Motorcycle Trailers

[Ghis_imp]

I have had several trailers including an enclosed. The one I have now is a nice open motorcycle trailer. I have it set up with 3 wheel chocks so that I can haul one bike in the center, or two bikes, one on each side. It has a 3500 pound capacity, 15" wheels with buddy bearings and a fold down ride up tailgate. Its got heavy duty fenders and well protected tail lights.

With 13 members of the family that ride motorcycles, its convenient to have one around.

Over the years here is what I have discovered about trailers.... if you go with too small of a trailer it will not have much weight capacity and will have too small of wheels. I would go no smaller than 13" wheels. imo trailers with 8 and 10" wheels are for light duty in town trailering. The wheels bearings need to be maintained and on a small trailer that will mean pulling the wheels before each use to grease the bearings. Small wheels turn a lot more revolutions for the same speed than big wheels and are hard on bearings. No matter what, get bearing buddies installed to help with wheel bearing maintenance. Unprotected tail lights get knocked off easily...amazingly easy. Look at that situation on any potential trailer. Lifting a motorcycle onto a trailer bed is no fun. Storing ramps for a trailer is no fun. A decent motorcycle chock is worth its weight in gold. Good tie downs like Ancra brand are worth their weight in gold and you will need 4 per motorcycle. Soft loop style pieces that go over your motorcycle parts for the tie downs to hold onto are worth their weight in gold, you'll need 4 per motorcycle. For me, being able to see thru the trailer to the traffic behind me was important which is why I bought the open trailer and sold the enclosed even though the enclosed offered better protection for the bike. Also with the enclosed I had to move the truck to it. With the open, I can move it to the truck ( I hate backing up a trailer, and the worst arguments my wife and I have had in 40 years of marriage involved trying to get a trailer hitch lined up over a trailer ball...I swore if I heard " nope pull forward" after she gave me directions to back up, one more time.....grrrrrrr ). Also get a locking hitch pin, and a cable lock to lock your motorcycle frame to a trailer frame for security.

I would say one of those fold ups with the little wheels would do in an emergency, but that would be about it. Of course as soon as I say that someone will come on and say they have hauled their Harley Full Dresser across the country 10 times on a fold up trailer with 8" wheels no problem, so my opinion is just that and worth every penny that you paid for it.

On another note, trailers are like motorcycles in that all they cost you is, the difference between what you pay for them when you but one and what you sell it for.

The Ferret, I was reading your comment or piece somewhere about all the people in you family that ride. That was truly impressive. May I say how awesome that is. That's like the biker's dream family!