PSA for those trailering
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 6,336
Likes: 67
From: SW Minnesota
What ever happened to, "It's the ride, not the destination?"
One of my favorite T-shirts says, "If you see my bike on a trailer, call the cops! It's been stolen!"
Seriously, to each their own. I have four friends who travel together, and they drive non-stop by switching drivers to get to their destination. They then unload and ride for 9-10 days, and then drive non stop home to get back to work in their allotted 14 days off.
They've been to places I could only dream about.
One of my favorite T-shirts says, "If you see my bike on a trailer, call the cops! It's been stolen!"
Seriously, to each their own. I have four friends who travel together, and they drive non-stop by switching drivers to get to their destination. They then unload and ride for 9-10 days, and then drive non stop home to get back to work in their allotted 14 days off.
They've been to places I could only dream about.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 6,336
Likes: 67
From: SW Minnesota
Perspective is a funny thing. When I was young and started riding (1960) anyone not riding a rigid frame was a *****;then it was anyone running an electric start; then anyone with a bagger.....Now I'm hoping they come out with airconditioning, a roof and electric windows for my Road King.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 2,083
Likes: 247
From: Tulsa, OK
I trailered to Sturgis in 2014, my friend pulled the toy hauler up and it only held 2 bikes we originally had 4 bikes going... long story, but it wound being just my bike on the 2nd trailer and I never felt so cheated out of a trip in my entire life.
Fortunately I knew about putting bikes in trailer mode or the 2 CVO's in the toy hauler would have been dead as door nails since they didn't know better.
The long story if you want to read it.
As cheated as I felt about trailering at least my wife got to go. The morning we were leaving for Sturgis she had a dog rip half her lower lip off and tore a 1/4 inch out of it that she lost, she had emergency plastic surgery that day to reattach it to the gum and pull it back together. Looking like something out of an episode of the walking dead before the surgery she's trying to convince the plastic surgeon to tell me it's okay to go to a motorcycle rally, she finally convinced him after I found a surgeon in rapid city to do the follow up and remove stitches that had to come out. She rode in the truck the next day sleeping most of the way up. The next afternoon when we got into Lead she was on the back of the bike with me.
She looked like someone had beat the **** out of her and a lady in deadwood when we were souvenir shopping told her she should leave my no good *** right there and her husbands friends would take care of me if I tried to stop her.
Not everyone can ride a 1000 miles to get someplace so I try to be a little more forgiving of people with bikes on trailers. I still like to pass them on the road and laugh at them as I go by pointing back at their trailer.
Fortunately I knew about putting bikes in trailer mode or the 2 CVO's in the toy hauler would have been dead as door nails since they didn't know better.
The long story if you want to read it.
As cheated as I felt about trailering at least my wife got to go. The morning we were leaving for Sturgis she had a dog rip half her lower lip off and tore a 1/4 inch out of it that she lost, she had emergency plastic surgery that day to reattach it to the gum and pull it back together. Looking like something out of an episode of the walking dead before the surgery she's trying to convince the plastic surgeon to tell me it's okay to go to a motorcycle rally, she finally convinced him after I found a surgeon in rapid city to do the follow up and remove stitches that had to come out. She rode in the truck the next day sleeping most of the way up. The next afternoon when we got into Lead she was on the back of the bike with me.
She looked like someone had beat the **** out of her and a lady in deadwood when we were souvenir shopping told her she should leave my no good *** right there and her husbands friends would take care of me if I tried to stop her.
Not everyone can ride a 1000 miles to get someplace so I try to be a little more forgiving of people with bikes on trailers. I still like to pass them on the road and laugh at them as I go by pointing back at their trailer.
Last edited by bettingpython; Aug 1, 2016 at 02:08 PM.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 20,616
Likes: 4,440
From: anacoco, la
was it fun? sure it was. but really, you can get quite bored on the interstate.
Chevy 3500 duelly with Duramax, nicely equipped 51K
Haulmark 7x16 tandem axle trailer, niced up on the inside with bunks and air conditioning 9K
CVO Touring bike with all the bells and whistles 35K
Not knowing how to disable the security system while towing to a bike rally and arriving with a dead battery; PRICELESS
Haulmark 7x16 tandem axle trailer, niced up on the inside with bunks and air conditioning 9K
CVO Touring bike with all the bells and whistles 35K
Not knowing how to disable the security system while towing to a bike rally and arriving with a dead battery; PRICELESS
What ever happened to, "It's the ride, not the destination?"
