Trailering!! Everyone's favorite topic.

[Prophetic1_imp]

SO: Here's the deal:

In late May thru early June, I'm going to drive my daily driver around the country. Mostly, I'm going to do this because my wife can't take vacation until December, and I need to burn the hours. I'm taking the daily driver around because it keeps miles off of both of my '15 vehicles at the house. (Challenger R/T+ and Silverado).

However, everywhere I stop, I'm going to be riding the new kid...my '14 CB1100E (what's the E stand for anyway? Excellent?). When I get to Milwaukee, pull the bike off the trailer, putter around. Rapid City, SD, off the trailer. Seattle, off the trailer...etc, etc, you get the idea.

Now, I'm going to be building the trailer for this. I've already purchased the rail, and I'm buying a little Harbor Freight 1190 lb capacity 40.5"x48" single-axle trailer to put it on. My wife works at a fabrication shop, and since I've done some work for them in the past, they're going to make me a ramp to go up to the rail, gussets for the rear end to shore up the back (even though the rail is relatively stout), and decking for either side of the rail.

OK, before anyone gets on my case...I've had a lot of luck with the Harbor Freight trailers. I've had three of them, and each one I've modified and sold or given away. They've done very well, and all 3 of them are still in service.

My tow vehicle (let the laughing start) is an HHR LT. Towing capacity is 1000lbs, max capacity is 1800, so I'm in good shape as long as I don't gain 400 lbs before I go. Tongue weight, 100 lbs.

Herein comes the problem...I need to figure out weight distribution over the single axle so I can have ~65lbs on the tongue.

In a perfect world, the 540lbs of the CB1100 is 270 front tire, 270 rear tire...but that's not always the case...so my question to you folks out there in the world is, do you know what the weight distribution is front/rear? That way I can start getting on my CAD drawing for the trailer. TIA, and I REALLY appreciate it.

Total cost for the trailer when it's done will be a bit south of $400, which is nice. I may even put some cargo on it for gear/luggage (centered over the axle, of course). I'll get pics as soon as it's ready.

BONUS! Picture of new, less than 50 miles on it bike.

[Lord Popgun]

I don't know, and weight distribution is not in the specs in the service manual.

You could go to a scale and just roll the front wheel on it, then the rear and let us know what you get

[Chapomis_imp]

How about putting it on the center stand then adding weight to the reared till it hits a balance point.

[CA200_imp]

Prophetic1 why would you want to go to Milwaukee? The Feds just told us we have the 3rd worst roads in the
country!

[sourdough44_imp]

That's a lot of driving, retired? It's always a little more of a to-do towing a trailer, of any size. I would like either an enclosed trailer, or at least a good trailerable cover.

I have to wonder if it's worth it to tow that far for the amount of riding you may do? Of course we all operate differently, go forth as you desire.

I like to keep some margins around the edge of the towing envelope, especially longer distances and among hills.

[redbirds_imp]

Sounds like an interesting trip. The wife and I usually tow the bikes on long trips and I find it of little bother. We have towed our bikes to Texas and to last year's rally.

As for getting the trailer tongue weight right, I would place the bike on the trailer and move it forward until the right balance is struck then place my wheel chuck accordingly.

[the Ferret]

Some rambling about towing....

I have towed a bike several times. Mostly on rides that started a couple thousand miles from home and only when my wife was with me.

The first time I towed a Triumph Bonneville from Ohio to Moab Utah in an enclosed trailer. We unloaded in Moab and did Moab, Arches and Canyon Lands etc. A day or two later we loaded up and headed south. Towed to another location and unloaded the bike and visited Canyon De Chelly and some other places. Day or two later loaded up and headed further down into Arizona and visited some stuff around Mesa. Loaded up and headed north did Monument Valley, Grand Canyon, Zion, and Bryce etc. 2 weeks. Worked out really well except for the fact that I didn't like towing the enclosed trailer because it was very heavy, and I couldn't see through it behind me. It did provide protection for the bike and storage for extra gear. My wife and I really liked travelling like that and may consider that after she retires in another year and a half. In AZ it was nearly 120 degrees and it would have been miserable geared up while riding, but was nice in the trk with the AC on.

Towing in this case worked well, where we could spend a couple days in an area then travel a fair distance to where we would spend another couple of days.

For me alone, towing from morning to night, and then getting unloaded to ride around for a while after dinner only to repeat the next day would not be worth it.

