drop tail trailer showed up yesterday

[cma1]

i had ordered a new droptail trailer (one up) and it showed up on my doorstep two days later, shipping paid "wow"

a bit of assembly was nessesary, i had to bolt on the wheel chock, thats it !

what a cool little trailer, you let the small tailgate down, (5 seconds) turn a hydraulic knob and the rear section of the bed slowly drops to the ground leaving a mild uphill ride with very little apex, you can ride the valk right up on the trailer into the wheel chock (a tight fit for the valk) and shut it off. i put a small piece of 2X4 under the kickstand to be sure it didn't fall, but turns out it wasn't nessesary.

put on the tie down straps up front, then go to the left side and work the hand pump that raises the bed back up to level and the mechanical lock engages, tie down the rear and viola" your ready to rock and roll in the winter when you need to go west in the snow.

it uses 13 inch car tires and wheels instead of the 65 mph trailer tires. check it out on their website, it seems pretty cool so far.

so far i am impressed

more as i use it a bit.

[Rams]

Not being familiar with this particular bike hauler, I wonder what the width is.

I can envision pulling this with a Valkyrie and using it to rescue some of my HD friends.   

[cma1]

the bed itself is right about 40 inches of aluminum diamond plate, by 106 inches long. takes a valk with a hitch doc and allows 3 inches to spare. you could probably put 10 or 15 harleys on it 

they make a 3 place and also a trike model. just google droptail trailers to see all their stuff. i looked at kendon and they are a very nice trailer too, but with the hydraulics this one id truly a one man operation.

send me your e-mail address and i can e-mail you some photos if you want.
cmawest@acsol.net

[R J]

Instead of sending pictures via e-mmail, how about just posting them here?

[BF]

Instead of sending pictures via e-mmail, how about just posting them here?

What he said.   

AND, how 'bout a link to the manufacture?

[cma1]

cause i don't know how   i wasn't hired for my techy ability, just for my blinding good looks

[WilliamRS]

BIKER'S CHOICE Drop Tail: Trailers & Accessories

[Willow]

... i put a small piece of 2X4 under the kickstand to be sure it didn't fall, but turns out it wasn't nessesary.

I'm not in the normal practice of trailering a Valkyrie but one thing I do know and will share with those who don't.  On a trailer the bike's kick stand belongs up.

[cma1]

thats not what i meant, i put the peice of 2x4 in there while i was tying the straps down, of course you wouldn't tow it with the kickstand down. but i think i will velcro a 4x4 peice in there just to allow the kickstand something to catch on to avoid bending the wheel or scratching it with the wheel chock while strapping or unstrapping the bike.

and i know it may seem un-macho to tow a valk, but i live in western colorado "2 FEET OF SNOW" in the winter. i don't stop riding in the winter, just move west further to warmer weather. if you ride yours in 2 feet of snow on ice covered roads, well that is something, but not macho

[Willow]

thats not what i meant, i put the peice of 2x4 in there while i was tying the straps down, of course you wouldn't tow it with the kickstand down. but i think i will velcro a 4x4 peice in there just to allow the kickstand something to catch on to avoid bending the wheel or scratching it with the wheel chock while strapping or unstrapping the bike.

and i know it may seem un-macho to tow a valk, but i live in western colorado "2 FEET OF SNOW" in the winter. i don't stop riding in the winter, just move west further to warmer weather. if you ride yours in 2 feet of snow on ice covered roads, well that is something, but not macho

I understand your meaning as explained, CMA1.  Truthfully, though, if you're in the wheel chock and it's doing its job you shouldn't need the stand.  It's okay, though, if it helps your peace of mind.

No need to be defensive.  I didn't call you un-macho.  I wouldn't do that.  You're much older than I and I've always tried to treat my elders with respect.

Enjoy the trailer.   

[cma1]

geeeze ! did i seem defensive ????? not hardly and by the way, i'm way younger than you, heck, i'm only 65 going on 18. 

[Willow]

... i'm way younger than you, heck, i'm only 65 going on 18. 

I'm sixty-two.  I told you I was a lot younger.      

[cma1]

o.k. then i'm 61, i lied about the 65 part just to impress you.

[Willow]

o.k. then i'm 61, i lied about the 65 part just to impress you.

And I was duly impressed.  Now?   

[cma1]

yeah, i'll bet !

[Coot]

You shoulda bought mine;)

Coot

[cma1]

well, #1 it wasn't a drop tail, but more important, you are about a zillion miles away or i probably would have, for what you are asking i am shocked you still have it. if you lived close i would buy it just to re sell it for a profit. have you even gave a bike dealer a shot at it ?

[Rams]

... i put a small piece of 2X4 under the kickstand to be sure it didn't fall, but turns out it wasn't nessesary.

