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Yes, there
are many RT riders who pull trailers with their RT's. Jerry
<equimedic@aol.com>
notes "The trailer will rob your bike of power and fuel
mileage. The extra weight and wind drag, depending on the
style of the trailer, will have an affect on your top end
performance and fuel economy. I dropped about 2 mpg on mine.
Due to the RT's dry clutch, which can burn if slipped too
much, it can be difficult to get moving without killing the
engine when stopped on a hill. On the plus side, the trailer
will offer you the ability to take along items that you could
not normally take, which can mean that you will ride your
bike instead of taking that car. No matter how bad the fuel
mileage and power loss on the RT, the car will always burn
more gas and be less fun.
Just consider
that you have changed the handling characteristics of you
bike by moving the center of gravity towards the rear, thereby
taking some traction away from the front tire. The hitch is
behind the rear tire. Any weight on the hitch acts like a
lever, pushing down on the bike behind the rear axle. Heavy
braking and accelerating can magnify this. Your bike was designed
to have all its weight between axles. The trailer can also
sway from side to side, delivering some of this action to
the bike, again, behind the rear axle. At low speeds, none
of this will affect you. At highway speeds, it can affect
the handling of the bike to the point of lost control. You
can minimize handling problems by taking the time to properly
load the trailer making sure only 10% of its total weight
is on the tongue, plus by adding a swivel coupler to the tongue
and checking the tires for proper inflation. Another danger
to the trailer is that you may forget it's there and clip
something which can cause you to lose control.
At this
time, there are two hitch manufacturers for the RT:
Trailmaster:
http://www.trailmasterinc.com/index.html
Bushtec: http://www.bushtec.com
Alternatively,
Jerry notes that "you may find a used Reynolds hitch.
These aren't being made anymore, however, I see them advertised
from time to time on the internet. The Reynolds hitch is a
good quality hitch."
Regarding
a trailer, Jerry says "For a good inexpensive trailer,
try Cycle Mate: http://www.cycle-mate.com/products.htm
. I have a CM1000 and I'm happy with it. Another trailer
to look at: http://www.bushtec.com
. They also make hitches for the RT. I understand that these
pull like a dream."
Another
trailer vendor is now on the scene offering a unique single
wheel design. Visit http://www.uni-go.com.
These trailers are made in New Zealand, but they do have US
distributors.
An Australian
RT owner, John < jarseman@hotmail.com
> says that he "bought a trailer about 9 months ago.
I have absolutely no regrets. Before I settled on the one
I eventually purchased, I tried out 4 different manufacturers
types. The one I settled on is a combined steel chassis/aluminium
box, with leaf springs. It weighs 60kg empty. The next lightest
was 98 kg."
John has
some rules for choosing and using a trailer:
- Rule
# 1: Aim for the lightest trailer you think you might need
vs. capacity. The lighter the trailer, the less effect on
performance.
- Rule
# 2: Avoid fibreglass boxes (at least in Australia). Every
biker I know that has or does own one has problems with
flex/cracking.
- Rule
# 3: Load the trailer so that you have a towball load of
approx 20lb (a slightly forward C of G). This has the least
effect on handling. I have towed this trailer in all types
of weather including strong crosswinds and torrential rain.
It has had a minimal effect on the bike's stability. Of
course, braking distance increase.
- Rule
# 4: Aim to have the centre if the towball/hitch aligned
as closely as possible to the centre of the rear axle with
rider/passenger ON the bike.
- Rule
# 5: Sit back on your folding chair with a nice glass of
red and laugh at your friends with their tiny 2 man tents
:-))
"I
can carry a full campsite for 4 people with food for 2 days.
Without the panniers. (We can tow it behind the car,too!)
In summary, if you're going to buy a trailer, try out a few
as the dynamics and sure-footedness varies enormously. And
make sure you put a load in them for the test-ride."
Paul <psaint@banet.net>
adds that "Anyone contemplating pulling a trailer should
pick up a copy of "Pulling
Your Tail" by Bill Brobst. It's described as a "primer
on the art of motorcycle trailering". The copy I have
is a bit dated, copyright 1982, but was reprinted in 1995.
It gives the pros and cons, the musts and must nots, some
shoulds, and many "thumb" rules. If anyone thinks
that one wheel trailers are new and unique, well there is
a page or two devoted to them also."
Paul has
"been pulling a Bunkhouse camper/trailer for several
years, first with a Wing and now with the RT. The only difference
I find is that the RT has a higher first gear, making it necessary
to slip the clutch slightly when starting off. The trailer
gives me a place to sleep, a large stand up dressing area
and can carry up to 22 cubic feet of gear. Since my long distance
riding almost always is done two up the trailer is invaluable.
I've been to the Rockies with it and I've been to the Appalachians
several times. Does it impair the handling of the bike? Of
course, to some degree. Tight twisties are done much slower
and consideration has to be given to braking distances. BUT,
once set up I have a comfortable base camp, with the amenities
we desire, and, unlike having a sidecar, the bike is back
to normal in seconds."
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