XJ Towing Question

My folks got me a gift for Christmas, its a front wheel towing setup for my pickup truck. The kind where you drive the front wheel up on the thing and then strap down the handle bars, drag the rear wheel and off you go.

HOWEVER, with a drive shaft system, I have concerns about long distance or high speed (70 mph) towing scenarios. My local Yamaha shop gave me the typical "uh.. we don't know."

So, I thought I would throw it out there and see if any of the mechanical guys could help me out. Is there a towing disengage? Or is neutral good enough to go cross country?

 

In the words of Mother Yamaha:

"Even with the transmission in the neutral position, do not coast for long periods of time with the engine off, and do not tow the motorcycle for long distances. The transmission is properly lubricated only when the engine is running. Inadequate lubrication may damage the transmission."

 

Just as I suspected.

Which leads me to part two: Is there a way to disengage the drive shaft so the wheel spins freely causing no harm? Something that isn't so intensive that it would make it not worth the trip?

 

No, No easy way to disconnect. If it was me, I'd be working on a way to "lock" the steering(no, not the ignition lock) in a straight line and mont the rear wheel on the rack.

 

It's very easy to disconnect the driveline:just pull the shaft boot back, and there are only 4 bolts to remove. However, while the driveline is now fully disengaged, you've got the loose u-joint to contend with, and that's a can or worms best left unopened.

You could remove the wheel and swingarm, then the u-joint, and then reinstall the remaining bits for traveling. It's a minor pain, but the only really safe way to tow your bike for more than a few miles.

Just towing in neutral will probably be expensive, as the entire gearbox, except for the mainshaft, will be turning at road speed. 8O You could airfreight the bike for about what it would cost to fix the cooked gearbox.

The oil pumps' drive is on the back of the clutch, which only turns when the crankshaft is spinning.

That is a better solution.

 

Get a set of quality ratcheting tie-downs and have a couple of guys help you lift the whole thing right up into the back of the truck.

Secure the front wheel tight to the front so the bike can't shift around and the rear wheel from left and right movement and pretend its a Harley for a nice little ride in the back of the truck!

 

I mostly travel w/ my girl and while she is a an incredible woman, no way she could lift her 25% of the bike. So it would be stuck in the truck when I get there.

Sounds like a trailer is my best bet.

 

Unloading is easy and can be done by yourself. Just requires you to be a bit creative. First, you have the added advantage of your bike making the rear end of your truck squat down. Still a bit intimidating so find a good sidewalk with a tall curb height or even a short loading dock. All you need is something you can back up to and reduce your ramp angle. You should be able to handle the weight of your XJ if you keep your hand of the front brake and go slow. I've unloaded my bike several times and my brothers CB900 which is way heavier than my bike by myself using this technique. Of course it all comes down to what you are comfortable with. I bet you could just pull up to a a bike shop and find somebody willing to lend a hand. Good luck.

 

I use the deck in my backyard to load/unload the bike. The extra 2 feet reduces the ramp angle enough it makes it easy as pie. You just need a truck, a ramp and a 2 foot deck.

I've also used a dirt pile to load the bike if you have one of those. Then there is always the case of beer method. Entice locals near your truck by luring them with a cold one. When they get close, hit em up for help in exchange for a brew.

 

You could just run the engine while towing. Should be plenty of air movement to keep it cool.

Alternately, you might just get an old front wheel at a salvage yard and make some spacers for it so the final drive is not engaged.

 

So why not put it on the trailer backwards and tie the handle bars from both ends to the wheel is held straight!?

otherwise I like the idea of store loading docks and small ditches, curbs, and mounds of dirt.

Where there is a will there is a way.

 

I may be wrong but if I can remember right, those hitch-mounted front wheel trailers don't have a pivot. They are designed to isolate the front end of the bike only and utilize the neck as the pivot point. If the bike was mounted backwards and the steering locked out, the bike would crow hop around every corner you took.

 

OOOPS

 

Dude. I'm 5' 8" and 250lbs. I rode the bike into the truck ('93 Dakota 4x4) on two ramps then backed it down by walking on one ramp then using the front brake to slowly lower it down the other ramp.

Wedge the bike in the bed diagonally then _don't_ put the sidestand or centerstand down. Use straps diagonally to compress the suspension almost all the way down. The bike won't move. Trust me.

If you're concerned then _consider_ putting the centerstand down on a board that covers the entire bed of the truck. But honestly I know plenty of people that don't do that as long as the suspension is compressed.

Trust me - putting it in the bed is easy to do for one person. I've done it and I'm a fat geek. ;-)

But then I also drive my 11" jon-boat to the lake in the back of my truck too...

 

I'm 5'6" and 145lbs. and I put XJ650 in the back of my Nissan Frontier with a 2x8 wood ramp by myself and I'm 50 years old.

 

I wouldn't recommend riding it into the back of the truck, always push, seen a few to many people get throttle happy, not a good out come, I would recommend getting a trailer the whole bike will fit on, I know menards around here have the small traillers I think there 4 feet by 4 feet for $275 and for another $50 theres a Ibeam looking thing that the tires will ride in so you can tie it down and it won't go no where

 

XJJeff, i'am with you but a 2X8 is kind of tough to ride back down on, i use a 2X12
remember not to hit the front brake on the way back down, been there done that

 

Why tow it at all, ride it were your going. If its a long haul, then you have bragging rights.

 

MY bad. It is a 2x12 that I use. See that shows you that the mind is the first thing to go.