bicycle question nklr

[Bob Schulte]

I would like to be able to trailer my bike to a neat location, and then go for a ride leaving the car and trailer behind. The kicker is that I would like to do that alone. My trailer has 12" rims so it is off the ground a bit. It also has two pins that you pull out and the trailer pivot dumps backward. I have tried to slowly power the bike up the trailer while walking beside it and stopped as it was too hairy when the rear tire mounted the trailer and then started skidding because there was no traction. Even if I was successful getting the bike further on the trailer, I am afraid of what would have happened when the darn thing closed with the change of weight distribution. I have two l o n g, 9 ft., steel ramps which will work, but they are a real heavy pain in the a** to lug around and stow on the trailer when underway. I have considered just finding an embankment and backing the back of the trailer up to it and loading that way. The problem is that I am not comfortable assuming that I will be able to find just the right embankment near where I want to ride. Does anyone on the list have experience with this sort of thing? Capt. Bob Durham, CT [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Dean Wegner]

I have a friend with a similar type trailer. He loads his bike by pushing it, taking a running start at the tilted trailer and then stopping when the trailer starts to tilt down. Might be that his trailer bed is lower than yours. When I'm loading bikes. I use a wide ramp and ride them up under their own power. You need to trust your braking ability. My trailer bed is about 16" off the ground. Backing up to an embankment works well. Bring a short ramp to bridge the gap. Or buy a folding ramp which is easier to lug around. HTH Dean Wegner Wisconsin A16

On 11/7/06, Bob Schulte wrote: > > I would like to be able to trailer my bike to a neat location, and then > go for a ride leaving the car and trailer behind. The kicker is that I would > like to do that alone. My trailer has 12" rims so it is off the ground a > bit. It also has two pins that you pull out and the trailer pivot dumps > backward. > > I have tried to slowly power the bike up the trailer while walking beside > it and stopped as it was too hairy when the rear tire mounted the trailer > and then started skidding because there was no traction. Even if I was > successful getting the bike further on the trailer, I am afraid of what > would have happened when the darn thing closed with the change of weight > distribution. > > I have two l o n g, 9 ft., steel ramps which will work, but they are a > real heavy pain in the a** to lug around and stow on the trailer when > underway. > > I have considered just finding an embankment and backing the back of the > trailer up to it and loading that way. The problem is that I am not > comfortable assuming that I will be able to find just the right embankment > near where I want to ride. > > Does anyone on the list have experience with this sort of thing? > > Capt. Bob Durham, CT > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Doug Herr]

On Tue, 7 Nov 2006, Bob Schulte wrote:

> I would like to be able to trailer my bike to a neat location, > and then go for a ride leaving the car and trailer behind. The > kicker is that I would like to do that alone. My trailer has > 12" rims so it is off the ground a bit. It also has two pins > that you pull out and the trailer pivot dumps backward. > > I have tried to slowly power the bike up the trailer while > walking beside it and stopped as it was too hairy when the rear > tire mounted the trailer and then started skidding because > there was no traction. Even if I was successful getting the > bike further on the trailer, I am afraid of what would have > happened when the darn thing closed with the change of weight > distribution. > > I have two l o n g, 9 ft., steel ramps which will work, but > they are a real heavy pain in the a** to lug around and stow on > the trailer when underway. > > I have considered just finding an embankment and backing the > back of the trailer up to it and loading that way. The problem > is that I am not comfortable assuming that I will be able to > find just the right embankment near where I want to ride. > > Does anyone on the list have experience with this sort of > thing?

Making, and testing the ramp to load into the back of the pickup was very instructive on this. I found that I did slip until I cut pieces from an old tire to mount onto the ramp. My feeling is that you should leave the trailer secured to avoid that seesaw effect and just make a short wooden ramp. A shorter version of this should work great: http://www.klr650.marknet.us/ramps.html That is what I based mine on. -- Doug Herr doug@...

