Huh?
By John Davis • Jun 13th, 2006 • Category: Northwest Cycle News HeadlinesThis one left me scratching my head.
The News-Review - News
ROSEBURG: An Aloha man was injured Sunday when his motorcycle came out from under him on the Exit 123 onramp on Interstate 5.Arthur J. Caylor, 58, was riding a 1984 Honda Goldwing when he attempted to enter the northbound freeway around 9:02 a.m. He attempted to slow for traffic, but the trailer he was towing pushed the bike out from under him, according to an Oregon State Police report.
Caylor fell from the motorcycle and the bike continued across both lanes and hit the divider.
Caylor was taken to Mercy Medical Center where he was listed in good condition this morning, a spokeswoman said.
Can anyone explain how a trailer can push a bike out from under the rider while slowing for traffic?
John Davis is the owner, editor and publisher of Northwest Cycle Report. John also owns and writes for MotoSkagit.com and is the administrator for the Washington 120 State Park Tour. In addition to his own sites, John is a contributing author for MotorcycleLife.com and Motorcyclebloggers.com. He lives in Mount Vernon, WA and rides a candy-red Honda VTX1800 Retro.
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A trailer can very easily push around a tow vehicle. That’s why all large trailers have trailer brakes. I have never looked at motorcycle trailers, but I am guessing that they don’t have brakes and depend on the motorcycle’s brakes.
I once pulled a utility trailer that didn’t have brakes behind my Jeep CJ. I about jack knifed at the first stop. The Jeep slowed down, but the trailer pushed me forward.
Sadly, I witnessed a similar accident with a motorcycle towing a trailer on a rural road in Arkansas several years ago. What happened was we were going downhill around a blind left-hand turn and there was a herd of cows crossing the road! The trailer jackknifed and the motorcycle went down. Fortunately, the rider was not badly hurt.
Sounds like the rider may have been heeled over coming around the ramp, realized he was coming too hot for the traffic stream, dynamited the rear brake and jackknifed his trailer.
Either that, or his trailer is packing more horsepower than most.
I’ll buy the jackknife theory. The story made it sound like he was riding along, slowed for traffic and the trailer “pushed the bike out from under him”. Physics says no way in that case.
Jackknife, OK, major change in direction of momentum and I can see falling off.