why a trailer does not fit my touring lifestyle, video enclosed

[Marcarl]

Next time you want to ride in sand like that, try standing up on the pegs. It makes that Venture want to do things it has never dreamed of doing before, and my wife kept her seat all the way through,,never even crossed her mind to get off,,,, silly woman!

[cowpuc]

Next time you want to ride in sand like that, try standing up on the pegs. It makes that Venture want to do things it has never dreamed of doing before, and my wife kept her seat all the way through,,never even crossed her mind to get off,,,, silly woman!

 

[Ventureless]

Man can my wife and I switch lives with you two for a couple weeks this summer. I do get out for a week or 2 every year on the bike but not with the wife. She only does a few day rides here and there. With a 7 and 8 year old, we have a while before doing any adventures like that. And seeing the vid makes me yearn to head west even more. I am getting ready to trade my Venture for an adventure bike so I can do more offroading. Here in VA, we have some fire roads and gravel roads to explore, but nothing with sights like in your vid.

[Venturous Randy]

As I rode along with you two in the video, the first thing that came to mind for me is how much you need a V-Max rearend and a good 2nd gear. Even though it is only about 10% lower, it makes a real big difference when you are going slow or starting out, especially when in a rough spot or up hill. It would also be a lot easier on your clutch and the amount you are having to slip it. The downside for most is adding a little more RPM's at highway speeds and to me, that is getting more annoying as I ride. But, I am getting closer to getting my butt in gear on putting my spare 1200 engine in the bike with the 2nd gen trans with the wider spaced ratios.

The other thing that came to mind is the load you are putting on your cooling system. On my 83, I suspect that the fan would be running constantly to ride in the conditions you are in and a slipping clutch adds more heat. It would also add a lot more load on your charging system that is already marginal at best.

As far as the way you load your bike, I can understand what works best for you. I feel, as you noted, most of the load back there is not particularly heavy, but my concern would be with how much a crosswind would want to push you around, especially at lower speeds, but you seem to be good with that also.

Another concern I have, and this is a personal preference, is I believe in having my bike lit up for others to see me. With the trunk bar, the light bar at the bottom/side, the rotor cover lights and the two on the side bags, all LED, my bike is lit up pretty good with about twenty added lights. I also have fog lights that are fused through a switch/relay run directly to the battery. That way, if I ever loose my main fuse, I still have lights to get me stopped. I did loose a main fuse several years ago and never did find out why. If you don't, you should carry a couple of fuse strips with in your tool bag.

With your setup, I would consider adding the lights that replace the reflector on the side bags as they not only are bright from the side, but can be seen from the back of the bike. The other thing I would consider doing for your loaded setup is making a light bar, maybe out of PVC pipe or aluminum tubing with LED lights for the brakes, running and turn signals that you could pin on the back of the bundle with a quick connect like for a trailer. I say this because sometimes it is the little things that can get you in trouble and as I have gotten older, I have become much more aware that there are a lot of folks out there with limited vision, especially at night.

I am really enjoying living vicariously through you and Tippy on your adventure and look forward to each update.

RandyA

[Oldodge]

Terrible picture I took in the mirror, but I saw this yesterday. I think possibly the largest trailer I have seen behind a motorcycle. The thing has dual axles. Kinda scares me but I know nothing about towing a trailer with a bike.

[cowpuc]

Man can my wife and I switch lives with you two for a couple weeks this summer. I do get out for a week or 2 every year on the bike but not with the wife. She only does a few day rides here and there. With a 7 and 8 year old, we have a while before doing any adventures like that. And seeing the vid makes me yearn to head west even more. I am getting ready to trade my Venture for an adventure bike so I can do more offroading. Here in VA, we have some fire roads and gravel roads to explore, but nothing with sights like in your vid.

gotta say here bee,, this is only our third year of team tippy and puc doing this motorcycle touring together.. I did it with my kids when they were young likevyours, we have 4 all grown and living on thier own now.. the kids could tell you story after story of cross country touring with thier dad, east coast to west,, the really sad part of that is tippy always stayed home with 3 while I bonded with 1, she is an amazing woman! We did a LOT of motorhoming too as a family, in my own defense here, but tippy really really wanted to bike travel too. After raising 4 kids her and I have an agreement, the bike dont leave the garage without her on it! Enjoy thevspecial age of those kids NOW bee! The stuff you get to do after they are grown and gone will come. One thing to remember,, mtou can nevervget the young years of the kids back, grab every minute of every day with them.. and than when you get to the time when you and your lovely wife are alone again, as in our shoes, aapply the same rule cause ya never know when it will be over... purposely build memories cause they wont build themselves!

