Motorcycle trailer for 2005 Prius

[Raftman]

Howdy!

After searching PriusChat over the last three weeks and reading many great threads about towing with a Prius, we have made the plunge into having a hitch put on our 2005 Prius. Many sporting trailers have been mentioned but in this forum but what I need is a trailer for hauling a 450 lbs. Honda Shadow motorcycle.

I know about the warrenty thing and even asked our local dealer's mechanic, who asked his manager and it was decided that a hitch would NOT void the warrenty. We are just about out of the warrenty period anyway.

Hope I can get some help. Thanks!

P.S. Our other vehicle is a Suburban.

Tim

[Indy John]

It may not be ideal for a motorcycle, but I purchased a folding 4'x8' trailer on sale at Menards a few years ago for less than $200. I still see this model in various catalogs, including Harbor Freight Tools, so it's still available.

The trailer has a tilt bed and weighs about 250 lbs., including the 5/8" plywood for the deck. I made detachable rails for all 4 sides out of 2x4s. With a load capacity of 900+ lbs. (1200 if you choose the larger wheels), it's more than adequate for your motorcycle. With a few sturdy tie-downs and maybe some 2x4 "chocks" to secure the cycle wheels, it should do the trick.

It tows easily behind my '89 Mazda 626 4 cyl., has moved more lawn tractors, tree limbs, furniture, etc. than I care to remember, and takes maybe 10 minutes preparation to be ready to go. It sticks out about 18'' from my garage wall when folded.

[Devil's Advocate]

Hitches in and of themselves do not void warranties, as you can use them for bike racks.

I have towed three sportbikes on a Zieman trailer with a total weight of about 1750 lbs. Braking was no problem and I just took a little longer to accelerate to minimize the force on the drivetrain.

[kcopen]

did you guys buy the Curt hitch? I was going to get one from eTrailer this week. Did you do the install and hard wiring yourself?

[RhythmDoctor]

Originally Posted by Devil's Advocate

Hitches in and of themselves do not void warranties, as you can use them for bike racks.

I have towed three sportbikes on a Zieman trailer with a total weight of about 1750 lbs. Braking was no problem and I just took a little longer to accelerate to minimize the force on the drivetrain.

1750? On a Prius? That's a lotta weight for a little car!!! I've heard of people towing 500 pounds or so, but 1750 is more than I would try on significantly larger vehicles. How was braking?

I'm still on the fence about whether to tow my 400 lb. sailboat (100 lb. boat + 300 lb. trailer) on my Prius. I tow it with an Accord right now, but once that car dies I may have to hitch it to my Prius.