Need some redneck engineering advice

[rbstern]

Where's a good place to get 12" wheels and tires?

Harbor Freight. Northern Tool. Walmart might have them, too.

 

[rbstern]

4.80-12 in. Tire with 4-Lug Rim Load B

Amazing deals on this 4.80-12 2-Ply Tire With 4 Lug Rim at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

 

[rbstern]

And yet one more task...while you are doing wheel changes, add some grease to those wheel bearings.

 

[streetroc]

And yet another thought: Those bunks and their fixtures unbolt. If you have the time, you can take the bunks off, make a flat deck, mounted directly to the trailer's cross beams. Add a motorcycle chock. At that point, you have a motorcycle trailer. You can convert it back to jetski as needed.

I thought about that too. I don't really need a flat deck though. I just need something in the middle for the tires to rest on. I would like to leave those carpeted rails on there if I could. I don't tow the jet ski with the trailer but I do use the trailer to move the ski from the garage to the back of the van.

4.80-12 in. Tire with 4-Lug Rim Load B

Amazing deals on this 4.80-12 2-Ply Tire With 4 Lug Rim at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

Are those okay to take a 400lb load at 60-70mph for a few hours at a time?

 

[steviesterno]

Cheapest trailer I could find is almost $1,000.

how much is the bike worth? How much is your time worth? Ancillary costs are part of the sport.

when I was big into 3 gun I thought my guns were expensive. Hell I was $1k into case/holsters/belts/etc that the guns were cheap by comparison.

can you not fit it in the van

 

[Gaffer1968]

I need to put this
View attachment 3681418

On this jet ski trailer and take it home from Alabama to Georgia.

View attachment 3681419

What do you guys think is the best way to do that? I'm thinking about bolting a piece of channel steel in the center of the trailer using the existing axle as a midsection support. Put the front wheel right up against the post and then use a few ratchet straps to keep it locked in place. It's a Suzuki GSX-R 600 race bike that only weighs ~360lbs. Do I need to get bigger wheels and tires for the trailer to take it that far?

First thing I'd be doing is to have a picture taken of the ID plate on that Hustler and check out its max speed, weight, etc. Looks like its only buoyancy/shock ability is in the tires unless there's some springs or stuff in there you can't see. I wouldn't drive that over 55 certainly and not anywhere near potholes because that bike mounted vertical is gonna have a higher COG and that hitch tongue is very long. Given you can find out all that then putting a tire channel down the center and lashing the front wheel and rest of body to the outer rails could work fine.

 

[streetroc]

how much is the bike worth? How much is your time worth? Ancillary costs are part of the sport.

when I was big into 3 gun I thought my guns were expensive. Hell I was $1k into case/holsters/belts/etc that the guns were cheap by comparison.

can you not fit it in the van

Bike is about $3k. It's not quite as nice as the one in the picture but it's the same kind.

I thought about putting it in the van but I don't know how I would get it in and out. I can fit my dirt bike back there but it's much lighter and easier to handle

 

[streetroc]

Looks like it's about a 9" wheel with a 15" tire. 5 lug pattern. The trailer does have leaf springs. Should I try to get some bigger wheels under there?

 

[streetroc]

First thing I'd be doing is to have a picture taken of the ID plate on that Hustler and check out its max speed, weight, etc. Looks like its only buoyancy/shock ability is in the tires unless there's some springs or stuff in there you can't see. I wouldn't drive that over 55 certainly and not anywhere near potholes because that bike mounted vertical is gonna have a higher COG and that hitch tongue is very long. Given you can find out all that then putting a tire channel down the center and lashing the front wheel and rest of body to the outer rails could work fine.

Yeah that was another thing that I was concerned about. Even though it's relatively light for a motorcycle it's still heavier and has a higher CG than the jet ski. Should I be worried about the trailer tipping over?

 

[Gaffer1968]

Yeah that was another thing that I was concerned about. Even though it's relatively light for a motorcycle it's still heavier and has a higher CG than the jet ski. Should I be worried about the trailer tipping over?

I'd be worried about bounce at high speeds caused either by potholes or just non-highway type roads, personally. I don't think it's tipping over as much as the trailer just bouncing too much and getting is a situation where twist could happen. I see in the pictures there's at least one set of single leaf springs so that's better.... I'd just plan on taking a slower drive home however you get the motorcycle mounted.