Do you change the way you ride with a trailer attached? For safety??

[aka1004]

I was wondering if having a trailer attached to your Spyder forces you to change way you ride, for safety?
Like when I have a passenger, I feel like I have to turn much slower than I normally do.

 

[cyclelover63]

I was wondering if having a trailer attached to your Spyder forces you to change way you ride, for safety?
Like when I have a passenger, I feel like I have to turn much slower than I normally do.

Yes, I make sure I have a longer stopping distance than I do when I'm not pulling my trailer.

 

[Mikey]

Whenever you have a trailer hooked to ANYTHING you should change your driving habits!!! That's extra weight pushing you down the road, and it can make a good day into a bad day in the blink of an eye!

 

[Gwolf]

The trailer will really change the way you drive in reverse.

 

[BajaRon]

I may slow down some for sharp turns, especially when I don't know the road. A loaded trailer will push some when hard braking so it's good to be aware of that. But mainly, I remember one of the first things I learned in driving school with the fire service. And that was 'Always drive the whole thing". Which sounded kind of funny when I first heard it. But it has paid off big over the years.

We get used to driving smaller things in the beginning. And it's not such a big deal to forget that that most of the vehicle is behind us. Because there isn't all that much to forget. We get used to riding our Spyder without the trailer. But making allowance for the added length and characteristics of a trailer is important to keep in mind.

Seems obvious, I know. But muscle/brain memory can cause us to pull into a parking lot, say, just a bit too tight for the trailer to get around an obstruction, for example. A moment's lapse and we might be thinking, 'Oh! I forgot about the trailer!'.

I've only pulled a BRP trailer. And my Spyder acted as if it wasn't even there most of the time. So I think the biggest issue is remembering it. If you do that, I think you'll find that, for the most part, your riding style doesn't need to change a great deal.

 

[RangerRick]

On my 2013 Spyder, there is a setting for trailer towing. What does that do? Guess I should turn it on and find out.

 

[Bfromla]

Being a slower casual ryder type & most not use to seeing a motorcycle with a trailer. (Around here anyway) when pulling small utility lawnmower trailer, will have hazard lights on, especially in town. Attempting restrict any turns to intersections with traffic lights.

Trailer Mode adjust the shift points of the SE5 transmission & some braking.

 

[2dogs]

Crashing a trailer 500 miles away from home can be a very unwelcome experience. Make sure you have your credit and AAA cards with you when and if it happens. A couple on this site or another site (I don't remember which one) arrived home after a crash likely caused by pulling a trailer, without their Spyder & trailer and some skin. Like Ron said, muscle memory sometimes has a mind of its own, both good and bad.

 

[LongIsland]

On my 2013 Spyder, there is a setting for trailer towing. What does that do? Guess I should turn it on and find out.

The 2012's had trailer mode as well. From the manual: NOTICE If the trailer mode is not selected through the infotainment center before towing a trailer, engine components might be damaged.
A more detailed reason:
The trailer mode is designed to optomize performance and safety when towing a trailer. It adjusts shift points. brake bias, traction control, steering and ABS to prevent damage to the Spyder while towing.

 

[EdMat]

I regularly pull 3 different trailers. A small open stake bed, one similar to a Can-Am trailer and a TimeOut camper that weights 400+ lbs. The 2 light ones are no problem without brakes, just remember they are back there. The camper has brakes, and they make all the difference in the world. I would not pull it any distance without them.

 

[jzeiler]

I have pulled a Bushtec trailer for 16 years behind a two wheel BMW K1200LT and I flipped it upside down one morning getting on the highway. There was a pot hole in the curve and the diagram shows the trailer tire tracks in blue with the motorcycle tire track in red. The pot hole flipped the trailer up on it's side then completely upside down. Not a fun thing to happen at the start of a trip. We did manage to stay upright and a kind young man stopped and helped us put it back on the wheels. It still pulled OK so we went on up to the smokies for the 2017 eclipse. Progressive covered the repairs with the motorcycle accessory coverage.

