Camper trailer is wagging the bike?
Camper trailer is wagging the bike?
I have a 2009 Street Glide that I installed a car tire on the rear, a Michelin 205/55R-16. I am towing an Aspen Classic camper trailer using a hidden receiver hitch from Hitch Doc. I am leaving in a week and a half on a trip down route 66 to LA so I took it out for a spin just to make sure it all worked together. It didn't. It's the old" tail wagging the dog" thing at highway speeds. The trailer wags back and forth which wags the bike back and forth. I hauled the same trailer behind a 2004 Low Rider and it pulled perfectly. I suspect that the car tire is the problem because the side wall is much larger and more flexible than the bike tire which could be causing the back end to wobble at speed. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.
I tried that and got some improvement but it's still not enough. I also played with tire pressures on the bike and trailer without any change. I am pretty much resolved to buy a new rear bike tire.
Road Warrior
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 1,342
Likes: 0
From: Western Wisconsin
Something seems to be up with your trailer set-up, not your rear tire.
That rear tire would only give you a problem when over leaning.
* Are the trailer's tires over-inflated? less air will keep the trailer from bouncing around.
* Tongue weight (not enough?) try to 10% of the loaded trailer weight
Best packing the heaviest of items right over the axle...not forward or rear within the trailer.
* Having your trailer level to the hitch.
Things can still get squirrelly over 75mph no matter how good the set-up.
That rear tire would only give you a problem when over leaning.
* Are the trailer's tires over-inflated? less air will keep the trailer from bouncing around.
* Tongue weight (not enough?) try to 10% of the loaded trailer weight
Best packing the heaviest of items right over the axle...not forward or rear within the trailer.
* Having your trailer level to the hitch.
Things can still get squirrelly over 75mph no matter how good the set-up.
Road Warrior
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 1,513
Likes: 6
From: SC
Tongue length on a trailer can play havac when towing. The rule of thumb should be the tongue is 1 1/2 times longer than the width of the trailer axle.
I would also check the axle on the trailer for alignment. You can measure the distance from center of axle to the center of the tongue.
Also as stated, could be the tires on the trailer have issues if they have age on them.
Check the hitch to make sure your not getting any flexing with the hitch itself and check the attaching points on the bike
I would also check the axle on the trailer for alignment. You can measure the distance from center of axle to the center of the tongue.
Also as stated, could be the tires on the trailer have issues if they have age on them.
Check the hitch to make sure your not getting any flexing with the hitch itself and check the attaching points on the bike
I appreciate your input on this matter but I still think it's got to be the car tire on the bike or maybe the hitch itself. When I towed the same trailer last year behind a different bike it always tracked perfectly no matter what the tongue weight, tire pressure or trailer loading. By the process of elimination the only thing that is different is the bike, rear tire and hitch. I'm pretty certain that the hitch is fine. There's always some flex in any hitch. The bike itself shouldn't make any difference but the car tire seems to be the one big change. I just ordered a new Metzler 888 and plan to test it out as soon as it arrives. My logic is that this couldn't make it worse but might solve the problem. I will let you know how it all shakes down next week.
There ya go......
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Road Master
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 1,054
Likes: 441
From: Tejas
You towed it behind a different bike before and it could have had a different pitch on the hitch being lower or higher now than before. That will make it do different things going down the road.
My bunkhouse likes it heavy on the hitch. As in 50-55 lbs which is in the 10-15% range. I also like a 1.5:1 or 2:1 ratio on tongue ball to axle/wheel width ratio. 2:1 is better to me. Bump up the weight on it a bit more and see if it gets better.
Griz
My bunkhouse likes it heavy on the hitch. As in 50-55 lbs which is in the 10-15% range. I also like a 1.5:1 or 2:1 ratio on tongue ball to axle/wheel width ratio. 2:1 is better to me. Bump up the weight on it a bit more and see if it gets better.
Griz
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Hi fellas. Great news. I was right about the tire. I took off the car tire today and installed a brand new Metzler 888 Ultra and it runs down the road as straight and steady as an arrow.
Moral of the story: never put a car tire on the rear of a bike you plan to tow with.
Moral of the story: never put a car tire on the rear of a bike you plan to tow with.
