Need Help Loading My R1250RT onto a Kendon M/C trailer in Everett, Washington.

[konacyclist]

I need a helper/spotter to assist loading my RT. I am fine with the strapping it down part but find it is a little dicey to get the bike onto the trailer without assistance.  I will be unloading the bike 5/23 in the morning and loading the bike 6/3 also in the morning. Do any of you live in the area and can help. I will gladly pay for the help.

 

 

[Red]

If you are a member of BMW MOA, check out the BMW Anonymous book.  I'm su;re you'll find a volunteer helper.

[9Mary7]

FWIW, I use a second ramp when loading/unloading my Kendon. Makes it easier to balance the bike(s) by walking up/down next to them as they load/unload.

 

Edit: I also take any bags/luggage/panniers off while loading.

[DBULL]

18 minutes ago, 9Mary7 said:

FWIW, I use a second ramp when loading/unloading my Kendon. Makes it easier to balance the bike(s) by walking up/down next to them as they load/unload.

 

Edit: I also take any bags/luggage/panniers off while loading.

Yes, what 9Mary7 said.  I have an Aluma trailer, and while the ramp is wide enough, I've always had more confidence with a long board on the left side for added security of my handling on the load/unload.  And, it's surprising how much weight is in the bags=take them off for sure.  And, as strange as this sounds, practice it in your driveway a few times to get more confident.  If nothing else, your neighbors will have something to watch!   I'm headed that way in June, although not with the car, just the bike this time

[szurszewski]

I'm about 3-4 hour roundtrip south of Everett - so, while I'd be happy to help I'm not happy to drive through Seattle twice (or four times!) to do it. 

 

I think, though, that with the advice above you should be set - the anon book is a great resource and there are lots of BMW folks around the Seattle area. That said, any able bodied anyone standing nearby could be your helper. 

 

In addition to taking the bags off, if you can get the trailer wheels low, to back up to curb/sidewalk, even that couple few inches will make it seem much less intimidating. In the pic you show, for instance,  if you positioned the trailer so the wheels were in that drainage channel just behind the trailer it would reduce your ramp angle quite a bit. 

[AviP]

Back up the trailer to the curb in the photo so that the back is on the curb. Unload and load onto the grass. The load angle will be mostly flat. Beware of wet grass.

[Randyjaco]

I ran into the same problem, so I built this:

[Randyjaco]

It is super easy to drive the bike on and roll the bike off. And I have a 29" inseam

[konacyclist]

15 hours ago, Red said:

If you are a member of BMW MOA, check out the BMW Anonymous book.  I'm su;re you'll find a volunteer helper.

I've been a member of BMW MOA since 1976. I always carry the Anonymous book when traveling. Having said that, it never occurred to me to seek help there for this situation. Good suggestion!

[konacyclist]

5 hours ago, szurszewski said:

I'm about 3-4 hour roundtrip south of Everett - so, while I'd be happy to help I'm not happy to drive through Seattle twice (or four times!) to do it. 

 

I think, though, that with the advice above you should be set - the anon book is a great resource and there are lots of BMW folks around the Seattle area. That said, any able bodied anyone standing nearby could be your helper. 

 

In addition to taking the bags off, if you can get the trailer wheels low, to back up to curb/sidewalk, even that couple few inches will make it seem much less intimidating. In the pic you show, for instance,  if you positioned the trailer so the wheels were in that drainage channel just behind the trailer it would reduce your ramp angle quite a bit. 

Good suggestions! Thanks.

[konacyclist]

Thanks to everyone for your input. I will keep looking for a helper in Everett or Lake Stevens. I'll be spending the night near the Naval Station in Everett and leaving my car and the trailer with The Toy Garage in Lake Stevens the following morning. I agree that loading the bike should not be considered a death defying act. I have done this on my own many times with previous trailers. In fact, this is my third motorcycle trailer in sixty years of riding but I am 75 years old and my wife insists on my getting assistance.

 

The irony here is that this recently purchased trailer is purported to be a ride-on trailer. I have had two close calls loading my bikes on it and have consequently gotten a bit uncomfortable doing so without help.

 

[taylor1]

I have the same trailer and have loaded and unloaded 3 different bikes on it myself. The last time I unloaded my 1150 RT myself I had a little mishap and decided that from that point on, I would always ask for help no matter which bike I am taking. It is just too easy and stressless to roll on and off with someone helping.

[Miguel!]

7 hours ago, szurszewski said:

I'm about 3-4 hour roundtrip south of Everett - so, while I'd be happy to help I'm not happy to drive through Seattle twice (or four times!) to do it. 

 

I think, though, that with the advice above you should be set - the anon book is a great resource and there are lots of BMW folks around the Seattle area. That said, any able bodied anyone standing nearby could be your helper. 

