the rear down. My 2.3l Ranger honestly isn't much more of a tow rig than your Civic, so you should be fine. As mentioned earlier, just make sure the trailer is in good shape with tight wheel bearings and good tires!

 

I don't like the centerstand idea. If you don't have a fat girlfriend go get one (tomorrow's valentines day). Have her sit on it, then tie down to the frame. Get the springs loaded up keeping things tight. I like to tie 2 places front, 2 rear, and 2 down by the foot pegs to make sure that the bottom doesn't slide to the side.

Where is school?

 

I go to school in Rapid City, SD about half hour I think from sturgis. With the black hills the roads are so hilly and are just curvy as they'll ever be, and they're all in great shape with not too many cracks. I've been looking and drooling over the riding roads since september...it seems like they were built just for riding.
Lots of hills, curves and beautiful scenery... not too mention it's been almost 30 degrees warmer than the minneapolis area (where I'm from) lately.

 

Polock was right on the money ... but, not specific enough.
You NEED to make SURE that the wheel bearings of that trailer are freshly greased if they don't have Bearing Buddy's and a zirk fitting to grease them.

It won't take long to overheat an axle to the breaking -- and/or-- melting point if the wheel bearings are dry.

If you don't know -- Don't GO!

You'll be at risk for a dangerous accident that might dump your bike right in front of a truck or cause you to lose control and crash.

It won't matter how well the Bike's tied down if you throw a trailer wheel and start pinwheeling the load.

A trailer that been sitting around "In the back yard for awhile" IS a PRIME candidate for overheating a wheel bearing, having it lock-up and break right off!

Do your due diligence and repack the wheel bearings on that trailer before you bring your bike around the block.
If you don't actually know what the conditions of the bearings are ... you absolutely need to repack them before subjecting them to a load-bearing long-haul.

Check and repack the wheel bearings on your trailer!!!

 

Rick sounds like your getting a little excited there. I completely understand though. I repack my boat trailer bearings several times a year, you'd be surprised what water does to them after a short amount of time. I agree that having well greased and packed bearings on your trailer is an absolute MUST. I don't know how many times I've seen someone on the side of the road because a trailer wheel has seized. Not taking the time to do a quick little job like that is not worth being stuck in the middle of nowhere.

I've been a lurker for a long time and in my recent burst of activity on xjbikes I've noticed that RickCoMatic has not failed to give good advice in almost every thread. Rick, I think you deserve a good pat on the back!

Once again thanks guys!
Now I'm off to start another thread (with pics)

 

I rather have somebody come and help me shovel snow.
Man, I'm getting old and tired of shoveling the pretty white stuff.
Ever since the SnoBlower drive gave-out, we've been getting at least three inches of snow every week.

Today, it snowed four inches ... then, ... it started to rain real hard ... making the snow on the driveway as heavy as lead.
After moving a few shovelfuls of that stuff ... I packed it in and went and found a guy with 4 wheel drive and a plow.

I bet the OZ crowd is having a fine season of it ... huh, 'Mates?
Bless ya.
Get them sunburns and tans while you can!

The rest of us are a day closer to OUR season than we were, yesterday!

 

Neonjoe,
Welcome back to Minnesota! I think you'll be alright with pulling your bike behind your little car. It's not the power I would be so concerned with, it would be the stopping power. Any trailering behind a small car tends to push the car when stopping. Just be careful on the roads here. We just landed another 4-5" of snow last night and the cars are going by kinda slow on th highway this morning, so be careful out there!!

 

Rick--How about hooking your spare 900 engine to the snow blower !!!
You could hit your neighbors driveway at 9,000 RPM !

If it's a really small trailer it weighs 2-500 LB and the bike 525 LB.
That's not a whole lot, but braking will tend to lock the front tires in the rain. Be careful.

Now I have to go grease all my trailer bearings.

 

I was just trying to be cautious.
You never know what some folks will do in the heat of a moment.

Trailer hub bearings are way overlooked by everyone and they DO run dry!

Anyway, just be safe and get the Bike hauled to its new place all in one piece.
That right there is enough to worry about.
I always fret a little bit tying down a bike and hauling it someplace.
Gives me a worry stomach that Tum's won't help with!

 

I know what your talking about. When I first got my XJ my friend pulled it home with his truck. I might have well sat backwards in my seat I was looking back the whole time to make sure she was alright. Every time we hit a small bump my stomach would flip. I think I made him stop every ten minutes just to make sure everything was tight.

 

Your civic will have no problem towing the trailer and bike around. Like others said make sure the bearings are in good condition - but honestly, even if the trailer bearings are junked, it'll get there.

The important part will be just making sure you leave enough space for your vehicle to stop. The honda doesn't way much and isn't designed to stop an extra 1,500 pounds from behind.

 

I wouldn't try hauling a bike on a trailer with junked trailer wheel bearings.

I don't think that is a wise choice.
If the bearings aren't in good condition ... I wouldn't risk it!

 

2000lbs for a Civic? I'd like to see that one get beyond 3rd gear. Yours should be ok. I hauled my XJ + a tool chest, + 4 snow tires + the inside of the car packed with nearly everything I own 3500km across the country last fall. I'm glad I had the tourquey Ecotec engine as any other small car would have done the entire trip in 4th gear for sure. I was able to stay in 5th most of the time. Even still I think the sunfire is rated for 1300lbs and I believe I was about on the max with this load. The weight wasn't so much a problem as the aerodynamic issues. It moved quite well at city speeds, but didn't like to pull that barn door load through the wind on the highway.

As far as stopping power, it took a little more effort than normal but it was still no trouble stopping the load. Well within the limits of safety I must say. In fact my Sunfire with the load probably was still able to stop just as well or better than my previous car, a Mercury Topaz, could all by itself. Of course I can't say for sure how the little honda will do.



EDIT: I'm not sure what the trailer weighs dry. It is a frame from what used to be a 1960's tent trailer. My uncle narrowed it to 4ft.