"ROAMIN' CHARIOT" Single wheel trailer

[bandito2]

So here is the story on the "ROAMIN' CHARIOT" single wheel trailer.

Several years ago, my brother wanted an efficient way to deliver newspapers on a motor route and maybe also a way to carry his two beagles to the dog park using his motorcycle. Side hacks and trailers were discussed and finally we decided on a trailer since a hack would be trickier to do. Even more so if it were a tilting hack. Researching, we came across a single wheel trailer site. Several of them were for scooters and motorcycles. Some old, some new and some were one-off home builds. Lots of good ideas here, some of which were incorporated into the design of my trailer.
http://www.singlewheel.com/

I thought something like that would be great for hauling stuff on a tour. Now that I'm retired, I seem to have some spare time to devote to doing longer rides. So after doing some thinking and making sketches and having some specifications in mind, I contracted with a welding fabricator to build my trailer.


Close up of the hitch point. Having the hitch mount up high like this did present some challenges. But, I made do with what I had and there are other trailers that mount high successfully. This hitch has been slightly modified since this picture. Some reinforcing was added to prevent the tab mounted on the rear wing from bending down and closer tolerance bolts were used to take out all of the free play in the fittings. It would allow a pretty severe wobble of the trailer without those fixes. You can see that difference with this image and the "Bad Axe" image where you can see the hitch tab is actually bent down and then the reinforced hitch in the "Exit 13" image. But all is good now. I may or may not have the hitch mounted lower some time later. It would take some figuring out how to make a hitch fixture fit in the available space without cutting holes into the scooter body plastic. A friend gave me some plans for a hitch that was used for a Yamaha Majesty that could probably be adapted to work on the Reflex with a single wheel hitch.



At the fabricator shop. A test fit to make sure it "hangs" OK on the scooter. Laid a pallet on the frame and took a 200 pounds+ sized employee for a little ride around the parking lot. He almost fell off a couple times from laughing so hard. It was a hoot to see. Man, but it turns so smoothly. I'm really surprised how steady it makes the scooter feel.



A close up of the trailer swing arm. Nice welds!



Checking out how pet carrier looks and how to do tail light pillar while giving door clearance.

Say, isn't that a car tire on the back of that scooter?....Why yes it is!!! (and that's a whole different story itself!)



Looking at profile of trailer with pet carrier. Thinking about how to make it easy, on easy off. Well, it turns out my brother decided against using any bike for newspaper delivery. Seems he couldn't really afford a trailer after all. So I only had the one built for myself. (so far)



I decided to have the trailer upgraded at a custom bike shop and had the diamond plate work done along with the addition of the tail light pillar. Trailer in the driveway, assembled before painting and wiring were done. When I picked the trailer up at the shop, The guy said it reminded him of one of those Roman chariots. So that is what I call it now, my "ROAMIN' CHARIOT" He said that was a neat name for it and fit it well.



Rattle can painted objects d'art drying in an oh so gentle breeze crossing the driveway. LOL! (must be effects of paint fumes. Phew!!)



All together and wired up. Nice diamond plate cover over the empty brake drum. Replaced the old open bearing with a new sealed bearing for the axle on this side. The Honda Reflex "rear wing", minibike shock, Honda CBR600RR tail lights and a front wheel from a Yamaha Riva were cheap ebay finds. The wiring, connectors and chrome look wire sheathing were from the local auto parts store and were relatively easy to install. Swingarm pivot ends covered with black plastic caps to finish it off. Rattle can paint and final assembly I did myself as well.



Rubber trim was later added to the hard thin edge of the forward splash guard.


Finally got the trailer all done along with getting a license plate for it. Had to get it weighed at a truck scale which only calculates in 20 pound increments. Jeez, Only 40 pounds? Really?. I think the actual weight is closer to 60 pounds. The first showing of my trailer was during the 2011 annual "Woodward Dream Cruise". A 32 mile loop driven through several towns along a spectator and vehicle crowded Woodward Avenue near Detroit Michigan. Vehicles of all sorts parade up and down the avenue, screeching tires, revving engines and just having a grand time. Many thousands participated and over a million attended. This little trailer draws attention wherever it goes!! As I rode along, my scoot pulling the trailer, guys would ask "What do you haul with that thing?" Women and children would say "I want a ride. Can you take me?" I was tempted several times to say to a few really good looking women: "You know, I might ask you the same thing" LOL! (shame on me!)