I'm not in the normal practice of trailering a Valkyrie but one thing I do know and will share with those who don't.  On a trailer the bike's kick stand belongs up.

Carl,
I don't pretend to be the most experienced bike transporter out there but, I'm gonna ask even if it makes me look like a rookie.   Why not, what does it matter?

Ron

[cma1]

ron, depends on the trailer i guess. on mine the kickstand would be 3 inces above the trailer floor when down so it wouldn't make any difference, but if it were down and say you had the block of wood under it and hit a lot of bumps, theoretically i suppose you could break the kickstand, but i doubt it. as long as you strap the bike in good you should be fine.

[Tundra]

 It's not so much the kickstand, but the bikes frame that will be bent/damaged/broken when the motorcycles suspension does it's job while motoring down the road on the trailer. The kickstand in the down position can cause frame damage where the kickstand mounts to the frame, when it makes contact. I've seen pics of the damage on a Valkyrie somewhere. Maybe some has some to share?

Nice trailer CMA1

[Rams]

ron, depends on the trailer i guess. on mine the kickstand would be 3 inces above the trailer floor when down so it wouldn't make any difference, but if it were down and say you had the block of wood under it and hit a lot of bumps, theoretically i suppose you could break the kickstand, but i doubt it. as long as you strap the bike in good you should be fine.

It's not so much the kickstand, but the bikes frame that will be bent/damaged/broken when the motorcycles suspension does it's job while motoring down the road on the trailer. The kickstand in the down position can cause frame damage where the kickstand mounts to the frame, when it makes contact. I've seen pics of the damage on a Valkyrie somewhere. Maybe some has some to share?

Nice trailer CMA1

OK, both of these make sense.   I guess I hadn't considered the possibility of frame damage and allowing the bike suspension much travel room.    The few times I have trailered my Valkyrie, it's been pretty well secured with the suspension being compressed about half way.    Hitting a major rut one time and having another bike break free and tumble over once was enough.   But, I guess I never thought about the kick stand being up or down.   When I do trailer my bike, even though the kick stand may be in the down position, due to the bike being upright, the kick stand isn't touching the trailer floor.   I guess that same rut I spoke of previously could cause the suspension to compress enough to allow the kick stand to contact but, have never seen evidence of that.   Good points, thanks.

[cma1]

i agree. i have never even heard of it, but the charm of every forum on the internet is that someone has. just like every mechanical glitch a valk could or might have in the most extreme condition will surface here, by the time everyone talks it to death and tells us about all the pictures they saw, pretty soon people who own the best bike on earth get afraid to ride it out of their neighborhood.

but i have had the same experience on the mustang board and the corvette board, so its pretty normal i guess.

[Willow]

Ron, CMA1 and Tundra are entirely correct.

It is not the suspension of the bike that threatens the kickstand with opportunity to damage.  It's the weight placed on the kickstand when the trailer is taken over a bump in the road.  The emphasized weight can manifest with the shocks and suspension completely prohibited from participation.

It's accurate to say that if the kickstand is high enough so it'll never touch there will be no damage.  Then the question is if it will never touch why is it down?  I certainly accept CMA1's explanation that the stand was used to assist during tie-down but just don't see it as needed.  I think primarily it's because he is so much older and weaker than I.    

[R J]

I agree with Carl on why needed except to tie down.

However, if the chock is set up correctly then you still DO NOT need the sidestand.

The one year at InZane I had my AST trailer there, in the parking lot.    Trailer was on the ground, (air suspension) and I'd ride on, get it in the chock and crawl off and walk away.    Even if I did this overnight, it would still be in a full upright position the next morning,  BUT, if the chock isn't adjust for your tire size, it can be a nighmare.

[hubcapsc]

I imagine getting one of these one day...

http://www.razortrailers.com/

-Mike

[cma1]

Ron, CMA1 and Tundra are entirely correct.

It is not the suspension of the bike that threatens the kickstand with opportunity to damage.  It's the weight placed on the kickstand when the trailer is taken over a bump in the road.  The emphasized weight can manifest with the shocks and suspension completely prohibited from participation.

It's accurate to say that if the kickstand is high enough so it'll never touch there will be no damage.  Then the question is if it will never touch why is it down?  I certainly accept CMA1's explanation that the stand was used to assist during tie-down but just don't see it as needed.  I think primarily it's because he is so much older and weaker than I.    

thats o.k. i'll settle for far better looking 

[cma1]

I imagine getting one of these one day...

http://www.razortrailers.com/

-Mike

mike,

i looked at those but the weight was horrible, the trailer i was using was a 1200 pound unit, my trike was also 1200 pounds, the trailer has a deck height of 23 inches, all that weight and drag was pulling my mileage down to 12 mpg.

this trailer is only 450 pounds and has a deck height of 13 inches, it tucks in behind the truck very well, and the bike is down out of the wind stream. with my valk on it today in a mileage test at 70 mph it got 18 mpg, huge difference.

my point is, just watch out how much the trailer weighs, and how high in the air your bike will be. the big reason these bikes get such crappy mileage (or at least the biggest reason) is that they have the aerodynamics of a cinder block.. my 2013 corvette has a 435 h.p engine and at 80 mph gets 29 mpg. its all in the shape of whats in the air.

