alexpa Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 Does anyone know of a hitch for the FJ? Not to tow the bike but for the FJ to have a small trailer to pull behind. Some brands of trailers that come to mind is the Uni-Go and Moto Mule. Uni-Go is associated with a hitch company called something like "sports hitch" which I've seen (pictures of) it being attached to a Hayabusa and some other super sport but they also can attach to Vstroms/Versys. I was wondering if anyone used or seen such a thing on the FJ. I'm not opposed to fabricating one but would appreciate leaving the structural stuff to someone who knows what they're doing :/ https://www.unigotrailers.com/ https://www.facebook.com/MotoMule/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexpa Posted December 30, 2017 Author Share Posted December 30, 2017 Adding some links in case this becomes a build thread. Not sure if this is the right board as I'm not building out the FJ.. Just something that attaches to it. Move the thread if needed though. Collection of trailers and hitches with pictures and some build pics: http://www.singlewheel.com/OneOfAKindFR.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member fddriver2 Posted December 30, 2017 Premium Member Share Posted December 30, 2017 Adding some links in case this becomes a build thread. Not sure if this is the right board as I'm not building out the FJ.. Just something that attaches to it. Move the thread if needed though. Collection of trailers and hitches with pictures and some build pics: http://www.singlewheel.com/OneOfAKindFR.htm A talented fabricator could pretty much build whatever you want. It's just a question of how extensive you want. A rhetorical question. Why? In the one link it shows a heavy set guy and his partner decked out in full leathers with pucks on a sportbike (Busa?) pulling a trailer. Really? As a Appalachian Trail and Florida Trail hiker I have spent weeks on the trail never carrying more than 35 lbs. If you apply some basic backpacking rule of thumb "less is more" distill what you are bringing to the "necessities" and no more. You may have a more pleasant trip. YMMV. I post this BMW to show what is possible. Home made sidecar hauling I don't know how many hundreds of pounds of gear. Enough tools and parts to completely rebuild the bikes. Coolers and more camping gear than a sports store. Him and the Triumph Tiger are together and check out the load on it. And those are car tires on the BMW. How do you think that thing handles? A trailer will affect handling, no matter how small it is. All this stuff may be necessary on a RTW trip out on the Siberian steppes but not at the Craters of the Moon Idaho. With all that said. Life is short, do what you want and what makes you happy. The rest of us can go to h*ll. "It doesn't matter who walks in, you know the joke is still the same" Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. USA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member sirepair Posted December 31, 2017 Premium Member Share Posted December 31, 2017 I have a home-made one-wheeled trailer I pull behind my ST-1100, using a Classic Industries hitch that I've modified. It's not the prettiest trailer, but it is quite functional. I fabricated a simple frame and single-sided swing arm. Used a bicycle shock for suspension, a plastic "job box" for storage, and some LED lights. Most of the trailer parts came from Tractor Supply (wheel/tire, bearings, axle, spindle and job box). I used a GL1500 drive shaft U-joint for the union between the hitch and trailer, which allows the up-down and left-right motion. I did have to grind out some material on the U-joint to increase its range of motion. I probably have $400 or $500 invested and did the fabrication in 3 or 4 evenings. Built in 2009, the trailer has several thousand miles on it, and has been pulled at triple-digit speeds without issue. I only use it when my wife and I camp or I need to haul a bit more than I want to strap on the seat. I like that the trailer is no wider than the bike, and I don't have to change where I ride (left track, right track, etc) as one must with standard, 2 wheeled trailers. Riding with it loaded requires a slight change in style. With the trailer loaded it's like riding with a "Big girl" on back of the bike. I add a bit more pre-load to the rear shock since the trailer hitch is mounted to the frame of the bike. I've considered modifying the trailer and creating the necessary bits to pull it with the FJ. I would likely run a rod through the FJ's rear axle (allowing it to rotate for up-down function) as is pictured above. Not too high on the priority list as I can pull it with the ST. Here are some pictures of the build and final product: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexpa Posted December 31, 2017 Author Share Posted December 31, 2017 A rhetorical question. Why? As a Appalachian Trail and Florida Trail hiker I have spent weeks on the trail never carrying more than 35 lbs. If you apply some basic backpacking rule of thumb "less is more" distill what you are bringing to the "necessities" and no more. You may have a more pleasant trip. YMMV. Life is short, do what you want and what makes you happy. The rest of us can go to h*ll. I havent had that figured out yet. More like why not? There is only so much you can carry on two wheels and I'm looking to do some longer term trips this summer with sufficient creature comforts to want to keep staying out. I did a trip last summer and was able to fit my small LCD tv but the satellite dish took up pretty much the whole rear seat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexpa Posted December 31, 2017 Author Share Posted December 31, 2017 I have a home-made one-wheeled trailer I pull behind my ST-1100, using a Classic Industries hitch that I've modified. It's not the prettiest trailer, but it is quite functional. No, this is great! I'm not looking to have anything too complicated and I like that it's homemade and quite utilitarian. Looks don't matter. Except for maybe the hub assembly, it looks like off-the-shelf parts from any big box store. I bet Tractor Supply might even have a similar hub kit. Thanks, I'm bookmarking your pics Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexpa Posted December 31, 2017 Author Share Posted December 31, 2017 Some discussion about mounting locations on ADV Rider. In short- attaching to the frame allows the rear wheel faster suspension response due to less unsprung weight. The through-axle hitches look easier and more secure but would be adding a lot unsprung tongue weight. Check out replies #617-620 http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/dual-sport-trailer-assembly-thread.113997/page-31#post-20608753 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member fddriver2 Posted December 31, 2017 Premium Member Share Posted December 31, 2017 A rhetorical question. Why? As a Appalachian Trail and Florida Trail hiker I have spent weeks on the trail never carrying more than 35 lbs. If you apply some basic backpacking rule of thumb "less is more" distill what you are bringing to the "necessities" and no more. You may have a more pleasant trip. YMMV. Life is short, do what you want and what makes you happy. The rest of us can go to h*ll. I havent had that figured out yet. More like why not? There is only so much you can carry on two wheels and I'm looking to do some longer term trips this summer with sufficient creature comforts to want to keep staying out. I did a trip last summer and was able to fit my small LCD tv but the satellite dish took up pretty much the whole rear seat. Why not works for me. 8-) Max carrying weight of a FJ is right at 400lbs (it's actually a few pounds less, but what is 3lbs among friends ) At 6' 1" and 220-225lbs I'm a pretty big guy. I still can take 180lbs of equipment with me. I'm not clear about what you want to bring but 180lbs seems like a lot of stuff. On top of that. A towed load counts against GVWR. So it's not like you can load down the bike and then hang a bunch of weight off the back. Even "unsprung" weight counts. Whatever you end up doing post lots of pictures. We love pictures!!!! Good luck... "It doesn't matter who walks in, you know the joke is still the same" Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. USA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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