Three Bike Trailer

Three machines, one axle and a single ramp. The Three Bike Trailer sets a trio of motorcycles side by side on a 2 320 mm floor measuring 1 980 mm across, and it does it at a 750 kg gross vehicle mass with a published tare of 240 kg. That leaves 510 kg of payload, over a 1 830 mm axle rated at 1 250 kg and a 10 blade leaf pack. TRAILERS SA sells the range from Hartswater and delivers it nationwide.

What the Three Bike Trailer is set up to do

Three riders, one tow vehicle, one trip. Club runs, enduro weekends, race meetings and dealer stock moves are the obvious jobs, and the layout is built around them: three front wheel brackets fitted as standard, recessed sprung tie-down rings along the sides and across the front, and a solid floor with perforated tread holes so water and grit drop through instead of sitting under the tyres. The published overall height of 1 110 mm is the trailer, not a loaded machine.

Published specification

Loading three machines from the rear

Bikes go on from the rear up a robust ramp, and the ramp stores away on the trailer floor on threaded knobs once the run is over. Three front wheel brackets hold the front wheels upright and the sprung rings sit recessed into the sides and front so a strap hook does not snag a fairing. What the builder does not publish for this model is the ramp length, the ramp width, its rated capacity, or how many tie-down rings are fitted, so we quote none of those. If you are loading a heavy adventure bike or anything with panniers left on, ask us on the quote form and we will get the answer from the builder in writing.

Features listed for this build

• Balanced, light and robust build
• Two adjustable support legs
• Recessed sprung tie-down rings on the sides and front
• Rear loading over a robust ramp
• Three front wheel brackets as standard fittings
• Ramp stows on the trailer floor on threaded knobs
• Solid floor with perforated tread holes
• Lockable coupler, lock optional
• Handbrake chain fitted
• Protected LED tail lights
• Spare wheel mounted underneath at the rear, 165 x 13 inch
• Padlockable nosecone with an aluminium handle on the lid

Payload, licensing and the 750 kg threshold

A 510 kg published payload spread over three motorcycles is comfortable for most road and trail machines, but the figure that governs the trailer is the gross. This unit is certified at exactly 750 kg, the point at which South African law begins to require trailer braking, and the specification states no brakes. Loaded to its plate it is compliant; loaded past it, it is not, and no number of spring blades changes that. We do not quote licence codes, because those depend on your vehicle and your licence. The National Road Traffic Act and its regulations are the authority on towing mass and braking. Restraining the load is the towing driver responsibility in law.

Single, three or twin: choosing inside the range

If one machine goes out at a time, the Single Bike Trailer is narrower at 1 460 mm overall and lighter at a 200 kg tare. If the load is quad bikes rather than motorcycles, the Twin Quad Bike Trailer offers a 1 310 mm inside width and 400 mm sides. If total mass rather than machine count is the constraint, the Twin Super Bike Trailer is braked and plated at 1 400 kg. Everything in the group is listed in the bike, quad and golf cart category.

Why this costs more than a budget three bike carrier

There are cheaper ways to move three bikes, and our catalogue carries a budget range for the buyer who needs one now and then. What the step up buys here is documentation and steel. Tare, GVM and payload are published figures you can take to a weighbridge, the axle is rated at 1 250 kg where the trailer only asks 750, the leaf pack runs to 10 blades, the tail lights are LED and protected behind guards, and a matching spare is mounted under the rear instead of sold separately.

Delivery, warranty and ordering

The sale price of R39 350 sits well clear of our R20 000 mark, so free delivery anywhere in South Africa applies to this trailer. Collection from Hartswater remains an option if you would rather inspect it in person and hitch up on the spot. The builder warranty covers the trailer and we administer it on your behalf, which gives you one point of contact instead of a factory switchboard; the cover is explained on our warranty page. We retail this range, we do not build it. Order online, or send us your three machines and your tow vehicle through the quote form for a written check first.