Planning mid May 2022 informal Laverda gathering Nelson British Columbia Canada

You're not alone Paul. We all fuck up occasionally when loading or unloading bikes. I had my Ducati MHR fall over on the bike trailer because my foot went down between the bike wheel channels. I've since welded in a grid mesh floor between the channels to prevent that happening again.

Only a few months ago, I crashed my Guzzi LM1 when taking it off the bike lift table, I undid the front wheel clamp thinking the bike was on its centre stand, but it wasn't. It started to topple and I wasn't in a suitable position to catch it. Result: bent footrest and lever, busted windscreen. Fortunately no tank or other bodywork damage. One of the advantages of a Guzzi is that the cylinders offer some protection when it falls over. It pays to have those little sacrificial cylinder protectors on it though. The windscreen broke because it hit the workbench as the bike went down.
 
Vince said:
I was at a famous motorcycle crash repairer in Sydney having the Graphics added to my Pantah when a tilt tray flat bed truck turned up with a damaged bike strapped on. The truck driver tilted the truck bed to an angle and started to unstrap the bike not noticing it had leaked a puddle of oil out. As he started wheeling it down the truck tray he slipped on the oil and both he and the bike exited pretty quickly in a tangled pile. Even the pros fuck up.
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pretty strong argument for one of two things - either never trailer a bike again or at least never unload bikes from the trailer by myself ever again. Alternatively, around here with our unpredictable weather if a bike does have to go on a trailer, maybe a new ground level loading trailer..... Going to have a look around. There is no way I can ride the 1957 Gilera 150 Sport to Nakusp in British Columbia in September for the upcoming Moto Giro, for example, max top speed of the bike of 100 kph (hopefully) would get me run over from behind on any of the highways heading that way, will have to be transported.
 
Hard luck with the unloading. Always gives me pause for thought too, having dropped the odd bike in the garage, a trailer is that much higher…
I wouldn’t worry about the Gilera though, so much lighter.
As with all things, practice helps!
 
Paul LeClair said:
pretty strong argument for one of two things - either never trailer a bike again or at least never unload bikes from the trailer by myself ever again. Alternatively, around here with our unpredictable weather if a bike does have to go on a trailer, maybe a new ground level loading trailer..... Going to have a look around. There is no way I can ride the 1957 Gilera 150 Sport to Nakusp in British Columbia in September for the upcoming Moto Giro, for example, max top speed of the bike of 100 kph (hopefully) would get me run over from behind on any of the highways heading that way, will have to be transported.
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No way would I even dream of getting a big bike off a trailer single handed. I've also been looking at trailers that go down to ground level, but very expensive and my trailer stays outside and those may need garaging.
I'm also worried when getting a bike on and off the work table.

Let's be honest with ourselves. Most of us are getting to an age and physical condition where manhandling a bike on its two wheels is getting risky.
I had an aged friend who got rid of all his big bikes after one toppled over in his garage and pinned him down for a couple of hours until somebody came past the garage.

Paul
 
My knee-high box trailer is about my max these days and even that has me needing a milk crate as a step assisted alongside the bike ramp and that's with a nice downhill approach that has the bikes almost loading themselves. Here is a bleeding obvious trick I saw a while back that helps a lot. I used to have the bike in neutral engine off unloading and using the front brake to control descent speed and that would usually have the bike skidding backward out of the trailer and down the ramp. It's 100% safer to have the bike engine off and in 1st gear and to use the clutch and engine braking to adjust your movement, zero skidding then. I have no idea how this is done on giant lifted utes and trailers, and if you see those videos it's life-threatening to get a bike in one of those.
 
It's 100% safer to have the bike engine off and in 1st gear and to use the clutch and engine braking to adjust your movement, zero skidding then.
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That's a trick I learnt off Ian Delaine after I dropped the Yellow Peril, works a treat.
 
When I worked in the shop with a dyno in Perth I had to learn quickly how to ride big bikes onto it, feet up, via a short ramp (we're talking big Z Kwakas and Hondas, Lav triples and the like). Those who know me know I'm a short arse, so it was definitely a case of going at it with confidence - any hesitation and it would def end in disaster. Luckily never had one (a disaster). Can't remember how I got the off - I think sit astride and roll them off (backwards!).
 
This is my preferred method....


jumping-motorcyclist-magazine.gif


(if only!)
 
Paul, for gods sake can't you make up a better story than that about how you wrecked the bike and got hurt. Your lucky it wasnt the Laverda or you would be banished from the Forum. Something like doing a wheelie coming off the ferry at Galena Bay or taking that hairpin corner too fast on the narrow wooden bridge between Nelson and Kaslo would be a much more manly tale.

On another note. Look at the two place Flaman aluminum motorcycle trailers. Expensive but easy to load etc. I'm in the process of modifying a snowmobile trailer with a fairly low deck height, including a nice long and wide ramp and proper wheel chock.
 
henrywillms said:
Paul, for gods sake can't you make up a better story than that about how you wrecked the bike and got hurt. Your lucky it wasnt the Laverda or you would be banished from the Forum. Something like doing a wheelie coming off the ferry at Galena Bay or taking that hairpin corner too fast on the narrow wooden bridge between Nelson and Kaslo would be a much more manly tale.

