Cargo Weight and Tow Behind Trailer

[Bluelives]

Just curious what experiences people have with loading the Triglide and towing a trailer. With a little bit of everyday gear on the trike (about 40 pounds) my wife and I are close to max weight carrying capacity. I know most everyone loads these Triglide over the limit when they go on trips. We are usually over by 30 pounds. We are considering a pull behind and putting the extra 30 or so plus more in the trailer and then some if we get one. It seems like shifting the weight to the trailer, you are only carrying the tongue weight. I’m wondering if towing a trailer versus just over loading the trike is more or less strain on the trike and engine? Obviously the benefit of a trailer is you can take more and buy more on a trip. lol. What are the thoughts on this topic?

 

[FLSTC 1993]

I have a trailer for sale if you are interested

 

[Mykneesbehurtin]

I have been towing a trailer with my 2017 for almost 4 years without any issue, keep in mind I don't tow it every day but, just like with your car or truck, plan your stops. I have a luggage rack on the trailer, and I put two large folding camping chairs on top and bungee cord them too it. Two years ago, we rode from Dayton Ohio to Roanoke Virginia then picked up the Blue Ridge Parkway to Cheroke NC. We never had any issues pulling the trailer.

 

[Burnerboy]

I've also been pulling a trailer since 2002 (only on vacation's) and never any problems

Ronnie
7/29/24

 

[Notgrownup]

Just be conscious of the tongue weight. Securing your load also. Stopping on wet surfaces like near stops. The center of the lane gets a bit greasy when wet. If you have too much weight on the tongue it will affect your front brakes. Checking your bearings and tires is another thing. I try to always remember it’s behind there.

 

[Bluelives]

I have a trailer for sale if you are interested

What do you have?

 

[ISP-FL]

Towing a motorcycle trailer with a motorcycle brings up the same issues as towing an RV with a tow vehicle IMHO.

You have to consider that it not only reduces your fuel range (which is already limited on a trike), it is not only putting more stress on the motor, but the transmission and the brakes. Another thing to consider is now you have 5 tires that can get a flat instead of just 3. There are also two additional wheel bearings that can fail.

Personally I would rather pack "lighter and tighter" if traveling on my bike rather than add additional maintenance issues. On the other hand, when we do travel we see a ton of 2-wheelers and trikes pulling trailers.

 

[pwhoever]

Just one other thing to bring up. I have heard that some Harley dealers if they see a hitch, will tell you that your warranty has been voided. This is illegal and has been since the Magnuson Moss act was passed. Warranties can not be voided merely by the fact that aftermarket parts are being used. The dealer is opening themselves up for legal problems if they try that.

They may however make a note that a certain aftermarket part, like a hitch, is installed so if it gets removed later, they already know about it. This does become important because if there is a breakdown or other parts failure later down the line and they can prove that the aftermarket part contributed, they can deny the warranty claim.

But let's say you have a hitch and then a problem shows up with your ignition switch, the dealer and Harley cannot deny the warranty claim because of the hitch. But if for example you end up with a transmission problem and they can determine that pulling a heavy trailer contributed to the failure, then you're SOL and have to eat the repair costs.

So it's up to you on what you decide. For me on my trike and previous bikes (Although they have all been Goldwings) I have still pulled trailers (homemade cargo and Aspen camping trailer) on numerous occasions and still do when needed. It's nice to have that convenience when necessary. Yes, it is extra hubs and wheels to be concerned with but I try to regularly regrease the hubs and have never experienced a flat on any of my trailers. Not saying it can't happen but seems to be pretty rare.

 

[Bluelives]

Thanks for the information guys. Great points. I’m wondering how much use I would get out of a trailer. But they are cool!

 

[scuzzi]

I'm just starting my trailer journey, this is the first bike I've towed anything with.
It tows well, and i keep longer breaking distance from vehicles ahead of me.
Trailer has own hydraulic brake system., yep, drops fuel a bit and i had to explore gear/speeds to suit the extra mass. Once i found that harley, loping sweet spot fuel changed from 8.3 litres/100km (5th 115kmh) - down to 7.1.L/100km it was 6th gear 105 kmh for that rig on the highway.

