Uni-go Trailer Feedback

[DJMeloche]

I'm looking for some feedback. I did a search of the forum and it didn't generate much.

Is there anyone out there who owns a Uni-go?

If so, can I get the lowdown on the overall performance?

I really like the product but want to hear about it from an owner.


Thanks for your help.

Rhino

[109314]

I don't own one ~ the price is prohibitive thanks to the weak dollar. I don't see spending $3100 on a bit of fibreglass and one wheel!

[Ridealot]

Rhino, I owned a uni-go for 16 months. I towed it with a K100RT. I have mixed feelings about the trailer.
- On the one hand the handling while towing is fabulous. While moving you cannot tell it's back there. I ride aggressively and I did not have to change my riding style at all. Since the trailer sits so low the center of gravity of the bike is not really affected. In tight switchback corners you can turn the bike from left to right and back with about the same force as you would with a passenger. All of my time pulling it was riding two up and full of camping gear. My gas mileage while pulling the uni-go only dropped aboout 2-3 mpg.
You do need to be more careful at low speeds. While turning at low speeds the bike is heavier. By this I mean that if you are making a slow speed turn and need to stop it is much harder to hold the bike up. With the weight of a passanger and the weight of the trailer if the bike is leaning it gets heavy in a hurry.
Backing the trailer up is also a bitch. When backing out of a parking spot you have the added weight of the trailer. It's also hard to keep the trailer backing up straight. One reason is the short wheel base.(from hitch to trailer tire) It turns quickly. The other reason is that (on my bike) the trailer is hard to see in your mirrors. It sits low and is not easy to see in the mirrors which way it is turning. THe u-joint swivel does not provide much turning clearance while backing up. Going forward it doesn't matter because the trailer tire will just swivel around tight corners.
-The down side of the Uni-go and the reason I sold it is build quality. The first problem I had was a chunked rear tire. While traveling across some remote country we where traveling at about 100mph. The centrifigal force on the tire let it come into contact with the front of the swing arm suspension bracing. This trailer is advertised at being tested at speeds far higher than my bike at the time was capable of reaching. A dremel tool fixed this problem. The worst problem, and unacceptable to me, was axle breakage. The axle is basicly just an unhardened cheap bolt. The first failure was that the nut had loosened slightly which let the wheel bearings spin on the axle. Without preload the bearings inner race will just spin on the axle and wear it down. That was my fault for not checking the axle during our trip. I did check it before leaving on the trip though. THe second axle failure was more scary. The bolt simpley snapped in two at the start of the threads. The trailer tire was only supported on one side so it twisted sideways. This happened at about 25 mph and it steered me off the road and into a gravel parking lot. If this would of happened at speed or in a different location it could of been fatal. I know longer had any faith in the trailer and sold it. I have also talked to other owners who had problems with the frame breaking. I didn't have that problem.
I now tow a Bushtec two wheel trailer and am completely happy with it.
This was my personnel experience with the uni-go. It is a great idea that just needs to have better build quality. Some people think that it doesn't have enough cargo capacity. It was fine for my wife and I. With the larger Bushtec my wife now packs entirely to much crap. The people we travel with love it. We end up packing stuff for everyone else. They also like the cooler on the front of it. The down side to the Bushtec isn't handling, it handles great, but gas mileage. It knocks about 10-15 mpg off. It seems like if I haven't just gotten gas then I am in need of gas.
Tom
Salem OR.
"93 K1100LT
"03 F650CS

[DJMeloche]

Tom,

Thanks very much for your response. I have also received some emails from other owners and you are the first one to mention an axle problem or a tire problem.

What year was the trailer? Do you mind if I copy and email your comments back to the others to see if they have had any problems.

Thanks again, maybe I need to re-consider.

Rhino.

[Ridealot]

RHino,
I believe the trailer was a '01. When I sold it I got rid of all the paper work.
I forgot to mention that the distributor I bought it from is no longer associated with uni-go. When I e-mailed (repeatedly) Uni-go for assistance to get replacement parts I never received a response. After two months of no response I finally got the parts from a distributor in California. He contacted Uni-go and only then did they ask if they could be of service to me. The bridge was way past being burned by that time.
Tom
Salem Or.

[rojam]

I've had mine for about 1 yr.

Only problem so far was getting the paint matched.

A friend bought a used one where it appeared the previous owner over loaded it and bent the frame some, and broke some of the glass work.

Mine tows at 90 mph just fine behind 1200 LT. don't know its there. MPG only effected about 1-2 mpg.

Backing is a pain as its very hard to see. In fact on the LT, you only see it when it swings out. I installed LED lights on the sides at the widest point to help me see it.

The price is extreme! Shipping alone is $300+. Sure can't understand why someone is USA can't develope a better and less $$ one.

Would I buy another.. Yes if I could afford it. Love being able to take it into hotel rooms and not have to worry about someone messing with it. Especially when we stay in one place for several days. It takes a load off the bike's springs.

[basketcase]

For posts by Chickenman 26, aka Stu Oltman. He did a review of the Uni-go when he was tech editor for Wing World, and I think a link to the article is posted on this site someplace.

[DJMeloche]

drmajor -

The price is extreme! Shipping alone is $300+. Sure can't understand why someone is USA can't develope a better and less $$ one.

I agree, but so far I have more positives than negatives. Looks like I will wait until Ivan gets through here and see what expenses I have.
Thanks for your comments.


RickM -
I found the review and read it. Thanks!

Doug