Motorcycles are themselves the best ways to travel anywhere. But if you need to cover a very long distance by road or moving permanently from one place to another and you are owning a four wheeler too, then it is better to shift your motorcycle or bike via some transport services or by renting trucks or trailers.
Though loading or unloading won’t take more than sixty seconds, it is still a critical task. It is a high-risk affair and anything can happen if not done carefully. A proper loading or unloading process requires adequate equipment, knowledge and experience. It might be a very tough job for those who are not aware of the different circumstances that may arise while loading or unloading a motorcycle from a long trailer.
Unlike loading methods, unloading process of a motorcycle is complicated and difficult to handle, but not at all impossible. If necessary requisites are present in your hands and you are skilled enough in doing this task, then go for it. Here are some tips and techniques discussed below:
Preparations before unloading motorcycle from trailer
- Select flat and obstacle-free wide space to park the trailer for unloading the motorcycle from that. It will be good if you can stand the trailer on a slightly backward slope down area, so that the bike can slide down over the ramp without much struggle.
- Eliminate all the loosen parts of the bike or if they are not removable, then secure them properly before unloading. Remember to clear the spray tanks also.
- Before starting the unloading process make sure that the tow bar and coupling sizes are compatible for the job.
- Ensure that the trailer is totally stable. Try to avoid any kind of unnecessary movement during unloading.
- Arrange a proper platform, bank or ramp to get the motorcycle down from the trailer. The ramp or platform should have appropriate width and length, good quality and perfect bearing capacity according to the size and weight of your motorcycle.
- If you are a competent rider of a motorcycle then only you should go for unloading bikes from the trailer. If you are not confident enough to perform the job, then it will be better to have an extra pair of hands for your help. By doing this you can have someone who will hold the bike straight and steady while unloading. Moreover, in case you slip or fall when unloading, the person would save you from getting in any accident.
Unloading process
- Never forget to wear a helmet whenever you are going to unload motorcycles from trailers. It will save you from getting any kind of
unexpected head injury during the unloading process.
- Before using the ramps make one side of them secured or tied down with the trailer bed or side to avoid sudden displacement of those while pushing the motorcycle on to them.
- Make sure that the trailer’s towing vehicle or the motorcycle’s transporting vehicle is being stopped while unloading. It will be better to apply hand brakes for them.
- Arrange ramps that are as high as the transport vehicle or trailer is. Otherwise, it will be difficult to unload the motorcycle.
- Read the operating manual very carefully. It will help you to find out the safe slope for unloading.
- Before unloading the motorcycle from the trailer, check if the bike is lined up with the ramp or not.
- Affix the ramp according to the motorcycle’s weight. Check out the ramp’s carrying capacity before putting the bike on it. The weight of each ramp should be marked on it.
- Usually box-type trailers are safer and preferred to transport motorcycles as they are of lower height than others. Some trailers have a winch also. These kinds of trailers are very much considerable to transport motorcycles too as the process of loading or unloading would be more easier than other vehicles.
- You can also use a couple of wood planks or some spare hard plywood instead of ramps, if you are not able to get proper ramps according to your motorcycle’s weight. Make sure that the wood planks or plywood would meet your expectations.
Closing thoughts
It is easy to handle and balance a moving motorcycle whereas it is really risky to handle a still bike as you have to balance a dead weight while unloading it from a trailer over the ramp. You can lose the ability to be stable from gyroscopic forces. Therefore, it is better to ask for the help of some experienced hands or professional transport services while unloading motorcycles from trailers.