 

[DK Custom Products]

We have towed 4 different trailers over the last couple of decades. 1 cargo trailer, and 3 different pop up tent trailers, both with 2 wheelers and with 2 different Tri Glides.

Transferring the weight to the trailer reduces the load on the frame, suspension and tires some.

HOWEVER, it greatly increases the load on the engine, primary, clutch, transmission...the entire drivetrain (& brakes). This is primarily due to the increased wind resistance of the trailer, but also the rolling resistance of two extra tires, and with a trailer, you will end up with more weight than without it...just the hitch and trailer add a good amount, plus whatever extra you bring.

We thoroughly enjoyed the 100K+ miles we have spent towing a trailer. Especially the pop-up tent trailers. We just made sure to match the suspension, and, very importantly, making sure the engine temp did not get too hot.

Oh, and if you do go with a trailer, I would ONLY pull with a swivel hitch, for safety reasons.

Kevin

 

[pwhoever]

Forget the trailer, how much extra wind resistance along with the weight does the Triglide have over the 2 wheel version it uses? The weight alone is an additional 400 lbs.

And your average motorcycle trailer is not much wider and definitely lower than even the 2 wheel version so wind resistance as a result of towing a trailer would also be negligible. And behind a Triglide, it's not even an issue

 

[Dan SC]

Just one other thing to bring up. I have heard that some Harley dealers if they see a hitch, will tell you that your warranty has been voided. This is illegal and has been since the Magnuson Moss act was passed. Warranties can not be voided merely by the fact that aftermarket parts are being used. The dealer is opening themselves up for legal problems if they try that.

The issuer of a warranty sets the conditions of a warranty, and it is clearly stated in the written warranty that towing a trailer will void the warranty.

They don`t have to prove anything, all they have to do is say warranty denied, it will then be up to you to spend your money on a lawyer...

 

[pwhoever]

The issuer of a warranty sets the conditions of a warranty, and it is clearly stated in the written warranty that towing a trailer will void the warranty.

They don`t have to prove anything, all they have to do is say warranty denied, it will then be up to you to spend your money on a lawyer...

I can understand that the issuer sets the warranty but they also have to abide by Magnuson Moss and in fact, they do have to prove it. Yes it would take a court to intervene and probably would require a class action suit to fix it.

Had Harley never produced a trike, maybe they would get away with it as far as with the Ultra Classic. But having a trike changes the game. The Ultra Classic and the TriGlide both use the same motor and transmission. The Ultra comes in just shy of 900lbs curb weight and has a weight allowance up to 1360lbs. So it is allowed to carry roughly 460lbs of passengers and such. Now the Tri comes in around 1250lbs and weight allowance of 1700lbs. That allows roughly 450lbs of passenger and stuff. So that would mean that the Ultra motor is actually able to handle 960lbs of passenger and stuff instead of the advertised 1360lbs curb weight. Again, same motor and trans in both.

Now I understand comparing suspensions, an Ultra and Tri are apples and oranges but an average trailer is only going to add maybe 40-50lbs max onto the curb weight based on the trailer tongue weight using the 15% rule.

IMHO, the Harley image just isn't one known for their bikes towing trailers. It's more about free and unencumbered. A trailer visually isn't what Harley is after. That's more for those Goldwing folks. And that's why I believe that Harley puts that statement into their warranty. I could be wrong and wouldn't be the first time. But by producing the Triglide, they believe that their motors and transmissions can handle more than they want to admit.

 

[Dan SC]

The company that issues the warranty gets to say what is covered, and the Motor Company says pulling a trailer will void the warranty, there is no grey area here. It has nothing to do with proving anything.

Just because people like to pull trailers with their Tri Glides does not mean Harley is obligated to cover the machine under warranty.

If they said the electrical system was not covered in the written warranty, it would not be covered either.

Warranties are in writing and should be read and understood before buying anything.

