In my quest to find a seat for my America I stumbled upon this. Would be great to start a motorcycle recovery business pulling broken down cruisers from a certain manufacturer......... Triumph America Chrome Tow Bar | eBay Al
Good point, well made. Although in either case there is a better option than fitting a tow bar to a bike. Where extra luggage capacity is beyond the scope and practicalities of a bike, What's needed is one of them cars, or a van perhaps. Al
Hi, an Aussie from the antipodes here. I have a 2008 America, big bore kit (904cc) used tuneecu and dyno now about 75hp at back wheel, I tow a trailer behind it, I have done from new!! Now have 101,000 kms on the clock and I find it much better option than overloading the bike with luggage, I have done several cross country trips 7,000 km plus round trips, beats booking into motels hotels etc and I can carry food fuel extra's for up to a weeks travel! If you'd like pictures of either of my two trailers. Contact me. cheers capt. That's my personal plate [email protected]
Picture of my America in Narrabri NSW. On the way to Bundaberg QLD , from Northam Was. About 4,000 klms into a 6,600 odd ride, day 5 of 7...!!!
wow! wasn't expecting to see a trailer as big as that..or does it have a frame that dismantles when on the move? , it must make cornering interesting
Hi Capt 2 things: 1. The bike looks lovely ! 2. Assuming that a frame tent that folds down ? Gives you a comfy night's kip I'll bet. Is it a single wheel at the back, or an axle and 2 wheels? We need more info and pics please? 3. (Sorry) Nice to hear about a bike that's really being used for adventures, not just the Sunday morning blast.
Hi all, the trailer is approx 115 kg empty but with all canvases and poles (has a 3*4 metre annexe and canopy). It has two 10 inch wheels on a cross Axel with leaf springs. The canvas top has three light steel tubes supporting it, they mount in 1 1/4 inch wide hinges at the rear of the canopy/body top, folds down to the front to stow away, pulls up to rear to erect.the canvas is attached to a marine plywood panel , pine wood atop which is a 4 inch foam mattress. The camper top is hinged so you can access luggage etc without deploying the canvas, luggage can also be acceded through a trap door under the mattress. I have fitted an 18 ampere bike battery to operate LED interior lighting. We carry a 70 litre chiller/ice box across the front towing frame, can carry a weeks worth of food etc or many many beers. Of vital importance...! Things we carry on long treks= table,two lge comfy camping chairs,20 litres of water,gas stove and bottle(3burner) 10 or 15 litres spare fuel assorted clothing tools laptop (TV via USB dongle lol) and anything else SWMBO wants, I get better fuel economy towing trailer at 220kg approx than with saddle bags etc and no trailer !trailer towing in Australia see's all vehicles limited to 100 kph , with no trailer but saddle bags etc max speed allowed is 110 kph (70 mph in blighty terms) so not sure if the lower speed is the main contributor to economy towing or saddle bags stick out too far causing massive wind drag. Will post more photos soon.
I have to admit that is pretty awesome. If you are going long distance camping on your bike, that is the proper way to do it.
Hi smiling jack, here in the great down under B n B's can be an awful long way apart lmao. I have travelled through about 60% of Australia, and, if you stick to the tarmacadamised surface. No dirt tracking !! The fuel stations alone can be over 200klm apart, never mind towns which may have accommodation of some sort... But @ very inflated prices (monopolies do that). In reply to Dougie D, the trailer and bike corner just fine !! If you get it right you wouldn't know it was behind you ! You only really notice it under 3 conditions. 1: braking hard from speeds over 60kph or so(no trailer brakes) 2: low speed tight corners, small round about etc, braking or incorrect speeds in the corner push/stand the bike up in the most severe way I have ever experienced. 3: rapid acceleration from any speed... Is dramatically reduced. It's scientific name is Mass, it's why we normally out pace the Hard Tops...!
OK I'll put a pic of the monster..on here. Sheep skin seat and back rest are the latest update, there are far too many modifications on this machine to list them all, it would take me 1/2 hr or more.
That seat looks just 'LUSH' !!!! Very, very smart bike that capt - what the box thing hanging just behind the front wheel? I've just blown the picture up and it's another battery !! What's that for, running ancillaries (like a fridge) in the trailer?
No, big lad and dougie, that's the 22ampere battery, the only battery- I have moved battery and sterter relay, now less than 3 inches of 25 amp cable between battery and starter motor including relay. I have also wired the charging regulator direct to battery to boost current available for charging the battery, I have an 18 amp battery on the camper (yellow body).
Very nice thinking there capt, I like it alot. No more problems with starting then I'd be interested to learn more about the mods you've made on your bike, if you don't mind?
I've towed trailers with a few bikes in the past, great for rallies especially for taking your beer and a few home comforts, more so for packing up on a wet sunday morning, I would also like to hear of the different mods you've done.
Hi big lad and TEZ , I have done all the air box mods, no baffle bottom out of air box, no said and then had bike dyno tuned to suit with short mufflers fitted, I didn't want peak power, wanted torque ... So bike went from 52/53hp @ rear wheel to 57/58hp. but mid range jumped considerable. The spot light's are 35 watt Hid, mtd on 8mm thick aluminum plate, I used the head lights from an early model speed triple ?? as donor fittings and cleaned and painted them up, did the trailer towing bracket about the same time, just a few month's after I bought the bike new in 2009 it's an 08 fuel injected.I bought and towed my smaller trailer to the 09 Phillip island races watched Casey Stoner win at home. Moved ignition switch to between the handle bar riser brackets next. Did battery modifications next then foot boards for SWMBO have solo seat from original two seat pad reupholstered, much more padding, bought the triumph gel touring seat, latest is sheepskin upholstery to gel seat. I bought the bike with backrest and saddle bags can about 12 months later, bike now has 101,000 klms up did the big bore kit at 92,000 klms, I ported the head whilst barrels were away being bored, I bought the air die grinder and did the work myself. The porting probably gained me as much new torque and horsepower as the 904cc big bore kit ! There was a large hump/step removed from inlets, exhaust's weren't as bad just cleaned them up. I added fuel to the map's, no dyno work yet, I think 75hp or there abouts is about right now.
