HansO
Not Taking Life Too Seriously
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2010
- Messages
- 13,447
- Location
- Batemans Bay, NSW, Aus
- Ride
- 08 Rocket III R.I.P now TEX Triumph Explorer
I have noticed another poster complaining about bike going sideways while braking with the back brake and Thought I would try and help him and any other Captain's contiplating towing a trailer my tips are based on my own experence (about 30 to 40,000 km I don't keep track anymore), I currently(it is good to start with an lighter trailer if you are new to towing) tow an extra heavy campertrailer 450kg/990 imperial pounds some of that weight was from my mod's (extended and reinforced drawbar) which help to make it tow better and rest is just the comforts I carry, here's a couple tips that might help-
1/ The most important issue is to keep the correct weight balance on your draw bar always keep about 10% to 15% of trailer weight on the draw bar in my case 450kg trailer I have approx 60kg on the draw bar which brings up the matter of rear suspencion make sure you have heavy enought springing to cope, the trailer should if the draw bar has been set up right have a slight nose down lookabout it, get a friend to have a look from the side when you think you have it right while fully loaded with passenger.
2/ Alignment, most of us asume trailer is built straight but that is always the case and also the draw bar needs to be checked here's an example a mate bought a second hand trailer built by a reputable builder but as it turned out it wasone of the original prototypes, while following him I noticed it pulling slightly to one side and getting a bit of a wiggle when changing lanes, when stopped up the road for fuel I asked him if he felt it moving to which he reply yes but I thought that was normal, I then asked him if he had ever noticed mine moving his answer was no. When got home from the trip I suggested we checked out what was going on and I found two things one that the Trianglation of the draw bar was to one side(25mm/ inch over the lenght) hense pulling to one side and a slight push to one side while braking and that the towbar which against my advise he had welded up out of to lighter gauge steel bar(he wanted to keep it light he's a BMW rider what can I say) hence the wiggle. after I welded some hidden bracing to the draw bar to stiffen it up ( now weighs more than if he had listened to me and just bought the (Classic Ind Tow Bar they have done all the maths for you) we then pulled the chassis of the tailer and started from scratch, it is now pulling straight while I was welding up the new chassis I suggested that a longer draw bar would also give more stability as I had found with my own trailer and a lot of trailers are just built to short in the A frame there for making the weight balance very sensitive (short er lever to fulcrum).
3/ even I assumed the tow bar would be sitting dead centre on the bike but found on my bike it was sitting 5mm to one side so I adjusted it. so even with a well made tow bar you need to check it, I have had Classic to bars on three bikes so far and this was the first so it might be the Triumph chassis? but check it is centred to the rear tyre.
I have towed the camper behind the Rocket with Toyo Proxes tr1 245/55 Darkeside for appox 3,000km's, had to do some heavy braking using both brakes to point of just locking up down in Melbourne when a cager pulled out on me, I did nothave any sideways movement which I attribute to my carefull balanced loading on the draw bar the trailer does not try and lift the rear of the bike and the sticky compound of the Toyo (I bought the Toyo cos the dealer said it had the stickest compound) and yes Ican quite easily still lock up with out the trailer if I try or if I were to jump on the brakes but that getting of the topic.
In conclusion the 3 most important things to remember is
1 Balance Your Load on your draw bar/towbar (slight nose down fully loaded)
2 Alignment make sure every thing is square and in line
3 And most importantly remember to allow extra braking space when traveling in traffic.
these are just my opinions and observations over a lot of Km's :RockOn:
1/ The most important issue is to keep the correct weight balance on your draw bar always keep about 10% to 15% of trailer weight on the draw bar in my case 450kg trailer I have approx 60kg on the draw bar which brings up the matter of rear suspencion make sure you have heavy enought springing to cope, the trailer should if the draw bar has been set up right have a slight nose down lookabout it, get a friend to have a look from the side when you think you have it right while fully loaded with passenger.
2/ Alignment, most of us asume trailer is built straight but that is always the case and also the draw bar needs to be checked here's an example a mate bought a second hand trailer built by a reputable builder but as it turned out it wasone of the original prototypes, while following him I noticed it pulling slightly to one side and getting a bit of a wiggle when changing lanes, when stopped up the road for fuel I asked him if he felt it moving to which he reply yes but I thought that was normal, I then asked him if he had ever noticed mine moving his answer was no. When got home from the trip I suggested we checked out what was going on and I found two things one that the Trianglation of the draw bar was to one side(25mm/ inch over the lenght) hense pulling to one side and a slight push to one side while braking and that the towbar which against my advise he had welded up out of to lighter gauge steel bar(he wanted to keep it light he's a BMW rider what can I say) hence the wiggle. after I welded some hidden bracing to the draw bar to stiffen it up ( now weighs more than if he had listened to me and just bought the (Classic Ind Tow Bar they have done all the maths for you) we then pulled the chassis of the tailer and started from scratch, it is now pulling straight while I was welding up the new chassis I suggested that a longer draw bar would also give more stability as I had found with my own trailer and a lot of trailers are just built to short in the A frame there for making the weight balance very sensitive (short er lever to fulcrum).
3/ even I assumed the tow bar would be sitting dead centre on the bike but found on my bike it was sitting 5mm to one side so I adjusted it. so even with a well made tow bar you need to check it, I have had Classic to bars on three bikes so far and this was the first so it might be the Triumph chassis? but check it is centred to the rear tyre.
I have towed the camper behind the Rocket with Toyo Proxes tr1 245/55 Darkeside for appox 3,000km's, had to do some heavy braking using both brakes to point of just locking up down in Melbourne when a cager pulled out on me, I did nothave any sideways movement which I attribute to my carefull balanced loading on the draw bar the trailer does not try and lift the rear of the bike and the sticky compound of the Toyo (I bought the Toyo cos the dealer said it had the stickest compound) and yes Ican quite easily still lock up with out the trailer if I try or if I were to jump on the brakes but that getting of the topic.
In conclusion the 3 most important things to remember is
1 Balance Your Load on your draw bar/towbar (slight nose down fully loaded)
2 Alignment make sure every thing is square and in line
3 And most importantly remember to allow extra braking space when traveling in traffic.
these are just my opinions and observations over a lot of Km's :RockOn:
