Does it affect fuel mileage?

Question

Anybody in here pull a camper trailer on the back of there bike with a swivel hitch? How’s it handle pros/cons . Does it affect fuel mileage? Does it eat up your rear tire ?

3 years 0 Answers 1073 views 0

Answers ( No )

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    Not sure how a swivel hitch is any different than a standard ball hitch, i us both and can’t tell difference

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    Yes. You Can’t tell the difference until your bike falls over. If it falls simply pick it back up. Without it you could damage/twist your hitch on trailer or put things in a bind making it extremely hard to pick bike back up.

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    Yes ud83dude0f

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    I use swivel and & no problem with handling. Also dropped bike once without any problems. About 6,000 miles so far. No notable issues with tire. Fuel mileage will suffer.

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    While I don’t pull a camper, I do pull a Bushtec with a.swivel hitch. I have been pulling it with various bikes since 1987. The swivel hitch is amazing. No problems with tire wear or handling.

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    I wouldn’t ride without a swivel hitch. I know folks who weren’t using one and who were dumped when their trailer flipped on them. I honestly don’t even know my trailer is there but is does affect my mileage by about 20u0025 when loaded. Haven’t noticed any impact on my tires.

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    To swivel or not to swivel?
    I have often been asked about my using swivel hitches on my trailers and I explain it like this-
    A swivel hitch is a cheap insurance policy! It will not afford you anymore lean in corners or improve handling but it will:
    1. Allow you to get a good look at your coupler before hooking it up to your bikes ball.
    2. Should your bike fall over for any reason such as the kickstand sinking into soft dirt it allows you to pickup the bike and ride away. Without one if the bike should fall over there is a high probability that the trailer, the trailer tongue, the trailer coupler or bikes hitch would be damaged.
    3. Should your trailer flip over while being towed there is a lower chance of the bike being forced to the ground.

    No you don’t need one in order to safely tow a trailer down the road or to carve up the twisties as the ball and coupler provide for plenty of lean angle in the curves but you also don’t need insurance until you do. Until something unforeseen and out of the norm occurs.
    In addition to having no effect on handling they will also have no effect on tire wear, braking nor reduce your trailers drag to increase fuel mileage.

    As for cons:
    1. Like any form of insurance, they are not free.
    2. Having one means one more thing to potentially wear and fail so it needs to be inspected regularly. There is no maintenance or at least not on the ones that I have.

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    I’ve pulled both types with a bike and can’t say as I can feel the difference.
    I did have a solid hitch get bent all to hell when a utility trailer flipped behind an ATV so what people are saying has validity.
    Not sure I could put my Aspen in the situation I put that utility trailer in but if I do, something is gonna give.

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    Been pulling with a Ninja 1000r for years with a swivel.

    Doesn’t effect anything, and if I’m pulling my utility trailer (that is low to the ground) I can lean deeper into corners than I could otherwise.

    My utility trailer never weighs more than 350 total though. But it’s almost 2′ wider than the camper.

    Don’t understand the tire wear/fuel mileage question at all.

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    I pull a trailer with my 07 Ultra regular ball is fine just grease it. Harder on fuel yes your dragging more weight and wind resistance harder on tires yes your dragging more weight. I don’t know why people are always concerned about fuel mileage your travelling for fun it shouldn’t matter.

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    I pull a Time Out camper with a swivel hitch. The hitch makes no difference in handling whatsoever, but as others have mentioned, it is helpful if the bike ends up on it’s side. The handling with a trailer is pretty much no different than without, with the exception of low speed hard turns, such as a U turn in a parking lot. Also starting out in a turn, and panic stop situations. I’ve noticed that my rear tire wears slightly faster but not enough to worry about. Gas mileage also suffers, going from 46-50 down to 36-38 on mine. But I’m running 2 up, full of gear and pulling 500# or so behind me.

  1. I have pulled trailers with and without a swivel hitch on my trailer.
    I found no advantage or disadvantage.

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    With or without swivel hitch makes no difference to the handling, but I like the swivel for reasons others have mentioned. I pull a Bunkhouse behind my GL1800 Goldwing, and see about a 25u0025 drop in fuel mileage when it’s fully loaded to about 500 lbs total weight.

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