Recommended Hitch and Towing Items for 2003 Honda Element Towing Motorcycle Trailer

Question:

Will class 1 trailer hitch with 200 pound tongue weight be heavy enough to tow 850 lb Harley Davidson road glide on an alumna trailer. My vehicle is a 2003 Honda Element

asked by: Mike O

Expert Reply:

The online edition of the owner's manual for the 2003 Honda Element indicates on page 191 that the maximum trailer weight this car can tow is 1500-lbs. This means your trailer should not weigh more than about 650-lbs; otherwise the total combined weight of Harley and trailer will exceed the vehicle capacity. An aluminum motorcycle trailer should be okay in this respect but check to be certain.

Since your Element can be fitted with either a 1-1/4-inch Class I or a 2-inch Class III hitch I urge you to go for the 2-inch hitch since it offers a higher weight rating and will not cost much more. The linked page shows all hitch options; I suggest the etrailer model # e78KR. The install instructions are attached for you.

For a 4-pole wiring kit to power the trailer lights you can use kit # 118336; this offers simple plug-in installation with no splicing required.

You can refer to the linked article to see how to select a ball mount of the correct height to keep the trailer level, which is important for good handling. Better still just use Ball Mount Kit # 989900 which gives you both ball sizes and two ball mounts too.

If you care to add some clip-on towing mirrors to help you keep an eye on the bike you might like # KS3990. I also linked motorcycle tie-down straps in case you need these as well.