Mostly I just tool around looking good. But I did pull it all the way to a scooter rally in Arkansas September 2012. About 800 miles one way and I did it in one day. (same thing coming home) Just over 2000 virtually trouble free miles for the whole trip. My scooter and trailer won first place in the "Show and shine" in my bike's size class. A minor reinforcement to prevent flexing of a hitch part was done upon arrival home, but it has been trouble free since. While traveling, it would slow down some going up the steeper hills, but did fairly well if momentum was maintained. (it never got under 51 MPH.) The extra weight and wind drag pulled my usual 75 MPG down to about 55 MPG on the expressways. Gusty wind from passing trucks could be felt, but the extra weight of the trailer kept the bike solidly planted and relatively unperturbed. It was nice not getting knocked around for a change and made the long trip more comfortable.

Hills are one thing, mountains are another I'm sure. I don't know what to expect traversing mountains, but expect I might some day. This little scooter and trailer could get up and stay at 70 MPH for hours on end. There was plenty of storage space in the 35 Gal. Rubbermaid "Action Packer" heavy duty storage box bolted to the trailer bed. I added some weather stripping material inside the box lid to help ensure water resistance. I do wish the lock hasp was metal instead of just tough plastic. Its enough to keep honest people honest, but determined thieves could still bust in and steal my stuff in spite of security measures. (pad lock) More trips are on the agenda. Considering a coast to coast trip sometime this year (2013) and maybe a few more scooter rallies. Plus anything else I can come up with.


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The "ROAMIN' CHARIOT" in action. *
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My very red 2007 Honda Reflex "Scarlet" pulls the custom built single wheel trailer "ROAMIN' CHARIOT" Just out for a little 200 mile ride in the "Thumb" area of lower Michigan.


Back in late April and early May 2012 I went out on a 12 day 2100+ miles excursion on my Reflex scooter pulling my single wheel trailer. I went from here in southeast Michigan to Kentucky and Missouri for camping with folks from an organization called IBMC. (International Brotherhood of Motorcycle Campers) It was followed up a week later with another short 5 day 1700 mile trip with the same organization (but different members this time) for more riding and camping in the Catskill Mountains of New York. The New York trip was interesting in that I had my drive belt break and did the belt change at an exit ramp. It's nice to be prepared for such things...smart too!! I was prepared with a spare drive belt and the tools to do the job some 700 miles from home. ) I got it done just in time to get to the campground before the gates closed for the night.



Down on the ground behind the rear wheel is the shredded drive belt that got changed on the side of the road... Yeah, lucky me... EXIT 13 LOL!


I drilled and mounted the hitch connection for my single wheel trailer onto a rear spoiler/passenger hand grab that I got for dirt cheap off of ebay for the Silverwing scooter. (scratched up a bit, but I didn't care... I'm going for utility here) Besides, the rest of the bike has that patina and roughed up skin from actually being used as the workhorse it is. It has character. Not the prettiest little pony I've owned, but darn sure is the hardest worker.

Then a couple removable connections were changed so I can use the single wheel trailer with the Silverwing scooter. They were originally set up to work with My Reflex scooter, but the 2007 Reflex that used to pull the trailer is the subject of a streamlining project and so it is not being used to tow the trailer any more. But I do use it for the 2006 Reflex ABS occasionally which now has all of the plastics formerly used on the 2007 Reflex.

I never did much like doing electrical work on the bike because it is so tedious at times. All that unwrapping of sticky gummy tape to get at wires so that they can be reassigned to the proper connector pins. That and making darned sure wires are going to where they are supposed to. Check wire about 4X, cut, splice, check again, next wire, etc, etc, then check it all again. (don't want to burn anything) Test it, wrap it, try it again. OK. Put the tools away. Didn't have to do anything over, got it right the first time. OK now the wiring is all good to go for the trailer lights plus the auxiliary lights that can be set atop stuff on the passenger seat. The tail lights on the bike are partially obscured by the trailer so the aux lights are needed. The tiny little lights down low on the trailer are pretty much cosmetic IMO. I really need to do something with the tail lights that will make it safer... more visible.... A future project.