 

[pwhoever]

And that's why the Magnuson Moss Act was passed because of things like this. Sure they can print up and say anything they want. But then it can be challenged and result in legal action. And then yes, they have to prove that something the consumer did caused a failure.

Warranties will not cover wear items but if they don't cover something mechanical, they must give a reason or conditions on why they won't cover something. They cannot just make a blanket statement that hitches will void the warranty. Well I guess they can buy it doesn't mean they are on solid ground.

I think this is about the time that we should probably agree to disagree.

 

[Mykneesbehurtin]

And that's why the Magnuson Moss Act was passed because of things like this. Sure they can print up and say anything they want. But then it can be challenged and result in legal action. And then yes, they have to prove that something the consumer did caused a failure.

Warranties will not cover wear items but if they don't cover something mechanical, they must give a reason or conditions on why they won't cover something. They cannot just make a blanket statement that hitches will void the warranty. Well I guess they can buy it doesn't mean they are on solid ground.

I think this is about the time that we should probably agree to disagree.

Now this is just my opinion, but I think pulling a trailer with your Harley is more about liability than drive train. Someone loads the trailer improperly and has a wreck you can rest assured they will try to sue Harley. A brief look at the Magnuson Moss act states that written warranties are to include information such as who is covered, what is covered, and how to handle disputes. It also limits sellers when a seller can disclaim an implied warranty and requires sellers to provide copies of the manufactures warranties if they don't offer their own. With enough money and time lots of things can be settled in court but most of us don't have the kind of money to take on such a daunting task.

 

[DK Custom Products]

Some food for thought. We have well over 100K miles pulling a variety of trailers behind HD Trikes.

Kept the tongue weight on all of them between 25 and 40 lbs (tested with a fish scale).

Cargo trailer, fully loaded was in the 250 lbs area.

All the pop up tent trailers were in the 450-550 lbs range, fully loaded.

The weight and the wind resistance make a significant difference. MPG drops 20-25%, because there is much more strain on the powertrain.

The Bunkhouse was the worst for wind resistance.

Below is a photo of our Bunkhouse, fully folded out.

Our Bunkhouse weighed 395 totally empty
Our Time-Out weighed 345 totally empty (and had the highest profile)
Our Leesure Lite weighed 295 totally empty (and had the lowest profile) (it is the one pictured above)

Kevin

 

[Burnerboy]

Keven,
I love that tent camper'rrr I wish I was young again, so I could enjoy tent camp'nn again. @ my age a Hilton, w/a breakfast in the morning would be great..........

Ronnie
9/2/24

 

[Mykneesbehurtin]

Keven,
I love that tent camper'rrr I wish I was young again, so I could enjoy tent camp'nn again. @ my age a Hilton, w/a breakfast in the morning would be great..........

Ronnie
9/2/24

My idea of roughing it is when the TV remote doesn't work.

 

[Notgrownup]

Tent and camper is not in my vocabulary anymore. Yall enjoy

 

[pwhoever]

While running down the road today, I started to think about these Harley Hitch threads and a thought hit me. What about the other American V twins? Do they have a stipulation that if a trailer hitch is attached to the bike, the drivetrain warranty is automatically voided? I looked it up after dropping anchor at my hotel for the night. Both Indian and Victory will not void a drivetrain warranty simply because a hitch was installed. Instead, they provide language consistent with Magnuson Moss and say that if an aftermarket part or accessory can be proven to have caused a failure or damage to a component, the warranty repair can be denied. That is not unexpected.

Now back to Harley, as someone posted above, yes they can state whatever they want in their warranty including that the drivetrain warranty is void if a hitch has been installed. But, that is illegal and in violation of Magnuson Moss. And I'm surprised no one in the Harley crowd has challenged that. Yes, it will require a court case but if enough owners come together and file a class action against Harley the costs can be spread out. I was always under the impression that Harley owners were a bit of rebels and free spirits. I'm surprised that they are letting Harley run over them on this issue.

 

[DK Custom Products]

Keven,
I love that tent camper'rrr I wish I was young again, so I could enjoy tent camp'nn again. @ my age a Hilton, w/a breakfast in the morning would be great..........

