Trailer Hitch Suggestions for an 850L

[GSProcrastinator]

I've been searching around the interwebs for some sort of ready-ish made solution for a trailer hitch for my '83 GS850L and am finding lots of people talking about just fabricating their own. Well I don't have access to welding equipment sadly but I have seen some murmurings of some potential universal models that might work but never a clear example of what they were talking about.

Does anyone have any experience with these "universal" hitches that might need little or no modifying to work with an 850?

 

[Steve]

I happen to have one that came off an '83 850L. It would take just a little bit of modifying because the rear mounts went to a set of KG saddlebags. It would cost a fortune to send it to you, as it is incredibly heavy.

Yes, I have experience with "universal" hitches, but that was many, MANY years ago. I had one that was mounted to my KZ650 for a short time. The time was just long enough to realize that it was not nearly enough bike to pull the trailer. Traded in the 650 and a KZ400, got a brand, spanking-new KZ1300. Had the hitch on it within 24 hours. Retired the bike at just over 76,000 miles, the hitch was still doing very well.

I have not seen the newest crop of universal hitches. Do you have a link to any of them? The biggest criteria is for the front of the hitch to mount solidly. The rear footpeg/muffler mount will work beautifully. At the rear, there need to be supports from the hitch to the frame. The turn signal mounts would work well there.

Now for another important question: what trailer do you intend to pull? I have pulled a trailer for MANY thousands of miles over the last 40 years. I have also ridden several 850s over many thousands of miles over the last 14 years. Somehow, I don't feel that any of my 850s would be up to the task of pulling a trailer. At least not one that would make it worth the effort to try to do it.

You will likely get quite a few opinions that are questioning your sanity for considering pulling a trailer in the first place, but there are a few of us here that have done it, and are still around to say so.

.

 

[GSProcrastinator]

You will likely get quite a few opinions that are questioning your sanity for considering pulling a trailer in the first place, but there are a few of us here that have done it, and are still around to say so.

.

If I worried about others questioning my sanity I wouldn't be riding motorcycles :biggrin:

 

[Steve]

Well, then, what do you plan on pulling? :-\\\

.

 

[GSProcrastinator]

Nothing major, 200-250lbs trailer+cargo.

 

[gustovh]

I don't live far from you and have a welder. I built a trailer and hitch a few years ago out of bits and pieces that works quite well. Here is a pic.

contact me if you want to build one.

V

 

[Steve]

200-250 lb. trailer + cargo might be "nothing major" for a pickup truck, but behind a motorcycle, that is a mountain.

Have you ever pulled a trailer with a motorcycle before? How much experience do you have pulling trailers with a car?

I am asking these questions based on my personal experience with motorcycle-pulled trailers. I have had three different trailers that were pulled reasonably often. The first one was one of the original Time Out cargo trailers. It weighed about 170 pounds. Loaded weight depended on what we were doing, but could have been anywhere from 225-300. Pulled it with a KZ1300 cross-country a couple of times with minimal problems. (Broke a spring on the trailer, was interesting getting it off the road to get it fixed, but that is another story.)

My son had a Cycle Mate cargo trailer. It was a bit larger than my Time Out (18 cu. ft. vs. 15 cu. ft.), but had a fiberglass body instead of aluminum skin over plywood, so it weighed a bit less, about 150 pounds. I towed that one to Durango, Colorado behind my ZN1300 Voyager.

My current trailer is a Shoreline, it only weighs about 130 pounds. I only pull this one with my Goldwing, have never even thought of adding a hitch to my 850 to pull it.

When asked about the dynamics of pulling a trailer with a motorcycle, the usual reply is "I can barely tell it's there", which is mostly true, but you have to be VERY aware that it's there. It will change the way you have to ride. It will accelerate a bit slower than if you have a passenger on the bike, which is not a problem, but stopping is another story. Not only does it take more time (and room), but you have the trailer pushing you from the rear. If you are not perfectly straight, the momentum of the trailer will push your rear tire to the side, which will make things very interesting, VERY quickly. Having a heavy trailer plus even more cargo is just asking for disaster. The heavier weight of my two Kawasakis and my Goldwing makes it a bit easier to keep the trailer under control, but you have to be VERY aware that it's there. With the lighter weight of the 850, I would keep the weight down as much as possible.

Do you have a trailer already, or maybe have one in mind?

.

 

[gustovh]

Steve see above pictures, close to 300 lb load, none of the issues that you talk about. The trailer itself is only 40 lbs and 6" off the ground, no worries about cg and Never felt any pushing that you talk about. All you have to do is use your head when you ride.

V

200-250 lb. trailer + cargo might be "nothing major" for a pickup truck, but behind a motorcycle, that is a mountain.

Have you ever pulled a trailer with a motorcycle before? How much experience do you have pulling trailers with a car?

I am asking these questions based on my personal experience with motorcycle-pulled trailers. I have had three different trailers that were pulled reasonably often. The first one was one of the original Time Out cargo trailers. It weighed about 170 pounds. Loaded weight depended on what we were doing, but could have been anywhere from 225-300. Pulled it with a KZ1300 cross-country a couple of times with minimal problems. (Broke a spring on the trailer, was interesting getting it off the road to get it fixed, but that is another story.)

