XJ1100 manual states not to use trailer?

Hi, whats the problem with hooking my 1100 to trailer. I want to do just that. What do I need to know and how do I go about doing it? Or is it just a bad idea?

 

No motorcycle manufacturer (to my knowledge) authorizes towing a trailer.

I tow a trailer sometimes.

You will have to build your own hitch as I do not recall anyone making one commertially (and finding one now would be lucky).

 

I don't know much about motorcycle hitches. I don't even know where or how it should be connected to the bike. Anyone get any picks of XS or XJ 1100 hitches?

 

I'll take some photos of the hitch I made and post them some time this week. It's for a single-wheel trailer, but the general idea can be adapted for a swivel-hitch to tow a 2-wheeler.
ADVRider.com has several threads about towing, and making hitches (and trailers).

 

if you could put a side car on the bike what's the difference with a trailer? Other than the hitch. It's not like the powers not there... ????

 

Sidecars have an extra brake; trailers generally do not. The extra weight is also distributed more evenly on the motorcycle frame when fitting a sidecar.
There are also some very scary handling characteristics that can come into play when you need to make a panic stop with a trailer.

 

Thank you! Rather nice of you. I have been looking a the different kinds of trailers for bikes. I seen some info on trailers on XS110o forums and they said that as long as it's under 1/2 the bike weight you should be okay as long as your careful. I am thinking about a claim shell two wheel trailer at 144 lb unloaded. I just want to take it camping and maybe grocery shopping when boon docking in the middle of nowhere. What would the ideal height of the ball? Can I just uses a regular ball hitch? Looks like other ppl have done it with out problems.

 

See if this link works
http://thirdwheeltrailers.com/trailer-specs/
It's a place near me that has been building and developing bike trailers since 2008.
Maybe you can get an idea from the vids or contact them for more info.

 

There were some who made hitches for the XJ1100, I had one and pulled a small trailer with it. You might get lucky and find one on EBAY sometime. The XS11 and XJ11 are almost identical in the rear frame / suspension setup, an XS11 trailer hitch could also be adapted to use.
Fabricating one would be the way to go.
http://www.appleattic.net/hitch/default.html
Not hard if you have some basic fab skills and a welder. I made another one for my Venture and pull a trailer all the time.

 

Here is one on the xs11.com for sale.
http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread.php?t=45555
fits XS11 but it would easily fit your XS11 with minimal modification.

 

This helps a lot. thanks I will make one when the time comes.

 

Not all sidecars have an extra brake I have ridden a wing with a Vetter side car and also an Eqalean side car and for the most part I'll take a trailer first

 

The pics I promised. I decided on a hitch that mounts up high for a couple of reasons; concern that the lower bar may rub on the lower shock mount, concern that the footpeg mounts my flex too much and crack, and the fact that my trailer is limited to 240 pounds gross weight (it could handle more, but I wanted to retain the option of carrying a passenger or more gear).

The hitch:


Side view mounted:



Rear view mounted (don't mind the worn tire. I took these photos just before putting a new one on). :



Front frame mount (bolt that is just under the orange tail fairing):



Rear frame mount:



Lower mount for the rear frame mount (my original intention was to allow for these to be unbolted so the hitch can swing up for wheel removal, but I decided that the additional stiffness from the strap being braced against the angle was necessary. I will revisit the idea later).



I'll get photos of the finished trailer in my gallery sometime this week.

 

Yeah that setup is better .....cleaner looking too. Thanks.. looks like it's not that hard to make one like that.

 

I do think that the other hitch has an advantage in how it spreads some of the load to the lower frame member. If I were towing a heavier trailer I would have worked-out something to connect to the passenger peg mount mounting points and maybe incorporated passenger pegs into the hitch design. I do think that what I did would probably be fine if a person were towing a 2-wheel trailer with 150 pounds of tongue weight or so, but I didn't run that scenario past my engineer.

The most difficult part of building the thing was making a jig to get the hitch plate angle correct, but even that only took about an hour.

All the mounting points on the bike are at pre-existing, threaded holes.

 

Well I have enough info now to know that I can make one. I will figure out what works best for my bike and trailer. I still am working out what I want for a trailer. I might buy a Harbor Freight one already built. I only weighs 144lbs and can carry 600lbs not that I would carry more then 250lb total but I could always use it with a car. ttp://www.harborfreight.com/600-lb-auto-200-lb-motorcycle-capacity-78-in-tag-along-trailer-62644.html

 

ADV Rider has tons of thread about those. You'll have to dig a little to find the threads that pertain to towing one with a motorcycle: http://advrider.com/index.php?search/5250268/&q=harbor+freight+trailer&o=relevance&c[node]=70

This one is geeared more toward single-wheel trailers, but has some 2-wheels in it along with other hitch ideas. http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/dual-sport-trailer-assembly-thread.113997/

The advantage you'll have with a 2-wheel trailer is the lower tongue weight.

 

Months late, but here are pics of the trailer that go with my hitch. Don't mind the dust; it's been unused all year. The rear fender was a quickie-job so I could use it for a trip last year. It may get re-done this winter if I have time.

 

That's a slick little trailer, did you build that?

 

Yes. I spent about a month, two summers ago, building it from my scrap pile and a reasonably discounted length of chromoly tubing. The rear suspension is the front swingarm and shock from a Yamaha Riva 180.
It weighs in at just under 70 pounds empty, and was built to carry 200 pounds of cargo (but could carry more with a different spring on the shock).

EDIT: earlier I mentioned a 240 pound gross weight limit, and I said that it was built to carry 200 pounds, which means the math doesn't add up when looking at the empty weight of the trailer. The trailer frame was built to handle more than that (about 400 pounds), and the limiting factors are the hitch, the trailer spring, and the weight limit of the motorcycle. My working weight limit is based on a desire to not put escessive wear on the rear tire or brakes. In short, the trailer is overbuilt for the intended use.

If I had to build another one I'd avoid using as much square tubing, and invest in a tubing bender.

 

Very nice!

 

Thanks. Now I just need to have things work out so I can use it for the intended purpose; camping.

 

If it holds beer and ice it ready for camping!

 

The trailer is slick.

Gary H.

 

Now to find beer money and time off....

 

Yes time off has been rough for me have about 100 miles on my bikes this year
@((&$/@?@;&(&@;&,&?@

 

Too many bikes, not enough time...