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Trailer Hitch

grizzly ashton

grizzly ashton

Moped
My brother and I have decided to buile a double canoe trailer to pull behind my Connie. I'm thinking one right side up and one upside down to keep is from getting to tall or wide. I know that swivel hitches are out there. Can anyone recommend a good one or suggest what to look for or watch out for? Thanks.
 
Hi Grizzly. I just want to know if there is a trailer hitch made for to fit a 1987 Concours. Bikes owned: 1982 Honda Goldwing Interstate 1982 Honda Goldwing Standard 1987 Kawasaki Concours Christian Motorcyclists Assoc# 121903 GWRRA # 254355 GWRRA NJ Classic Wings Representative
 
Several, actually. Hitch-Doc Dauntless Motors Speedwagon Hitches average price $200 and up Even I've built them, and have plans to start again within a month...once this heart thingy is figured out. My price...under $200...again once I get the heart problem ironed out. About the only limit to what you can/want to buy is price. Swivels are available as well. I built mine, Dauntless and several others build them. $150-200 is the average price. http://www.millerized.com I'll be in the garage
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COG 6425, CDA 111 a through g
 
I saw a swiveling ball assembly. Has anyone tried one of these? It states that with a swivel coupler your trailer could flip, but this is not a problem with the swiveling ball. Bikes owned: 1982 Honda Goldwing Interstate 1982 Honda Goldwing Standard 1987 Kawasaki Concours Christian Motorcyclists Assoc# 121903 GWRRA # 254355 GWRRA NJ Classic Wings Representative
 
Pulling a trailer also gives you a greater chance of killing farm creatures if you're riding through a field at night....but if you are riding through a field at night....you have bigger issues to worry about. Chances, while they exist, are very slim. I have only "heard" of one person flipping a trailer (pulling into a rest stop/gas station...hit a curb when he cut it too sharp...flipped the trailer) but I think physics are against you doing it at speed. Figure the inertia of the bike going forward, the spring of the suspension, the give in the tire....way too many things need to go wrong to get a 2-3-400lb trailer to flip 90-180 degrees. I have a swivel, and while I've seen the one side go airborne from a huge pothole going around a turn, it was never high enough to even come close to breaking the 'oops' plane, nor enough to cause me more than a millisecond of pants pucker. Just my opinion, I'm sure there will be a few dozen 'happened to my buddy' stories coming up soon. Methinks the swivel ball and the 'swivel hitch panic' is a good marketing ploy, but swivel hitch history probably speaks for itself. The hitch ball IS cheaper, tho. Gotta weigh that fact in there somewhere as well. Again, JMO, YMMV http://www.millerized.com I'll be in the garage
welder.gif
COG 6425, CDA 111 a through g
 
Weighing in here as the COG Safety Officer: Generally, unless you are inclined to bank your bike over more than 30* or so, you shouldn't require a swivel hitch or swivel hitch ball. However, if the flange on the hitch is particularly wide (more than 1/4") you may want to either replace the hitch or grind down the flange. That being said, I've got a swivel hitch on my trailer that I pull behind my GoldWing. Why? Because I ride the mountains a lot and enjoy draggin' the pegs and I wasn't willing to grind down the flange. OTOH, I know of LOTS of trailer towers who don't do that nor do they need the swivel hitch/grind the flange options. My advice to you is to put the hitch on the bike, hook up a trailer and go ride. You will be able to tell when/if the flange impinges on the handling. HTH.
 
I run a HitchDoc hitch on my '06 C-10. Bought it used for just over $100.00 /w shipping. Only drawback is that I remove it to replace tires, which is not a big issue. HitchDoc comes standard with a ball hitch, but I have made my own swivel unit that fits in the HitchDoc receiver. Other problem is that my HitchDoc unit did not come with safety chain attachment points, and chains are required in my state. I added some by bolting 2 each 1/4 inch pieces of barstock bent in a "Z" shape to the hitch, then drilled holes in each piece big enough to take the hooks on the trailer chains. The "Z" shape put the chain attachment holes just below the level of the trailer tongue. I pulled the trailer, a home built, for around 3K miles last year with my Connie without any problems. (I have pulled the trailer with several differnt bikes since 2000.) I have not looked at the others hitches out there, but the HitchDoc unit is pretty well built, but is not perfect. They mayhave changed the design (adding safety chain attachment points) since mine was made. Alternative is to wrap the chains around the hitch cross-member and leave it at that if the chains are long enough, mine were not.
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If you want more info on how I built my own swivel coupling, let me know. Cost was around $8.00 and it works very well.
 
Thanks everyone for your comments. BigJimbo I hope this helped you. Millerized I would be interested in your hitch. I checked out your set up. Can you make the ball hitch swivel? Jerry am very interested in how you do your swivel coupling. Ranger Jim you have a good point. I'll remember that for my cruiser friends. Thanks again guys. Wish I was able to meet you at the rally.
 
big help all! Thanks. I'm going to be ordering a Millerize Hitch after 7/19 and they are available again. I'll post a picture when I get it all together.
 
I have a trailer hitch that was mounted on my 1992 Connie when I bought it. I believe it was home made but is all Stainless and has a ball hitch that can be changed. I am not going to use it and I can send you a pic if you are interested.
 
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