My son had a Cycle Mate cargo trailer. It was a bit larger than my Time Out (18 cu. ft. vs. 15 cu. ft.), but had a fiberglass body instead of aluminum skin over plywood, so it weighed a bit less, about 150 pounds. I towed that one to Durango, Colorado behind my ZN1300 Voyager.

My current trailer is a Shoreline, it only weighs about 130 pounds. I only pull this one with my Goldwing, have never even thought of adding a hitch to my 850 to pull it.

When asked about the dynamics of pulling a trailer with a motorcycle, the usual reply is "I can barely tell it's there", which is mostly true, but you have to be VERY aware that it's there. It will change the way you have to ride. It will accelerate a bit slower than if you have a passenger on the bike, which is not a problem, but stopping is another story. Not only does it take more time (and room), but you have the trailer pushing you from the rear. If you are not perfectly straight, the momentum of the trailer will push your rear tire to the side, which will make things very interesting, VERY quickly. Having a heavy trailer plus even more cargo is just asking for disaster. The heavier weight of my two Kawasakis and my Goldwing makes it a bit easier to keep the trailer under control, but you have to be VERY aware that it's there. With the lighter weight of the 850, I would keep the weight down as much as possible.

Do you have a trailer already, or maybe have one in mind?

.

 

[Steve]

Your lower cg might be what's causing you to not feel the push. :-k

I have had about 500 pounds total in my Time Out trailer, but that was a LONG time ago. I might not have noticed much push because I was mindful of what was back there and simply started slowing down before it became an issue.

I see you are delivering an engine in those pictures. I never delivered a whole engine, but did find that a bare block Chevy 350 would fit inside and I could close the lid. The people that were receiving the engine block did not believe that I had the block with me when they heard the bike pull up.

.

 

[gustovh]

That may be the case. When I built it I used the triple tree and neck from a 650 L, so in effect I was not limited in leaning the bike and with the ball centered to my normal road load I rarely knew it was there. The rest of the hitch was made from what was left of the frame and bits and pieces.

V

 

[earlfor]

I would make a list of things I intended to carry and tally the weight. If it is just space for supplies for a camping trip and less than 150 lbs, I would not consider a trailer because any trailer unloaded will likely weigh close to that and it would be wasted weight. I would fabricate large, hard shell fiberglass saddlebags for rain protection and security, weight savings and simplicity.

I've pulled a bicycle trailer carrying a 100 lb German Shep behind my bicycle and the trailer was fine with that weight. The empty trailer weighed about 15 lbs. For highway speed, the wheels would have to be changed though. Probably could use scooter wheels and tires. Just a thought.

 

[GSXR7ED]

Oh, the Dynamics of a trailer...with/without load considerations.

Ed

 

[GSProcrastinator]

I don't live far from you and have a welder. I built a trailer and hitch a few years ago out of bits and pieces that works quite well.

contact me if you want to build one.

V

I'm not sure what life holds for me right now but I may reach out

 

[Wingsconsin]

I wonder about the need to pull a trailer -- I have an 83 850L.
I travel by motorcycle 1 up quite nicely with my 23L saddlebags, a 37L trunk and a tail bag on the rear seat -
Not enough weight to upset the bike and it is on-board such that it is balanced
Being gone for a week and 2500 miles I never felt like I didn't have enough stuff with me.
HOWEVER --
I stay in hotels and travel 1-up
2-up and camping is a whole new story.

Consider a 1 - wheel trailer ?

Uni-Go
N-Line (http://n-line.com/)

resources
https://pbmotorcycletrailer.com/single-wheel-motorcycle-trailers/

 

[earlfor]

I wonder about the need to pull a trailer -- I have an 83 850L.
I travel by motorcycle 1 up quite nicely with my 23L saddlebags, a 37L trunk and a tail bag on the rear seat -
Not enough weight to upset the bike and it is on-board such that it is balanced
Being gone for a week and 2500 miles I never felt like I didn't have enough stuff with me.
HOWEVER --
I stay in hotels and travel 1-up
2-up and camping is a whole new story.

Consider a 1 - wheel trailer ?

Uni-Go
N-Line (http://n-line.com/)

resources
https://pbmotorcycletrailer.com/single-wheel-motorcycle-trailers/

That design would certainly simply construction and reduce cost.

 

[GSProcrastinator]

I wonder about the need to pull a trailer -- I have an 83 850L.
I travel by motorcycle 1 up quite nicely with my 23L saddlebags, a 37L trunk and a tail bag on the rear seat -
Not enough weight to upset the bike and it is on-board such that it is balanced
Being gone for a week and 2500 miles I never felt like I didn't have enough stuff with me.
HOWEVER --
I stay in hotels and travel 1-up
2-up and camping is a whole new story.

I plan on traveling for weeks on end and won't be able to afford hotel rooms so will have a tent and other supplies with me. I'll be riding 1-up and may or may not have bags.