Anyone with trailer hitches please reply on 1700 vulcan

[buckey1313]

There are three trailer hitches out there for the 1700 Vulcan Nomad and Voyager. I have on this bike Cobra Tri Ovals. I will probably be purchasing the best tent trailer ever built for bikes the Lees-ure Lite Excel this spring or summer. I need to make a choice on hitch and get one before purchasing trailer.

MCHITCH-like this hitch but the one problem I see with it is the mounting system that once you install this hitch it will slightly shoot the chrome strips off angle as this pushes it out from the plate mounting point. Is this true any of you have this hitch and does it put the chrome slightly out from bike in back. If you have any pictures you could share be appreciated.

DELRAY-This hitch is not a hidden hitch so not really interested in this product.

CHUCKSTER-I am totally confused on this product as really what you get. The pictures he has on his site are of a 1500 or 1600 and none of the 1700 Vulcans. On this site an old thread showed some of his hitches and these are in chrome. The ones on his site are glass black totally different design totally. Does anyone again have pictures of a 1700 Vulcan or Voyager with this hitch installed. I like this the best seems it does not have a problem if it is what I think any mounting points if it is the one I believe he is selling.

I would like to know also if the Tri Ovals if anyone also has a hitch with tri ovals installed if any problem and I believe there will be none. If any of you have any pictures of installs some great close ups etc would be appreciated so it gives me an idea.

Thanks Dave

[mnbk]

I have a Hitch Doc on my 2011 Voyager and have not had any issues and recommend it. Everything fits together well and it is hidden from view. It is helpful to have an extra pair of hands when putting on a hitch.

[smokey]

Not sure what you mean with the MC Hitch but I have one on my voyager and used it for a leesur lite as well, which I just sold. I had no problems and it fit on with little hassle. I think the mounting points are the strongest as well compared to some hitches, I had Chucksters hitch on my old Nomad and it worked great as well, used it to tow a gypsy trailer.

[coffey67]

I have the MCHitch on my 2013 Vaquero. I also have the Cobra Tri-Ovals installed. When I first installed the hitch I was concerned about the play the hitch had. It would move about a quarter of an inch back and forth when side to side pressure was put upon it. It would also "squeak" just a little as it moved. I was VERY concerned about it and often checked it to see if it was loosening up. It never did. I pulled it from Southern Illinois all the way to Washing D.C. a couple of years ago with no problems whatsoever. Last year I pulled it over 7K miles on a trip to Washington State. Again, no issues. It still flexes a little and still "squeaks" just a bit but it does fine. There were no fitment issues and the chrome strips line up just fine.

[H8BUGZ]

I really think the Chucksters hitch would be the best. It mounts lower with multiple attachment points. The others mount very high and I would think lateral movement might happen. I have the same concerns about the chrome trim fitting with the extra material sandwiched in between. I too would like detailed pics of the Chucksters hitch's mounting points on a 1700.

[Hillhouse]

I have the 2012 VV with Tri Ovals and Chuckster trailer hitch.

Hitch mounted with no issues, quality product, it is attached with one bolt at the end of the bag support and two though the support and into the muffler.

Hopefully you can see this in these pictures.

USE AN ISOLATION RELAY FOR TRAILER WIRING
reason being is that I didn't and the cruise control would not work due to it "sensing" the load on the brake circuit, (I was using LED lights), so I needed to disconnect the brake light on the bike. Not an issue with my Bushtec trailer connection which uses the isolation relay.

[buckey1313]

I bought a Chucksters Hitch as I do believe it is very well made and mounts lower down on bike and believe this will be more safe in the long run. Along with that I personally would never deal with McHitch as if you do not buy his hitch off him he will not sell you the wiring for bike off his web site. It was all or nothing with him and personally never would I recommend dealing with this company. His shipping charges to Canada were out to lunch compared to Chucksters. The Chucksters also gives you a mounting point for your Reese plug on its frame and believe the McHitch there is no mounting point by what I can tell you can install one. It came very well packaged in short order and he was very easy to deal with unlike others.

This is a five wire trailer so buying a 6 wire plug Reese plug and mount and mounting it on hitch was easy to do. I will have to just change over the trailer plug when I pick it up to this plug style. On the bike you will need a isolator that will draw all the current needed to run the lights on trailer directly from battery as the wiring on the bikes are not heavy enough guage to be safe. You will still hook up all your wires to your brake, tail and signal lights but the isolator will save you from any problems of grounding out in future and save your bikes harness in the future. The extra line I will use to run a power plug in inside trailer to charge and run my laptop, cell phone or what ever else off a cig lighter plug.

The trailer runs all LED lights so does not draw allot of power he has thought this out very well in building this trailer for bikes and small cars.

