Mark Rand wrote:
On Wed, 02 Apr 2008 16:33:00 GMT, Winston wrote:


RainLover wrote:

Hey everyone,

I want to build a trailer that my motorcycle can tow.

James, my sedan is in the shop right now getting a new transmission.

See, I figured I would save a mint by towing stuff in a trailer rather than renting or
borrowing a truck.

That misapprehension will cost me U$3600 (Three thousand six hundred dollars) this afternoon.

Even at Silicon Valley prices, I could have rented and gassed a truck for over *fifty*
(50) trips for that amount of moolah. (Sad when you consider I rented trailers a total of
four (4) times.)

Please learn from my mistake.

--Winston



One assumes that your car has/had an automatic transmission and you didn't
lock it into gear?

Correct.

Not relevant to bikes :-)

Why is that? (Think clutch and brakes).
Practically every part of the bike will experience larger stress values when towing a
trailer than without it, yes? The engine and transmission will have a load placed on it
the same as if it were headed uphill when accelerating and downhill during deceleration,
due to the additional mass.

Don't even get me started on the dynamics of safely converting the kinetic energy of the
trailer into brake heat on deceleration or the potential for 'whipping' if the trailer is
not loaded properly or if the trailer wheels are too far forward or not properly aligned.

Seventy bucks rents you six times the payload capacity in the form of a nice new pickup
with enough gas to do the average chore safely and quickly.

I'm here to learn, so feel free to correct me on this, (but first think about how often
you will need to back up, uphill.)

--Winston