While on a Spyder you would be avoiding that pot hole as one of your front wheels would hit it. Just sayin be mindful of the hazards for your trailer. Looking forward to pulling it behind the RTL in our trip to the Smokies in May.

-

 

[aka1004]

Thank you all for input. I was mostly concerned about handling characteristics.

By the way, how much weight do you think these hitches can hold? I was thinking about making a golf club bag holder to screw on in place of the ball when I’m not pulling a trailer

 

[racoon]

Check your Operators Guide.
The one for my 2024 Spyder RT has the following information on Page 91:

Maximum weight on trailer tongue: 18 kg (40 lb)
Maximum towed weight (trailer and cargo): 182 kg (400 lb)

Google thinks a set of golf clubs in a bag weighs 20 to 25 lbs.
Then you'd have to add the weight of whatever mounting device you use to secure the bag.

Google also found a rack to carry a golf club bag on a motorcycle trailer hitch. It even has a picture of it on what I think is a Honda Goldwing, but it doesn't list the weight of the rack.

2x2 Cycles Trailer Hitch Carrier Rack - Golf Club Rack

https://www.motomentum.com/2x2-cycles-trailer-hitch-carrier-rack-golf-club-rack-4677864

 

[Gwolf]

Thank you all for input. I was mostly concerned about handling characteristics.

By the way, how much weight do you think these hitches can hold? I was thinking about making a golf club bag holder to screw on in place of the ball when I’m not pulling a trailer

Adding any amount of weight behind the rear axle will lighten the weight and contact friction of the front tires. That means it will affect the streering, and a small bump or bounce caused by the road surface will multiple the amount of steering lost.

Also, the Spyder nanny may object to putting weight behind the rear axle. Adding weight to the seat or rear rack is sprung weight. Any weight added to the trailer hitch is unsprung weight. There is a difference and you don't want to find out about it at 70 MPH on a curve.

 

[Bfromla]

**almost forgot ** with the amount of bounce from the rear tire, definitely use a coupler lock & check it & the safety chains often. If you're carrying a cooler - NO glass bottles, and anything carbonated is a hazard just waiting for a victim!

 

[cyclelover63]

On my 2013 Spyder, there is a setting for trailer towing. What does that do? Guess I should turn it on and find out.

I was told that it delayed upshifting making a higher RPM shift to make sure the transmission clutches didn't slip or lug.

 

[Freddy]

Posting for a friend who has a 2022 Sea to Sky with a BRP tow hitch. 3 days out on a cross-country ride for a month towing his small Elite camper trailer, one arm of the trailer's A frame broke due to constant road shock from the unsprung hitch which BRP sells. Big trouble, inconvenience, expense and disappointment - not to mention risk to rider and other road users. I don't think the BRP trailer is available these days. This is the second one in my neck of the woods to have such a failure, as trailers are engineered to be attached to the frame (sprung part) of the vehicle.

 

[Peter Aawen]

^ Wot 'e says!!

I've seen a LOT of trailers (including a few BRP trailers) damaged by the constant pounding they get from the OEM Hitch or the clones of that swingarm mounted hitch; and I've heard of quite a few more experiencing similar failures, well into double figures!!

I dunno, maybe it's the rough roads here in Oz that aren't as 'smooth' as your 'super-slabs' over there; but I rather suspect that it's more likely the poorly considered hitch mounting/placement!

 

[2dogs]

^ Wot 'e says!!

I've seen a LOT of trailers (including a few BRP trailers) damaged by the constant pounding they get from the OEM Hitch or the clones of that swingarm mounted hitch; and I've heard of quite a few more experiencing similar failures, well into double figures!!

I recall seeing a shock absorber addition to an OEM Spyder trailer hitch mount somewhere. Damned if I can remember now where I saw that. Does anyone else remember seeing it?

 

[EdMat]

I recall seeing a shock absorber addition to an OEM spyder trailer hitch mount somewhere. Damed if I can remember now where I saw that. Does anyone else remember seeing it?

Like this?