When pulling a trailer, a little extra trailer instruction can help out.

By providing you some additional trailer instruction, we'll explain how they handle both slow speed and at highway speed. You'll need to make some adjustments to your riding style but nothing real drastic. First is braking, you'll want to rely more on the engine to slow you down then the brakes. This means giving yourself some extra stopping distance as well. You'll feel the trailer pushing a bit but it really isn't that bad depending on the size bike you have. The other thing you want to adjust is cornering. The trailer tends to want to go straight, when you corner the bike you want to make sure that you are accelerating through the corners. If you are decelerating, then the trailer may have a tendency to try to push the back wheel out. This happened to me one time but it took a pretty sharp turn to feel the push. Just make sure that you set up right going into the corner and you'll have no problems.

Backing up a trailer can be the hardest part of trailering. I don't know how many times I've pulled in and out of a space to get it right. Basically you turn in the opposite direction you want the trailer to go, and then follow it around. So if backing the trailer to the left, turn the handlebars to the right and once the trailer starts to go in the direction you want, then turn the handlebars to the left and follow the track of the trailer. Yeah, this will take some practice. The trick is to not over steer. Just go a little bit at a time. Watch out for loose gravel under your feet and you'll get it mastered. Also if you have reverse, use it. You'll have much more control than you would without it.

If you should get into a situation where you are having a hard time handling the bike like on a loose gravel parking lot or going down a steep driveway and you don't feel comfortable, remove the trailer and walk it to where you can safely hook it back up and tow it. It makes no sense to put yourself in a situation where someone can get hurt. Take your time, accelerate slower and give yourself more room to stop and is the simplest of trailer instruction and the most sensible to having an enjoyable trip. If you pack your trailer correctly and it's in good working order, most times you will never know you're pulling it and you'll love to have all that extra storage space.

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