Single-Wheel ADV Trailer Update

roddesu

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Joined
Sep 13, 2018
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81
Location
Chicago, IL, USA
About seven months ago I posted a questionnaire (here is the post) that asked you S10 riders about your travel habits and then got your opinion on a a single-wheel ADV trailer. Of the 200 responses we took, the S10 community gave us a ton of feedback. A good number of you wanted to shoot me and then burn me at the stake for even thinking about a trailer. However, a good number said they might want one. Enough were in the latter camp, that we have moved forward and started a company. I am thrilled to introduce Roam Trailers (roamtrailers.com).

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Why do this? I wanted to be able to travel for months all over the world, two-up with my wife. We've all seen photos and videos of people doing these kinds of trips and the cantilevered mountain of gear on the back of their bikes, with the pillion wedged in between it all. I didn't want that. My wife and I rode bicycles around the world in 1989-90...believe me, we know lightweight travel. But we aren't in our 20's any more and I want to bring a damn chair and a decent sized tent with me when I camp. I want to be able to carry enough water, and more than enough gas/petrol for where I'm going. I might want to be able to bring a cooler along...maybe even a 12v version. Very interestingly, in the questionnaire people started bringing forward great ideas like they could mount a bicycle rack or a kayak rack to it. A couple of people even mentioned being able to use it for deer hunting. People mentioned hiking trail maintenance...and dozens of other great ideas we hadn't thought of!

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After countless sketches and models and trips back to the drawing board, our industrial designer and I got the trailer we always wanted (he's into motorcycles too), with no compromises. It’ll take you and your traveling companions from Prudhoe Bay to Ushuaia. North Cape to Cape Town. Land’s End to Vladivostok—via the Chunnel, of course. (Can you tell what's on my bucket list?) We’re designing a trailer to take on fire roads and the expressway—travel anywhere you want to go.

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We’ve put so much time and effort into the design, it’s impossible to count the versions. Here are just a few of the features we've put in:
  • 6061-T6 aluminum construction for lightweight ruggedness.
  • An amazing locking hitch for easy mounting/dismounting, even if the trailer and bike are on their side. It will also work with every ADV bike with a hollow rear axle, including 1250 GSs.
  • A design that takes the weight of your gear off your bike’s suspension.
  • A custom-built Warp 9® 17” spoked wheel that will fit a wide variety of tires.
  • A horizontal air shock for easy adjustment to whatever weight you’re carrying.
  • A mounting plate system that will accept all the most popular hard and soft panniers.
  • A system to allow carrying dry bags, a cooler, Rotopax for spare gas and water, GreatLoop gas bags, or pretty much whatever you want.
  • Lockable internal storage with charging ports.
  • Room for two spare tires so you can easily change to off-road tires when you get to the beginning of the Dempster Highway, or don't have to ship in tires to Kenya as you go down Africa's east coast.

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We Are Bringing Our Trailer to BMW MOA National Rally in Great Falls, MT
I ride a Super Tenere, but we will launching our trailer at the BMW MOA National Rally at the end of June. I will have to look for someone to loan me a GS during the day for our booth so we can show our GS hitch. The S10 hitch is much easier!

If you have suggestions on what rallies it would be good to show up at this summer, I'd love to hear it!


Get More Info
If you'd like to follow our adventure to our launch and my planned summer of extensive testing, you can sign up for our newsletter at roamtrailers.com. We'll be on social media fairly soon as well. We'll announce that via the newsletter.
 

Paletes3

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Joined
Jun 12, 2017
Messages
205
Location
Lisbon, Portugal
Although it’s not my “thing”, it’s a great idea/product and it looks awesome.
I have some questions for European riders:
- are motorcycle trailers legal in EU (they are different from sidecars)?
-it’ll need some sort of certification from Department of Transportation.(?)
- How about max speed restrictions?
- Toll roads? (at least in Portugal if you’re driving with a trailer you’ll pay more).
- could we filter/split traffic with a trailer?

I know... ride more worry less...
 

roddesu

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Joined
Sep 13, 2018
Messages
81
Location
Chicago, IL, USA
Thanks for the kind words! It's definitely not for everyone.

Motorcycle trailers are legal in much Europe. We haven't found a country yet where they are expressly forbidden, but would love to hear if you know differently!

Surprisingly, most of the rules are still on a country-by-country basis. The most common rules are around speed (Germany is the most restrictive at 60km/hr I believe, most allow up to 110km/h on expressways), lane usage, and weight of the trailer and load. Most EU countries limit the combined weight of the trailer and its gear to be 50% of the motorcycle's weight. I can't remember which country, but it limits are 150kg or 2/3 of bike weight, whichever is less. Some countries have regulations on the length of the trailer as well.

There are a lot of hurdles in exporting to/importing into Europe, and we are working through them. Certification by the Dept of Transportation is just one of them. If any of you are experts in EU import/export regulations, I'd love to chat with you!
 
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Don in Lodi

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There are trailer speed limits in California. The wording on the signs used to be vague enough that it could be interpreted to allow motorcycles to run the regular limit, not any more. I've never been pulled over for speed with a trailer though. Some toll roads charge by the number of axles.
 

AVGeek

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There are trailer speed limits in California. The wording on the signs used to be vague enough that it could be interpreted to allow motorcycles to run the regular limit, not any more. I've never been pulled over for speed with a trailer though. Some toll roads charge by the number of axles.
I do know there is a bill in the CA Legislature to remove the 55mph limit when towing in rural areas, but I don't think it will change the requirement to stay in the right 2 lanes.
 

Xclimation

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Aug 17, 2016
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651
Location
Ft. Worth, Texas
Congratulations on your new start up! I have admiration and respect for the research, work and designing that goes along with this! On every motorcycle owners web page that I've ever belonged to....the best products have come from the member/owners who design, build and sell the specific products. I am pulling for you (no pun intended) and hoping for success!
 

TenereJourneyMan

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Dec 20, 2019
Messages
239
Location
Sacramento/NorCal, CA
Hey “roddesu”! I really think what you are doing great. I’ve been traveling for the last couple of years on my 2012 Super Tenere and a 2001 Windward motorcycle camper/trailer. You can check out my setup at:

I really hope that you hit the big home run you are swinging for! ⚾ The type of trailer you have described for ADV Motorcycle enthusiasts is akin to all of the high clearance 4 x 4 trailers that have inundated the Jeep market over the past decade. And look how successful that has been. We’ve been waiting for you!⏰ I would like to let you know that I already signed up for your newsletter and will be anxiously awaiting your official launch.
 

roddesu

Active Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2018
Messages
81
Location
Chicago, IL, USA
Hello Kevin!

Thank you very much for your comment and well wishes. You've outlined pretty much exactly what we are hoping for and our research is indicating. This won't be what every ADV rider is looking for, but there are definitely a lot of people out there who are interested! In my wanders around YouTube, I had already seen the video you embedded...so I had already "met" you! Hope your journeying is going well. We'll be updating the email list shortly with some pretty big news, so stay tuned!
 
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