[Robert Chay]

Get a ramp. You'll only need a 5' or 6' ramp. One other option is to get a 2x8 plank and one of those ramp end kits (http://tinyurl.com/yc79jw). My friend made one with 2 planks and nailed them together to make a 16" wide ramp. You don't want to load/unload by tipping the trailer. That's a "hold my beer and watch this" moment just waiting to happen. -Bobby

> -----Original Message----- > From: Bob Schulte > > I would like to be able to trailer my bike to a neat > location, and then go for a ride leaving the car and trailer > behind. The kicker is that I would like to do that alone. > My trailer has 12" rims so it is off the ground a bit. It > also has two pins that you pull out and the trailer pivot > dumps backward. > > I have tried to slowly power the bike up the trailer while > walking beside it and stopped as it was too hairy when the > rear tire mounted the trailer and then started skidding > because there was no traction. Even if I was successful > getting the bike further on the trailer, I am afraid of what > would have happened when the darn thing closed with the > change of weight distribution. > > I have two l o n g, 9 ft., steel ramps which will work, but > they are a real heavy pain in the a** to lug around and stow > on the trailer when underway. > > I have considered just finding an embankment and backing the > back of the trailer up to it and loading that way. The > problem is that I am not comfortable assuming that I will be > able to find just the right embankment near where I want to ride. > > Does anyone on the list have experience with this sort of thing? > > > Capt. Bob Durham, CT

[Jeff Saline]

On Tue, 7 Nov 2006 16:47:56 -0500 "Bob Schulte" writes:

> I would like to be able to trailer my bike to a neat location, and > then go for a ride leaving the car and trailer behind. The kicker > is that I would like to do that alone. My trailer has 12" rims so > it is off the ground a bit. It also has two pins that you pull out > and the trailer pivot dumps backward. > > I have tried to slowly power the bike up the trailer while walking > beside it and stopped as it was too hairy when the rear tire mounted > the trailer and then started skidding because there was no traction. > Even if I was successful getting the bike further on the trailer, I > am afraid of what would have happened when the darn thing closed > with the change of weight distribution. > > I have two l o n g, 9 ft., steel ramps which will work, but they > are a real heavy pain in the a** to lug around and stow on the > trailer when underway. > > I have considered just finding an embankment and backing the back of > the trailer up to it and loading that way. The problem is that I am > not comfortable assuming that I will be able to find just the right > embankment near where I want to ride. > > Does anyone on the list have experience with this sort of thing? > > > Capt. Bob Durham, CT

<><><><><><><><> <><><><><><><><> Capt. Bob, I've loaded a few bikes on trailers or into pick up truck beds in the last 27 years or so. A 2 x 10 about 8' long works pretty good as a ramp. I used to ride a Kawasaki KZ400 into the bed of a Datsun pick up truck when I was in the Army back in the 70s. I'm sure I should have spit the ramp out a few times but I never hesitated when going up so the weight of the bike was on the ramp and my speed carried me all the way into the truck bed. Probably more luck than skill on the 20-25 times I did that. We used to drive the truck to an interesting area and then off load the bike. Ride the bike for the day and then return in the pick up. That's when we were having the gas shortages and getting fuel could take 3 hours and you could only get it on the "correct" day. My girl friend used to take the truck with the bike in the back and fill both. Lots of good memories there. Now days I use a 2x10 about 8' long with a metal lip on one end. That goes on the backside of the trailer and I can push a KLR onto the trailer by myself. I use two 2x4s about a tire width apart bolted to the metal trailer deck for keeping the wheels in place. The backside of the trailer is only about 18" or so off the ground so it's not like putting a bike into a pick up bed. In the past few years I've helped load a bike into a tall 4x4 pick up by having the pick up parked in a ditch so the tailgate is about the same height as and pointing towards the shoulder of the road. Then I put the 2x10 ramp on the tailgate and roll the bike into the truck bed. It's handy to have help with this as the bike is often about 3 feet in the air and you just can't really control it from the ground. Some friends regularly load bikes into pick ups using a ramp and a step stool. Power the bike up the ramp and as you get to the tailgate step onto the step stool and then onto the tailgate. The ramp they're using is one of the aluminum ones with very good traction control. The 2x10 ramps often get slippery. Best, Jeff Saline ABC # 4412 South Dakota Airmarshal Airheads Beemer Club www.airheads.org The Beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota 75 R90/6, 03 KLR650, 79 R100RT

[Jud Jones]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "Bob Schulte" wrote:

> > I would like to be able to trailer my bike to a neat location, and then go for a ride

leaving the car and trailer behind. The kicker is that I would like to do that alone. My trailer has 12" rims so it is off the ground a bit. It also has two pins that you pull out and the trailer pivot dumps backward.

