ROON Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 I've tried the search engine but to no avail, and so can someone please point me to a thread, or give advice, regarding the safest and best way to attach a tow bar for a three wheeler motorbike please? I don't want to damage my van - that is my main priority. Thank you. Joy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barrie w Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 don't know the answer fully but how about trying someone like pws or total who make motor home towbars & scooter racks. I've seen racks that carry the front wheel in a cradle so that the trike runs on it's rear wheels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yeti Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 The Billy Connelly series world tour he used a trike pulled behind a Land Rover with the front wheel suspended. Write to the programme makers or Google it for leads,I think it was called World tour of Britain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donna miller Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 There used to be a company that made towing attachments for trikes, I was in contact with him years ago, but can't find his details, it was called "trail a trike". Try Google for that, failing that, google 100% biker, that will lead you to the 100% biker site, go to the forums page and there is a section just for trikes. I'll have another quick look for you and post any info. Whoops, found it straight away, Guys name is Mike, and find it on www.trail-a-trike.com Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 Joy The Trail-a-Trike company mentioned by Donna looks like your best bet, but I'd be concerned about stability unless the 3-wheeler motorbike you have in mind has a wide rear-track. I would also guess that reversing will be 'challenging' with a motorhome and you'd definitely be well advised to fit a rear-view camera system to help you out. I know you are a fearless lady, but are you sure this is a wise move? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROON Posted February 26, 2009 Author Share Posted February 26, 2009 Thanks all. Your advice is much appreciated and I shall take them all on board. Hi Derek. Thanks for that. The situation is that my ex-husband who is still my friend seems to want to come away for a few weekends this year - whether it happens or not remains to be seen - but he is going on about having the towbar fitted to trail the trike, and should I wish to take the trike when I go it alone, then I am welcome to borrow it. I am a little unsure. My main concern was damage to my van if the job wasn't professional, but I am a little wary of driving the trike too. It was just a solution to being stuck on a site when I camp there and the local towns are 'unfriendly' to motorhomes in their car parks. Still just an idea I am contemplating and your responses have all helped me towards my final decision. Thank you all again. Joy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakeontour Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 The trike mentioned by Yeti is called a 'Boom' trike. Made in Germany, sold by Boom Trikes UK in Worsley, Manchester. Huge, very impressive machines. You can have them made to your specific order, including V6 and V8 engines! They are designed with a fixing at the front of the frame to attach a tow bar with standard 50mm coupling so that the trike can be towed, or if you have one of the larger trikes you can fit a tow ball to the rear of the trike and pull a small car, caravan, etc! 8-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donna miller Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 Joy Derek is right about the reversing issue. Most trikes are built with a standard car axle, (see attached photo of our trike) so the stability isn't really an problem, however, you have to take into account that they may be unstable at high speed due to having in effect, a double swivel, i.e. the tow ball and the steering head on the trike. We found that the trike tended to wobble a bit when attached by the forks with the front wheel on the road, but didn't when it was suspended. As it was being towed, obviously the braking issue came into play, but as most trikes are under 750kg, they can be towed without additional braking system. In the end we decided the safest, easiest and best way to transport it was on an adapted bike trailer, all 3 wheels were off the road, I just didn't fancy losing £7k worth of trike because of a high speed wobble. p.s we ended up selling the trike because it just wasn't getting used enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davenewellhome Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 "As it was being towed, obviously the braking issue came into play, but as most trikes are under 750kg, they can be towed without additional braking system." Actually this is not true, as a trailer (which is what it becomes when towed by the method described) under 750KGs MTPLM it would hold true but for one fact, it has brakes fitted, in which case they must be operated by an overrun coupling device. D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donna miller Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 Dave, trikes have to have a handbrake, and this must be cable operated, so the braking is linked to this, by additional braking I meant that it did not have to be modified to include braking to the front wheel as well. I probably didn't make that very clear, so thanks for pointing it out. Having ridden trikes for years, the various laws and regulations became a bit of a nightmare, and included numerous mot failures for fitting hydraulic handbrakes with isolation valves, to arguments with coppers about the spacing of rear lights , forward facing markers, single or twin headlights at the front. Also whether or not you should have seatbelts. The issues of towing trikes has been discussed for many years and became just as tedious as the A-Frame debate. One good thing though, you don't have to pay to come over the Severn bridge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davenewellhome Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 Thanks for the clarification Donna. D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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