The second time I towed my ST on an open trailer to a friends house in Montana. From there we unloaded and rode the rest of the way while we toured Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon and Wyoming..Glacier, Yellowstone, Cheif Joseph Hwy, Bear Tooth pass, Hwy 12, etc. Then back to my buddy's house to pick up the trk/trlr and head home. For her again it was nice being in the truck for 3 days going to MT from OH and 3 days back again. I enjoyed being able to see the bike, and see thru the bike to the traffic behind me. Also got better mileage with the open trailer. No protection for the bike though so one day that it rained all day the bike got wet ( not any wetter than if we had been riding it) and no extra storage either ( didnt need it with the trk though). Another downfall of the open trailer is people were able to see the bike while we were at hotels at night. A possible security risk. I did use extra locking protection for both the trailer and the bike to the trailer.

Towing saves wear and tear on the bikes brakes and tires so you only use the rubber after you have arrived at the good stuff. Plus if the weather is bad or you just dont feel like riding that day, you can still move on.

The problem with that for me is I really love riding. I rode to California and back in 11 days and loved every single mile on the motorcycle. Loved the heat, loved the wind, loved the rain. Being trapped in my truck on blue bird days driving thru awesome country was pure torture for me, and my wife wasn't too keen on driving the truck towing an empty trailer while I enjoyed the bike out in front of her.

Now my wife is not the 21 year old that I started riding with 43 years ago. A broken pelvis, a replacement hip, 2 replacement knees and 64 years of life have made it hard for her to spend full days on the road on the back of a motorcycle anymore. We are contemplating our retired together future and that may very well include towing because neither one of us is ready to quit riding and there are places in this country we want to ride in. I will do whatever I have to do to spend my final years with her and to keep on riding at the same time. It that means towing I will. A lighter bike and a low aluminum trailer with a bike holding chock would be nice.

[redbirds_imp]

I prefer an open trailer. I have contoured bike covers that fit tight and are unaffected by wind and I use them if headed into bad weather.

While towing the bikes to Texas in 2009, we encountered really bad weather, torrential rain and wind that hounded us half the way to Kerrville. I was truly glad to be trailering.

[Cormanus]

Prophetic1, to answer your first question, I have never heard this bike called the CB1100E. The only thing I can think of is that 'E' is the letter used at the 10th digit of the VIN to denote the 2014 model year.

As for trailering, I can't help, I'm afraid. Why wouldn't you just ride if you're on your own?

[Prophetic1_imp]

I can follow the though processes about trailering vs. riding the whole way...here's why I want to trailer.

When you ride for the 880 miles between where I live and Milwaukee, the LAST thing you want to do when you get there is ride more. My other bike is a '14 Harley Davidson Switchback, with the most comfortable seat on the planet...I like riding the bike just fine, but no matter how comfy it is after a 4-hour riding binge I'd rather spend a little time not riding it.

The idea behind trailering is I get thoroughly sick of the car, rather than the bike and the bike turns into an adventure again, rather than "rode it for 15 hours yesterday...riding it for 12 hours tomorrow."

Besides, I'm broad in the chest area, I've found in my short rides so far that riding @70 MPH for that long will give me the arms of a God, and I'm not ready for that responsibility.

The total driving time in the car is ~4 days out of the 17 days I'm taking off. The rest will be visiting and riding the bike...so don't get the idea that I'm NOT going to be putting miles on it.

I used to live in Milwaukee, and have friends there...which is why I'm subjecting myself to it (also: Fuel Cafe). Riding around the backroads between Milwaukee (home of Harley-Davidson) to East Troy (home of Buell) to Janesville (home of my in-laws) is going to be fun anyhow, and up to Madison won't be bad in the couple of days I'm there.

Next stop would be Rapid City...I was born in Sturgis, so I think it will be sweet justice to ride anything there other than a Harley. My folks live right outside Rapid (mom) and Sturgis (dad). Plus I have cousins galore, and need to visit a couple of deceased folks as well...paying homage.

After that it's Seattle...again, relatives...again, I'd rather bore the crap out of myself in a car for the most of Montana that's just tedious rather than on a bike, then when I get there, enjoy the Cascades, the Olympic peninsula, all of that on the bike.

San Francisco and the Pacific Coast Highway next...seriously...

Las Vegas...then Monument Valley...then Four Corners...then Pagosa Springs and Wolf Creek Pass (Way up on the great divide, truckin' on down the other siiiiide), then Kansas City (where I will take devilish glee in parking the bike in front of the Harley plant where the switchback was made...I'll post the picture here). Then Memphis, Blues, BBQ and Graceland on the smoothest engine I've ever felt....yes, thank you.

So that's the WHOLE plan...You see, I bought this bike because I wanted something fun...the Harley isn't that. The Harley is great for what it is, and I love it, but it comes with baggage that's just uncool...I mean, some people THINK it's cool, but I'm not into leather, smelling terrible and talking about how big my engine is while leaving out that it doesn't perform better than a 500.

I'm trailering to get the boring out of the way in the car (Indiana=Boring. Southern Minnesota=Boring. South Dakota=Boring. 90% of Montana=Boring. All of Kansas=Boring) and enjoy the bike when I get there.