On another note. Look at the two place Flaman aluminum motorcycle trailers. Expensive but easy to load etc. I'm in the process of modifying a snowmobile trailer with a fairly low deck height, including a nice long and wide ramp and proper wheel chock.
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Hi Henry

the last charity fly fishing tournament I entered I won "most honest fisherman" for admitting I didn't catch a bloody thing...... but, come to think of it, the H2 got damaged at 11,000 rpm in 6th gear while I was leaning it to the max and dragging hard parts on the ground while sliding the spinning back wheel.......
 
Paul, I am happy to hear that you didn't break any bones I hope you recover quickly, getting old is not for sissies! 11,000rpm in 6th what does that compute to, lucky you survived that one eh.:eek:

Years ago when I was a hell of a lot younger I had a Toyota 'Le Van', I could load the Jota (no fairing) by myself into the back of the van.

To get it into the van I had to compress the front forks and then strap the forks down (compressed) to clear the top of the rear door opening. I would use a long wooden plank ramp with milk crates positioned on either side of the ramp near the rear bumper. Walk the bike up the plank step up on the crates and guide it into the van, and strap it in. Thinking back on it I thought nothing of it, doing it solo, 'piece of cake', now I wouldn't,t even attempt it even if I had help, 'no way Jose'. A low deck adjustable height trailer or ride-on tilt bed trailer is the only way to go these days, I don't have either one.
 
Tilt trailers are a bit frightening too… I have one and it’s good, but it’s a bit high so it needs a steady heart.
Loading:
Tilt deck; tailgate down; ride bike meaningfully up deck and hit front tailgate just hard enough to tilt deck back down with a crash; secure bike without overbalancing the deck; remember to lock the tilt.
Unloading:
Unlock rear tailgate; unlock tilt; carefully untie bike without overbalancing the deck; sit on bike and roll slowly backwards until the deck tilts with a crash; attempt to maintain some control as you career backwards off the trailer; walk away nonchalantly.
Stopping part way in either direction will have you on your arse 🤞
 
Mmm, my drill with the box trailer and MAJOR ERROR ADMISSION. I have a narrow lane at the rear so first the bike is parked up the hill a bit with the car down a bit clearing my gate, then the trailer gets dragged out and attached to the tow hitch and LOCKING IT TO THE TOW BALL, then the bike gets rolled downhill and up the ramp and I step up using a milk crate. Remember when I said LOCKED TO THE TOW BALL, I forgot once and as I went up the ramp the trailer dropped at the rear slamming the trailer front up and into the car tailgate. My absolutely stupid error and the car still has that ding staring at me to this day. Done this hundreds of times with heaps of different bikes, only forgot once and that was enogh.No bike damage thankfully.
 
I deeply regret my Citroën with hydraulic suspension. Hook the trailer up, put the car in the highest position so as to get the back of the trailer down to ease loading. The hydraulics also mean that that the car stays flat even with a very heavy trailer load.
I sold the car 2 years back because in our world, a 20 year old car becomes an oddity and spares rarer than Laverda bits.

Paul
 
great suggestion re trailer winch! Still shopping trailers that lower to ground level, but more expensive than i am prepared to pay new, some of them are $6,500 USD ++ Now searching used ads....

in other news, still in physio for the significant damage I did to my back falling off the trailer with the bike almost a month ago. Still unable to ride, bloody hell...
 
Paul Marx said:
I deeply regret my Citroën with hydraulic suspension. Hook the trailer up, put the car in the highest position so as to get the back of the trailer down to ease loading. The hydraulics also mean that that the car stays flat even with a very heavy trailer load.
I sold the car 2 years back because in our world, a 20 year old car becomes an oddity and spares rarer than Laverda bits.

Paul
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Hi Paul

my present tow vehicle is a Range Rover Sport Supercharged. Active air suspension, I can lower it to access height to get into parkades, and raise it considerably for the purpose you described to drop the tail of the trailer. My previous 1990 Bentley Turbo R that went up in flames used the Citroen suspension with hydraulic spheres on all four corners, very slick and supple while it was working.......
 
Paul LeClair said:
Hi Paul

my present tow vehicle is a Range Rover Sport Supercharged. Active air suspension, I can lower it to access height to get into parkades, and raise it considerably for the purpose you described to drop the tail of the trailer. My previous 1990 Bentley Turbo R that went up in flames used the Citroen suspension with hydraulic spheres on all four corners, very slick and supple while it was working.......
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Unfortunately, Citroën doesn't use the system much any more. I much regret my car but parts unobtainable, and rightly I must say, diesel will soon be banned around here.
I've had several Citroën, 2 GS flat four air cooled estates. That engine was used in the French BFG motorcycle, A Visa, 600 cc air cooled twin. We went on family holidays with that with the kids bikes on the roof. I loved that contraption. Lastly, 2 Xantia estates, 1 petrol and the last, diesel.

Check the suspension triangles on your range Rover. A friend recently had one break, luckily without damage to himself. When the car was on the lift for repairs, it turns out the other triangle was cracked. The company won't acknowledge a problem.

Paul
 
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