Trailer Hitch For SilverWing Scooter

Hi All,

Well, I took the back of my scooter all apart and did a very comprehensive study on hard point, bolt-on locations for the installation of a trailer hitch for the scoot.

I did look at the welded hitch recivers that a few have installed and they were just not that easy for the average scooter jocky to install.

I made my own. I used stronger material with heavy welds and reinforced bolt holes.

The hitch installed very easily with 3 new bolts and a spacer and only took a half an hour to do. I would trust this hitch to do a good job pulling any light weight scooter trailer on the road today.

Now with that said...some pictures:








I hope you like it.

DennisB

While I would never consider pulling a trailer with any sort of 2 wheeled vehicle (scooter and/or motorcycle), I would shy away from something attached to the rear axle. I have pulled many trailers with my cars and pickups, but only with frame mounted hitches.

All of that said, it looks like a quality product and I hope you do well with it.

Jon,

If I was a betting man, I would be a lot richer right now.

DennisB

Hi Jon... I have been several places that I have seen trailers being pulled by motorcycles... agreed most have been the bigger guys like the GWs and similar. I have seen one behind a SW. There was a really unique trailer designed by one of our fellow forum members that was a one wheeler. I think he was from AZ or somewhere out there close to you. I could have used a trailer when my wife and I made the trip to your state early this month.
I am curious about your concern about being attached to rear axle. I had a picture flash in my head when you said you had always pulled a trailer with a pickup or car with only frame mounted hitch. Well, DUH... All of the trailers I have EVER pulled with my pickup were pretty heavy trailers. But what I want to pull with my scooter would only be a light weight trailer with a light load. I have needed a little more cargo capacity when my wife and I both travel on the one bike. Not gonna haul cows or horses or pulp wood. Just a couple more suitcases or something like that.
I will bet you a dollar against a doughnut that before Dennis puts this item on the street, he will do the research with empirical data for us to consider.
If this works out and I get one, I will load up the wife again and come to your house to get my doughnut. In the spring of course. After the rainy season.

Gary,

If you ride through Oklahoma in the spring time chances are you will see more mud raining down on you. Darn tornado's pick it up and carry it for hundreds miles before letting it fall back to earth to land on your scooters windshield as mud.

I've never seen anything like it untill I moved here.

DennisB

I am slightly confused!!!

My 2007 manual actually advises against towing with the Wing. Surely Honda have a good reason to print that!

Hi Wasie,

I just looked over the owners manual and I didn't see it. What page is that statement on? I did see a statement about not taking off the wheels and that only a honda dealer should do that.

DennisB

DennisB wrote:

Hi Wasie,

I just looked over the owners manual and I didn't see it. What page is that statement on? I did see a statement about not taking off the wheels and that only a honda dealer should do that.

DennisB

DennisB I will get back to you tomorrow regards that. Having problems with a UK web site that the mem saab is keen to shop on. Don't want to offend the little woman!!!!

Edited bit.

DennisB.
Page 9
Do not pull a trailer or sidecar with your scooter. This scooter was not designed for these attachments, and their use can seriously impair your scooters handling.

This is the one wheel trailer I read about on this forum... from UTAH....not Arizona .

https://www.silverwing600.com/silver-wing-topics-f3/hitch-and-one-wheel-trailer-for-my-silverwing-t601.htm?highlight=trailer

Hi Guy's,

Here's a couple more pictures of Silverwings with trailers:

I like this setup.

While I can't make any specific engineering claims, and wouldn't for liability purposes, I've been around the Silverwing community long enough to see it is a workhorse bike far beyond what Honda has envisioned or approved.

Couples totalling over 500lbs have claimed to ride two-up on long tours.
You've seen some of the examples of trailers, and the flexibility they have for customization isn't much less than the Goldwing. I've never seen anyone tax the electrical system beyond what it can handle.

I think we all made a good choice in bikes.

DennisB wrote:

Hi Wasie,

I just looked over the owners manual and I didn't see it. What page is that statement on? I did see a statement about not taking off the wheels and that only a honda dealer should do that.

