New to trailering, got a few ?'s !

[mashley]

Hey I have recently decided to modify and old trailer I had around the house to pull behind my RSTD. Almost got the frame ready to sand blast and paint. Got a few guestions.

 

1. What is the recommended tounge weight for these bikes and what is the max that should be pulled.

 

2. What is the best way to wire the bike for the trailer lights, as I will be doing the wiring myself.

 

3. I have heard rumors that towing a trailer will void my warranty, is this true?

 

4. Any advice other advice you can give!

 

Thanks in advance for the help!

[greg_in_london]

Others will give a more definitive answer, but other posters have said 10-12% of total weight for tongue weight, which will be 10-30kg depending on trailer loading. Yamaha doesn't recommend a figure. It tends to be academic as you'll reload each time you travel anyway - and then you'll drink some beer, use some charcoal and add more shopping. Any space will be filled with your partner's clothes... (therefore don't get anything with too much space - if it has, find a reason for large empty water containers.

 

I don't know anyone with an 06 RSTD, don't don't know anything particular about their wiring. As I have a sidecar, I ran a live connection from each light circuit into there, but connected them to relays with a live from the fuse box. My sidecar and trailer lights are switched on by the bike lights, but without adding any loading to the wiring.

 

I've never had a bike with a warranty and am in a different country anyway, but if you have to go to court, 'reasonableness' is usuall y the deciding factor. If your horn falls off, that's got nothing to do with a trailer being fitted. If you add loads of lights and burn out an alternator, or pull near a tonne of weight and burn out the clutch, Yamaha might say that you wrecked it with some justification. Depends what goes.

 

Advice - check out some other people's set-ups. Try it out before going far. Load the heaviest stuff as low and as close to the axles as possible - and make sure it can't slide about.