About Robin Dean

Full disclosure, whenever I see a big ride on my calendar that’s more than five hours away, I prepare our three-chock trailer to do its duty. Illinois being mostly flat, it’s an easy way to dodge unnecessary miles on the odometer while packing a few otherwise scaled down favorites. Better tools, camping gear, maybe a guitar shaped inflatable pool … whatever the item, placing it safely and securely in our tow vehicle before hauling our prize ride(s) is nothing if not convenient.

But what about when we’re ’round townin’ it? Those days when our “runs well but nowhere near tour-ready” machine induces a grin, beckoning us to bake its engine to a dry cook via ten miles of moderate but entertaining speeds? In a polar winter or equatorial blaze, any chance of such a joyride stranding us could trigger panic attacks. Remember, though that we’re motorcyclists. If any one of my friends (or enemies) called me on the phone with chattering teeth asking for their bike to be rescued from the roadside, I’d remove every one of my flock from the garage, roll out my pull-behind and ask them where I was headed … if this were my only trailer.

The smallest of the bunch, front-wheel tow chocks are an easy stow even in the tiniest of trunks. While that hot hatch or all wheel drive crossover likely stipulates a warranty violation for anything heavier than two bicycles, others have certainly gotten away with more. In a pinch, these plug-in receiver tools have proven useful in getting bikes back to that cozy garage (or ditch, whatever).

[*Ahem*] I mean … if your bike is into that sort of thing, not that I’m judging (I’m not! I swear). It’s just that securing a motorcycle on a trailer before towing it to that next big ride can mean a lot of thoughtful prep work and, well, straps of various purpose. The kind of “bondage” I’m focused on involves ratchet straps, tie downs and loop straps, otherwise referred to as soft straps.

The range of opinions (regardless of experience) about how many tie downs a rider should use when trailering is pretty vast. One of my own friends/mentors nary uses more than three and has yet to report ever having to pull over for fear of one coming loose. Others in our riding circle have been known to buy every available ratchet strap from every nearby automotive store before mummifying the entire chassis and welding the bike directly to their trailer’s base (kidding).

The point I’m aiming to make here is that neither approach is wrong. I myself consider all factors as I’ll explain in a moment. Depending on your bike, trailer and prerogatives, this introduction sets a wide boundary for your own stationary testing.