Trailer Hitch Install

[atomsplitter]

Hitch is model #191 for Rocket III from www.hitchusa.com

The hitch attaches to the passenger peg bracket. You'll have to swap out the e-clip pin and sub a bolt and washer. I used a 7M bolt about 2.5" long plus a lock washer. The hitch doesn't allow the peg to go up and down unless you add in a spacer. I used a 1/4" thick spacer I had laying around. You can also just sandwich in some washers.


The upper support brackets are held on by the rear fender support. I used a 8M X 1.25 90mm long plus flat washer, lock washer and nylon insert nut (No I don't want to have that nut vibrate off).




The way this set up it doesn't interfere with the suspension (good because I didn't want to put the stockers back on).


It centers the ball pretty well.


You can see the trailer is held out pretty well. The reason the trailer is tipped up is I'm using 13.49" shocks (1" over length) that will reduce some when I sit my fat butt in the seat.


You can see the offset from this angle.


Bike and trailer together first time.

 

[Bishop]

Hmm, on the rear fender supports huh?

Not sure I like that...

 

[REGULATOR]

I guess that wouldn't work with corbins then...

 

[Bishop]

Or Rivco passenger boards.

 

[atomsplitter]

I had to remove my Rivco passenger boards (not a major problem since the wife is not going on this trip). The rear fender support is the 8M X 1.25 fixed nut, you can see in the 3rd photo that it's a thru bolt. The bolt I had to get a little longer so it would protrude out of the welded on nut on the inner skirt supprort. The vertical load is supported by the sub frame under the trim rail. I think if you have Rivco boards and you want to keep them the hitch would have to install on the backside of the single support bolt. I didn't see an option for that at the web site where I bought the hitch. Of course you can always take it to a machine shop and have it custom fit, but then you're into more money than I would want to spend.

Bolt up time (not including the hardware store run) was about 1 hour. It'll come off faster now that everything is fitted.

After my DC trip the hitch is coming back off. I'll keep it in case I want to do another trip (or buy an Air Stream).

 

[redrocket]

What is the tongue and weight limit on that hitch?

 

[gldean]

if it had a small wheel on the back it could double as a wheelie bar. :lol: :twisted:

 

[Jimmy Rocket]

Nay!

 

[atomsplitter]

Pull the ball off and bolt in a caster and you're all set to protect the fender from mondo wheelie damage.

They don't specify a load limit with the mounting instructions (which amount to some pictures of where to mount), you might want to contact hitchusa for actual numbers. The trailer load limit is 590 lbs, the tongue load should be about 10% or so of that. The safety chain holder is tucked underneath where you can barely see it and is held on by the hitch ball.

They don't include much in the way of hardware, I spent $12.00 for hardware I was confident would take the load I'm going to put on it. Triple it if you opt for the specialty chrome bits (Ace Hardware).

 

[Bishop]

They don't specify a load limit? Should have been on a sticker on the hitch.

I might have missed it in the photos since I'm on a 9" screen, but why is it off center?