Towing with the Tenere, trailer now finished :-)
 

Has anyone on here had any experience towing a trailer with there Ten??

Reason I ask is I do alot of mountain biking, but I don't drive so I'm stuck fairly local, I'll cycle maybe a 30-40 mile loop if the weather's good. But I'd love to travel further a field but hate public transport and I don't drive.

Whilst out cycling before Xmas I was traveling over the footbridge over the top of the M62 and saw a goldwing towing a trailer.

BINGO. That's what I need as previous attempts to transport mountain on daisy where a little hap hazard ro say the least lol.

http://i607.photobucket.com/albums/t...psvgminksf.jpg

http://i607.photobucket.com/albums/t...pslp9mv80w.jpg

So I looked into it and found out the laws and started building

https://www.gov.uk/towing-with-motorcycle

Here's where I am so far, I've added a extra rail to my pannier frames and a 5mm thick stainless plate with tow ball.
http://i607.photobucket.com/albums/t...psfu8wqkym.JPG

http://i607.photobucket.com/albums/t...psavcx8hz2.JPG

Quick mock up to check the length.

http://i607.photobucket.com/albums/t...psiesryucz.JPG

I Fitted tow hitch and moved the axle rear ward so I now have 10kg nose weight on the tow ball.

http://i607.photobucket.com/albums/t...pshknwoeh2.JPG

Added bracing as the tow hitch was a bit flexy plus there will be upwards of �2000 of.mountain bikes on there. So want to make sure it stays attached.

http://i607.photobucket.com/albums/t...psnr5yutsq.JPG

Then I took it for a little spin.

http://i607.photobucket.com/albums/t...pse27hukij.jpg

http://s607.photobucket.com/user/sta...zcwzj.mp4.html

Tbh you don't know it's there, so far it weighs 41 kg so Can legally carry 109kg in it. Much more than 2 mountain bikes weigh. I've since towed it round a friends farm and up and down his lane. Does well over the bumps and I've tried fast manoeuvres and emergency stops and it performs well. Even had it loaded up with 200 kg of.sand to make sure nothing would break.

Started with panels and mudguards, new number plate, lights and reflectors on the way, and a tub of yellow paint for the frame :-) juat need to splice into the rear lights and I'm laughing. The led lights I've ordered only use 0.08 amp so shouldnt over load the rear wiring, ( I hope) insurance were fine with it as long as the coupling were type approved for towing. The hitch and ball are rated to 3500kg for towing caravans lol.

http://i607.photobucket.com/albums/t...pssziafkat.JPG

Will post up some more when I get it done.

Thanks for looking.

:applause: Unusual and interesting project for the Ten. Look forward to seeing the finished article and finding out how it performs.

Looking at the wheels, you could probably saved a good few kilos of unladen weight swapping to narrow lightweight trailer wheels and tyres, rather than the car type (Mini?) ones your using at the minute?? I take it, your running Indespension type hubs and trailing arms?

Blimey ...............or should i say "kin hell" thats a beast mate , how much does it weight ? looks to roll OK but what about braking ? looks like you could get half a ton in there :023:

Hi Jon, I just love those first two photos man ha ha ha! Initiative eh? What we do to transport stuff???????? I remember once lugging 2 lengths of decking on the back of my XJR!! If the plod had only seen me!!!!!!!!!! Tony ps good luck with the trailer.........

Top marks Pleiades I am using Indespension units as a friend had them and the wheels knocking about, tbh the wheels and tireS are very light it's the Indespension units that are heavy.

Philinfrance : it weighs 41kg matey but I think this will be closer to 55kg when all paneled out with lights mudguards etc fitted, and ive had 200kg of sand in it and dragged it around a farm and up and down a rough lane, handles ok. braking as affected obviously but them two brembo stoppers up front do the job nicely, rear suspension acts a little differently but its towing so it's to be expected.
I need to get the lights etc fitted so I can take it out on the road and see what it's like at speed, not had it over 35 yet haha.

Never had anything as big as decking on lmao that must have WIDE. but the bike was pretty hairy, lmao

Hopefully I'll have it ready so I can take it to the lakeland do this year. That way I can pack as much crap as I want lmao

Surely it could do with a swivel couperling so it could swivel to all angles last thing you woul wantnis to hit its limit

Swivel coupling???? I can lie the bike down with the panniers on and not reach the limit of the towball, is this what you mean??

Yep thats what I ment, thats fine

YEEESSS.....

Sorry, I just want to see SteveD's face when you unload more than he does !

:SpinHappy_15XK8L:

pannier mount bike rack
 

...ive seen a couple of guys at mtb races with inline bike racks, mounted to the pannier attachments. Hold a bike pretty damn well! In the process of making my own- will keep you posted...

