Alright, so the first time I loaded my saddlebags up and went on a weekend ride with the wife I decided that I needed a trailer. First, however I'll need a trailer hitch. I have to apologize for this post being so long. You can go to http://picasaweb.google.com/arch01com/VTXMotorcycleTrailerHitch?feat=directlink to see ALL of the pictures.
I bought a hitch from www.hitchusa.com last year and IMHO the materials are good and strong, however the design is crap. So onto installation
This is just the initial picture of the fender removed. If I were you I'd always remove both shocks and chrome fender struts before trying to remove the fender. Harder to scratch it then.
This is the hitch 183 from www.hitchusa.com
They wanted me to drill out the threads of the sub-frame and use these stove bolts to bolt the whole thing together.
:yikes:!!!!HAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHHH!!!!:yikes:
That is CRAZY talk.
This is a quick fitment check to see where the hitch sits.
As you can see, the hitch sits inside the sub-frame, however it does not sit parallel to the sub-frame so some heat and hammering would be needed to persuade it to become parallel
As you can see, the hitch does get to the 8" mark at some point. The sub-frame has an interior dimension of 8" so now to persuade the hitch to see it my way
A little wood block and the right amount of heat should do the trick
I have not rented a set of oxy-acetylene tanks as of yet so I had to use MAPP gas to heat the metal. It will do it, but it takes a lot longer than one would expect.
So now it fits better, but not great.
I decided that four line-up pins attached to the sub frame would allow me to easily remove the hitch and keep me from having to drill out the threads. I planned on welding another nut to the sub fame so as to actually attache the hitch.
Ok, the stock Dunie is 6.5" wide and at this point I am planning on using a 165 wide tire. I had pretty much come to accept that I was not going to be able to go wide-side
Welding the attachment pins in place
The outer side of the pin will be cut off and ground down later.
After all welding and grinding is done.
This nut, welded to subframe by Honda, was not meant to be pulled inwards towards the tire an the weld failed. Good think I know how to weld.
Hitch assembly in the fender. Did I mention that I do not like the design of this hitch.
So, the rear fender support and the 183 hitch like to take up the same space. BAD DESIGN!!
Dammit
My goal here was to install this hitch and a CT. Up until this point I was expecting to get a 165 up between the rails. As that many other modifications were going to be needed, I decided to just scrap the whole design as it was and go for broke. I marked the 183 hitch, cut off the excess and tack welded it up so that the outside of the hitch was flush with the outside of the sub-frame.
Looks good to me.
Still looks good. I'll cut those pins short later.
I like this idea much better.
As you can see the hitch is now lined up with the inside surface of the sub-frame. When I test fitted the assembly into the fender, the hitch section was coming in contact with the inner fender supports. I re-tacked it to the inside and all fit was well so I followed that up with a couple of 1“ continuous welds. That'll hold up a light trailer easily.
So, the lower section and the inner fender support liked to take up the same space so I decided to remove the damned thing and turn this into a hidden hitch. Had to add a couple of angles to attache the square tube to.
Once the angles were welded I realized that one of the legs on the top angle was going to come into contact with the CT and had to shave it off. I had to build a little spacer to get the tube in the right place, then I welded on a chain with a hitch pin so that it is always there to attach the lower end of the hitch.
Tire is fully up into fender, approximately at the top of its travel. not sure if I've ever bottomed it out, but just in case.
View from bottom of receiver.
I'll have to cut off some of that.
Hitch in the fender. It fits like a glove.
Look, the fender support fits when I redesign the hitch.
A little mineral spirits to clean it up, two coats of automotive primer and two coats of epoxy paint did the job.
The finished product. !!!APPLAUSE!!!
Attached to the bike for final clearances checks.
Tire at the bottom of its travel
Tire at bottom of travel (approx)
Tire at top of travel (approx)
5/8“ clearance on left side of Dunnie
3/4“ clearance on right side
1/2“ clearance at top cross member.
