Motorcycle Trailer - Experience & Opinions Needed

[MotorsByMurphy]

Hi bikers,

I’m looking for some advice before buying myself a motorcycle trailer ahead of the upcoming track season.

I was recently looking at buying a van, but for a number of reasons I’ve found myself with a tow car instead and I’m looking to get hold of a trailer before the end of March.

I haven’t got heaps of space to store it - a small single will just about go in the garage - otherwise likely to be stored on the drive with a lock and cover.

I first looked at a Motolug (for obvious storage benefits) and an Erde PM310, but need convincing that they’re sturdy enough for 200 mile journeys at 60?

Moving up the price range I’ve looked at Woodford or Debon options. Ideally, looking for a used example but these seem to be few and far between unless they’re a homemade job. Other options are standard flat bed/plant - these seem excessive for a single bike, but I’m confident they wouldn’t be bouncy.

Have never owned a trailer before so would really appreciate any advice at all that can be given!

Thanks,

Callum

[MotorsByMurphy]

What’s everyone else using?

[Condi]

I've got a home made job which I picked up from Ebay pretty cheaply years ago. Lives outside all year round. It's light so does bounce a bit, much less so with 200kg of bike on, and when strapped down the suspension compresses on the bike, so it's never in danger of coming off no matter how bouncy things get.

Erde are a big manufacturer of trailers so should be more than study enough for motorway use.

The biggest pain is putting the bike on and off, and strapping it down, by yourself. Sometimes feels like I need 5 hands.

[Turn7]

I used to use something very similar to the Erde fo
My drag bikes , albeit with a 12” extension to the rear .

They tow fine, but mine would bounce all over the shop if you don’t read the road right and missed a pothole ahead.

I always made sure the bike was doubly secured to the trailer and also made up a cable tether in case it ever came off the hitch.

Mine was light enough to stand up and carry round to the back of the garage and lived outside all no issue.

I also used to keep cruise speed around 55ish .

[MotorsByMurphy]

Condi said:

I've got a home made job which I picked up from Ebay pretty cheaply years ago. Lives outside all year round. It's light so does bounce a bit, much less so with 200kg of bike on, and when strapped down the suspension compresses on the bike, so it's never in danger of coming off no matter how bouncy things get.

Erde are a big manufacturer of trailers so should be more than study enough for motorway use.

The biggest pain is putting the bike on and off, and strapping it down, by yourself. Sometimes feels like I need 5 hands.

Cheers Condi.

I might try to find a dealer with an Erde demo if the consensus is that a little 60kg trailer is plenty stable enough.

For reference, my car’s got 3.5t towing capacity, so not limited by anything other than space and cost.

[Shakob]

I used the two bike ERDE ch751 I think it’s called to take two bikes down to the south of France. It was a good trailer and towed well but had it its flaws. It had nowhere to stand when loading the bikes, you basically was stepping through the frame all the time, and the front wheel chock like thing was a bit crap, wouldn’t hold a bike up right.

This was enough to put us off. So we sold it when a Woodford trailer came up. Sooo much better. It has a flat floor to stand on when loading the bikes, proper wheel chocks which can be adjusted depending on wheel size, led marker lights and 13 pin electrics. It’s a far superior trailer. I know they probably don’t come up often but we paid £1k for ours second hand and it was basically as new.

[ouninpohja]

I used to have am ERDE 310 but had the top covered with alu checker plate which made it more practical and look a lot better too, also fitted a proworks stand for holding the enduro bike was great for towing my track bike too, would highly recommend, did thousands of miles using it.

[dreamer75]

We have a motolug- 2 bike trailer, but can also be run as a single bike trailer. We've towed 2 bikes (GS1250 and a Z1000SX) up to Newcastle on it in the past, and usually use it to tow a couple of track bikes (GSXR750 and CRB600RR). We've had no issues with it at all, we tow with a 3 series diesel estate, it's happy at motorway speeds etc.

Benefit is of course it folds up small; we towed up to the Lake District (from the SE), then to Newcastle, put it in the car and did the NC500, then re-assembled it and towed the bikes home . It usually lives in the garage, dis-assembled, on a shelving unit.

