Trailer Speed Limits

[ASPC]

(To pull behind a motorcycle)

I see the speed limit for trailers is low. Especially in Louisiana where a small trailer without brakes can only travel at 50 MPH. Seems like a road hazard to me.

I see motorcycle trailers but it does not seem viable with those speed restrictions.

Any opinions, thoughts?

 

[Larry Fine]

You mean a bike on a trailer or a bike pulling a trailer?

I imagine the same rules apply to bikes as they do to cars.

Either way, I go just as fast with a trailer as I do without one.

I don't recall ever seeing a lower towing speed limit here.

 

[ASPC]

You mean a bike on a trailer or a bike pulling a trailer?

I imagine the same rules apply to bikes as they do to cars.

Either way, I go just as fast with a trailer as I do without one.

I don't recall ever seeing a lower towing speed limit here.

I mean to pull a small trailer behind a motorcycle. I added this info to my post. Thanks for that.

I was looking at trailer speed limit laws.

What Speed Limit When Towing? Trailer Towing Speed Limits By State

What's the speed limit when towing a trailer? We cover trailer towing speed limits by state, along with special rules for each state here.

towstats.com

 

[ASPC]

I get the impression the ST1300 may be an excellent bike for pulling a trailer. Especially dark sided.

 

[SupraSabre]

Kaliforniastan also has a trailer speed limit, for cars, trucks and motorcycles.

It's 55mph, and they love out of Staters!

 

[Al st1100]

who obeys speed limits? I wouldn't do 80 with a trailer anyway.

 

[Sadlsor]

I get the impression the ST1300 may be an excellent bike for pulling a trailer. Especially dark sided.

That's me.
The puppy trailer is primarily why I went dark, or let's say towing the Bushtec pushed me over the edge.
With no hard data points or scientific analysis, I just can't see how even a small trailer like mine WOULDN'T negatively impact tire life.

 

[snowmoer]

I would be more concerned about the speed rating of the tires. Most of the small ones are 65 mph. Also, the faster you go, the faster those small trailer wheel bearings are turning. I normally do 70 pulling my Roll A Home with my Gold Wing. Much higher and the fuel milage goes down.

 

[Obo]

A bike handles differently with a trailer.

Braking and swerving with a 2 wheeled trailer has an effect on the bike, and panic stops can result in the trailer jackknifing the bike depending on the weight and it's load.

Muscle memory for how you'd react on a bike alone overides the way you ride with a 2 wheeled trailer.

The ST is rated for about a 300lb trailer and load, with about a 30lb (10%) tongue weight. That's about half the weight of the bike.

I've not had a smaller single wheel trailer before but they tend to follow the bike easier, and weight considerably less, so they'd logically handle differently.

Here's my setup:



edit: this was non dark sided. I have a new dark side rear to install but haven't done it yet.

 

[Larry Fine]

My '01:

 

[Obo]

As for rear tire wear, the trailer decreases it 2 possible ways. (at least in my opinion)

1. if you have any side to side vibration / sway, cause by the trailer

2. The tongue weight load on the bike. It acts like a passenger or cargo (because it is.) More weight = more wear.

 

[Larry Fine]

Your trailer looks like a kiwi. (The bird, not the fruit.)

 

[Oldbikefixr]

I don't think I've ever seen anyone pulling anything while driving or riding anything following the suggested speed limit for trailers.

 

[rjs987]

We don't have any laws posted for speed limits pulling a trailer in Iowa. But as mentioned above I'd be more concerned about the speed rating of the tires. Some trailer tires have a L speed rating which is 75 mph. Those tires are considered high speed trailer tires. My Time Out camper and Mini Mate camper used Load Star tires that have a J speed rating which is 62 mph. These are the more common trailer tires. But I know I've gone faster than that with both of those trailers. I normally don't go past 75 mph pulling a trailer but more likely I try to keep it no faster than 65 mph. Another reason to stay off the Interstate highways.

 

[Larry Fine]

I don't think I've ever seen anyone pulling anything while driving or riding anything following the suggested speed limit for trailers.

I sure don't. I've had my '09 Accord w/4cyl engine well above posted speed limits pulling my bikes.

 

[rjs987]

Pulling a bike on a trailer behind the car is a bit different than pulling a trailer behind the bike. I've done both.

The car/trailer setup is way more forgiving.

Towed my Time Out camper behind a Dodge Neon from Spring Green, AZ back to Iowa when I bought that one. Then pulled it behind my GW right after that. Big difference. Did the same with a different car pulling my Mini Mate camper from Fort Walton Beach, FL back to Iowa... and then behind the ST1100. I notice that difference too. In both cases I had to keep checking that the trailer was behind the cars all the way since I truly never could feel it. But I could definitely tell it was back there with the bikes... though not as much with the GW.

 

[Larry Fine]

Pulling a bike on a trailer behind the car is a bit different than pulling a trailer behind the bike. I've done both.

The car/trailer setup is way more forgiving.

Absolutely agree.

 

[DannoXYZ]

Speed-rating of trailer tyres is based upon diameter and RPM. Many small trailers come with 8” wheels/tyres and these will overheat if spun too quickly (even with light or no load). So 55mph is safe limit for those.

 

[ASPC]

I have pulled many trailer types over the years, including semi trailers. Have lost tires and wheel bearings etc, nothing worse than losing a bearing on a race car or bike trailer and missing the weekend race. I have not pulled one behind a motorcycle. As interesting as it is I don’t think I would handle the speed limits very well. Most importantly for me is interstate speeds while pulling a trailer. In this state boat and utility trailers can travel at the same speed as cars. So a small trailer such as a teardrop camper being restricted to 50 MPH is annoying and IMO not viable.
I used to know a guy who aimed for 20 speeding tickets or more per week in a small town on a main highway. There are so many small towns with cops bringing in revenue and job security via traffic tickets because that is what they have been ordered to do, or else. A guy may be good at traffic tickets and nothing else and he will keep his job when others may not. I have worked as a cop and I don’t want to be on the receiving end of a $300 ticket for 5 over. IMO the system is very flawed, corrupt. I usually run 5 over without a trailer and have never been stopped for that. I went for ride on the 31st of January and I got followed several times by guys trying to meet ticket quotas for the month. Even 5 over would have been enough, 5 over with a trailer, bingo. That’s two tickets. Some of the small towns in this state have been on TV for their speed traps. I live not far from one of them. But for perspective, I want to say I once got pulled over doing 82 in a 55 and never got a ticket and I wasn’t a cop at the time, it’s always good to be polite.

If I put brakes on the trailer which would permit a higher speed bracket I would still get pulled over because small trailers don’t usually have brakes. And then the increased weight issue… 300 pounds isn’t much.

Thanks to everyone for posting. I enjoyed seeing the trailers and getting the opinions on this subject.

 

[ASPC]

Inherently more unstable and less practical than a motorcycle trailer but no reduced speed limit. I’m not saying there should be, I’m just saying.