Towing Question

[leo3wheel]

Will be towing our RSV trike a few hundred miles this week. Trailer says to put motorcycle in gear for hauling. Is this correct, or

should trike be in neutral to take the engine and drive train out of the picture? Front tire is in a chock, rear tires are wedged and

obviously trike is tied down. Movement will hopefully be at a minimum. Any insight is appreciated. Thanks!

[muffinman]

Will be towing our RSV trike a few hundred miles this week. Trailer says to put motorcycle in gear for hauling. Is this correct, or

should trike be in neutral to take the engine and drive train out of the picture? Front tire is in a chock, rear tires are wedged and

obviously trike is tied down. Movement will hopefully be at a minimum. Any insight is appreciated. Thanks!

I always tow with the bike in gear in case of tie down slippage or other issues like bike hopping around just another small way to help keep the bike where you want it.

 

 

Jeff

[leo3wheel]

Because trike will be strapped down well, will leave it in gear. Agree it's safer. Thanks!

[steamer]

I think neutral would be safer for the transmission. I would be concerned that the gears would take a beating from all the bouncing around the trike will be doing on the trailer. No matter how well you tie it down, there will still be movement.

[leo3wheel]

I think neutral would be safer for the transmission. I would be concerned that the gears would take a beating from all the bouncing around the trike will be doing on the trailer. No matter how well you tie it down, there will still be movement.

 

That's my dilemma! Seem to recall someone's logic that oil is not circulating in engine, so there is a chance for wear. Of course, wear may be ever so slight.

[Daitan]

For my two cents...go in gear one way, and neutral the other:beer:, that way you got both suggestions covered:cool10:.

 

Sorry couldn't resist:rotf:

[ragtop69gs]

The concern with having it in gear is that the pistons may move slightly up & down wearing the cylinder walls, once the oil is gone there's the risk of breaking a ring, ring land or cylinder wall scoring. Myself I think it's a low risk unless you're towing it for 10's Of thousands of miles.

[leo3wheel]

The concern with having it in gear is that the pistons may move slightly up & down wearing the cylinder walls, once the oil is gone there's the risk of breaking a ring, ring land or cylinder wall scoring. Myself I think it's a low risk unless you're towing it for 10's Of thousands of miles.

 

Hi Jay, Called my brother-in-law last evening. He hauls his Goldwing back and forth between NH and Florida every year. He always hauls bike in gear. He drives up tight to the front chock, hits the kill switch and ties bike down. Believe there should be enough synthetic oil film on parts to make a trip of a few hundred miles. Thanks!

[DragonRider]

I agree with the Muffin, I always leave them in gear...........just so much safer.

 

I always tow with the bike in gear in case of tie down slippage or other issues like bike hopping around just another small way to help keep the bike where you want it.

 

 

Jeff

[Carbon_One]

I've always left my bike in gear when on the trailer. Hardly unlikely it'd come out of the wheel chock so there's 0 movement to begin with . Once strapped down fore and aft it ain't going anywhere. If the bike has to move enough to cause gear damage you've got bigger problems. Like a loose bike on your trailer.

Larry

[Venturous Randy]

I always towed in gear with the front wheel tight against the trailer with straps pulling forward and down and to the side. The bike is not going to move and every time I have started releasing the bike it was still tight against the Trailer frame.

Everything I tow on a trailer, like my riding mower, is with the brakes on and locked in gear.

Randy

[leo3wheel]

Thanks folks!