I am extremely lucky...

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macarollo

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Several of you pointed out that my connection pipe between the trailer and the bike looked a little weak. Well today you were proved correct!

I work about 1.5 miles from my house and today I rode the MB. When I got to work I noticed that the pipe seemed a little bent... right at the top bolt off the trailer.

When I was leaving work to go home I realized that the pipe was slightly cracked. I figured I would slowly try to get home and replace the pipe when I got home.

I started off going slow... crossed the intersection going 15mph and suddenly I heard a bunch of metal scraping.... I immediately turned off the engine, turned around and noticed the engine was on its side dragging on the ground! luckily I was going slow and stopped immediately. The pipe snapped in two right where the top bolt is.


The last riding I did with it was my 50.2 mph run. I cannot imagine what the outcome would have been if it had broke there. I thank God it did not brake then. The throttle cable is attached to my handlebar so likely if the engine snapped off at 50mph then the throttle cable would pull the handlebar hard to the right.... not a good thing when you are going fast.


I am going to use some heavy duty piping this time... not cheap ****.
 

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protect us Lord as we ride those things

The last riding I did with it was my 50.2 mph run. I cannot imagine what the outcome would have been if it had broke there.
I thank God it did not brake then.

I am going to use some heavy duty piping this time... not cheap ****.

to our motor bike brother

yes that piece used was a concern for some of us
as you stated so well above -- thank God you were going really slow
sometimes this Mountainman just has to learn the hard way
you know what I mean
glad that you gave credit to the big guy
I just had a BIG THING (issue) in my life taken care of today also
and I also thank God

please protect us Lord as we ride those things
 
Typical fatigue crack that I cautioned you about !.Do you have a secret death wish.?.Tearing around at 50mph was not the smartest thing either.That prob.set the stage of the crackup.You were lucky this time.Use a good sized pipe and clamp it ,no holes.Or else weld a vertical plate on the front of the trailer and attach the pipe to it .now that you're at it mount the pipe to be in-line with the CG and move the rear wheel side ways a bit to be in line with the CG also,then the trailer will be balanced.Be more careful !
 
pipe

Yes you are lucky i knew that pipe would not hold so i wont say i told you so.
I used 1 1/2inch steel pipe. If you go to lows they cut and thread it for you.
I also had it welded at all the joints so it would not come undone on me.
I also had a solid seatpost made because if yuor seatpost goes you could be in a world of hurt.
 

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Good thing you are OK and didn't get hurt! At least it was only 15mph!

*Once, I had my axle completely spit in two at 32Mph due to previous cheap bearings grinding through the axle, and it dragged a big gash in the dirt road, and ran me right into the ditch, scary stuff!!! My left wheel passed me by as I was going into the ditch :eek:

I wouldn't want to find out what would happen with a failure at 50!

Good luck with your hitch upgrade! Before long, you'll be riding again!
 
To me it's always interesting when those things happen. It could have happened, but it didn't. And to me that's kinda the whole point. Maybe you have more to live for huh? Not your time and all that.
 
I built a three-wheeler using the power train out of a Subaru 360 van I owned (that my sister demolished) in the early 70's. Great little rig, and that 358cc 2 cylinder air cooled engine did a lot better pushing 280 pounds of trike and me than it did pushing a 900 pound shoebox plus me. It had independent rear suspension, with half axles sticking out of the transmission case on each side. I was running down US 99W north of Corvallis, Oregon at about 60 mph one afternoon when the CV joint at the outer end of the right axle failed catastrophically, dropping the trailing arm on that side on the pavement as the entire wheel assembly went right on by me.

Bad, bad, BAD feeling to see your own wheel pass you by as you are wrenched into a ground loop and through the roadside ditch out into a field.

I rebuilt it, but sold it shortly thereafter.
 
Thank God

Macarollo,
I agree ... thank God.

I just want to mention to everyone that it's been my experience that anytime you drill a hole in thin, metal pipe (EMT) you can just about count on it breaking in that spot due to metal fatique. The more load, stress or vibration involved the sooner it will break. The pipe is very handy for making stuff but it's strength and durability go down hill quick once it's drilled and it can fail with little or no warning.

Hope you don't have to answer any more "close calls"! lol

God bless,
 
Go back and look at my story in your other thread for this machine and you will see I told my story about a push trailer flipping up and hitting me in the back.

I love pushers but we as amateur engineers/builders are also test pilots for these things.

I think most of us are amazed Znsanerider hasn't been hurt yet. I'm not trying to single him out but....well ok maybe I am. ha but only cause I dont want to see a fellow rider hurt.

Pushers can be extremely dangerous! I know Ive built a couple and love em!

____________________________________________________

Keep the rubber side down and the pipe out of yer butt!
 
I've been hurt before, but I have big balls and keep on going! You can be hurt doing anything in life, why have fear? Fear is for pussies.

I crashed at over 30MPH, and had the trailer land on my chest MONTHS ago, and it taught me a valuable lesson as to how and where to ride it. You can get hurt just as bad with a regular motorized bicycle, or in a car. You can get killed riding a motorcycle, but yet, people ride those all the time.

I rode all the way to St Pete without any incident. I went over the Gandy bridge, and went SEVERAL miles without any bicycle lanes in downtown Tampa and St. Pete. Dangerous is fun, and I'll do it again!
 
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