First Ride- Alumna Trailer

[captainryder]

Pulled my new Alumna MCT Trailer from Kansas City to Lake of the Ozarks Friday night and returned Sunday Nights. Total miles on with trailer in tow was about 360 miles. The L.E.D. lights on the trailer are very bright and make the whole rig much more noticeable.

The tongue weight on my Bushtec Hitch was just under 22 lbs after we loaded our gear in the trailer (about 65 lbs of stuff). To give you an idea of weights and loads:

Myself..... 220 lbs
Wife....... 154 lbs
Trailer ... 160 lbs ( empty )
Gear...... 65 lbs ( we carried)
Front Gear. 17 lbs ( some counter weight in the front luggage section)

So you see we were pretty well loaded. Rear spring is set to position (7).

I tend to keep the rpm's up when I cruise, so anytime the speed fell below 45mph I downshifted to 4th gear. I purposely am trying to save the brakes by using engine in my breaking and will manually downshift from 4th to 3rd while braking, but let the bike auto-downshift to 2nd and 1st in my stops......

In non-highway, hilly back roads, I found that using 3rd sometimes 4th and rpm's of about 4500 rpm in these type of road conditions the engine did not struggle.... I imagine that climbing some of those mountain passes in Wyoming will find this combination good.

We managed 65mpg easily on nice streches of highway, and actually passed someone at 75mph once. I know BRP says no towing, but this machine could easily be designed with a towing package with heftier suspension and perhaps a gear ratio change ( maybe 6 speeds ).

We enjoy our trailer, and feel pretty confident that it will help our roadtrip this summer be a good one.....

 

[Major Finder]

That's great news, Captainryder! I am interested in how the Spyder does towing a trailer. It sounds like you have plenty of horsepower to pull a trailer with two up and some stuff in the front. I have a PiggyBacker trailer we assembled Friday but I'm waiting for the Bushtec hitch to arrive so I can mount it and do a test ride like you did.
I'm not sure my wife will let me post her weight on a forum though.

Where are you planning on ryding this summer for your long trip? Are you going to post a photo of your Spyder and trailer?

Major Finder

 

[captainryder]

Posted previously, Just in case you didn't see before.

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fl7ph9HKjpY"]YouTube- Broadcast Yourself.[/nomedia]

 

[Lamonster]

I just got back from a major store run for the wife. I love having a trailer and the Spyder was made for it even if BRP doesn't know it. :doorag:

 

[Firefly]

Pulled my new Alumna MCT Trailer from Kansas City to Lake of the Ozarks Friday night and returned Sunday Nights. Total miles on with trailer in tow was about 360 miles. The L.E.D. lights on the trailer are very bright and make the whole rig much more noticeable.

The tongue weight on my Bushtec Hitch was just under 22 lbs after we loaded our gear in the trailer (about 65 lbs of stuff). To give you an idea of weights and loads:

Myself..... 220 lbs
Wife....... 154 lbs
Trailer ... 160 lbs ( empty )
Gear...... 65 lbs ( we carried)
Front Gear. 17 lbs ( some counter weight in the front luggage section)

So you see we were pretty well loaded. Rear spring is set to position (7).

I tend to keep the rpm's up when I cruise, so anytime the speed fell below 45mph I downshifted to 4th gear. I purposely am trying to save the brakes by using engine in my breaking and will manually downshift from 4th to 3rd while braking, but let the bike auto-downshift to 2nd and 1st in my stops......

In non-highway, hilly back roads, I found that using 3rd sometimes 4th and rpm's of about 4500 rpm in these type of road conditions the engine did not struggle.... I imagine that climbing some of those mountain passes in Wyoming will find this combination good.

We managed 65mpg easily on nice streches of highway, and actually passed someone at 75mph once. I know BRP says no towing, but this machine could easily be designed with a towing package with heftier suspension and perhaps a gear ratio change ( maybe 6 speeds ).

We enjoy our trailer, and feel pretty confident that it will help our roadtrip this summer be a good one.....

Thanks for the report --- still looking into trailers myself - glad to hear of another sucessful trailer match-up. One thing-- you say anytime the speed fell below 45 you downshifted into 4th? I don't even consider going into 5th until 65 mph - and that's just with me on the bike. Using 5th under 50 mph seems to almost lug the engine - this rotax likes the higher rpms.