I'll be interested to see this, stick some photos up when you start, beauty of the trailer means I can take 2 bikes and a buddy on pillion.

And apparently More. Stuff than Steve D haha

Well done looks great. One question... the pipe you used for the tow hook on the bike looks suspiciously like electrical conduit? if so conduit isn�t very strong and or suitable.

High Redbikejohn, well spotted, I originally used electrical conduit but the wall was so thin it was very weak. I basically used it to get all the measurements correct. Then I found a length of pipe in the stores at work that was miles sturdier. It is 20mm OD, 12mm ID really heavy duty and galvanished inside and out. I think it's for compressed air or something similar, it weighs alot but it's so much sturdier, I had trouble fabricating the hoop you can see, the pipe bender was ok but to flatten the ends where it mounts to the passenger footpeg I had to get it red hot with a blow torch and squash it with a hydraulic bearing press.

It ain't going nowhere now. :thumbsup[1]:

Plenty strong enough, possibly overkill, as the wall thickness of the tubes that make up the pillion footrest that it's attached to are just 1.5mm! ;)

Haha true, that hoop is much longer though. And tbh was more a case of hmmmm what's lying around. Oooo that'll do haha so far the whole thing stands me at �45

�10 lights
�8 refectory kit
� 7 cable,
�9 electrical connectors
�11 paint and brushes.
Plugs, towball and hitch were given to me.
As.where wheels and Indespension units. And mudguards.
All steelwork is offcuts and scrap from where I work.
Hence the gypsy trailer.

All you need now are some hoops and a canvas tilt and you'll be able to sleep in it... maybe a trailer tent? ;)

Like it. The tenere gypsies

nice project look forward to seeing more of the trailer. Curious what are the legal requirements for towing with a motorbike when it comes to license etc

To be honest I have no idea, motorcycle towing laws in UK state that you can tow with any motorcycle with an engine over 125cc capacity so I'm guessing you could tow even on a restricted license?? I've yet to find any info regarding license requirements.

Tbh I got fed up of looking, spent a few hours trawling direct.gov websites, and practicing my Googlefoo but to no avail. :093:

And I thought about sleeping in it but its too small for my portly figure haha, but you could easily make a trailer tent under the weight requirements, maybe next winter I'll do that haha.

Started throwing some paint at the trailer today, I'm using some yellow liquid vinyl stuff, goes on thick. But is super hard wearing. I use it on all the exterior barriers and handrails at work.

I'm going for yellow frame with blue panels as.everyone knows the blue and yellow Ten is the sexiest paint scheme there is :pjrflash_Q2CCBE:

You can see more of the frame work with wheels and panels.removed

http://i607.photobucket.com/albums/t...ps3nzcgy2l.JPG

http://i607.photobucket.com/albums/t...psrgq0ekbp.JPG

http://i607.photobucket.com/albums/t...psppekvv9h.JPG

And before you all start I know I have missed bits it's not finnished yet lmao. :YellowWink_VZHUX5:

Wow, impressive project!

Back to the swivel mount on the trailer - you mentioned that you could lay the bike down without reaching the hitch's limit, but what if the trailer flipped over 180 degrees?

Then I guess I would be in a world of ****. Lol I've though about this and Googled swivel hitchS, they done seem very technical, so shouldnot be hard to make one. But tbh I can't envisage a scenario where the trailer would flip over, I'll never take it on the motorway as I prefer roads, im no rossi in the bends especially with knobblys fitted. And I doubt I'll use it in windy conditions as taking the mountain bike out when it's windy is horrible lol.

I'll have a look at making one. I guess better safe than sorry.

Side wheel hits pothole.... bounce bounce bounce flip. Quiet easy really

This is the kinda info I need as I have no experience with towing anything as I dnt drive. I never thought a trailer could flip over as it's so low. Not like a caravan or box trailer.

I thought the swivel hitch was more for if I laid the bike down or it fell off the Sidestand.

Indespention units cause alot of bounce when they dont have wait on (youre never going to have proper weight on in indespention terms) so it will bounce quiet a bit put that with a thin wheel base and the potential is there, im not saying it will but theres defantly a potential better to be safe and over engineered then sorry

I did wander about the Indespension units. I thought they where seized solid but later found out that they're off a 1 ton trailer so they are never ever going to move, I've lowered the trailers tire pressures down to 15 psi and have taken them over speed bumps at 30 mph and very little bounce but it's deffo better to be safe than sorry.

Thanks for everyones help

The trailer I use behind a quad on the farm has one of these, which works well enough. Never tip either trailer or quad over.

