Trailer hitch

Don in Lodi

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bvail said:
Hi Don


I tried to respond to checkwrecks but didn't work even though I was logged on. Anyway to him I say an Aliner might be pushing the envelope, especially for an adventure bike. I think they were made more for heavy touring bikes like mine.


Been a while, hope you are doing well.


Your Friend, Bob Vail
Bob! You are still travelling I hope. ::003::
 

bvail

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Don in Lodi said:
Bob! You are still travelling I hope. ::003::

Not so much anymore. I plan on attending the motocampers campout in Tellico Plains TN this June and maybe sell the rig. Fire in the belly has diminished, but am thinking of getting a super scooter - Suzuki 650 Executive and a cargo. Getting long in the tooth.
 

Checkswrecks

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bvail said:
Hi Don

I tried to respond to checkwrecks but didn't work even though I was logged on. Anyway to him I say an Aliner might be pushing the envelope, especially for an adventure bike. I think they were made more for heavy touring bikes like mine.

Been a while, hope you are doing well.

Your Friend, Bob Vail

Hi Bob


Glad you're still around and nothing wrong with those super scooters. Neighbor husband and wife got two Burgmans and travel on them.


I now can agree that the 400 lbs Aliner would be too much, and especially so if there are no electric brakes.
 

bvail

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Checkswrecks said:
Hi Bob


Glad you're still around and nothing wrong with those super scooters. Neighbor husband and wife got two Burgmans and travel on them.


I now can agree that the 400 lbs Aliner would be too much, and especially so if there are no electric brakes.

Thanks. I looked into the Aliner just out of curiosity and there were more negatives than positives from what I read. Can't remember exactly what, but for one thing, most pop up trailers have much more room and storage, especially the Bunkhouse and Aspen offerings. Now, if I were to go with a Burgman and trailer, there are 6 man (or more) 'instant' tents available and with a good cot, probably almost as good as a camper.


As far as brakes and swivel hitches, I never really saw the need for either, but that's just me.


Thanks for your response and I hope you find the rig that puts you in a happy place ::013::
 

Buelligan

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I have one of Z06's Trailer hitches, works real well. Ive ridden about 12,000 miles now pulling a bushtec trailer, the SO loves the extra room.

This was at the Dragon last fall

Camping this spring


at a roadside overlook

The hitch works well, I did have to modify it slightly to allow clearance for the center, and side stands.
The Bushtec weighs 125 lbs, and we typically load it with about 100 lbs, I keep the tongue weight around 30 lbs.
I've had zero handling issues pulling the trailer, the Bushtec is a real breeze to pull. I've ridden briskly through the Tail of the dragon, and the famed hwy666 in Arizona.
The Tenere doesn't even notice the weight back there.

::001::
 

Checkswrecks

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Great example of what I was talking about with respect to other trailers having the higher tongue, vs the HF trailers and my camper.
Thanks
 

BaldKnob

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becoyote said:
Those hitches fit a 14+ ES ? I may decide to get another Tenere and I am picking up a bushtec spartan tomorrow.

It will be for the FJR for now but I want to upgrade from my HF.
Good to have you back in the fold, if you buy one, but it seems like a longer, lower, heavier bike would be the better mule here. Is there a significant difference in ride between the two bikes while towing?
 

becoyote

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Not sure if I would say significant but the FJR certainly is stronger and heavier so except for the fact that my FJR doesn't have traction control I would give it the nod for a pavement only tour.

I have about 15-20k trailer miles on each the FJR and Tenere but all have been with modified HF trailers which have almost no suspension. Cheap and functional but probably not correct.

If all goes well I am picking up one of these tomorrow. Lighter than my harbor freight, taller wheels and adjustable independent suspension.
I bet it would be perfect behind a Ten. My HF would beat me to death taking it on rough forest roads.



 

Don in Lodi

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I'm hoping to order a Spartan in a few weeks. ::003::
 

Z06

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becoyote said:
Not sure if I would say significant but the FJR certainly is stronger and heavier so except for the fact that my FJR doesn't have traction control I would give it the nod for a pavement only tour.

I have about 15-20k trailer miles on each the FJR and Tenere but all have been with modified HF trailers which have almost no suspension. Cheap and functional but probably not correct.

If all goes well I am picking up one of these tomorrow. Lighter than my harbor freight, taller wheels and adjustable independent suspension.
I bet it would be perfect behind a Ten. My HF would beat me to death taking it on rough forest roads.



The Bushtec trailers with larger diameter wheels and air suspension tow very well.
 

Checkswrecks

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Agreed on fairly sure there is no difference between ES and non-ES for mounting this.

Here's a photo of it on my 14 non-ES. Note the center stand being held down by the hitch's horizontal bar. After grounding it intentionally a couple of times it was clear how much it limited lean angle. I'll probably just take the center stand off when changing tires next week, rather than cut the stand like you did your last one.



So 2,600 miles later with about 300 lbs in the trailer. . .


