RainLover wrote:
Hey everyone,

I want to build a trailer that my motorcycle can tow. I'm hoping to
create it from aluminum, but I've never built ANY trailer and any and
all (well, most all) suggestions from the group would be gladly
accepted.

I'm unsure about the axle / wheel set up for something this small and
finding a pre-made trailer that I could modify is nearly impossible
without spending a fortune.

This trailer will be a flatbed approximately 2 1/2 feet wide and 5'
long. I suspect I'll never be carrying more than 250 pounds on it.

I'm a sculptor and sometimes I need to head to a gallery 300 miles
away... so, I thought, why drive my 6000 pound truck when I can ride
my 45 mpg motorcycle.

There are a number of motorcycle trailers out there, ranging from single
wheel types that are basically a suitcase with a hitch and a wheel to
stuff that looks like half of a Gold Wing. But none that I'm aware of
that are flatbed cargo carriers. That being said, there's nothing about
motorcycle trailers that is particularly special other than that they
have to either lean with the bike or not lean completely independent of
the bike. Most of the two wheeled trailers I've seen use a hitch that
will rotate perpendicularly to the direction of travel. Something like
a U-joint is typically used.

Suspensions are all over the place, ranging from none to torsion bars to
rubber biscuits. You definitely want to build something that's not going
to bounce when it's empty or you'll get to stress test your health
insurance.

Something like this: http://tinyurl.com/ycdqwk might be worth looking at
for ideas if nothing else. On the other end of the spectrum of design
is this: http://tinyurl.com/2sbmam No dealers near you that I know of
and they're half a continent away, though.
--

Spunky Hussein Tuna
radical ChristIslamic fundamentalist Pescasupremecist...