One of my favorite T-shirts says, "If you see my bike on a trailer, call the cops! It's been stolen!"
Seriously, to each their own. I have four friends who travel together, and they drive non-stop by switching drivers to get to their destination. They then unload and ride for 9-10 days, and then drive non stop home to get back to work in their allotted 14 days off.
They've been to places I could only dream about.
One of my favorite T-shirts says, "If you see my bike on a trailer, call the cops! It's been stolen!"
Seriously, to each their own. I have four friends who travel together, and they drive non-stop by switching drivers to get to their destination. They then unload and ride for 9-10 days, and then drive non stop home to get back to work in their allotted 14 days off.
They've been to places I could only dream about.
) to go to some places that I can enjoy now. it isn't like hauling *** down the interstate is all that awesome (at least not after the 4th hour)
Last edited by skratch; Aug 1, 2016 at 02:12 PM.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 6,086
Likes: 1,128
From:
It is rather nice to have a trailer for a trip.
Unfortunate that owners did not know or forgot to use the "transport" mode for the security system.
Most folks never look at the manual.
I actually see that (lights blinking) from time to time when folks have a bike in an open trailer and it is impossible to tell them as they are in the hammer lane.
To bad owners did not wish to listen when you approached them in regards to jumping the battery from running truck.
If they would have listened for a moment maybe their little set-back could have been resolved rather easily.
Unfortunate that owners did not know or forgot to use the "transport" mode for the security system.
Most folks never look at the manual.
I actually see that (lights blinking) from time to time when folks have a bike in an open trailer and it is impossible to tell them as they are in the hammer lane.
To bad owners did not wish to listen when you approached them in regards to jumping the battery from running truck.
If they would have listened for a moment maybe their little set-back could have been resolved rather easily.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 13,402
Likes: 941
From: Illinois
That is the payback for folks who buy anything and never read the owners manual.
In my day riders did their own work and knew their bike top to bottom. When motorcycles became popular and somewhat of a fad. Most riders don't know squat about their machine.
The fault is not with a "complicated" bike it is 100% with the idiot that owns it. Even proper jump starting with what connection to make first, what vehicle to connect first and what is the proper ground connection is something beyond most folks also.
What few times I trailered a touring bike I found it simpler to just leave the fob with the bike.
Other hobbies have the same condition. Just go to a public boat launch on a weekend and watch folks try to back the trailer, forget to put the drain plug in, forget to undo the transom ties, forget to unplug their trailer lights and the list goes on and on. Then watch them when they try to load the boat after the ride. Ownership of something does not necessarily mean that you know anything about it.
In my day riders did their own work and knew their bike top to bottom. When motorcycles became popular and somewhat of a fad. Most riders don't know squat about their machine.
The fault is not with a "complicated" bike it is 100% with the idiot that owns it. Even proper jump starting with what connection to make first, what vehicle to connect first and what is the proper ground connection is something beyond most folks also.
What few times I trailered a touring bike I found it simpler to just leave the fob with the bike.
Other hobbies have the same condition. Just go to a public boat launch on a weekend and watch folks try to back the trailer, forget to put the drain plug in, forget to undo the transom ties, forget to unplug their trailer lights and the list goes on and on. Then watch them when they try to load the boat after the ride. Ownership of something does not necessarily mean that you know anything about it.
Last edited by lh4x4; Aug 1, 2016 at 02:56 PM.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 9,332
Likes: 3,873
From: Upstate New York
I'll admit that sometimes I wish I was rich enough to afford the $40K pickup and the $10K enclosed trailer, and a place to keep them for the 355 days a year I don't need them, but the economics of that just don't work for me. So, if the bike's going, I'm going to have to ride it.
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Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 2,083
Likes: 247
From: Tulsa, OK
I'll admit that sometimes I wish I was rich enough to afford the $40K pickup and the $10K enclosed trailer, and a place to keep them for the 355 days a year I don't need them, but the economics of that just don't work for me. So, if the bike's going, I'm going to have to ride it.
The issue I have is I want to be in an new area every night, with a fixed point of operations like a truck and trailer you have to do out and back trips, then move to your next AO and rinse and repeat. So yeah I'm with you gypsy on a bike is way better.
