Trailer suggestions

I am a person with a car with limited towing capacity who overthinks and overresearches everything, so let me school you on some options.

For an open trailer, your cheapest option is the Harbor Freight utility trailer. A build thread for mine is here, you can carry a surprising amount of stuff on it, and because it's so lightweight and open it will barely affect gas mileage.

For an enclosed trailer, your priorities will be light weight and low profile. I've found two (technically three) really good options for this.

The first is a pop top trailer. This is available from Haulmark and Wells Cargo and I honestly think they're the same trailer since they have identical specs. Here's Haulmark's and here's Wells Cargo's. You want the one with 12" additional height. This will give you 4'4" of interior height (I THINK a 6" additional height would fit an R6 too, but it'll be cutting it close), and the pop top makes loading pretty easy and weighs 745 lbs.

The other option is a Cycle Shuttle from Chariot. For a lightweight, low profile trailer, you can get their Cycle Shuttle 11 low profile which weighs only 700 lbs.

I don't have exact prices anymore, but I believe the pop top trailers run about $4K and the Cycle Shuttle runs about $7K. I really dig the Cycle Shuttle, but with those prices I wound up deciding it was better to just invest in a cargo van rather than an enclosed trailer.

 

We use a vr6 volkswagen jetta. We are currently using it to pull a heavily loaded 4x6 utility trailer. We load a motorcycle, a scooter, two heavy totes, fuel, ez-up, tool box, stands, chairs.

Last season we did a ride share where we used the other guy's 5x8 utility trailer. On it we had another bike but no scooter, and an extra tote.

The 2 seasons before that we used a 4x6 enclosed (the 125 gp would fit in it) but we didn't have a scooter at that time. We got the worst gas mileage of all the set-ups with the enclosed.

As far as straps and stands, we have only ever used canyon dancers and soft ties with cinch style tie downs. Never had any issues with these but know they arent the best for the suspension.

Currently, we are assembling the individual pieces for a pit bull trs which will, of course, be the most popular, if not only, answer to your question.

 

Small utility trailer like already mentioned but I won't use straps anymore after having a pitbull TRS. They are worth their weight in gold.

 

+1,000 on PB TRS.
it will outlive you, and your suspension will thank you.

we had an open trailer for a long time. aside from potential theft and nowhere to sleep, it is a good option.

good luck

 

Plus 1 on pitbulls. Way better than straps. You could flip the trailer, and the bike would still be attached.

 

I bought a 4x8 folding utility trailer with 12" wheels from Redtrailers. It is similar to Harbour freight with a few differences, but does cost a couple hundred more. I also bought a pitbull trailer system rear restraint, which is awesome.

On a side note, make sure you do a good job with wiring a utility trailer. Grind paint off the ground points and make sure you have a good ground between trailor lights and ground wire from car. You may need to grind a few bolt connections if the trailor is a Harbour Freight or other bolt together to get a good ground all the way to the back (I found this out the hard way).

Also throw away the snap wire connectors for the running lights and dont use twist connectors or standard crimp connectors for the other lights. Go out and buy some heat shrink connecters that crimp and when heated shrink to wire and create a water tight seal. There is nothing worse than trying to get your trailor lights working in a rain storm (again, I know from experience and having to rewire my trailor after the first day out). I also put my wires in corrugated wire tube and zip tied to frame instead of the wire clips that just cut the wire as it moves.

Just my 2 cents if going with the cheaper utility trailor route.

 

For an open trailer, you won't find a better one than a Kendon. They are a bit expensive, but stand up on casters in the garage, and the combination of 14" wheels and torsion bar suspension make for great stability:thumb:

 

isn't Dom selling his Kenyon?

 

I am pretty sure he sold it already....

 

IMO I think if you can swing an enclosed trailer do it even if it's a small one. Nothing like a piece of mind that your bike and things are secure and keeping them out of the elements is a big plus. Plus it's more storage as you can "stuff" things next to the bike. I went from a super small pick up bed to a 6x10 enclosed and couldn't be happier. I looked into originally making a home made enclosed trailer with a harbour freight trailer but got a really good deal on my 6x10 and couldn't pass it up. Anyway look online and you will be amazing all the clever enclosed harbour freight trailers people have made and I might add they look very legit and cheap.

 

Bolted down wheel chocks and tie down straps are still a fine option, right?

I hope to be purchasing my first dedicated track bike this weekend for the upcoming season. I have no desire to deal with U Haul every time I want to do a track day. I've found quite a few Harbor Freight trailer build threads and am handy enough to complete one of my own.

But the Pit Bull TRS costs more brand new than one of the trailers I'm looking at... And especially if I get a trailer just big enough to squeeze two bikes on if I end up making some track day friends, I can't possibly afford 3 Pit Bull TRS (one in the middle, two or each side, etc.). 3 basic front wheel chocks and tie down straps I can handle financially for now though...

EDIT: just thinking out loud, how about a front wheel chock, and then a regular rear stand, but with some U bolts and pre drilled holes in the trailer bed... Annoying as it would be, when its time to fix the bike to the trailer, I could U bolt the rear stand through the bottom of the trailer bed, crawl underneath, and ratchet the U bolts... I suppose the rear stands might not be rated to hold the bike in that fashion as the TRS system is, but I don't know for sure, I have not yet purchased a rear stand or ever held one in my hand.. I still don't even have my first track bike...

 

All you need to afford is one TRS friends can buy there own

 

Yeah, I have two of the black HF adjustable chocks bolted down in my trailer and use ratchet straps to go to the D rings in the floor. No problems at all

 

I pull a DoLittle 5x8 V-Nose with a 2009 VW Jetta TDI and the worst mileage I've had was 17mpg coming home from Texas World Speedway and hitting an ice storm that added a few hundred pounds. I normally average 21mpg. I use my trailer as my camper as well which helps cut the cost down. If you're on a budget, a small enclosed trailer is my best recommendation.

 

Do you care about your bike? If so don't buy a cheap trailer. If you buy anything from harbor freight 9 times out of ten you will be buying it again soon/"
If money's an option get a Mototote

 

I've had a scandipacific.com trailer for 10 years now and it's been great. The only issue I had from purchase time was the need to prime and repaine the rails as they were very cheaply painted. I did this right after its first use and have never done it again since. It's got leaf spring suspension and rides very nice for any price range.
Other than the paint issue I did get the tie down brackets from them and you definitely need a better ramp than the shorty that comes with it as it's more designed for use with dirt bikes.
I got the three rail version which allows me one bike in the center OR two bikes using the outer rails. It will fit three dirtbikes but now three sport bikes.
Oh and you'll need the upgrade to wider rails for a 180-190 rear tire.

I spent less that $900 for it with everything mentioned here

 

Having your bike and stuff inside, rather than on, is worth its weight in gold. There's the theft issue, plus the things falling off on the way to the track issue, plus the benefit that you can sleep inside it, plus the fact that you can hurl belongings into the trailer quick as you can throw as a wall cloud descends on the paddock....

And BTW, vans are nice, too. Lots of creeper vans in our sport!

 

I agree...Don't cheap out on the trailer...I was at Putnam Park Last year and on the way in a guys cheap/homemade trailer flipped over and his 7000 dollar bike and gear was all torn up.

Get the enclosed if you can to help prevent theft.