[Willow]

thats o.k. i'll settle for far better looking 

Try to set your goals to attainable levels (and learn to type outside the quote box).  This will serve you well in an ever more complicated world. 

[cma1]

i told you before, i was hired not for my sophistication, but for my blinding good looks.

oh yeah, and my ability to stuff wild eyed drunks in the back seat of a police car. gee, life ain't as exciting since i retired.

[hubcapsc]

I imagine getting one of these one day...

http://www.razortrailers.com/

-Mike

mike,

i looked at those but the weight was horrible, the trailer i was using was a 1200 pound unit, my trike was also 1200 pounds, the trailer has a deck height of 23 inches, all that weight and drag was pulling my mileage down to 12 mpg.

this trailer is only 450 pounds and has a deck height of 13 inches, it tucks in behind the truck very well, and the bike is down out of the wind stream. with my valk on it today in a mileage test at 70 mph it got 18 mpg, huge difference.

my point is, just watch out how much the trailer weighs, and how high in the air your bike will be. the big reason these bikes get such crappy mileage (or at least the biggest reason) is that they have the aerodynamics of a cinder block.. my 2013 corvette has a 435 h.p engine and at 80 mph gets 29 mpg. its all in the shape of whats in the air.

I have a Mini Cooper that has a 1400 lb towing capacity and 140 lb max tongue weight... I've never
towed anything with it, but I have the OEM trailer-ball option, and it is wired for trailer lights.

I sent email to the razor folks at the same time I posted to this thread this afternoon, the response...

My lightest Razor($2250) for your Valkyrie weighs 540LBS with about 30-40LBS tongue weight.

So... 800 (Valkyrie) + 540 (trailer) might be doable with my car... just barely...

The MiniFini people (they make the OEM trailer hookup for the Mini) say they've towed 1200-1400 plus
loads all over for thousands of miles with no trouble...

The Razor guy also said:  Ideally the top of your 2" ball to the ground should be 18" for a level
trailer

I haven't measured for that yet...

I don't tow the Valkyrie places, but if I ever have to fetch a broken Valkyrie (or whatever) from the
side of the road, not having to push up a ramp onto the trailer would make it easier for my
wimpy self... 

-Mike

[BF]

I imagine getting one of these one day...

http://www.razortrailers.com/

-Mike

I do like the concept.  And they use the best wheel chock ever made too.  

The Razor Cycle Trailer.mov

There are also several variations on that theme from other companies....

SB001

Ramp Free Motorcycle Trailers



However, I think I like this concept even better.....

Motorcycle Loader Ramp System for Short Bed Pickups

motorcycle lift and loader

[okieryder]

I imagine getting one of these one day...

http://www.razortrailers.com/

-Mike

I do like the concept.  And they use the best wheel chock ever made too.  

The Razor Cycle Trailer.mov

There are also several variations on that theme from other companies....

SB001

Ramp Free Motorcycle Trailers



However, I think I like this concept even better.....

Motorcycle Loader Ramp System for Short Bed Pickups

motorcycle lift and loader

  Yea, I like the ramp free!!!

[hubcapsc]

  Yea, I like the ramp free!!!

I emailed the razor guy back to thank him for the info he sent me.

He sent back this:

Hi Mike,
Could you let everyone know I'm having a $200 discount year-end sell?
Thanks,
Gary


Moderators: if you nuke this as inappropriate advertising, all I can say is this:

thanks for all you do, and all your hard work 

-Mike

[Willow]

I emailed the razor guy back to thank him for the info he sent me.

He sent back this:

Hi Mike,
Could you let everyone know I'm having a $200 discount year-end sell?
Thanks,
Gary


Moderators: if you nuke this as inappropriate advertising, all I can say is this:

thanks for all you do, and all your hard work 

-Mike

Yeah, Mike, it's a hard line for them to define.  On the one hand they really want to provide good information and opportunities for all our members, but then you can't help but resent companies that just want a little free advertising.

On the other hand if you actually bought one of them and were spreading the news about something with which you actually had experience it seems that would fit within the guidelines.

Complex world, isn't it?

[cookiedough]

nice and easy setup, but here in the midwest where conditions like snow, etc. are issues,  I'd rather spend the money on a good enclosed trailer to get the bike out of the elements of nature.