Can a tiny motorcycle trailer that only weighs about 300 pounds and folds up nicely so you can put it in a small corner of the garage really go the distance?
So as not to bury the lead, the short answer is yes. I just got back from a 1,200 mile towing trip, taking the Ace single rail motorcycle trailer from Jacksonville, FL to Deals Gap, NC and back, using it to haul a Zero SR/F. The trailer works as advertised.
I found it to be sturdy and it got the job done without incident. But, this trailer is not for every motorcyclist. The first thing you need to know is you can’t load it by yourself. That’s because the trailer doesn’t support holding the motorcycle up on its own and there’s no place to put a kickstand down.
The USA Trailer Store offered an optional running board kit for $189 at the time of this review’s posting but given how short the running boards are, I don’t personally see them being helpful for most people since stepping up on the rails would be tricky and they don’t look as though they extend far enough forward to be able to use them to support a kickstand on many bikes.
Some motorcyclists may be comfortable riding their bikes up onto the trailer and getting off on the rails. The trailer has a wheel chock at the front it’s only a guide rail. It won’t support holding up a motorcycle.
The Ace requires a second person to balance the motorcycle while you strap it in place. In my case, my wife was kind enough to help me load it and unload it in Deals Gap and Jacksonville.
When it comes to loading your motorcycle on the trailer the good news is it’s not very high off the ground, making it pretty easy to gently throttle the bike and roll it up the included ramp.
Here’s where it gets tricky. When loading you’ve got to be able to step over or around the trailer’s wheel to get the motorcycle to the front. For shorter riders with larger bikes, that’s the first stage where it’s critical to have a partner so you’ve got somebody to balance your motorcycle while you do the step over. I’m 5′ 8″ and my Zero SR/F weighs about 500 pounds.
Somebody that’s 6 feet or taller with a smaller, lighter motorcycle probably could handle the stepover without a partner, but even then once you get to the front, you still need somebody to balance the bike while you strap it down.
Until you get those first ratchet straps attached you’ve got to have somebody hold the motorcycle up.
Bumpy Ride
If you’re considering the Ace another thing you need to be comfortable with is the fact that this trailer doesn’t have a suspension. You’re going to feel every bump in the road.
Once you get to about 55 mph it quiets down and tracks nicely but when you are on a pothole-filled interstate or secondary road it becomes nerve racking to watch your bike constantly bounce up and down, making proper strap tightening all the more critical.
The trailer, which is imported from China, is rated at 300 pounds by the USA Trailer Store, which is one of the stores selling it in the U.S. But the certificate of title lists the shipping weight at 250 pounds.
The trailer’s relatively light weight is one of the big things that attracted me to it because I have a Ford Mustang Mach-E EV and I wanted to get something that would result in as little range loss as possible. Over the course of just under 1,200 miles; towing my bike through a mix of mountain, interstate and secondary roads at speeds of roughly 68 and below, my average miles per kWh was 2.7. To put that in perspective, my lifetime average without towing is 3 kWh, with much of that driving being interstate travel.
The trailer felt sturdy. I never worried about it flying apart or metal fatigue, although I was concerned because of the lack of suspension that the bike might come flying off at some point because of all the bouncing around.
If you get your straps taunt enough and use enough of them, you should be okay. However, you do need to be mindful of potholes and other road irregularities. The wheels and bearings seemed to to hold up fine during the trip. The tires are rated for 80 PSI.
The Ace’s biggest selling point outside of its low weight is how it folds up for easy storage. It uses a cotter pin system at the fold and structure points. Once the pins are removed and the main portions folded, they can be turned sideways. At that point you can pull down and lock dolly wheels in place to wheel it to a corner of the garage. Once it’s folded, the dimensions are 55″ long by 21″ wide.
The trailer is rated as having a motorcycle load capacity of 1,000 pounds, although I wouldn’t trust it to carry a big dresser or other larger motorcycle near its weight limit.
In my case, I hauled a 500 pound bike. Personally, I’d be hesitant to trailer anything over about 650 pounds with it. If you’re going to be doing a lot of towing across the country, you should probably look for something with a suspension or more substantial.
There are just too many roads that are poorly maintained in the U.S. to make the Ace a practical cross-country tow trailer. But if you’re only going to do occasional regional towing or can carefully consider the roads you’l be towing on, the Ace works as intended.
A quick side note to this review, this trailer’s first big journey was to the Tail of the Dragon in Deals Gap, NC, which advertises 318 curves in 11 miles. I highly recommend visiting the area if you get a chance. For electric motorcyclists, I’m happy to say the Tail of the Dragon is an EV-friendly area with chargers on-site.
Ace Single Rail Motorcycle Trailer Specifications
- Overall Trailer Length – 119” L
- Overall Trailer Width – 55” W
- Overall Trailer Height – 28″ H
- Rail Length – 93” L
- Ramp Length – 40” L
- Maximum Bike Length – 106” L
- Width at the Bottom of the Rail – 5 ½” W
- Width at the Top of the Rail – 9” W (inside)
- Width at the Top of the Rail – 12¾” W (outside)
- Folded Dimensions – 55” L x 21” W
- Hitch – Class 2 or Higher
- Hitch Height – 14” H
- Ball Size – 2’’
- Tire Size – 5.30-12
- Wheel Size – 12”
- Air Pressure – 80 cold psi
- Empty Weight – 300lb
- Maximum Load Capacity – 1,000lb
- Frame Material – Steel
- Finish – Powder coated