How to Choose the Correct Tires and Wheels for a Motorcycle Trailer

Updated 08/31/2012 | Published 08/28/2012

Question:

I wanted to purchase your five spoke aluminum wheels, and wanting to error on the safe side dont know whether to get the C or D rated tire for a 350 lb. aluminum motorcycle trailer carrying a 800 lb. motorcycle at 65mph, maybe faster to keep up with the traffic flow. Also are aluminum wheels as reliable as steel for the long haul? Thank you very much in advance.

asked by: Tom H

Expert Reply:

As a general rule when choosing tires for your trailer, you should choose tires that have a weight capacity that is greater than or equal to the weight capacity of the axle. If you have a 2,000 lb axle, then you will want to choose two tires that each have a weight capacity of 1,000 lbs or more. Keep in mind, adding tires and wheels with a higher weight capacity does not increase the weight capacity of your axle.

For your motorcycle trailer, you should be okay with load range C tires like the Kenda Karrier tire, # AM10199, that you referenced. This tire has a weight capacity of 1,360 lbs at 50 psi, which means that two tires will have a weight capacity of 2,720 lbs. Due to the weight of your trailer, I would assume it does not have an axle rated higher than 2,000 lbs, but I would verify that just in case. Some motorcycle trailers that are designed to carry more than one motorcycle may have a higher rated axle. If this is the case, then you will want to choose tires according to the rating of your axle.

To reduce wear on trailer tires, you should always keep your tires inflated to the maximum psi and not exceed 65 miles per hour. It is not recommended to run a trailer tire at a higher speed than 65 miles per hour due to the heat buildup that will occur inside the tire and cause the tire to break down and cause the tire to fail.

When choosing between aluminum or steel wheels, the main deciding factor is going to be looks. There is not really an advantage to using steel wheels or aluminum wheels except the looks. Both types of wheels will hold up for the long haul. If you like the look of our five spoke aluminum wheels over the regular steel wheels, then I would recommend going with the aluminum wheels. Keep in mind when choosing new wheels, that you will need to match the bolt patter to your current wheels so they will fit on your trailer.

I have attached three help articles regarding trailer wheels and tires for you to check out.

expert reply by: John H