I forget the camper is back there, even in bumps and turns. As mentioned above, the hitch holding the center stand down is the biggest issue.
The trailer does affect braking and in a hard stop the ABS will kick in. Actually less issue than with a big passenger, as the hitch is low. Not enough of an issue to install e-brakes.
The whole addition reduces gas mpg about 10%.
The camper is up and ready in literally 5 minutes. In heavy downpours the luggage is already inside, beneath the bed.

[Modified post 7/16/2017 to restore photo. Been towing the trailer over 6,000 miles with no problems after removing the center stand.]
 

becoyote

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put my spartan up for sale in the fm

The dog box I hoped to use in it probably won't work and my HF trailer doesn't want to sell for enough to make it worth my while for the switch.

 

Checkswrecks

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This happened on the way to the FODS16 get-together, but it's probably better to relate here, as one of those "Learn from he dummy" lessons. I had been following the GPS from Helvetia WV to the campground and it put me on a well graded dirt road called Zumbach, which became County 52, and I just found it's also named Silica Rd. No problem till passing several houses, then there was a steep short uphill left behind the last of them, and the road suddenly got much worse. My own fault for not turning around, as I know that in WV when this happens, the road goes from "maintained" to "unmaintained" and may literally have been washed out 20 years ago. Fun on the KTM 690 - not so much on a Tenere with a trailer.

The trailer was doing OK and I was up on the pegs with slip sliding through the mud and steeper unmaintained sections. Basically I was just trying to keep the 3 wheel tracks out of the rain galleys and besides, the GPS said this was the road to follow, right? That's about the point I went through a set of puddles like hundreds before and the little 8" tire on the right hung up in a surprisingly deep one. I was probably well into second or third gear so moving along pretty good. This looks back, so it's on the left and doesn't look like much of a problem, hence the speed. So after continuing on after knowing I should've turned around, the second goof was going faster than I really needed to.

The bike suddenly paused a second, and when the tire popped up and free it was like unleashing a spring. I knew this wasn't going to end well when the trailer came into my right peripheral vision. The Tenere went down on the left, the trailer pulled it back up again backwards, and for a little I was riding backwards before the bike went down the second time. The Helite air vest popped as I came to a stop and the bike kept going with the trailer plopped up on it's side.

No real damage beyond a slight ding in the tank, bent shifter, and bent license plate. The Tenere is ONE TOUGH BIKE! Not something you think of when you set up a trailer is that when the bike was on its side, the orientation of the trailer tongue was straight up from the hitch. Fortunately, the trailer tongue has a swivel coupler and I credit that with the lack of trailer or hitch damage.

The GPS at this point said that continuing on was the shorter way off the mountain. Being the idiot or glutton for punishment I am, I rickshaw the trailer past the next puddles and got everything back together. Remember that bit about roads being washed out? Another quarter mile up the road the drainage had left a rock wall and steps that would have been a minor challenge for the thumpers. It's nearly headlight tall, there's no way the 8" tires would make it, and this is the point I said F- this, I'm turning around.


I rickshawed the trailer back through the worst of the muddy section and about this point it was less than a half hour to sunset. Having just passed a beautiful lonely spot on the ridge, that's where camp was for the night rather than riding in the dark. After a can of soup, went to sleep listening to tree frogs and woke to the song of cicadas. The next morning I retraced my steps to Helvetia, washed up everything at a car wash, and got to meet the others.

btw - I've carried a SPOT tracker in my jacket for a couple of years, largely because Karen likes to follow along when she is not with me. I'm really thankful to have not been hurt, and even so, consider the tracker to have paid for itself on this one outing, since it gave me a way out if I really needed it.
 

KYRider

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Trailer Hitch for S10 Question

Can anyone point me in the right direction for a trailer hitch that fits a Super Tenere. I would like to start pulling either a Unigo or a KomPact Kamper. At my advanced age I am getting a little tired of tent camping and would like to take things in a new direction. Any help or advice would be appreciated.
 

Don in Lodi

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Re: Trailer Hitch for S10 Question

KYRider said:
Can anyone point me in the right direction for a trailer hitch that fits a Super Tenere. I would like to start pulling either a Unigo or a KomPact Kamper. At my advanced age I am getting a little tired of tent camping and would like to take things in a new direction. Any help or advice would be appreciated.
Usually when you go over to Hotel Camping it takes less space, not more. We have a member that fabricated a few hitches for us, ZO6 is his handle. Your two mentioned trailers take two different hitch set ups if you weren't aware. And one is very light and the other is at the weight limit for the Tenere. I haven't come across a manufacturer that does the Tenere yet. There's a couple out there for the FJR that might be able to be modified. I haven't looked into that though.
 

sallydog

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i have a hitch i took off my 2012 with jesse racks im not using any more... doesnt fit my new ES and i have a new design in mind

https://sallydog.smugmug.com/My-stuff/Trailer-hitch/i-9ZjN5Rq
 
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