SUP Motorcycle Trailer

Some time ago I decided I wanted to tow my board behind my motorcycle. Lots of reasons–my motorcycle gets 65 mpg, my jeep gets 20. the motorcycle is fun to ride, and I have the notion that I can take it to some interesting places that I wouldn’t go with a jeep. we’ll see how that last reason works out, I think the trailer might be pretty limiting.

I tried the Mule, and it worked very well. But I was concerned that higher motorcycle speeds might wear the thing out catastrophically. I don’t want to trash a board if a wheel fails or the axle breaks. Bottom line, the Mule would be fine for occasional use, but I want to do this all the time.

I looked around for some good wheels, thinking used motorcycle front wheels would be good. But I couldn’t find anything. Heavy duty bicycle wheels proved to be quite expensive. Then when I was shopping at K-Mart for canning jars to make lime marmalade I came across a bicycle trailer intended to carry up to two small children. the price was right–$120–and I figured it would form the basis of my trailer. I bought a few lengths of 1″ square tubing and fired up the welder.

My plan was to build a trailer that could carry a 12′ board, but that also could fold, both for storage and to carry smaller stuff. I built a main frame that doubles back over the bicycle trailer base in the folded position, and a tongue section that also folds.

Once the framework was done, I painted the steel, reworked the fabric body of the bike trailer to provide storage under the board, and sewed some rack pad covers for the crossbars. I cut down a flag that Jeff Henderson gave me long ago when I bought a bunch of Superfreak sails from Maui Hot sails and bolted everything together.

Not an easy project, but it works great. the trailer hitch I fabricated for the motorcycle attaches to the rear wheel axle, so there’s no odd pulling force on the bike frame. I can hardly feel that the trailer is there, even fully loaded with a board and all the sailing gear so I can choose to go wavesailing. It tracks perfectly and I can still turn the bike in as tight a circle with the trailer as without.

Of course Diane thinks the thing is hazardous. We’ll see. I always wear a helmet on any motorcycle, but a little protective gear might be in order. I don’t fancy hitting the pavement in my boardshorts.

So if you see a goofy looking guy on his motorcycle dragging a huge SUP board, wave, but don’t turn left behind me too quickly–it takes a while for all the trailer to go by and that’s precious cargo on board that thing.