Looking for trailer hitch recommendations

[Oldseadog]

I'm planning an extensive coast to coast trip next year and I'm thinking it might be a good idea to have a trailer with me. I do not have a hitch mounted to the bike and am wondering what is the best hitch to get, or fabricate? Doe the first gens mk1 & mk2 use the same mounting system? I'm looking forward to all recommendations and comments.

Bill

 

 

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[Sylvester]

I am trying to remember the member here that made the receiver mount to attach to the RSV. Worked great on mine, so if I can't remember someone else may chime in.

 

[MiCarl]

I do not believe the MKI and MKII use the same hitch. I know the hitch on my MKII attaches to the saddle bag mounts, which are different than those on a MKI.

[Venturous Randy]

I wish you were closer as I have a very heavy duty hitch I used on my 83 that I would give you. It is all welded together so it would be way too costly to ship.

Randy

[Snaggletooth]

Nope. The MKI & MKII are similar but different animals when it comes to mounting them. This is the setup on my '84 with the my hitch, rear light bar and with my turn down pipes.

[Flyinfool]

MKI and MKII are very different and no way to make one work on the other.

 

For mine I ended up buying the front half of a Markland hitch and then welding up my own receiver hitch. If you can find the front half of a Markland hitch to fit your bike than the same receiver that I have will also work on yours. Some sneaky ebay sellers will sell the front and back half of the hitch separate to maximize their profit. I used that to my advantage and just bought the Front half to align with the mounting points on the bike. The seller was VERY POed that he now was stuck with a near worthless hitch part. He tried to tell me that ebay rules required me to buy the other half from him.

 

EDIT

Her is the one that I built

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?52757-Trailer-hitch-project-for-this-winter

Edited October 19, 2017 by Flyinfool

[Oldseadog]

I wish you were closer as I have a very heavy duty hitch I used on my 83 that I would give you. It is all welded together so it would be way too costly to ship.

Randy

 

I fully understand, i appreciate the offer. Would you have a picture you can send my way?

I'm starting to think I will have to fire up the old Miller. I couldn't find anything on ebay or Google.

 

Bill

[Dragonslayer]

The first hitch I had on my 87 I fabricated my self and worked great. I may still have it laying around and would be glad to give it to you. But like V. RANDY said it is probably to heavy to ship. I later changed it out for a factory made one I got off eBay.

CARBON ONE IS the member that makes the hitch mod for the second gens.

[Flyinfool]

I just did a quick look on ebay and found one.

I do not recognize it as something I have seen before. It might be a home made one?

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1983-YAMAHA-VENTURE-ROYALE-XVZ1200-249-REAR-TRAILER-HITCH-TOW-HATCH-/202060816909?hash=item2f0bc3620d:g:TBQAAOSwHpdZwrD3&vxp=mtr

 

You might want to check out http://www.motorcycle-hitch.com/Yamaha.html. They still list the one for you as available and new.

[GaryZ]

This is the bumper and hitch that I removed from my ‘85 MKI. The picture with it on the bike was how it looked when I bought it.

The picture with the blue background is what it looked like after cleaning it up.

 

I just saw that you are way up north. I will give you the bumper and hitch and you can pay shipping!

Edited October 21, 2017 by GaryZ