We've put some grip tape on the ramps to help loading, but otherwise I don't think we've done anything to it. It gets a good checkover each season - wheel bearings etc.

The only thing I don't like is that it's single axle, and I don't like single axle trailers (having once had a trailer tyre blow out on the M4 - a twin axle with a Caterham on it), but otherwise it's great once you've got the hang of putting it together, taking it apart etc. Oh and I'm a total wuss and can't load it, but my husband does that! I just can't seem to coordinate walking alongside the bike to load it at the same time as modulating throttle and clutch - but that would be the same on any trailer

Oh and you can't tow it without a bike on it. So I suppose if you mangled the bike, you wouldn't be able to get the trailer home, unless you had space in the car to put it.

(edited to add - it doesn't have a nose wheel, so you can't unhook it from the car with bikes on unless you have axle stands or blocks or something to rest it on)

Edited by dreamer75 on Saturday 3rd January 08:27

[zalrak]

I don t ride trials anymore but when I did I used one of these to move my Fantic around:

http://www.davecooper.co.uk/bike-racks/motorcycle-...

Worked well for me and easily stored.

Edit: there are trailers on that site too.

[catso]

zalrak said:

I don t ride trials anymore but when I did I used one of these to move my Fantic around:

http://www.davecooper.co.uk/bike-racks/motorcycle-...

Worked well for me and easily stored.

Edit: there are trailers on that site too.

I had one of these some years back to carry a motocross bike on.

Even with a light MX bike it made the front of the car feel very light so unless it's a huge US style pickup, I wouldn't want to carry anything heavier or even of that weight for any distance and especially not on a motorway.

Also not the easiest thing to load a bike onto.

I then had a small 'livestock' box type trailer that we used for moving machinery around at work which was great for carrying bikes. You could fit 2 bikes + loads of other stuff in it and it was completely enclosed with a built in tailgate/ramp so you could even ride into it.

The only problem was the size and that it was as aerodynamic as a shed on wheels so killed your MPG but I got it cheap and it served for many years.

[Condi]

zalrak said:

I don t ride trials anymore but when I did I used one of these to move my Fantic around:

http://www.davecooper.co.uk/bike-racks/motorcycle-...

Worked well for me and easily stored.

Edit: there are trailers on that site too.

If you look in most cars handbooks then the maximum vertical load on the towbar is only 75kgs, so a bike plus the rack (200kg+ all in) will be significantly over that.

[Fleegle]

I used a Motolug for about a year or so. Had road bikes, track bikes and off roaders on it. Happily towed at 60 and stable when loaded.

Very easy to store in a corner when dismantled. They also hold their money

[MotorsByMurphy]

Thanks all.

More positive response than I expected for the Motolug.

Value for money what would be your recommendations? Go with a Motolug or buy and older sturdy 3 bike/flatbed?

[Eimajster]

I had a motolug (the twin bike version) but only used it as a single really. Despite using it for 4 years, I sold it last year as I didn't like its robustness.

I will likely replace it with a box trailer or Cochet Uno. The trailers such as motolug and Erde are crap if you've had a crash and caused a bit of damage to the front end (wheel / Forks etc). I say this speaking from experience.

[MrGman]

I’ve been using a ERDE PM310 for the last few years, it’s been great, not really much to say other than I’ve never had a single problem with it. It’s worth investing in some good specifically designed straps though.
Once I’ve had the wheel bearings replaced, it’ll be heading to eBay as I’m not biking anymore.

[A500leroy]

Lot 410 Mathewson's auctions?

[P675]

I had a cheap nasty one i got off Facebook that did the job, for taking bike to trackdays. If i was doing it again I'd want a box, I found it extremely stressful seeing any kind of movement in the rear mirror thinking the bike might take a tumble.

Using straps on each corner method, a strap got loose going over huge speed bumps and the back wheel of the bike slipped off the back, luckily stopped as soon as I saw it but was a huge pain to get back on until someone stopped to help.

Recommend cable tieing the front brake once it's on. If I was doing it again I'd want a van or box though.

[LFB531]

Suspect you may have made a decision but I've got a Woodford, I've had three bikes on it but generally just one and it's been brilliant to tow and use. Mine lives indoors when not in use so still looks like new after 5 years but seems well built and I'm sure could cope stored outside.