Hello, dear friends! The topic of our conversation today will be a motorcycle trailer. Agree that this would be a logical continuation of the study of trailers designed for ATVs and snowmobiles.
I will not voice situations when a trailer for transporting a motorcycle may be useful to you. Some use it literally several times a year, others use similar vehicles for transporting motorcycles with enviable regularity.
The fact is that you need to buy it or get it in some other way, since the motorcycle needs to be transported on something. But if you have a trailer for an ATV, it is quite suitable for two-wheeled motor vehicles. Many people do this.
Although we are talking about specialized vehicles for transporting motorcycles specifically. Right? Let's talk about this.
Transportation methods
Let's assume that you live in Moscow, St. Petersburg or another large or medium-sized city. Although this does not play a special role.
There is a need to deliver or transport motorcycles somewhere, but not under your own power. That is, it needs to be downloaded somewhere and sent.
Here I see several options available.
- Buy your own motorcycle trailer. These are special TKs that hook onto the tow bar of a passenger car and take you wherever you want. You don’t depend on anyone, everything is great. If you buy a used trailer second-hand, then look at how the purchase and sale agreement is drawn up correctly;
- Rent. Renting or renting trailers has its own objective advantages in certain situations. I advise you to consider this option for those who periodically need a trailer, but do not use it all year round. Rent;
- Contact a special service. This could be a cargo carrier or tow truck, for example. Their services cost money, so they are relevant when moving to another city, the need to deliver equipment over a long distance, or in case of sudden malfunctions (a tow truck is relevant);
- Ask a friend. Here it is important to consider the issue of a power of attorney for a trailer. Only your friend may have his own plans for the trailer when you need it. You are directly dependent on him, which cannot be called a good deal.
You see that the option of purchasing your own vehicle looks the most promising. But if you are not going to use it often, then choose alternative solutions.
How to transport a scooter in a car
You can use this method of transporting a moped if you need to transport your horse to your country house or to another city. This is also how delivery should be carried out in the event of a breakdown on the way (of course, if one of the drivers agrees to help).
But there are different ways to transport a bike with a car.
Transporting a scooter in a trailer
A pretty good option is to transport the scooter on a trailer . For such transportation, the trailer must be equipped with special slings to secure the vehicle in a vertical position.
The disadvantage of this technique is the possibility of damage to the scooter by foreign objects such as stones, asphalt particles, etc., and in addition, inconvenience in the presence of precipitation. To avoid such troubles, the trailer should be covered or the scooter should be covered with a tarpaulin.
how to transport a scooter in a trailer .
Transporting a scooter on a tow bar
Traffic regulations prohibit the towing of scooters, mopeds and motorcycles. But if you really need it, then you can.
In this case, the car's towbar needs to be modified by welding to its lower part a tube with a length equal to the distance between the fork legs and a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the front wheel shaft. To attach a moped to such a tow bar, you need to remove the front wheel and fender, insert the wheel axle through the shock absorbers and the welded tube and tighten the nut. It is good to additionally tie up the handlebars of the scooter. Transit speeds using this method can reach 100 km/h.
The disadvantage of towing a scooter with a car is violation of traffic regulations, non-standard attachment to the tow bar, and possible damage during transportation.
Carrying a scooter in the trunk
Perhaps the easiest option for transporting a scooter is in a car. If the scooter fits into the back of the car, then it is not prohibited to simply transport it on its side. Before this procedure, be sure to drain the gasoline from the fuel tank and lay soft materials on the floor of the luggage compartment to avoid breaking the plastic. Also unscrew the rear view mirrors and further secure the scooter.
Types of vehicles for motorcycles
The task remains the same. You need a vehicle for one or two motorcycles. What could it be? Again, let's look at several options.
