I wonder if anyone else is interested in telling their story.I had to trailer my bike,1,055 miles.My wife has lots of back injuries from a car wreck so she can ride, just not for very long,but I am so glad she went with me and she did ride over 4 hours one day.Anyhow,we got there, black hills are about the most beautiful place I have ever ridden.But then there is this trailer thing.My unemployed son in law made this trailer, a 4 x 8 with no tailgate so my ultra would fit.He uses the trailer for his lawnmower.It is a tilt trailer.The bike goes up the tilted trailer, the trailer falls down, then someone else puts the pin in.Only it didnt.The bike is on the slope, I am on the slope, the trailer doesnt go all the way down, my wife is too small to push it down, and I have to roll the bike backwards off the trailer again.I found some guys willing to help us get the trailer down so I could tie it down and start from Texas to sturgis.Once i go to the holiday in in rapid city i had the same problem.Coming off was easy.5 days later I needed some guy to push the trailer down.A guy helped me, his daughter put the pin in.I said thanks and they walked off.I went to put the kickstand down so i could get off and fetch the tiedowns.The bike was sitting straight up all by itself.The rear wheel had crashed through the floor of the trailer.He had used 7/16 wafer board and it had rained real hard for 2 nights.Now I have a 850 pound bike with its rear wheel through the trailer floor and no one is in the parking lot.I had to figger out how to lift the bike and wheel out of the hole.Another guy came over after my wife went and begged for help.We rocked the bike back and forth and it came off the trailer again.Then i pulled the trailer to lowes,bought a sheet of 3/4 plywood, nailed it down in the lowes parking lot, then went back and looked for a guy to help me reload the bike which i was able to do fortunately.Strapped down and rolling i told my wife I hope thats all the problems we have.Nope, once close to wichita kansas one of the straps broke, the bike fell over.I pulled into a one horse town and found a closed hardware store owner and he sold m a strap.I had stopped in front of the store and he came out to admire my bike, and thats how i got one from a closed store.Back on the road,i noticed that my bike seemed to be moving and the trailer fishtailing a bit.I stopped again.The strap holding the front wheel still had broken.I had bought extra so I re did it again.I made it home the next day, i told my son in law how my wheel had crashed through the trailer floor because it was too thin and I had to pay 35.00 for wood, a hammer, and nails.He said thats ok,he didnt mind i had made a hole in the floor.

 

Sounds like that trailer is a piece of crap. Least your OK.

 

Ron i'd say it's time for a new trailer...

 

Do what I did, ride the bike to Sturgis and put the wife on a plane. Dale

 

Shoot, another trip or two and he will have rebuilt this one! Son-in-laws. What are they good for?

 

Yep-----a $20,000+ motorcycle riding on a homemade $50 trailer.

 

You said trailer.....now you're gonna catch it...

 

Cant trust inlaws, I had an inlaw offer to repack wheel bearings
on a trailer for me while I was at work so I could haul firewood to a campsite with my Bronco. Dumbazz never tightened the axle nut on one side and it didnt show up til 60 mph on the high way , damn near killed half of his own family that was riding in my Bronco.Ex inlaws now.

 

Did you really think 7/16 osb would hold an 850lb bike. Barely holds a 200lb man 24 O.C.

I've learned over the years that doing things half azzed to save a buck usually winds up costing you alot more money and time.

But sometimes I forget. Good post, thanks for the reminder

 

at least you had your bike .. my wife and I had to take the car 21 day 5500 mile vacation wife on ox. sometimes. sturgis area deadwood aaaarea not a good place for a car during run.. but enjoyed the trip and sturgis anyway..