Motorcycle Trailers

[Sister Sledge]

OK hopefully in the correct place. If not, please forgive and be gentle.

Motorcycle trailers. I fabricate stuff and in the past (15 years+) used to make trailers and sell them near Xmas for spending money.
I'm all skilled and that so don't panic about failed welds and wheelbarrow wheels!

Has the law changed on home made trailers? Can anyone advise accurately on this?

I ask because I want to make a trailer to carry bike(s) on.
I intend to make a trailer which will fully dismantle and can be carried inside a car - for storage here and for ease of movement/security if parked up and riding the bike.
Obviously if the laws have changed and it'd be too much trouble, I'd not bother.

Cheers!
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CCM 404 DS

[Ste]

Motorcycle trailers... a trailer to be towed by a motorcycle or a trailer for carrying a motorcycle that's to be towed by something with four wheels?

[Sister Sledge]

Ah sugar!

I'm going to make a trailer which will carry a motorcycle. The trailer will be towed by a car or van.

Oops.
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CCM 404 DS

[Grubscrew]

Under800kg gvw no brakes, over that it needs brakes.
Lights, mudguards, snatch cord if braked, otherwise it’s fairly lax in the uk, but Aus and NZ are treated as another vehicle ie need it’s own plate.
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FJR1300/CBR1000F

[MCN]

[colink98]

the law in the UK was changed a while back.
all trailers manufactured post 2012 need to be certified by VOSA.

you could always buy the bones of a pre 2012 trailer and modify that.
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PCX125 (stolen) - CBF600 (current)
Ride it like you stole it.
ride sensible and not like an idiot and you wont get 6 points in one week.

[Travis Bickle]

[Travis Bickle]

I was actually thinking of getting some sort of trailer that you could attach to a bike. Like a bike-carrying-trailer that could connect to another bike somehow. The idea being if I needed to collect a vehicle somewhere and didn't have another person to help me, I could ride the bike with the empty trailer in-tow, connect the trailer to the other vehicle and then load the bike onto the trailer to drive it back again.

I've searched for such a device but doesn't seem to be a mainstream solution (maybe there's a good reason for that) so would maybe have to get it fabricated.

Does anyone know more about the legalities with regard to towing a trailer with a motorcycle??? I've never come across this in legislation before.
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Must Go Faster
1999 Yamaha FZS600 Fazer

[Sister Sledge]

Some good feedback. I'll explain my thinking on this:

Bike and trailer would weigh no more than 400kg together. My bike is only 128kg or something and I'm not intending on building a battleship trailer (nor too light either).

Given the relatively low weight of what I'm thinking, a car wouldn't need the trailer to be a braked one. If the trailer ends going too heavy then yes braking systems will be added.

I will be fully compliant with lighting regulations and breakaway cables etc. I also don't mess with old hitches - always new because safer.

My reasons for asking are I was aware that some countries in Europe have a plating system. I was wondering if the UK had arrived with it too.
My concern is if I'd need a VOSA test and if the trailer would need regular testing like lorry trailers do. Like I said, I'm not up to date with law.

I suppose I could argue that I made it years ago and make it look like so (rusty bits). Surely they couldn't prove when I'd made it??
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CCM 404 DS

[weasley]

These suggest you do need an IVA:

Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) for light trailers: help to get a pass
Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) manual Trailers (O1, O2, O3 and O4)
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Yamaha XJ600 | Yamaha YZF600R Thundercat | KTM 990 SMT | BMW F900XR TE

[Sister Sledge]

Fascinating.
It's stuff like that which I see as a challenge. I'm certainly not put off from doing this, far from it, I'm gunning for it now.

I'm looking at several routes now.

The first is to plan and factor in legal requirements. The end build would then be offered to VOSA for testing. I can't see a fee for what I'm planning but that'd change with time and depends on construction type anyway..
There's actually a full VOSA testing site 3 miles from my home.

A second plan is to build and factor in the required compliances. Reflectors, good lights and a damned good looking build.
This build would not be offered to VOSA for testing but would comply fully anyway. If stopped I'd claim it's an old trailer and I refurbished it with the correct reflectors etc and I didn't realise VOSA would want to see it. I'd claim ignorance.

Reading into the literature there's mention of special purpose trailers not needing a VOSA test. One of those categories is trailer tents. I can't see mention of motorcycle trailers and I'm wondering if that due to the strange shape and layout of a motorcycle carrying trailer, whether it'd be considered special type?
Obviously I could easily confirm that by contacting my local test site.
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CCM 404 DS

[B5234FT]

[A100man]

[MCN]

Tips...

1)Use LED light clusters. Magnetics are sound. Cheap.
2)Buy quality plug and socket. The cheap ones dissolve.
3)If you have a tow ball fitted to a vehicle then it will be part of an mot test. Structural integrity and electrical function.
I have a removable tow ball so it's off for the mot.
Removable ball is genius unless you use the hitch very regularly.
4)Shin-ing a tow ball is STILL more painful than childbirth.
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Disclaimer: The comments above may be predicted text and not necessarily the opinion of MCN.

[Monkeywrenche...]

[wr6133]

[Stalk]

[Stalk]

Looking for a trailer to hang behind the MH and carry a 650 burgman (abour 280 KG) and a couple of push bikes, one of which is electric so 23KG. In Northampton.
Want to give me a price?
Cheers
Stalk

[MCN]

[Travis Bickle]

[Travis Bickle]

[Travis Bickle]

[stinkwheel]

[Travis Bickle]

Here's a funny thing...

I got one of my V5Cs out to have a look at the weights etc.

Pulled one out and random for a Ford Focus (not one of my taxis, a salvage project I bought to fix and sell on).

Max permissible weight 1,900kg

Mass in service 1,399kg

That only allows a payload of 501kg.

I weigh over 140kg

You'd only need 4 fat bastards like me on-board and you'd be illegally overloaded, and that doesn't even account for any luggage LOL.

I was more curious about the towing weights (1,200kg braked, 670kg unbraked) but just thought the above was funny and would share it with you!
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Must Go Faster
1999 Yamaha FZS600 Fazer

[Travis Bickle]