Innovative solutions from Igus
When motorcycle enthusiast and entrepreneur Eric Debenham formed his company Mono-Trail to develop his own single-wheel trailer, his main aim was to create a design that looked as sleek as his bike. He also wanted the trailer to have full suspension but without the penalty of additional weight, so he contacted plastic bearing expert igus UK for advice.
"We all spend a fortune on panniers, top boxes, and tank bags - just so we can use our bikes more and do some touring," he explains. "They never seem to hold enough, though, and then there's all the extra weight high up on the bike which makes it feel awful to ride." Mono-Trail was born when Debenham spotted a single wheel motorcycle trailer on the back of a bike.
"Initially Eric contacted us for advice on the link arms in the suspension system of the trailer," recalls Matt Aldridge of igus UK. "He'd evaluated all sorts of designs but hadn't achieved the desired solution. We sent him some samples of the standard igubal EGZM-08-60 double joint pivoting bearings, and intrigued by his application, shortly afterwards I went to visit him."
"Nearly three years of design and testing later, we have launched the TourMAX," says Debenham. "A great looking, high quality, fully road legal, single wheel trailer that will sit on the back of a bike and will swallow all your stuff securely and even pull a crowd of admirers wherever you go. The suspension has been completely redesigned nine times now but at last we have created a system that is simple, robust and maintenance-free. The ride is actually much better than we had hoped for so we are really pleased with this."
The TourMAX is the first in a range of single wheel motorcycle trailers Mono-Trail has in development. The next adventure is a trailer designed specifically for carrying pets - so man may finally take his best friend out on the open road.
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