DennisB

Do not pull a trailer or sidecar with your scooter. This scooter was not designed for these attachments, and their use can seriously impair your scooter’s handling.

So trailer/side car can effect the scooter handling ... every one is now warned.

If I ever decide to get a trailer ... your hitch would be my first choice.

Some insurance companies warn that any frame modifications could void your insurance. Since your hitch does not modify the frame ... it would be safe.

[quote="honda_silver] Some insurance companies warn that any frame modifications could void your insurance. Since your hitch does not modify the frame ... it would be safe.[/quote]

I certainly wouldn't pursue the issue with a few UK insurance companies. Any excuse to not pay would be identified so as to not pay up. (Experience of moding cars and then being told by the Ins company it wasn't stock and therefor the claim was denied).

However my intent is not to criticise the set up simply to quote from Honda's owners manual so we all are aware of the whole picture!

The same applies to topboxes/cases.
I haven't read the Silverwing handbook in detail yet but both Piaggio and Givi state that scooters/bikes should not be ridden at more than 80mph with a topbox fitted and also state weight-limits.

I'm fairly careful about how much I put in my topbox but never weigh it and I've been known to 'test' my maxis in excess of 80mph on private roads!

Setting the bar higher and breaking through limits....If we as humans did not set the bar higher for ourselves and test the limits of our invironment, we would, no doubt, have never walked on the moon but remained scared small hominids hiding in the grass lands of Africa.

NO...we stood up.... with a rock in one hand and a sharp stick in the other and faced down those things that hunted us and used us as a food source.

Now, as the new dominant species, we looked up at the moon and stars in the night sky and wondered "what would it take to go there".

Your a human....you set the bar as high or as low as you want. You set your own bar and yes YOU get to decide to reach for the stars or be just someones lunch.

DennisB

Dennis, I remember well the first thoughts I had about moon visits. I looked up and wondered... " what would it take to put my little brother there?"

Opalsboy wrote:

Dennis, I remember well the first thoughts I had about moon visits. I looked up and wondered... " what would it take to put my little brother there?"

You wanted him to meet Alice Kramden?

I have the same hitch as Dennis B. came from a company in the province of Quebec. Have had no problems with it towing my home built trailer which weights 100lbs empty or 160lbs loaded with my camping gear. Not much different than a passanger, I have had it cruising over 130km (80mph) follows like a dream.
You can see pictures of it in my Album.

Hi Regors,

Yes, I looked at their hitch. They used the only strong attaching bolt locations on the back of the scooter. When I made mine, I reinforced all the bolt holes and added a small guesset to the left attachment to make it stronger. I did call them and asked if they had a patent and they said no....So I made my own and made it stronger.

I like your trailer. You did a nice job. Did you use aluminum for the frame or steel?

Did you use a hitch swival on your trailer arm? They are kinda pricey but I think well worth the extra money. I was going to use one when I get around to building my trailer.

You did a nice job. You have the nicest equipment hauler I've seen yet.

DennisB

Hey Dennis, I used a regular hitch coupler, you have to lean the motorcycle over quite a bit to try to lift a wheel up and I usually don't ride like that.
The one place I think the swivel hitch coupler would make a big difference would be it would greatly reduce wear and tear over time.
Like you said rather pricey but I will probably end up with one in the future.
I used 3/4" X 1 1/4" steel on edge for my frame, 2" X 2" for the tongue.

DennisB wrote:

Dennis,

I was thinking more about your hitch for another purpose.

It seems like once in a while someone wants to carry golf clubs on their swing.

If there was another basket type plate that bolted to the hitch ... you could could then attach your golf clubs standing up on the back of the SWing. Something to think about.

Do you mean something like this?

You can find out more about it here:
http://www.drivelikeapro.com/pages/detail_motorcycles.html

My hitch weight is 15lbs which is the ideal for the hitch I have, that "drivelikeapro" case would be around 40lbs if sticking to company recommendation which seems way too much for hitch weight on a Swing.

dspevack wrote:

Do you mean something like this?

Yes ... but a lighter weight version ... without all the casing.

Where the original golf bag sits upon the hitch (without the ball) ... in a basket that would prevent from sliding off ... the top of the case could be strapped to the aluminum wing.