Hitch installed in the fender for the last time.
So now the hitch is installed and time to move onto the trailer fabrication. I'll let you guys know how that goes once it is done.
I bought a hitch from www.hitchusa.com last year and IMHO the materials are good and strong, however the design is crap. So onto installation
This is just the initial picture of the fender removed. If I were you I'd always remove both shocks and chrome fender struts before trying to remove the fender. Harder to scratch it then.
This is the hitch 183 from www.hitchusa.com
They wanted me to drill out the threads of the sub-frame and use these stove bolts to bolt the whole thing together.
:yikes:!!!!HAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHHH!!!!:yikes:
That is CRAZY talk.
This is a quick fitment check to see where the hitch sits.
As you can see, the hitch sits inside the sub-frame, however it does not sit parallel to the sub-frame so some heat and hammering would be needed to persuade it to become parallel
As you can see, the hitch does get to the 8" mark at some point. The sub-frame has an interior dimension of 8" so now to persuade the hitch to see it my way
A little wood block and the right amount of heat should do the trick
I have not rented a set of oxy-acetylene tanks as of yet so I had to use MAPP gas to heat the metal. It will do it, but it takes a lot longer than one would expect.
So now it fits better, but not great.
I decided that four line-up pins attached to the sub frame would allow me to easily remove the hitch and keep me from having to drill out the threads. I planned on welding another nut to the sub fame so as to actually attache the hitch.
Ok, the stock Dunie is 6.5" wide and at this point I am planning on using a 165 wide tire. I had pretty much come to accept that I was not going to be able to go wide-side
Welding the attachment pins in place
The outer side of the pin will be cut off and ground down later.
After all welding and grinding is done.
This nut, welded to subframe by Honda, was not meant to be pulled inwards towards the tire an the weld failed. Good think I know how to weld.
Hitch assembly in the fender. Did I mention that I do not like the design of this hitch.
So, the rear fender support and the 183 hitch like to take up the same space. BAD DESIGN!!
Dammit
My goal here was to install this hitch and a CT. Up until this point I was expecting to get a 165 up between the rails. As that many other modifications were going to be needed, I decided to just scrap the whole design as it was and go for broke. I marked the 183 hitch, cut off the excess and tack welded it up so that the outside of the hitch was flush with the outside of the sub-frame.
Looks good to me.
Still looks good. I'll cut those pins short later.
I like this idea much better.
As you can see the hitch is now lined up with the inside surface of the sub-frame. When I test fitted the assembly into the fender, the hitch section was coming in contact with the inner fender supports. I re-tacked it to the inside and all fit was well so I followed that up with a couple of 1“ continuous welds. That'll hold up a light trailer easily.
So, the lower section and the inner fender support liked to take up the same space so I decided to remove the damned thing and turn this into a hidden hitch. Had to add a couple of angles to attache the square tube to.
Once the angles were welded I realized that one of the legs on the top angle was going to come into contact with the CT and had to shave it off. I had to build a little spacer to get the tube in the right place, then I welded on a chain with a hitch pin so that it is always there to attach the lower end of the hitch.
Tire is fully up into fender, approximately at the top of its travel. not sure if I've ever bottomed it out, but just in case.
View from bottom of receiver.
I'll have to cut off some of that.
Hitch in the fender. It fits like a glove.
Look, the fender support fits when I redesign the hitch.
A little mineral spirits to clean it up, two coats of automotive primer and two coats of epoxy paint did the job.
The finished product. !!!APPLAUSE!!!
Attached to the bike for final clearances checks.
Tire at the bottom of its travel
Tire at bottom of travel (approx)
Tire at top of travel (approx)
5/8“ clearance on left side of Dunnie
3/4“ clearance on right side
1/2“ clearance at top cross member.
Hitch installed in the fender for the last time.
So now the hitch is installed and time to move onto the trailer fabrication. I'll let you guys know how that goes once it is done.
