Motorcycle Camping Trailers

[Fireball18]

We like camping, but not particularly in a tent. Gotta hang too much stuff on the bikes and it's just a pain. Most of the people we ride with have Gold Wings, and tow camper trailers. I'm wondering if an ST1300 is up to the task of towing a camper trailer. After doing some research, it seems most of them weigh in at around +/- 300 pounds empty. I expect it's reasonable to estimate another 100 to 150 pounds of stuff, depending how much you want to take and whether or not you take the kitchen sink. Any ideas?

[Horst]

Sure, KLT's and RT's, and a few ST's pull trailers but what is the point ? .. For a Gold Wing it seems normal, but an ST pulling a trailer just seems like a waste. Can it do it ? ... I'm not so sure. Wingers have had some problems and Honda emphatically does NOT recommend Wings pull trailers, much less an ST. Technical reasons would be: rear axle weight/design, rear suspension, BRAKES (trailers have none, but weight is up) and of course HANDLING.

I wouldn't do it ... others might. As for accomodations, if you can't tent it, motel it. YMMW :capwin:

Horst in BC,
'02 ST1100A

[Bamaboy]

We like camping, but not particularly in a tent. Gotta hang too much stuff on the bikes and it's just a pain. Most of the people we ride with have Gold Wings, and tow camper trailers. I'm wondering if an ST1300 is up to the task of towing a camper trailer. After doing some research, it seems most of them weigh in at around +/- 300 pounds empty. I expect it's reasonable to estimate another 100 to 150 pounds of stuff, depending how much you want to take and whether or not you take the kitchen sink. Any ideas?

I think that with 100 hp and over 70lbs torque that it can pull it with no problem! A VW Beetle has what? 70hp :biker:

[Gene McCall]

I think that with 100 hp and over 70lbs torque that it can pull it with no problem! A VW Beetle has what? 70hp :biker:

This last summer a riding buddy from Oz and I went on my 2000 ST1100, with Hannigan sidecar and pulling a Lil Bunkhouse camper from my home in Tennessee to Alaska and back across Canada and down the eastern coast in a big circle of 15,256 miles and the ST didn't even use a full qt of oil, performed very well (except for rear tire wear, which we expected) and delivered around 30 mpg at 50/55 mph. Does that sound like the bike is strong enough to pull a trailer? Below are a few pics from the trip.:usflag1::aussie1:

[Imrubicon]

Stoppomg would be the biggest hurdle and the ST has pretty good brakes for a bike that size