Then all you need for a basket is a deep dish hub cap.
The parts that normally attach to the wheel can be face up and would provide enough support to stop the bottom of the bag from moving around.

BTW that drivelike a pro case is only 15lbs with the top, and the top is removable.

Dan.

Guy's, I'm not a gulfer. How much does a set of gulf clubs and bag weigh?

DennisB

I googled that question and answers ranged on average from 30-40 lbs.

Dan, your not going to be driving around with an empty case are you?

A better idea would be to swap out the wheels on your pull golf cart with high speed wheels then rig up an attachment system to drag it behind.
You would also need a cover on the bag so as no clubs could go for a wander. But then you would need a set of tow lights like the tow truck drivers use.
And the Insurance Company would probably want it licensed.

regors wrote:

A better idea would be to swap out the wheels on your pull golf cart with high speed wheels then rig up an attachment system to drag it behind.
You would also need a cover on the bag so as no clubs could go for a wander. But then you would need a set of tow lights like the tow truck drivers use.
And the Insurance Company would probably want it licensed.

I think with all you mentioned in mind I would probably take the car!!!!

Hi regors,

Just curius, Did you happen to use AutoCad to do your trailer design layout? If so can I get a copy of your .dwg files on this project.

DennisB

regors wrote:

Dan, your not going to be driving around with an empty case are you?

If by "case" you mean "head" people have been accusing me of that for years.

No I'm not, but I can't imagine that these trailers we discuss pulling on this thread and others, which can weigh 160lbs loaded, do not have a tongue-weight that exceeds 15 lbs. I believe that the stresses from pulling it along a bumpy highway would exceed that easily.

Dan

The weight of the loaded trailer is not born fully on the hitch. Nor is that weight felt as full dead weight in the lateral pulling of the trailer.

The weight at the hitch, or the tongue weight may be greater than 15lbs., but may not be much greater. That weight is felt as vertical load on the hitch structure and the vehicle it is mounted on. The majority of the weight of a properly designed trailer is supported by the axle(s)/wheel(s). The farther back the axle the greater the tongue weight (properly distributed load).

The rolling wieght, which is felt along the longitudinal axis of the bike is only significant at startup when the full mass must be put into motion. But after the full mass is moving the wheel(s) of the trailer aid in moving the mass.

Think about trying to push a wheel barrow. All of the weight is in between the wheel (far in front of the weight) and the handles (far behind the weight). If you notice most of the weight is born on your arms. Getting it started is the hard part, but once rolling it is fairly easy to keep it rollling barring any obstacles. Now try to push the wheel barrow without a wheel. The wheel of the wheel barrow like the wheels on a trailer remove a very big amount of the friction required to move something laterally.

A fully and properly loaded trailer weighing 160 lbs. should be balanced resulting in minimal vertical weight on the hitch. A properly designed trailer should be aligned and it's running gear should minimize the rolling resistance (drag).

Thanks for your fine explanation. Some people might not have known that you can take the load off the tongue by putting the weight near the rear of the trailer. Taking all the weight off the tongue can actually change the vertical from a downward force to an upward force. That is not good if you are pulling a load with an 18 wheeler or a two wheeler. You have to know basic things about capacities and the load vectors when using a trailer.
Your explanation was a big help in explaning that.

Thanks again

(By the way... how old is your daughter in the avatar with you?

Dale,
I understand and agree with everything you have said.
It was my understanding however that a certain amount
of weight is actually necessary on the tongue to insure
the towing vehicle can maintain control of the trailer.

If I hit a large bump with a trailer attached, the wing will go up
and come down before the trailer does. Since at some point
the trailer will be higher than the bike won't it be shifting its
weight down on the tongue until the two land at the bottom
of the bump and equalibrium is restored?

Dan,

You are correct - a certain amount of weight is necessary on the hitch point to maintain control.

I don't think the momentary downward forces are so great as to cause most of the weight of the trailer to be transferred to the hitch point. Remember the wheel(s) and axle(s) will also absorb some of that weight. The weight while the trailer is airborne is not felt until it touches down again. At that time the weight is shared in proportion between the hitch point and the wheel(s)/axle(s).