I just forgot to take any pics of this event:

An odd thing happened on the way home from a camping trip one time with the trailer hooked up to the Silverwing. I was in a bit of a hurry to get home before dark, so a little extra bit of twist was applied to the right grip. Coming down I-75 just past Great Lakes shopping center, a guy in a pickup truck began to pass me on the right. As he passed he looked and got my attention and was pointing to the back end of the trailer. I didn't notice anything, but then again I can't see what is going on back there. So I pulled over and he stopped in front of me as well. He told me "your tire is rubbing something, you have a silver stripe on your tire." Sure enough there was a shiny silver stripe about 1/8" wide all along the center line of the tire. He said "and see, touch your fender; it's hot" sure enough it was hot. But looking at the tire to see where it was rubbing I could clearly see a quarter inch of clearance all around the curve of the fender and nothing else anywhere near enough to be rubbing.

It only took a second to figure out what was happening. It WAS rubbing the fender. Above 75 mph on the already warm tire, there is enough spin on it to cause it to fling out to where it would eventually be forced up against the aluminum fender. Thus heating the fender with friction and getting aluminum rubbed onto the tire. Guess when I'm pulling the trailer with the Silverwing it will mean a 75 mph speed limit will need to be self imposed... Besides, I don't think the teeny 10" scooter tire is even rated much above 60 mph. I had better be careful with that... I carry tools with me on trips just in case, but no spare tires.

After I get a 2004 Reflex I have back up in running order, once again the red plastics currently on the 2006 Reflex will be moved to a different bike. In this case, the 2004 Reflex. Everything will get a good cleaning and touch up And I'll put up the scooter/trailer combo for sale as a package. Then for me, that will be the end of the story for the trailer. Time to move onto other ideas. I may make another single wheel trailer, but it will be a lighter, simpler, lower hitch point design and I'll do the whole build on the cheap myself.

[bull]

Thoroughly enjoyed the write up as I plan on making several 1100 mile round trips on my "new to me" Roketa. I was curious about what I should carry in the form of spares and tools. Any thoughts about spares and tools as well as camping gear like a tent that you care to share?

I have been wanting to build / buy a trailer and use it to haul things with, especially on those trips. I've looked closely at those multi wheel utility type bicycle trailers sold at Wal Mart. Of course modifying them will be a given.

[bandito2]

Originally Posted by bull

Thoroughly enjoyed the write up as I plan on making several 1100 mile round trips on my "new to me" Roketa. I was curious about what I should carry in the form of spares and tools. Any thoughts about spares and tools as well as camping gear like a tent that you care to share?

I have been wanting to build / buy a trailer and use it to haul things with, especially on those trips. I've looked closely at those multi wheel utility type bicycle trailers sold at Wal Mart. Of course modifying them will be a given.

Sure... Best thing is to (try to) travel light. I learned that the trailer can be overloaded and let me tell you it can be a bit frightening... and dangerous. The loaded trailer back there has inertia; it takes a little bit for it to catch up if a quick maneuver is made and a little bit again for it to stop moving into a lean. In other words there is a lag time when executing abrupt turns at speed. The heavier it is loaded, the more pronounced the effect. Loaded properly and conservatively it is not much of a problem at all.

I carry enough tools to be able to remove wheels, clutch, variator, muffler and bring other smaller misc. tools like pliers, screw drivers, spark plug wrench and other appropriate wrenches, ratchets & sockets as might be needed. Also tire pressure gauge, tire plugging kit along with a small 12V tire inflator, flash light, duct tape, zip ties etc. No need to take a full compliment of tools, but one should have tools to fix things if they can. (and are willing to) Otherwise save the weight of most of that if you would rather just call for a tow should the bike become disabled.

For long trips, the tires should have enough tread for the trip X2 just as a safety factor... For exceptionally long trips, you might consider having new tires put on before you go. Depending on the ride environment and duration, you might consider taking an extra quart of oil and a small 1 or 2 gal. gas can (usually red plastic)... just in case a fuel stop is missed.

I also carry a spare drive belt and my service manual. (because I can't remember everything)

I have used my big 3 season 4+2 tent when I plan on staying somewhere for a while, otherwise I use a small dome tent that packs smaller and weighs a lot less than the "Big blue palace". Self inflating sleeping pads just don't do it for me so I use cheapie twin size inflatable mattresses. They are a bit heavy and bulky, but they are SOOOO nice... (when they don't leak air) Got to be careful on stony or stick strewn ground to avoid punctures. Keep ALL sharp objects away.