 

As I rode along with you two in the video, the first thing that came to mind for me is how much you need a V-Max rearend and a good 2nd gear. Even though it is only about 10% lower, it makes a real big difference when you are going slow or starting out, especially when in a rough spot or up hill. It would also be a lot easier on your clutch and the amount you are having to slip it. The downside for most is adding a little more RPM's at highway speeds and to me, that is getting more annoying as I ride. But, I am getting closer to getting my butt in gear on putting my spare 1200 engine in the bike with the 2nd gen trans with the wider spaced ratios.

The other thing that came to mind is the load you are putting on your cooling system. On my 83, I suspect that the fan would be running constantly to ride in the conditions you are in and a slipping clutch adds more heat. It would also add a lot more load on your charging system that is already marginal at best.

As far as the way you load your bike, I can understand what works best for you. I feel, as you noted, most of the load back there is not particularly heavy, but my concern would be with how much a crosswind would want to push you around, especially at lower speeds, but you seem to be good with that also.

Another concern I have, and this is a personal preference, is I believe in having my bike lit up for others to see me. With the trunk bar, the light bar at the bottom/side, the rotor cover lights and the two on the side bags, all LED, my bike is lit up pretty good with about twenty added lights. I also have fog lights that are fused through a switch/relay run directly to the battery. That way, if I ever loose my main fuse, I still have lights to get me stopped. I did loose a main fuse several years ago and never did find out why. If you don't, you should carry a couple of fuse strips with in your tool bag.

With your setup, I would consider adding the lights that replace the reflector on the side bags as they not only are bright from the side, but can be seen from the back of the bike. The other thing I would consider doing for your loaded setup is making a light bar, maybe out of PVC pipe or aluminum tubing with LED lights for the brakes, running and turn signals that you could pin on the back of the bundle with a quick connect like for a trailer. I say this because sometimes it is the little things that can get you in trouble and as I have gotten older, I have become much more aware that there are a lot of folks out there with limited vision, especially at night.

I am really enjoying living vicariously through you and Tippy on your adventure and look forward to each update.

RandyA

Outsstanding advice randy, thank you!

and glad you are enjoying my ramblings brother!

[speakerfritz]

not sure what the video was all about.....didnt see any trailers

[VentureFar]

not sure what the video was all about.....didnt see any trailers

 

Speakerfritz - that's the point - Cowpuc loads his bike up like a pack mule and rides off road so he feels a trailer would crimp his style- even though he carries so much stuff on the rear end of the bike. Others on the forum are trying to convince him that a single wheel trailer would be better than OVER loading his bike.

 

Cowpuc is a very experienced rider and is really good at sharing info on this forum.

 

VentureFar...

[Guest tx2sturgis]

not sure what the video was all about.....didnt see any trailers

 

I think the point was that a normaly loaded 2 wheel trailer would have caused the bike to lose traction in the loose sand. And 'venturing' down a dirt trail in the middle of nowhere...when/if the trail narrows to a single good track...a wide, 2-track trailer might not be something you want back there.

 

 

[Money Venture]

I can second what Puc says:

One thing to remember,, you can never get the young years of the kids back, grab every minute of every day with them.. and than when you get to the time when you and your lovely wife are alone again, as in our shoes, apply the same rule cause ya never know when it will be over... purposely build memories cause they wont build themselves!

. We had a scare just before Christmas. While working on the road (we travel for work), we got two calls simultaneously, from two doctors at the hospital wanting our location so they could send an ambulance for her. They had found in a test that her left carotid artery had ruptured and a blood clot was saving her life at that moment.

 

Needless to say, we have a whole different outlook on our life now since then. Everybody else should too. You just never know how long each of us has.

[cowpuc]

I think the point was that a normaly loaded 2 wheel trailer would have caused the bike to lose traction in the loose sand. And 'venturing' down a dirt trail in the middle of nowhere...when/if the trail narrows to a single good track...a wide, 2-track trailer might not be something you want back there.

 

 

 

And bingo was his name......

 

I can second what Puc says: . We had a scare just before Christmas. While working on the road (we travel for work), we got two calls simultaneously, from two doctors at the hospital wanting our location so they could send an ambulance for her. They had found in a test that her left carotid artery had ruptured and a blood clot was saving her life at that moment.

 

Needless to say, we have a whole different outlook on our life now since then. Everybody else should too. You just never know how long each of us has.

 

Hurts me to even read storys like you just wrote money but the truth is, thats life... I sure can appreciate the outcome though! Sieze the day brother cause THATS livihn!

puc

[Grandpagak]

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