How to load your motorcycle onto a trailer without force

To load your motorcycle onto a trailer without any force, the key is in the trailer's system, not in your arms: a tilting trailer lowers the ramp almost to the ground, so you take the bike up with barely any slope; and a winch hooked to the wheel chock does the pushing for you. With the right trailer, loading a heavy motorcycle stops being a matter of strength and becomes a matter of technique —something anyone can manage, whatever your age.

The essentials at a glance:

• Choose a tilting trailer: the ramp comes down to the ground and removes almost all the slope.
• Use a winch to bring the bike up without pushing it by hand.
• Place the trailer on level ground, with the car braked and locked.
• Set the wheel in the chock and strap it down well before moving the trailer.
• Let the system do the work, not your back.

Why loading is what makes people give up on the trailer

Getting the motorcycle onto the trailer is, by far, the part that causes the most trouble. In fact, the difficulty of this manoeuvre is the reason many people end up not using the trailer at all: if every outing starts with a physical fight to load the bike, the trailer ends up in a corner of the garage.

The problem gets worse in two cases: with large, heavy motorcycles, and past a certain age, when lifting or pushing 250 kg uphill is no longer a sensible option. The good news is that force doesn't have to be part of the equation: with the right mechanism, the trailer itself does the manoeuvre.

How to load the bike without force, step by step

1. Park on level ground. Look for a surface as flat as possible, with the car braked and locked. Loading on a slope multiplies the effort and the risk.
2. Lower the ramp with the tilting system. A tilting trailer tips the ramp until it's close to the ground, reducing the angle you'd have to overcome. Here you'll find the advantages of tilting trailers explained in detail.
3. Bring the bike up without pushing it by hand. With the ramp almost at ground level, many motorcycles go up in a controlled way while you walk alongside. And if the bike is heavy or you're loading alone, a winch solves it: it hooks to the wheel chock and pulls the bike up with the lever. We explain it in what a winch is and how it eases loading.
4. Secure and strap. Fit the front wheel into the chock and secure the bike with the straps. Do it right from the start by following this guide on how to properly secure a motorcycle on a trailer.
5. Return the ramp to its position. Once the bike is secured, the ramp goes back parallel to the ground, ready to roll.

The age and weight factor: when strength is no longer an option

If you have a big bike or you've turned 50, this is the part that matters most to you. The heavier the bike and the older you are, the more decisive the loading system becomes and the less it should depend on your arms and back. It's not about whether you can manage the bike: it's about not having to. Choosing the right trailer is key, especially with big bikes; this guide on how to choose the best trailer for a high-cc motorcycle will help. And if you're getting back into riding or looking after your back on the road, these tips for riding safely after 50 fit well.

The effortless solution: the Littleway folding trailer

The folding trailer from Littleway Team is designed precisely to load without force. Its hydraulic stabiliser uses the trailer's own weight to bring the ramp down to the ground: you only have to guide the movement with a slight gesture to leave it resting on the ground, in complete safety. Loading stops being an effort and becomes a gesture.

What makes it ideal for this use:

• Smooth loading and unloading thanks to the hydraulic system, without lifting the bike by hand.
• Payload of up to 500 kg, enough for any road motorcycle.
• No tools needed: every movement is done with safety pins.
• Folding and telescopic (the smallest on the market), with a trolley system and jockey wheel to manoeuvre it and store it vertically without taking up the garage.
• Type-approved for Europe, patented and made in Spain.

In practice, it solves the very reason many riders give up on the trailer: it takes force out of the equation so you only have to worry about enjoying the ride.

Loading the bike is no longer a matter of strength

With a tilting trailer, a winch and good strapping, getting the motorcycle up stops being a physical barrier. Park on level ground, let the system lower the ramp, bring the bike up without pushing it by hand and secure it well. The trailer provides the strength; you just provide the urge to ride.