I'm looking at my transport options for next year and hoping I might be able to make do with towing my race bike on a small, one-bike trailer (like the one in the photo below, for example) with our 2.0 L Mazda 3. I know the manuals, etc. say it's not possible but I see plenty of others doing just that with their small, four-cylinder cars. I'm not so concerned about the trip between here and Mission as it's pretty flat, but if I make a trip over the mountains to Race City next year, that is a different story, so I was looking for some feedback from others who've used this same hauling combo for a similar type of trip. Comments, suggestions and advice are all welcome, thanks.
put bigger wheels on it to withstand a constant 120+ and you'll be fine. There is not enough weight with the trailer and bike to cause any undue stress to your transmission, but if you are a little concerned about that, you can get a transmission cooler installed to assist with the added load of pulling. The only drawback to smaller trailers like that, is just the small wheels that can cause grief when going over 90km/hr. I know that Ryan Whittle rented uhaul trailers at $20/weekend for a couple of years, so you may want to factor that in before you purchase a trailer...maybe you can get away with just renting.
Thanks very much, Dean. If rental is that cheap, it may be worth going that route instead of buying, for the limited number of times I would need the use of a trailer.
I towed my 929 to Florida and back on a jet ski trailer that my buddy modded. Same size wheels, and I floored it through South Dakota both times. Same size tires, perhaps smaller. Just lube the bearings before each trip, and don't put too much preload on them (as in none).
Uhaul trailers are cheap like borsht. I was towing with a Mazda 3 HB. Worked great. I think the motorcycle trailers are $15/day - can't quite remember though. They are better than the trailers with rails since you can load all your junk in the trailer, leaving the car empty.
Thanks, Ryan! It definitely seems like the best option for me, at least until I can get a cargo van or some other more permanent race hauler.
Mel, for sure if your car is an automatic have an aux. transmission cooler installed. Other than that as long as you are towing less than 1,000 lbs, which you are, you'll be fine. As an extra added bonus once you have a reciever installed on the car, you can get a bicycle rack to go on it as well ....
Hey Mel, I bought my Safari for $800. Only thing I have done to it is flush the rad and replace the thermostat. It could be better running, but for the price it's great. Come and see it at the next round. A cheap van might be the best thing for you since you won't have to pay for the extra length on the ferry. There are lots of Astro/Safari vans around for less than $1000. Mine came with a hitch and a CD player. I threw the 2 bench seats in the garbage. It needed to be cleaned up, but overall I'm really happy with it.
Mel, as you probably already know I carry my bike in the back of a pickup truck I like this option as, like the van, you don't have to pay for the extra length and it's functional. I also don't have to worry about hitting my head on anything when I'm loading up. ;o) I have a 2 wheel drive so I don't have to load up a tall ramp. There are a lot of trucks out there for sale that would suffice. I was lucky and found my extended cab Tacoma. Lots of power and a hitch. Anyway, just a thought...
Thanks for all the advice, folks! I'm definitely leaning in the direction of a Safari/Astro Van, especially if I'm travelling to other tracks besides Mission. Of course, first I have to first save up over the winter for a new race bike to put in said van.
Go with the diesel Delica L400. Full time AWD (or two wheel drive, or locked center diff four wheel drive, all selectable on the fly), 25mpg, and diesel is again 10% cheaper. Mine hauls my bike no sweat, without removing the seats. They just flip up or spin. I landed mine for 6K from Tokyo. I know a guy if you choose to go that route. It showed up with 66,000 original Km's. That is an electronic odo, which I think is almost tamper proof (not like the old L300 was). Mine also has climate control front and rear, power curtains, and power sunroof and sunshades. Right hand drive is no big deal.:2cents:
Mel: I put a hitch on our Mazda 5 which, AFAIK, has the same engine and tranny and is built on the same "platform" as the Mazda 3. I note that our van weighs more than your sedan. IIRC, our van can tralier up to 2,000 lbs. I got the hitch from Cdn Tire. It was on sale for ~$100. I installed it myself and it was a total PITA. Yes, it bolted up in about 15 minutes. The problem was drilling a couple of holes in the bumper support. That chewed up 3 $25 drill bits and took a hell of a lot more time than I thought it would. If I had to do it over I would look at getting CT or (if you get the hitch from them) U-Haul to install the hitch. The plan is that the hitch would enable us to tow a small utility trailer (which could also be used to haul bikes). I have not yet tried it with a trailer. We have used it with a bike rack to haul our bicycles. I too would suggest renting a m/c trailer from U-Haul. I've done that in the past and I'm sure it was stupid cheap; like $20/day. That saves you the upfront cost of buying a trailer and storing the trailer when it is not in use. It seems to me that a cheap van or p/u seems like a good option until something expensive goes on it; then you may be back where you are now. Anyways, just my two cents.