I'd be wary of using a trailer intended for bicycle use that is built for much lighter loads and much lower speeds than are capable by a scooter. Tire speed and load ratings would need to be higher than bicycle tires. This also goes for wheel bearing speed and load capabilities. Motor vehicle laws regarding trailers may also come into play there as well so you should probably check first before committing to a bicycle trailer.

Whatever trailer you decide to use, load it as if you were going on a trip and drive it around locally as practice to get used to the feel and handling response before you go out on a trip. In any case, you will need to account for poorer fuel economy, longer stopping distances, slower acceleration and slower climbing inclines (momentum is your friend there)... even more so if the roadway is wet. Your cruising speed will probably not be quite as it would be as if you were riding solo due to the extra weight and wind drag. One thing I did notice when using my trailer was that gusts of wind from passing traffic had less influence on the bike and seemed to afford it more stability in that regard.

[cheapeto]

Very nice cyclop trailer!! I think I read this elsewhere once maybe.
As a kid I went to the vo-tech school, to the weld shop.
The Vo-Tech's back then was mostly used to send the unruly one's from all the counties various schools in the system.
I welded and then fabricated for many years, and just love to metal work.
That is a very nice fab job.

[skyrider]

Quite the design!!
My thoughts include:

Does the mounting high of the hitch put trailer wt/force in pulling and slowing on that mount causing unbalancing of the scooter vs a low mount say on the axles?? I noticed on my scooter that when I carry groceries in saddlebags hanging off the little box I made that the weight unbalances my scoot vs if I hang my saddle bags lower across my seat.

Why not a 2 wheeled trailer?

A two-wheeled scoot with a one-wheel trailer seems to make more sense.

I tried to put flyers in newspaper boxes with my scooter but everytime I slowed down to put a flyer in I had to put my legs out and stop so it became a lot of work, much easier in my truck. Don't believe I could do newspapers with a scoot either.

[bull]

Bandito, Thanks for the follow up info.

Skyrider, I too believe a two wheel trailer with a lower center of gravity, along with connecting to a lower mounted triangulated point would prove safer. As well as more aerodynamic.

A single point connection and all the tongue weight applied there seems it would create a scooter imbalance, which might be causing additional drag and possible unsafe steering and handling, similar to a pickup that has a large load in the bed of the truck raises the front wheels.

I really like his idea of using a scooter wheel, since there is a possibility of adding electric braking to a 2 wheel trailer which could solve some braking issues.

[crossbolt]

Really nice job!

Karl

[cheapeto]

My apologies to bandito2 not meant to hijack your thread.
Here is another trailer, for a 250 Helix.
http://bill.laudeman.com/helix/trailers/index.html

[bandito2]

With the trailer having the ability to lean, it can go through corners much faster than a 2 wheel type trailer.

Having the weight tied to the bike where it is, is much like having a passenger on the pillion seat. So when parking the bike it goes onto the center stand. Because, think of the trouble you'd have trying to put your bike on the side/kick stand with a passenger still on the seat..... Uh, I don't think so. With the trailer hooked up, only the center stand is used when parking.

Any trailer, single or 2 wheel that had a better aerodynamic shape would do nearly equally as good. And nearly equally as bad without better aerodynamics. Having said that, 2 wheel trailers tend to be much wider and so generally have a larger frontal area that tends to higher drag.

The thing about 2 wheel trailers is that generally speaking, they are able to carry a larger volume with a higher weight than a single wheel trailer. Smaller lighter loads than a 2 wheel trailer yet more than a top box & saddle bags that can be carried faster is the forte of the single wheel.

I would barely notice the trailer back there normally. Slightly slower acceleration? - yes. More braking distance needed? - yes, but any trailer needs to consider that. Where this thing really shines is in the turns. It tracks exactly behind the rear tire. With a 2 wheel trailer, in slow turns the trailer tends to track to the inside of the turn. That is to say when making a right turn, one has to swing out a little to keep the inside wheel from hitting the curb. Single wheel this does not happen. In fact it tracks slightly to the outside of turns. If the bike rear tire hits something, so will the trailer wheel. Out on the road you can take the twisties the same way as if one had a passenger; which would still be faster than hauling a 2 wheel trailer.