Motorcycle Caddy + Vanagon??

[hiram6]

I "may" be buying a used motorcycle this weekend. I'm a sucker for cheap projects, hopefully I'm not biting off more than I can chew. What I'm thinking of buying is a a 1985 Honda Interceptor 500. One of the first small displacement sport bikes, and weighs just under 500 lbs. It's a chain-drive, which is important when considering the below.

One of the reasons for buying it would be as a "support" vehicle for the Westy. It would be nice to drive to a campspot, set up the Westy, and then use the bike to make food runs, etc. So that means somehow towing it with the Westy. I have a 5x8 trailer that I could use, but by itself, it's pretty heavy. Don't know for sure, but I'm betting 400 lbs minimum.

So, is surfing the web, I found this:

Uses a 2 inch hitch receiver, and rated to carry up to 500 lbs tongue weight. The site says to calculate tongue weight at 2/3s the weight of the bike, so I'm looking at 300 lbs or so. Seems like it would be fine.

Anyone used one of these rigs before? Any major drawbacks that anyone sees?

For the motorcycle enthusiasts out there, any concern about having the rear wheel + chain+ transmission in neutral spinning as it's towed?

Here's the link to their website.

http://www.motorcycletrailer.com/mag1/caddy1.html
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1985 Westy, 1.9L automatic (Daisy)
1996 Mazda Miata
1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9 Limited

You can't lie around on the beach and drink rum all day.................unless you start first thing in the morning.

[presslab]

I have carried my 320# XR650L on a moto-jack-rack, and it was ok. The carrier added another 40# or so. Stiffer springs are definitely needed in the rear and it still makes the front end kind of light.

I have thought about getting a small dual sport, or maybe dual-sport converting my trials bike. The trials bike is only 170 lbs but it's not good for riding any kind of distance.

[mightyart]

That's the setup you need for a Westy!
If you start to slow going up a steep grade, you can just climb out the rear hatch, get on, start'er up and you got powered assist!

[CasaDelSol]

I have been grappling with the same thing for the last year. I bought a '74 Yamaha DT 360 last fall for exactly the reasons you listed. Park Westy and tool around on the Yamahog when possible. I have looked at all the options and never settled on any of them. It seems like using the bike caddy wouldn't be good for the bike, especially an older bike with a chain drive. I thought about the tray option as well. A friend mentioned the drastic shift that the Westy would experience in its braking balance and talked me out of it, plus you have to reinforce the springs, etc. Seems like a lot of work for something that may not be the perfect solution especially considering the age of our vehicles (Westy & motorcycle) and any random failures that could occur. I wish I could take one for a drive that has a motorcycle and a tray on the back just to feel the difference before going that route.

Ultimately, I figure I will go with a short trailer as its the safest most reasonable solution albeit, I never wanted to have to drag a trailer behind on trips, I just don't like the idea. The one upside to the trailer is that if a buddy goes with me that has a bike, we can drag both of them along.

Presslab, how does your Westy ride when the bike isn't on the back? Another concern of mine would be that 98% of the time I wouldn't have the bike on the back and the stiffer springs would make the ride really stiff and unpleasant. Do you feel a distinct difference?

[levi]

[Sodo]

[presslab]

[mblotz]

ive toyed with the idea of making a tray for the front and rear of my syncro, just to avoid trailer times with the dirt bikes. i would elimintate the weight transfer since i would have a 240lb on back and roughly 160lb on front (wifes bike is small).

toying a trailer into some of the best spots isnt always a fun option

anyone tried this? not to hard to weld a receiver in the front i wouldnt think

[Sodo]

I looked at putting a receiver on the front and it looked difficult if using original bumper, especially if your spare tire is under the front. And to make it look nice if it comes from below. I'd be very interested to see if / how other folks did it.

If it was part of a beefy new bumper that would be the cleanest way to do it.

Tom
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'90 Westy EJ25, 2Peloquins, 3knobs, pressure-oiled GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb

[tacomajames]

Bikes go through tires, especially if driven straight. Towing the bike behind you with the rear tire on the ground you are putting a lot of miles on the tire. THe real problem is that the tire is going to get "boxed over" meaning that it develops a flat spot in the middle. Motorcycle tires need to stay round for cornering and leaning. If you have every seen anyone on a bike conciously leaning from side to side as they cruise down a straight road, thwey are probably trying to keep this from happening. This may sound stupid but as a rider I promise its true.