What size trailer do You need for 3 motorcycles?

When moving multiple bikes at once, as many professional haulers do, stacking them onto a single trailer can get tricky. So what size trailer do you need for three motorcycles or more? Here’s a quick breakdown.

Moving 3 motorcycles at once

When trying to make room for three bikes on a trailer, there’s a couple of things you can do. Size-wise, a 6×12 trailer should be enough for smaller bikes. (For anything larger than dirtbikes, see below.) There are also trailers designed to fit three motorcycles at once, so consider one of those as well.

If you think things might be a little tighter than you’d like, staggering the bikes is your first step. This is more art than science, but the idea is to save space by not having the bikes neatly aligned. A classic arrangement would be the middle bike facing forward, the ones to each side facing backward. You could also have them all facing the same way, but each staggered a little ahead of the other.

Once you’ve got the motorcycles on there, it’s time for the tiedown. See this article for advice on the right kind of straps you’ll want on hand.

Moving 4+ motorcycles at once

Now, here’s where things get serious! To fit four smaller bikes (or three of varying sizes), we’d recommend a 7×14 trailer. Enclosed trailers of this size often feature inbuilt chocks and racks, making it easy to fit all the bikes. Still, the above advice applies here as well.

To be on the safe side, doublecheck the maximum bearing load of the trailer’s axle. You don’t want the total weight of the bikes and the trailers anywhere near that limit!

Moving 2 bikes at once

If you’re moving only two motorcycles, anything but the smallest of trailers might suffice. Even a 5×8 utility trailer might be able to stack two. Just make sure to have them facing opposite directions to save a bit of space, and you’ll be fine. Tying two down might take a bit longer, though.

Other considerations

A couple more words of advice for anyone hauling multiple motorcycles for the first time:

• Tandem axle trailers offer a smoother ride when weight is distributed unevenly. (Such as, for example, when you’ve staggered three or more bikes up there.)
• Don’t forget that these are interior measurements, but exterior ones count when it comes to storage. Doublecheck the amount of garage space you have left!
• Wheel chocks are your friend. Invest in a couple of quality chocks and plan their installation strategically. If they’re integrated into a full rack setup, even better.
• Height differential is essential! When loading multiple bikes, you’ll want to push them up slowly and carefully. To do that, you need a nice gentle incline on the ramp. And what this means is, get either a long enough ramp or a low enough trailer!

Stay safe, and happy shipping!

Featured Image Credit: www.nestreetriders.com

Originally published at https://citizenshipper.com on August 4, 2020.