> > I have tried to slowly power the bike up the trailer while walking beside it and stopped

as it was too hairy when the rear tire mounted the trailer and then started skidding because there was no traction. Even if I was successful getting the bike further on the trailer, I am afraid of what would have happened when the darn thing closed with the change of weight distribution.

> > I have two l o n g, 9 ft., steel ramps which will work, but they are a real heavy pain in

the a** to lug around and stow on the trailer when underway.

> > I have considered just finding an embankment and backing the back of the trailer up to

it and loading that way. The problem is that I am not comfortable assuming that I will be able to find just the right embankment near where I want to ride.

> > Does anyone on the list have experience with this sort of thing? >

I have done quite a bit of solo trailering with one or two bikes on a light trailer. A berm is nice, but often I have to get a little run to push the bike up, or else start it and walk it up under power. The key is to have your tie-downs ready with one end already hooked on the trailer. Soft ties on the bike make it an easy matter to hook up the near-side tiedown, snug it just enough to hold the bike up, then do the one on the far side. A guy does get tired, and it is not unheard of to drop the bike either getting on or off the trailer. It is not the end of the world, and doesn't happen often.

[Andrus Chesley]

Have you considered useing a MotoTote or simular/ Just stick it into a 2" reciever on the back of the truck/ But really need air shocks or air lifts in the back to gt the truck back to level if using headlights is a concern. I carry my KLR that way to Arkansas and to Big Bend Texas> works good and don't have to worry about the trailer/ '43 Andy in Louisiana '00 KLR650 '03 Chevy truck '06 DL1000

[Bill Watson]

Hey Bob, I'd recommend that you use a ramp. My trailer has 15" tires so it's higher up than yours, I'd guess - and I have no problems using a 6' long 2x8 ramp. I mounted half a door hinge on one end of the ramp, the other half on the back of the trailer - and toss in a long bolt to guarantee they won't separate when being used to load / unload. Bill Watson Phoenix, AZ --------------------------------- Cheap Talk? Check out Yahoo! Messenger's low PC-to-Phone call rates. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Robert Chay]

I think I talked to Bob about that. I have a VersaHaul that I bought to take my R6 to the track. I used it to pick up my KLR and even though the R6 is a bit heavier, it was more stable than the KLR since it's so high. I thought it might be the suspension travel of the bike but I picked up a Husky TC450 in VA a couple of months and that was much more stable that both R6 and KLR. I think the KLR is too top heavy for a hitch carrier. -Bobby from Northern Joisey '89 KLR650 '04 R6 '04 Husky TC450 '04 4Runner '05 VersaHaul Sport carrier '06 Harbor Freight trailer w/12" wheels

> -----Original Message----- > From: Andrus Chesley > > Have you considered useing a MotoTote or simular/ Just stick > it into a 2" reciever on the back of the truck/ But really > need air shocks or air lifts in the back to gt the truck back > to level if using headlights is a concern. > I carry my KLR that way to Arkansas and to Big Bend Texas> > works good and don't have to worry about the trailer/ > > '43 Andy in Louisiana > '00 KLR650 > '03 Chevy truck > '06 DL1000

[Moose]

Not really. I use a Canyon Dancer to strap across the bars, compress the front suspension and strap it down. Then two tie downs to keep the back from moving and off I go. Moose Robert Chay wrote: I think I talked to Bob about that. I have a VersaHaul that I bought to take my R6 to the track. I used it to pick up my KLR and even though the R6 is a bit heavier, it was more stable than the KLR since it's so high. I thought it might be the suspension travel of the bike but I picked up a Husky TC450 in VA a couple of months and that was much more stable that both R6 and KLR. I think the KLR is too top heavy for a hitch carrier. -Bobby from Northern Joisey '89 KLR650 '04 R6 '04 Husky TC450 '04 4Runner '05 VersaHaul Sport carrier '06 Harbor Freight trailer w/12" wheels

> -----Original Message----- > From: Andrus Chesley > > Have you considered useing a MotoTote or simular/ Just stick > it into a 2" reciever on the back of the truck/ But really > need air shocks or air lifts in the back to gt the truck back > to level if using headlights is a concern. > I carry my KLR that way to Arkansas and to Big Bend Texas> > works good and don't have to worry about the trailer/ > > '43 Andy in Louisiana > '00 KLR650 > '03 Chevy truck > '06 DL1000

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