 

In addition to taking the bags off, if you can get the trailer wheels low, to back up to curb/sidewalk, even that couple few inches will make it seem much less intimidating. In the pic you show, for instance,  if you positioned the trailer so the wheels were in that drainage channel just behind the trailer it would reduce your ramp angle quite a bit. 

Good idea. You could also let some of the air out of the tires that could reduce the height another 3-4”. You’d need a small 12 volt air pump to pump them back up Miguel

[konacyclist]

As a follow-up to everyone's suggestion's, including @Randyjaco's implicit suggestion that I should have gotten a trailer and truck like his. I'm sure he's right . Thank you one and all. What you are not aware of since you are not looking at my trailer in person. is that the height of the trailer is not the biggest issue. In Kendon's effort to design this trailer, they minimized the width of the deck of the trailer to the extent that it is very difficult to find adequate footing to walk alongside the bike if you choose to load that way and if you choose to ride it on there is still marginal width to stabilize the bike if you need to. Once you get beyond the marketing hype of this being a Ride-On trailer, the owner's manual strongly suggests you don't attempt to load the motorcycle without assistance.

And they are right about that! 

 

I don't want to leave any of you reading this thinking that this trailer is one to avoid. That would be wrong and unfair to Kendon. This trailer is very capable, rides smoothly, has good tie down points and is relatively lightweight. If I have one complaint, the paint work on the fenders is not durable at all.

 

 

[taylor1]

Kendon makes their trailers in 2 different series. The Go Series, and the Premium Series. Both are the same except for the quality of materials. The Go was Chinese and the Premium made in the U.S.. I can only speak of the Go and will say the bolts have rusted extremely quickly. Being that it is stored in a garage I was a little disappointed and contacted Kendon. They tried to explain it away with me living on the coast, but I wouldn't allow that to fly. They gave me all the specs. and I am now in the process of changing them to S,S. Anyway, when I unload, I always get on the right side to work the front brake and the wife will get on the left. It's a pretty simple balancing act going down the ramp. I have even asked a stranger once to help who had no bike experience and it was easy peezy. I'll bet you can find someone nearby more than willing to give you a hand. I just make sure the ramps are down and ready to go. Good Luck

[konacyclist]

The trailer in question is the Premium Single Ride-Up SRL Stand-Up Motorcycle Trailer. My prior Kendon two rail trailer was around twenty years old when I sold it and the paint on the fenders still looked up better than the current trailer after my first trip!

[JCtx]

Does it have THREE ramps? I have the ride-up SRL one (with aluminum wheels, radial tires, LED lights, etc), and other than the time it takes to set up (and put away) the 3 ramps, loading/unloading the bike is a zero-drama affair, since I can touch down with both feet at any time. If you just have one ramp in the middle (like my cousin's trailer), then it gets more dicey for sure, since he has to walk it. If you have the 3 ramps, then your issue might be the front of your trailer is lower than it should be, which would raise the rear of the trailer more than necessary, and you might not be able to reach the ground for a few feet (is that it?). But you could easily correct that with a higher ball mount (with more rise). You could also choose where to load it, playing with inclination, which could result on an almost flat ramp, so you could touch down the entire time for sure. Anyway, the sole reason I bought the more expensive ride-up version, was to be able to load the bike by myself. Hope you can figure out how to do that safely, because an RT is a big beast. Or get the help you need. Good luck.

[konacyclist]

@JCtx

Yes, my trailer has the three ramps. I'm not sure what aluminum wheels, radial tires, LED lights have to with ease of use.  You failed to mention what color your trailer is. Mine is painted black, maybe the other optional colors are easier to load . In the time I have owned the trailer, I have come to  appreciate the importance of the things you mention like tongue height  and slope of the loading area. Part of the issue is confidence. I need to restore my confidence by loading the trailer successfully, repeatedly. Until I reach that level of comfort I will still prefer to have some assistance and my wife is insistent upon that.

 

 

[szurszewski]

23 hours ago, konacyclist said:

maybe the other optional colors are easier to load

Well, that's a good point. Black is certainly the fastest, so maybe the other colors - particularly that weird orange - make the trailer slower and easier to sneak up on...

[JCtx]

On 5/12/2024 at 12:56 PM, konacyclist said:

@JCtx

I'm not sure what aluminum wheels, radial tires, LED lights have to with ease of use.

Your trailer doesn't look the same, so it might be a different model? That was why I mentioned that, but I assume it should have the same size wheels/tires AND suspension, which would affect loading height. Anyway, it doesn't get much easier to load a bike on a trailer than this, so you should get the hang of it quickly. Oh, and mine is black too, so that's why it's easy to load. Good luck.

[konacyclist]

On 5/9/2024 at 12:26 AM, Red said:

If you are a member of BMW MOA, check out the BMW Anonymous book.  I'm su;re you'll find a volunteer helper.

I did find someone to help by using the Anonymous book. In fact the first person I called agreed to help. This was a great suggestion! Thank you Red.