- Open carriage. This device is designed for transporting various motor vehicles. The downside is that there are no sides. For confident and safe transportation, you will have to use a special fastening and a large number of fastening (rigging) belts;
- The trunk or interior of a car. Believe me, not every passenger car, with the exception of pickups and large SUVs, can accommodate an entire motorcycle inside;
- Homemade trailer. It can be assembled from scratch, or you can take some kind of flatbed trailer as a basis and install a special chute and fastening device on it. I would not consider the option of assembling from scratch, since even a simple drawing is problematic to implement. But you can adapt a regular trunk to a motorcycle one. You will need a motorcycle stand, an insert for mounting straps and other elements. Don’t forget about the loading ramp, because without it it will be difficult to load motorcycles on board the trailer. Additionally, some install a winch;
- Hinged trunk. This is designed on the principle of bicycle racks, that is, it is installed on the roof or tow bar. This option is not suitable for a passenger car. You need at least a powerful large crossover or a full-fledged SUV. Plus, this design has a number of disadvantages (if we are talking about heavy motorcycles and not bicycles);
- Towing. But it is not allowed, although some persistently violate this rule. Don't repeat their mistakes;
- Special trailer. You can take the Raccoon trailer, but this is a very small option. It is better to choose closed models that have an awning. You get a whole house for your motorcycle and its storage, where all the mounts, channels, stops and stands are provided from the factory.
You understand that the last option is ideal for our goal. But it's up to you.
Motorcycle tow truck/tow truck
In our world, almost all problems can be solved with money. If you get stuck along the way due to a breakdown or need to transport a bike but don’t have a workhorse, a motorcycle tow truck is always happy to see you. They can have any kind of transport, from a regular tow truck to an adapted van.
There’s nothing stopping you from calling even a regular tow truck. Not in every area you can find a free motorcycle tow truck, then why not turn to a simple one, the main thing is to warn that you want to transport a motorcycle. It will occupy a modest place on the tow truck and will need to be securely secured in a special way so that it does not tip over. In exceptional cases, it is possible to place the bike immediately behind the driver’s cabin and attach it in the wind.
Criterias of choice
The range of motorcycles on the market is huge. It could be an old grandfather’s motorcycle with a sidecar, some kind of cross-country professional motorcycle, sports versions, mopeds, etc.
Personally, I can easily remember the following options:
- Ural;
- Dnieper;
- Minsk;
- Honda;
- Kawasaki;
- Suzuki;
- Yamaha;
- Ducati etc.
If you have a motorcycle, be sure to write in the comments which one and how you solve the problem of transporting it if it is impossible to transport it under your own power. In the meantime, look at the photos of beautiful bikes.
If you have 1-3 motorcycles or an old motorcycle that still has a side single-wheel cradle trailer, you will need appropriate trailers to transport them.
There are several criteria that you should pay attention to when choosing. This affects how to transport equipment and how convenient and safe you can transport motorcycles:
Inside vehicles
This is where the scope for imagination lies! They carry motorcycles on everything. It's easy to talk about transportation when you have a pickup truck or a gazelle, from which you throw out the seats for a motorcycle. But we must admit, not every motorcycle fits in a pickup truck. There is one subtlety here: the ratio of the dimensions of the car’s cabin to the dimensions of the body. A pickup truck is not always as roomy as a wardrobe from Narnia. But drivers fell in love with minibuses and vans. The motorcycle is safe, it won’t go further than the van and you don’t have to worry about it falling out or getting lost along the way. In addition, the motorcycle is not affected by weather conditions inside the van.
When transporting motorcycles inside a vehicle, it would be good to have a wheel mount (trap); they are mounted to the floor and prevent the front wheel from dangling. Additional fixation with straps is also necessary. But we’ll talk about belts and traps a little later, since the issue is relevant for all types of transportation.
Transportation of motorcycles is available even if you have a passenger car, unless you are trying to pack a Honda GL1800 into a Kia Picanto, of course. It is possible to fit a modest motorcycle in reasonable proportions if you prepare the car and remove all unnecessary things and remove the seat. Sometimes it is necessary to partially disassemble a motorcycle if transportation inside a passenger car is limited by the working space. But all these are special cases and are considered separately.