It's cheap enough to buy, but I reckon would be an easy/simple enough design to use as a pattern to copy for a DIY fabrication job?

That's the same type I found whilst researching. Looks a doddle to make tbh. I'll see what I can knock up, and stick up some photos.

I begrudge paying �30 for one as it will almost double my cost so far haha.

My friends have nicknamed my efforts,
pikeytech engineering

Interesting thread. One of those would be just the ticket for sticking behind the Ten to go wood gathering with the chainsaw.
As a complete tangent, would negative camber on the trailer wheels help with the rolly overness or not? Trying to think it through and type.

Very nice work mate.
Just needs a little more ingenuity built in and you will have your self a MTB transporter/motorhome (well maybe just motorbed) and then everyone will be knocking on your door on those cold wet nights.
Excellent effort.
:038:

Hi guys, just an update I had a play around with the swivel hitch and found it alowed the trailer to hop from wheel to wheel on bumpy roads. Was unnerving to say the least haha.

So ive gone back to the fixed hitch for now and it seems to have solved the problem. Everything is now fitted and its also got around 200miles on it now and around 10 miles offroad . Pictures and a little vid to follow

Few pictures if the trailer as I was finnishing it off.

Also a few from today :-) it tows really well. N wobble up to 60mph, ive got 15 psi in the tires which has really reduced the bounce. It even coped well on the rough stuff.

http://i607.photobucket.com/albums/t...psocaahgzi.jpg
http://i607.photobucket.com/albums/t...psvvs5p9t0.jpg

Loaded up ready to go.
http://i607.photobucket.com/albums/t...pssr0vkf5k.jpg

http://i607.photobucket.com/albums/t...psicqn6yln.jpg

Quick break

http://i607.photobucket.com/albums/t...psdubdldwm.jpg
http://i607.photobucket.com/albums/t...pswkyveebx.jpg

Thanks for looking :-)
Jon

Little vid

http://s607.photobucket.com/user/sta...irtcx.mp4.html

Few pics from the lane, maybe a bit daft but lifes an adventure lmao.

http://i607.photobucket.com/albums/t...psjdcffq5f.jpg

http://i607.photobucket.com/albums/t...pstzrerfyw.jpg

http://i607.photobucket.com/albums/t...pstcvhvb4o.jpg

http://i607.photobucket.com/albums/t...pspjguhpvf.jpg

http://i607.photobucket.com/albums/t...psfieguktc.jpg

This is how I get my TTR250 around.... wonder if a light alloy version
would be possable to tow a bike behind a motorbike..

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/80...90/24/9xr3.jpg

https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/80...90/35/yzp1.jpg

Ive seenon ADV forum a bike towing a trailer with another dirtbike on it. I guess it would.be possibke.but uk law is trailer plus load must not exceed 150 kg or 66% of the kerbside weight of the towing bike. Say ur TTR weighs 120 - 130 kg ud be hard pushed to build a trailer under 20 kg. Mine weighs 60.

But making it from alloy with some light weight wheels might just be doable.

Well its been a while since i updated the trailer thread. Its now got over 3000 miles on it. Ive used it to move house. Ive moved the cooker, washer, a small 2seat couch. Furniture.

Its been fantastic and the Ten pulls It all day no probs.
Its greatest acheivement was a 5 day camping and biking trip to grizedale in the lakes.
2 up
2 bikes,
50 cans of Fosters,
2 large tents
Spares for the Ten and mtbs.
ClOthes,
Food,
Stopped in settle on the way and much to my amusment was stopped by a police man and asked.
Excuse me, is that legal?? Made the trip worthwhile, and we still laugh about it today.
http://i607.photobucket.com/albums/t...ps0pdi5jh4.jpg
http://i607.photobucket.com/albums/t...pssd1sam0v.jpg
http://i607.photobucket.com/albums/t...psnuop872f.jpg

Cheers for looking
Jon

Hi Jon, brilliant build and great result! There's a guy round here with a Triumph Explorer with a trailer for his Trials bike, (motorbike ). Thanks for sharing a great thread, really enjoyed it. Steve

Great work building it yourself from scratch :smilies0346: but I would copy this approach for less effort haha!!
He used this off the shelf lightweight trailer ....
http://www.carlex.com.au/index1.html?c35.html&1
Cut it down to match his trunk size and then with a couple of tie down secures a locking trunk but can also remove it to put a small dirt bike when taking littlies out for a ride.
http://i317.photobucket.com/albums/m...pszfpohemi.jpg
Awesome job with your build and great to hear it's working perfectly.
Matt.