I have installed HID lights in my headlight and LED lights in my driving lights so not using allot of power myself. I also power my GPS and ipod for tunes in my Nolan Helmet and also power my Go Pro Camera off a separate fuse box plugged into switched power. The only plug that will not be off switched power is the cig lighter inside trailer so I can charge my items when I am camping if need be.

[Gypsy Dragon]

Which hitch to hitch to the witch seem to be one of those topics where everyone has an opinion and they all seem to have good reasons for them. So I pose a couple questions for all of you that have hitches on your 1700's, because this is a purchase I would like to make this year.

The McHitch and other designs that mount up high. I assume they are mounting where the KQR stuff mounts? I see the concern with having mounts up high, and the flex this could allow, but how much flex is there really?

I know there are a lot of people that buy things from Chuck, and I have heard nothing but excellent feedback. I haven't made any purchases from him yet, and he has still been helpful and great to talk to. I also know that when you find this kind of vendor, it is easy to assume or just plain believe that everything made by him is the best. Looking at the great pictures of the hitch mounting points (thanks Hillhouse), I wonder about the strength of the bag mounts, and if it ultimately changes the position of the mufflers. I don't need anything moving my pipe out or down AT ALL. I already have a ground clearance problem. Also, if there is worry about the high mounting point of the McHitch and others, shouldn't that be a concern with Chuck's also? After all, you may mount the hitch down low to the bag brackets, but aren't the bag brackets mounted up high?

Chuck, it may sound like I am working against you, but believe me, I'm not. I am just trying to get through the opinions to some solid facts.

I guess the only other thing I have to ask is this-

Has anyone had more that one hitch on their bike? That seem to be the only real way to get a comparison.

Or how about this, has anyone had any hitches fail?

[Hillhouse]

AS for high/low mounting of the hitch: I look at it this way, you are pulling a load and forces should be in a straight line to be most efficient. With Chucksters hitch there is a straight line to the front saddlebag mount and 2 secondary high attachment points. Same holds true with stopping force it should be lower on the bike than at a high point. Yes forces are distributed at all the connection points but having a lower point connection is preferred, just a mechanical observation.

Also with the straight line connection on both sides and the cross piece of the receiver you have a solid U construction that doesn't flex. Up/Down or Right/Left.

As for the saddlebag frame strength, they are actually very ridged, I expected them to be flimsy, They had very minor flex (left/right) in the lower rear area without the hitch. With the hitch there is no way for it to flex now.

Lowering of exhaust: yes it lowers it by 1/8 inch at the mounting points. It is not unusual for me to push it through the twisties and scrape the pegs, pipes don't hit, other than going over a curb drop but that would happen with or without the hitch.

I like Chucksters hitch, quality of steel and craftsmanship is superb, and customer service you couldn't ask for better.

[H8BUGZ]

Originally Posted by Hillhouse

Lowering of exhaust: yes it lowers it by 1/8 inch at the mounting points.

Is the hitch actually 1/8" thick where it mounts to the exhaust hangers?

Did you have any muffler bolt alignment issues?

My left muffler holes don't line up very well without a hitch. It's not like you can enlarge a hole, as it's a welded nut.

[buckey1313]

Yes it is a fight to line up the muffler bolts with stock pipes or cobra's I always find but with being determined you can do it for sure. I notice no difference in allot of how much lower they hang it is minimal for sure and you can not notice the difference at all. I like the chucksters for sure think it is the best hitch out there. I also put a Ubolt clamp between bike and saddle bag rails to make it a bit more stronger also I just wanted four mounting points on each side and feel this is real strong now and will never give me a problem now. Just wanted to be over safe is all.

[Hillhouse]

Is the hitch actually 1/8" thick where it mounts to the exhaust hangers?

Yes the hitch plate is 1/8" steel, more than strong enough and ridged enough for the job.

Did you have any muffler bolt alignment issues?
It seems that I always have 1 of the 4 bolts never align exactly perfect, on this or any other bike so I don't consider it an issue, just need to push things into alignment and tighten it down.

[Zeineth]

I use the Delray hitch. I pull a Bushteck Turbo 2+ with it. Put about 6500 miles on it last summer riding from Ontario Canada to Lake Havasu City Arizona and back. With everything work amazing. With the Bushtech it does not use a ball but rather a Hine Joint type connector. Never felt the trailer during start and stops like you do with a traditional ball. I like the way the DelyRay mounts because I have Vance and Hines slip on's and air ride shocks so to have something mount under the exhaust would cause me lots of road rubbing because I ride with the bike lower then stock, i am short. Installing the Delray was pretty easy. Just my opinion.

[Gypsy Dragon]

Originally Posted by Zeineth

I use the Delray hitch.

Do you have a link to a website?

[buckey1313]

http://www.hitchdoc.com/motorcyclehitches.php


here you go for the Delray Hitches