New model warning triangle: installation requirements, fine
- Weight and load capacity. The criterion shows how much load your motorcycle trailer can handle;
- Internal size. If it is an open carriage, there is no internal space. But side and closed models are limited by the sides and the height of the roof;
- Trailer dimensions. Compact models are aimed at 1 motorcycle, that is, larger vehicles, which can easily accommodate 3 motorcycles, and sometimes more;
- Suspension. The stronger the suspension and more reliable the shock absorbers, the better. Rigid structures can withstand heavy loads, but the smoothness of the ride without load leaves much to be desired;
- Tires. Size is not as important as seasonality. Even on a trailer, winter and summer wheels should be installed in the appropriate seasons;
- Equipment. I’ll tell you about it separately. You will learn what should be included in the package of a trailer on which motor vehicles are transported.
Having studied the characteristics and made a choice, I advise you to first consider two important questions:
- registration of the trailer;
- category of rights when driving a car with a trailer.
Let's move on to the configuration.
Equipment
An important advantage for motorcycle owners is that even if you have a regular trailer, you do not have to separately buy a specialized vehicle for motorcycle equipment.
There are companies and enterprises that produce additional equipment. Having purchased it, you can install it on a simple flatbed trailer with your own hands and convert it to the required tasks.
Additional equipment and specialized trailers include the following components:
- Lodgment. This is a stand for motorcycles that is installed on the bottom of the vehicle and allows you to fix a two-wheeled vehicle. The main objective is to prevent lateral movements;
- Ladder. You need it to roll the motorcycle on board. You can also just put up boards. But they are flat and have no sides, which makes it very easy to drop expensive equipment. Special ladders are equipped with protection against sliding and overturning;
- Brackets for the front fork. With their help, the front wheel is fixed. The bracket also acts as a stop;
- Lifting belts. Everything is simple here, they allow you to firmly secure the motorcycle in place;
- Support posts. Mounted on the rear panel of the trailer. Prevents the motorcycle from tipping over when loading and unloading;
- Anti-roll bars for rear wheels of motorcycles;
- Awning or removable roof. Removable roofs are usually made of plastic, and the awning is made of high-quality and durable PVC.
All that remains is to find out how to load and unload a motocross or some kind of sports bike in the presence of a specialized trailer or one converted for motorcycles.
Solving the luggage problem
Everyone who likes to travel on an iron horse is faced with an important problem: where to place their things, because the comfort of the trip and the quality of rest depend on this. Typically, motorcycle trunks are used to place luggage. These are special small containers for transporting cargo on motor vehicles. This is not very convenient for long trips:
- The small volume of the motorcycle trunk does not allow you to take all the necessary things with you
- If the rear part of the motorcycle is overloaded, serious damage to equipment on the road may occur
Therefore, for long-distance motorcycle trips, it is much more convenient to use a motorcycle trailer. You can put everything you need into it without the risk of overloading the bike and enjoy traveling wherever you like.
Partial loading method
The name speaks for itself. You attach the front wheel, securely fixing it, you can even remove the wheel itself, or even disassemble the fork. The motorcycle follows the car, leaning on its rear wheel. There are ways to attach it to the rear wheel. Then it is necessary to additionally fix the steering, but this method is rather strange. You shouldn't do that.
During partial loading, the motorcycle is tilted (which makes it difficult to transport long wheelbase motorcycles, as well as other types of heavy motorcycles). All technical fluids flow accordingly and the motorcycle is not always happy about this at the end of the journey.
An additional disadvantage is the danger of such transportation, because if road unevenness is passed between the wheels of a car, then the probability of a motorcycle wheel landing in a hole is 50/50. So-so jackpot.
Benefits of cooperation
sells reliable and practical trailers for transporting ATVs, which can be purchased online on the website. Most models are available at our warehouse, which allows us to minimize processing and order picking times, as well as reduce delivery time. We offer trailers for ATVs in different price categories, ranging from budget models to premium products. Regardless of the price, all models have the necessary documents, certificates, as well as a long warranty.
You can get additional information, as well as buy a trailer for transporting an ATV, by calling the sales managers at the number.
