I didn't realise towbars would stir up so much debate!!

Well I can't join in with the Ure Welcome rally talk... or the Matlock meet... or the camping trip... or the Xmas meets... etc *cries*
                                                                                                                                                                             

Awww WB come and sit ere n we'll talk about sh*te 

I can't make matlock either and the xmas do's are in a different continent so it looks like i'll ave nowt to talk about either shortly
                                                                                                                                                                             

i can't even imagine a chop with a trailer. going slow because i have a trailer behind me not what i got into bikes to do i got into bikes because they were fast and cool if you need to take more than you can carry on a bike there is a better device than a trailer it's called a car. if people climb serious mountains with a backpack you don't need more for a weekend in a field with foodstalls etc. why do you need to stand up to put on jeans and t-shirt by the way                                                                                                                                                                              

punk when you're a big fat lad it doesn't take long to work up a serious sweat wrigglin about in a 2 manner tryin to get your pants pulled up                                                                                                                                                                               

True that... but it has me in fits of giggles every morning when I get up...

Hmmm... Maybe I should consider pitching my tent in the bedroom.. then I could start every day laughing
                                                                                                                                                                             

airbed mad cat bit more thought needed i think                                                                                                                                                                             

Valid argument...                                                                                                                                                                               

hmmmmmmmm, quite a debate as RK said after only asking for advice,  and I'm susceptable to being cheeky at Andys expense at his 'Hotel' compared to my 'Squirrel shed', like he said friday and through the weekend, I won't get another lift if I don't stop it....   Me and Andy beg to differ on what to take to a rally - I have a titchy tent, sleeping bag, rucksack with change of clothes, waterproofs, torch.......bout it - get the picture - I'm with WB on that - tho if it wasn't for Andy I wouldn't of got to last weekends rally, so I owe him big time    Andy is the best rider I've ever pillied with, years of riding experience - I feel safe, and so confident I often only ride with one hand holding on, sometimes none, with and without a trailer.    He is confident at filtering through traffic with the trailer, its never a problem and we didnt often have to stop at all - he just goes through the middle - I think we won't get through, he goes for it and does every time.  I never worry, never had to, to be honest.    We borrowed DC's sports bike on Saturday, Andy had never rode one before but you would never of known, he handled it well and treated it with respect.  And no, I'm not creeping hoping to cadge another lift, I'm just being honest.   Now we are going to beg to differ Andy - I know you like your comforts, extras, but personally I don't see a need for it all.  I understand peeps who have bad backs and need airbeds but half the time they go down anyway overnight.  On saying that tho if all I'd taken was my little 40 year old 1 ring burner, no way would me and Cathy have enjoyed the fry-up we did on Sat night, without Andys cooker, and if Pete hadn't borrowed me a blanket and liner for my sleeping bag I'd of froze again another night, so there you go.  If I'm ever lucky enough to ride my own bike tho, I would definately travel light - at the end of the day, you go to a rally to chill and have a laugh with everyone, not ages setting up a home from home.    Right, I'm going to leg it now, not sure if I will get any more lifts either from Andy, damn and blast    best to be honest tho, hey folks ?!                                                                                                                                                                             

They say honesty's the best policy... mind you, they also say time is money... I've been sat watching the clock for 5 minutes already and no money's dropped into my lap? 

Just in case it's being read that way, no way did I intend to cast aspersions on any rider's ability, Andy or anyone else.

It was the remark about bikes and trailers bettering sports bikes on bends that prompted my comments... and only meant hypothetically... I just wouldn't choose to continue pillying with someone who was overtaking bikes on bends whilst towing a trailer and with me sat on the back. Simples

                                                                                                                                                                             

I wasn't havin a go Wb. That argument makes more sense.  tho i would be more worried being on the bike that was being overtaken by a bike with a trailer.                                                                                                                                                                              

Oh I appreciate that Blues - I just re-read my original and realised I'd been totally unclear, so thought I'd better clarify it and say what I meant to say in the first place!                                                                                                                                                                              

what springs to mind is if you tow a small trailer with a car it bounces  left or right a few inches if you hit a bump if you hit a bump on a bike and trailer filtering you cant avoid the bump and the few inches movement could clip a car horses for courses but does not seem safe to me                                                                                                                                                                             