Gary,

I almost missed your post, glad I scrolled up. I am so happy that you noticed that beautiful woman. I was pondering her earlier this am and realized how much I am in love with my wife. she is a strong, gracious, loving, and funny woman. I love to hear her laugh - it really brightens my day.

Sorry DennisB for the hijacking of your thread.

When designing and building your own trailer for the silverwing, you have one big advantage over just going out and buying someone else's pre-fab unit. You have the advantage of loading your cargo box, gear, cooler, spare tire, or what ever into/onto your new trailer frame with a weight scale under your hitch end with the tongue parallel to the ground. By moving the box and load back over the wheels or closer to the hitch you can adjust the weight on the hitch ball. That's what I'm planing on doing when this phase of my trailer building is needed.

DennisB

That's OK Dale...LOVE AND HAVING FRIENDS are the most important things in this big world.

DennisB

The first picture looks like my friends bike and the trailer he built . If it is his it weighs 180 lb. loaded . He towed it 3000 miles .The hitch that looked like the one in your picture failed after 900 miles .The company he bought it from flew in another one and he was back on the road the next day . It was good for the rest of the trip . He has sold the bike to my Buddie and we are towing it and my bike to Florida in Feb. The trailer had no ill effects on the bike .I know this guy pretty good and I would say that he was probably doing 75 MPH with that trailer behind him .

Question from me!

When pulling a trailer on your scooters are there stronger suspension struts available or do you simply set the suspension to the hardest setting?

When pulling trailers in cars there are stronger struts available to support the extra weight imposed.

Hi Waspie,

Since the hitch attaches to the swing arm of the scooter, there is no need for a stronger suspension system on the bike.

DennisB

Dennis he never had any more trouble with the second one .He moved the hitch to a motor cycle .I am no t sure what kind .

A company called hagon makes products for the rear end of the Silverwing,
and Hyperpro makes what you need for the front end.

Dan

DennisB wrote:

Hi Waspie,

Since the hitch attaches to the swing arm of the scooter, there is no need for a stronger suspension system on the bike.

DennisB

Than's DennisB - If I had studied the pictures a bit more I should have noticed!! Having a brain fade day!

Doug

Doug, I get that to...I call it a BRAIN FART.

Hey Dennis, I created my Trailer Plan in a program called "PhotoShop"
This frame was designed for the "Thule Sidekick Box". If I had it to do all over again I would reduce the width by 2", this would bring the sides in closer to the box and also reduce the overall weight.
I would also like to point out that your trailer tongue length as
measured from the axle forward should be between 1.5 & 2 times the width of your axle wheel center's. This will stop any fish tailing and your trailer will follow like a dream.

Good Luck With Your Project

I have several friends who pull some pretty large trailers with their Goldwings, one of them has a 500lb camp trailer. The big 'Wings handle the loads well though I wonder about the load on their brakes with a 500lb. trailer and riding two up.
There are a couple of reservations I'd have with trailer hitches such as those shown on this thread though. First off it looks like there's only one little bolt carrying the tongue weight in shear, that's the bolt on the lower right side. That one is going to get some pretty high shear loads on it due to the fact that the hitch is riding on an unsprung part of the scooter. Sudden shock loads can be pretty high. The only other reservation I'd have is the fact that the cross over tube is also going to have some torque loading due to the fact that only the right side, that lower bolt, is holding the hitch up. Other than thre point hitches on tractors the only trailer hitches I've seen used on automotive applications all attached to a part of the vehicle that was suspended by the vehicles suspension system, not on the unsprung parts.

regors, thank's a bunch for your drawing. That will come in handy to me and alot of other people on this forum if they decide to go this rout. One more thing I need to ask you about is the trailer suspension. What did you use?

Thank You very much

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------


exavid, Thank's for your observations. The shear bolt (6mm) was a concern of mine also. I replaced it with a hardened bolt and the rest of the hitch should just be fine the way it is.

DennisB

I really have no doubts your hitch will serve it's purpose well. I tend to overbuild things anyway, if I'd built the thing the bike would have to have dualies on the rear end.