New Guy - New guy questions. Everything I didn't find answers to...

[mvrk10256]

Ok. I need to count my pennies and think about things. If anyone has a Kosman widened 17" wheel for sale please let me know.

I also realized something important the other day. The vmax is 91" in length and weighs 600lbs. I have bike ramps, but I dont want to think about loading the max into the back of my truck. Its a stepside 6" bed. Theoretically with the TG down, it should just fit, but damn that would not be fun.

what do you guys have for trailers. Harbor Freight sells a $300 1100lbs trailer thats nice. Just put some wood down on it and your golden, Its a 4x8 so the Vmax should just fit.

Also there are lots of old boat trailers around here. Anyone ever convert one? Is it worth it? The reason I am asking is because I have a summer internship with Ford. Its in Detroit. I am in Austin. Its my first summer to be out of the Texas heat so my bike is definitely coming with.

 

[ninjaneer]

so my bike is definitely coming with.

man after my own heart

Regards from my Taptalking Hercules Android

 

[mvrk10256]

man after my own heart

Regards from my Taptalking Hercules Android

Lol. All my sportbikes fit in the back of the truck, but the Max isnt going to. No way am I spending the summer that close to Canada without a bike. Mans gotta explore. I am thinking about getting the 1200# trailer from HF + spare tire + spare tire holder + 2" ball conversion+Chock + 4x8x3/4" treated plywood.

Shoudl be good. I need to haul stuff around more often.

BTW I joined the VMOA the other day - how long does it take for them to get back to you with a number?

 

[ninjaneer]

BTW I joined the VMOA the other day - how long does it take for them to get back to you with a number?

i forgot exactly. wasn't long. their membership committee is pretty well organized. a few days, a week, something like that.

 

[one2dmax]

The HF trailer will work. I thought about selling one of my spare trailers. Getting the bike in/out of a pickup normally sucks. I've currently got the perfect driveway for it so when I sell the house that's going to suck. I don't even like loading up at the shop because of that.

 

[Blurr]

Ya. I read you can run a radial onthe stock front. Could kosman make the rear a 18? to keep the speed the same.



Pm pics and price? I didnt see it in your thread I dont think

Could go with the venture rear hub. most guys use it as a form of overdrive w/ 18" rims but should bring rpm back down near stock with a 17" rim.

 

[mvrk10256]

i forgot exactly. wasn't long. their membership committee is pretty well organized. a few days, a week, something like that.

Ok cool. So not like BMWCCA where its instant access. No biggie.

The HF trailer will work. I thought about selling one of my spare trailers. Getting the bike in/out of a pickup normally sucks. I've currently got the perfect driveway for it so when I sell the house that's going to suck. I don't even like loading up at the shop because of that.

I have the ramps, but the VMax is a heavy bike. Not sure I want to even power load that bad boy into a truck. As we get closer to summer I will probably end up building up a HF trailer to my specs, lots of cool versions on line.

Could go with the venture rear hub. most guys use it as a form of overdrive w/ 18" rims but should bring rpm back down near stock with a 17" rim.

Ya. Its kinda of a trade off. If it costs the same for the wheel why not just go straight for 18. I dont particularly care about width in terms of looks, I am much more interested in turning ability. Anything much wider than a 180 is gonna affect turn in anyway.

 

[Fire-medic]

I have a small boat trailer w/a 4x6 running down the area of the trailer which would be under the boat keel, and 2x8's or 2x10's running side-to-side, flat, to make the bed. In the middle, they rest on the middle lumber & the ends sit-on-top of the extruded hot-dipped galvanized u-channel which makes-up the boat frame. It doesn't have shocks, just a captive front & floating rear spring, I threw a new axle, shackles, a light kit, & hubs/bearings from Northern Tool & Equip. on it. Essentially, I kept the frame & junked everything else. I lag-bolted another 2x10 around the front & sides, & use a removable piece sliding into reliefs in at the rear for a 'tailgate.' I got a selection of Simpson structural reinforcements at Home Depot and through bolted those in the corners. Of course the deck is through-bolted to the trailer frame and has additional 2x4's on the front/sides as an added measure. That 'table' of 2X's 'ain't goin' no-where!' The inside measurement of the cargo area is ~4'+ X 10'+ and can haul two bikes if you stagger 'em. I use a Moose Racing front wheel chock I bought on closeout for $10, v. sturdy! It has a quick-release permanent bracket through-bolted to the 2X deck. I used 9/16" machine-screw closed eyelets through-bolted to the side deck pieces holding the perimeter vertical 2X10" on-edge in-place and some Uni-Strut on the outsides of the platform sides as 'pockets' for slipping-in some 2X2's or more Uni-Strut if you want taller sides so you can carry brush or junk, or whatever. It's dark now, I don't have any pics but will add 'em later.

Long-winded, I think it took about as-much time to build as to relate the story. Anyway, I trailer it like nothing behind my GMC p/u. I got 19+ mpg on the last trip I took to collect an aluminum handicap ramp set, about 30' w/railings, for my 99 y.o. father-in-law's home, what a blessing that was! He navigates up & down it using his walker, and the trailer paid for itself using it for that one job, as a similar ramp, installed new, would have been $4000!

If you have a place to keep a trailer, buy it. Those folding ones are pretty-cool, too. As a word of advice, I would not trust anything smaller than 12" wheels, those 8" ones are for around-town use, not for 4K mile trips w/two 600 lb bikes on-top!:confused2: I also carry two spares & a floor jack, and a spare hub/bearings, if I am going more than 30 miles from home. One time on my way from south FL to Daytona for Bike Week, I had a brand-new made-in-usa tire blow after <5 miles, either a road hazard or a manufacturing defect. I was worried sick the whole way up not-having another tire for a spare. I bought another as-soon as I got to US 92 (Speedway Blvd. to those of you who have never been there).

There is a trailer thread on-here where I posted up pics of one of those trailers where you roll the bike into the u-channel, which is lying on the ground, & then the u-channel is winched-up as the trailer frame descends down, & when they meet, you pin'em together, pretty-ingenious. There are a few different designs, the ones I have seen are for either single or double capacity, the singles are <$2K. Something like this:

http://www.razortrailers.com/

 

[mvrk10256]

Ya. I will probably start setting cash aside to build myself one of those trailers. I did the math and its $400 all set and done for the 12" wheels. Every apartment I live at I make an amendement to the lease to allow me to park up to 3 vehicles + trailer. I wont sign without it/

 

[mvrk10256]

Got my prog springs and drop kit in today.

What you guys think. 1" or 2" drop?

 

[[email protected]]

1".

 

[Redbone]

I have a 2" drop in front (progressive kit)/ Ricor Intimanators/ 10 wt. silkolene fork oil, 13" rear shocks and with stock wheels it worked good for me. lowering the front 2" quickened up the steering a tad but did not sacrifice high speed stability. Now that I've switched to lighter Carrozzeria's and radials the steering is so much lighter due to less unsprung/ rotating mass and it seems almost too quick. I'm going to change the forks to only a 1" drop to gain back a touch of trail which I will hope will slow a little bit of the steering quickeness.
I probably will get used to the quick steering with more miles but I have wanted to go back to a 1" drop for a few years now, since I have a weepy seal what better time to acheive 2 objectives at once!

 

[mvrk10256]

So 1" it is.