The light weight trailers you are refering have suspention that is far to stiff pd they have a single axel that is all rubber and steel that is also to wide to take behind a solo bike (the boxes are 1mtr wide (plus the wheels and mud guards) if you build a trailer you tend to use indespention units and you can then buy the correct weight rated so the bounce you describe is either lowered or eliminated the other trick is to lower the psi in the trailer tires to the minimum recomended this acts as a further damper! My next trailer will have adjustable suspention off a small bike! So I can further control the dampening.                                                                                                                                                                             

Well Nuts not to worry eh? I'll probably end up with a mini caravan of some description, to pull behind a bigger bike or a trike, I can do light weight camping and have in the past, but as my knees and back have suffered in recent years, why should I give up rallies because it's not no longer enjoyable in a smaller tent!   I've only had HR towers 2 years and just do not see a reason to go back to roughing it at the expence of my enjoyment as I now get it!   Thank you for your glowing praise of my riding ability! Although I'd say I'm only an average rider, tend to ride within the capabilities of me and the machine I'm on! I've had my CB for over 4 years now longest I've kept any viehical and got to know her little limits, and enjoy riding her alone and 2 up with or without trailer!   Off road now while I'm stripping her down for a small re build, borrowed a mates big single trailie and reminissing about the time I had the XL250s and yes I've camped on that 1 up with just a rack on it!   If anyone wants to know more about fitting towbars/electrics to a bike get in touch! A mate at bike club is having a tow bar fitted to his BMW 1200C it's have a removable arm to enable the wheel to be removed from the left of the bike without removing the rest!                                                                                                                                                                             

So it wasnt you I saw in Wales Hull? Trike with one of then caravans with the colapsable sides. I had to do a double take. Made me smile thinking thats a man that likes his comfort                                                                                                                                                                             

Just to add on, its really important to load the trailer correctly, secure its load correctly with plenty of bungees and a cargo net, keeping the weight evenly placed and not placing anything too heavy near the tow bar as this will cause the bike to be unbalanced at the front and lift the front wheel making the bike very unstable and a danger on the road........now that would not be good                                                                                                                                                                              

personally, and this is just my opinion, i am with PD on this , if the trailer hits some kind ogf foriegn object in the road, surely its gonna make the bike unsafe, but i have never towed one, so maybe we all should not judge till we try.....but wont be trying...but thats just my choice

Have been a pilly on a bike towing a trailer and can only say from my experience i had no safety issues.  Each to there own, if we all thought the same the world would be a very boring place :)                                                                                                                                                                             

No Mick not me although I've been through Wales not on anything else other than my trusty CB750.   Well remembered Nuts lol she is absouletly right a positive nose weight is needed but an excessive one is what will make the most adverse effect on the bikes handeling by a trailer pulled by a solo bike, if you imagine your rear axel as a fulcrum point, then if you put enough weight behind it it's like the bike is a see saw with you and the engine petrol et al and front end on one side of the fulcrum, and the wieght of the trailer hitch on the other (the main reason that single wheel trailers tend to be only to carry very light payloads indeed) ideal for a small pet perhaps but not a lot else!   When I 1st had this trailer Ian I did clip a couple of curbs (whilst trying to miss speed bumps) sure the trailer did bump off them and yes I did feel the effect but no great drama as it just returned to it's original postion in a few feet and did not upset the bike so much it became a problem (down to me trying to cut through the gap between a speed bump and one of those traffic bollards in the middle of the road! Before relising I was infact better to just slow down and ride ove the bumps!) All down to experiance, I've been follower by a gaggle of sports bike riders and in fact one wheel has hit a pothole as riding through Malton and the trailer has gone onto one wheel they said it look dramatic (I'd never even felt the weight shift on the bike!) So things that look dramatic are not allways so! In conclusion one of the best designs my little trailer has is a standard hitch! (Not a swivel hitch that are recomended bt the Goldwing Owners Club) I know for an absolute fact that my "normal ball and hitch" combination gives me easy enough clearance in all cercumstances enough lean to take any corner at a legal speed (with loads of room to spare!!) Plus a swivel hitch IMO would allow a trailer to flip on it's side in an extreen situation where a std would stop at it's limit and return the trailer to it's original position!   One other point needs to be addressed (normal light weight trailers wheels take a tire that is speed rated to only 80mph) that is down to the fact you are restricted to a max speed of 60mph whilst towing it! A good reson not to speed on a bike with a trailer behind a prolonged blast could cause a blow out or a double blow out! (ALLWAYS TOW IN A RESPONSABLE WAY!!)                                                                                                                                                                             

nothing better than tips and info thru experience .. thumbs up Andy .Whats your ideas on a towbar fitted to a Busa ?