Transporting an 1100g in a 6' pickup bed

[Ggee22]

Is the HF trailer better than Kendon's tie-down trailer? Looking for something to buy for my ride. May I also know if anyone here tried Blue Ox towing bars? Need some parts for my truck to transport my bike. Would appreciate any recommendation.

[bobgroger]

I bought this: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Carry-On-Tr...p-Gate/3005264 $599 and I had a 10% coupon. A zillion times better than HF trailer, made in USA. I put down a 3/4" plywood deck with stainless carriage bolts and a HF wheel chock. Can't even tell it's there towing behind a Passat. Very happy....

[gbw]

Is the HF trailer better than Kendon's tie-down trailer? Looking for something to buy for my ride. May I also know if anyone here tried Blue Ox towing bars? Need some parts for my truck to transport my bike. Would appreciate any recommendation.

Well, I don't know what Kendon's "tie-down trailer" is but I have a HF trailer and have seen plenty of single and double rail Kendon trailers. The Kendon is by far the better trailer but for the price the HF is hard to beat.

Both fold for storage. The HF is more utility oriented meaning it can haul bikes but also mowers, lumber, furniture, etc. Whereas the Kendon (in my experience) is motorcycle focused. I've known guys to carry riding mowers on their Kendon but they're not really made for it.

So - if you afford a Kendon get it. If the budget is tight you can't go wrong with the HF.

Just my 2 cents.

[Ggee22]

I've been considering Kendon but I'm open for other recommendations. I saw this thread and decided to ask for insights. Checked both and have seen the price difference between HF and Kendon. There are good reviews for Kendon but I'm glad to see direct feedback for it. The Lowes carry-on trailer looks interesting too. Thanks for the response. I may need to take a good look at these.

[80GS850GBob]

Trailers are great when your using them...otherwise they sit. One can be tacked on as a policy rider to a given car...but the plates will have to be kept up.
Take your truck, add a motorcycle wheel guide that's bolted in, and then a ramp, and it would be cheaper. One man loading and unloading could be done via a clamp on box winch...clips to the front of the bed box and a power tap can run thru the pass thru window to the lighter socket....weak, but enough power to slowly haul a motorcycle up a ramp while you guide - two people is still better though.
I've seen the clamp on winch but can't remember who's it was...HF would have the U channel w/front wheel chock...ramps can be found in a lot of widths and lengths........just remember the best ramp safety is to run a cable anchor from the ramp to the p/u truck somewhere so it won't slip off.

[bobgroger]

Trailers are great when your using them...otherwise they sit. One can be tacked on as a policy rider to a given car...but the plates will have to be kept up.
Take your truck, add a motorcycle wheel guide that's bolted in, and then a ramp, and it would be cheaper. One man loading and unloading could be done via a clamp on box winch...clips to the front of the bed box and a power tap can run thru the pass thru window to the lighter socket....weak, but enough power to slowly haul a motorcycle up a ramp while you guide - two people is still better though.
I've seen the clamp on winch but can't remember who's it was...HF would have the U channel w/front wheel chock...ramps can be found in a lot of widths and lengths........just remember the best ramp safety is to run a cable anchor from the ramp to the p/u truck somewhere so it won't slip off.

I got my trailer because it is a 1 foot rise instead of 3+ to the truck. I want to load and unload by myself in 2 minutes as much as twice a week. For me, it was worth the expense. It is pretty scary loading a bike in a moderately high truck bed.