Ronnie
9/2/24

Yeah, I hear ya.

This has been our progression:

Carrying a small tent and bed gear on the sissy bar, to...
A Cargo trailer that carried a bigger tent and chairs, and whatever else Mary packed, too.
3 different pop up tent trailers.
Then after Mary had 2 different heat exhaustion episodes, one in 2016 and another in 2017, while traveling cross country, we got a Toy Hauler to eat up the long straight miles until we got to mountains and curvy roads to ride.
Our latest iteration is a deck on the bed of the truck for the motorcycles, and a travel trailer.

Daytona at Cabbage Patch, circa 2006 with cargo trailer and big tent.

Already posted pics of tent trailers.

Toy Hauler, circa 2018

Earlier this year with Trike on truck deck

Kevin

 

[DK Custom Products]

Tent and camper is not in my vocabulary anymore. Yall enjoy

Yeah, no more tents for us....the Reflection is much more comfortable than a hotel room.

Kevin

 

[DK Custom Products]

While running down the road today, I started to think about these Harley Hitch threads and a thought hit me. What about the other American V twins? Do they have a stipulation that if a trailer hitch is attached to the bike, the drivetrain warranty is automatically voided? I looked it up after dropping anchor at my hotel for the night. Both Indian and Victory will not void a drivetrain warranty simply because a hitch was installed. Instead, they provide language consistent with Magnuson Moss and say that if an aftermarket part or accessory can be proven to have caused a failure or damage to a component, the warranty repair can be denied. That is not unexpected.

Now back to Harley, as someone posted above, yes they can state whatever they want in their warranty including that the drivetrain warranty is void if a hitch has been installed. But, that is illegal and in violation of Magnuson Moss. And I'm surprised no one in the Harley crowd has challenged that. Yes, it will require a court case but if enough owners come together and file a class action against Harley the costs can be spread out. I was always under the impression that Harley owners were a bit of rebels and free spirits. I'm surprised that they are letting Harley run over them on this issue.

In the 13 years we had a hitch on various 2 wheel HD's, and two different Tri Glides, I would just pull the hitch off whenever I had to take it in for warranty work.

Got no appetite for a legal battle with Harley, and also not going to let them tell me what I can do with MY motorcycle.





Kevin

 

[Diehly]

Just curious what experiences people have with loading the Triglide and towing a trailer. With a little bit of everyday gear on the trike (about 40 pounds) my wife and I are close to max weight carrying capacity. I know most everyone loads these Triglide over the limit when they go on trips. We are usually over by 30 pounds. We are considering a pull behind and putting the extra 30 or so plus more in the trailer and then some if we get one. It seems like shifting the weight to the trailer, you are only carrying the tongue weight. I’m wondering if towing a trailer versus just over loading the trike is more or less strain on the trike and engine? Obviously the benefit of a trailer is you can take more and buy more on a trip. lol. What are the thoughts on this topic?

Steve,
I have a gorgeous homemade trailer that I have pulled many miles and behind 5 bikes. This will be my first trike and am waiting for the hitch installation. As soon as the bolts are torqued, I too am headed for Cherokee from Defiance, for a camping trip up the Blue Ridge Parkway. I pull a trailer often, for my work, and for play so trailering is second nature. NEVER take it for granted and give attention to what has been mentioned. Tongue weight should be around 10% of the Gross weight of the trailer and contents, tires, and bearings! I rode with Goldwing guys who never took them off.

John

 

[Notgrownup]

I bought a Escalade trailer, picking it up tomorrow.

 

[Gorilla]

I bought a Escalade trailer, picking it up tomorrow.

Good trailer we pulled one for many many miles

 

[Notgrownup]

Good trailer we pulled one for many many miles

It’s a bit rough looking and white. Will get it matched gloss black, it’s been sitting for a while but for $600 I couldn’t pass it up.

 

[Diehly]

Maurice,
All it needs is a little love and should give you many miles of fun and adventure.