A pull-behind motorcycle trailer quite unlike the average, the Pasq ADV1 is a trail chaser built to support unforgettable three-wheel adventures. Its single 17-in wheel combines with a proprietary trapezoid hinge to ensure the trailer maneuvers around corners and twists with ease while riding like a rigid extension of the bike at higher speeds. The ADV1 is the ultimate companion for an adventure bike targeted at on-/off-road expeditions.
Located in Chicago, Pasq was born from the singular vision of creating a better motorcycle trailer. Company founder Rod Holmes has been at the task since 2019, before the company was officially incorporated, and has gone through several prototypes on his march toward market. Holmes and Co are just about there, and the recent Overland Expo West 2023 show marked one of their last stops before launch.
The ADV1's key feature was actually identified at the 2022 Overland Expo West show a year ago. After doing some winter testing in Arizona, Pasq was very happy with the trailer's maneuverability at lower speeds but unhappy with its performance at high speeds. Searching around Expo for an answer, the company landed on the trapezoid hinge, a feature that glows bright yellow on this year's pre-production prototype.
The arms of the trapezoidal hinge are angled inward slightly, directed at the bike's axle. They're designed to move freely when the rider is maneuvering at lower speeds using the handlebars, allowing the trailer wheel to swivel and follow directly behind the bike. So if the rider quickly steers around a pothole, the trailer will follow loyally.
At higher speeds, the trailer aligns directly behind the bike, and that slight inward angling of the hinge arms works to prevent any unwanted sway or motion. The rider can lean into turns, and the locked-in trailer will remain lined up and stable, operating like an extension of the bike itself. The design is meant to prevent the trailer from jerking or wobbling, allowing the rider to power through their line unaffected by the tow load.
"When you’re going straight or you’re leaning through a curve, you are a three-wheeled vehicle: a three-wheel inline vehicle," Holmes said in a recent video explaining the hinge. "You’re not a two-wheeled vehicle pulling a one-wheel trailer. You’re one three-wheeled vehicle. And that makes it incredibly stable."
That combination of maneuverability and high-speed stability, along with a narrow single-wheel track, make the ADV1 a natural partner for an adventure bike meant to seamlessly switch between riding smooth pavement at highway speeds and snaking around tight off-road tracks littered with obstacles. The trailer is designed specifically to work with adventure bikes with hollow rear axles, including the Honda Africa Twin, Triumph Tiger and Ducati Multistrada. It handles bumps and bashes with a shock offering roughly 6.5 inches (165 mm) of travel.
Of course, the idea of a trailer isn't merely to shadow the bike – it actually needs to earn its place on the ride. The ADV1's storage equipment starts with a lockable, waterproof aluminum cargo box with internal USB port and goes modular from there, offering buyers the ability to build to their specifications.
T-track around the sides lets owners easily mount all kinds of accessories, and the Overland Expo prototype was loaded with Rotopax canisters, a storage bag and two bars meant for hanging panniers. We'd been seeing so many campers at the show, we mistook that shiny drop-down plate on the right side for a (very low-to-ground) kitchen worktop, but it's actually a shelf for carrying additional cargo. The idea is that you can load up on essentials, and even a few creature comforts, for a long adventure, whether on-road, off-road or a combination, then take off toward the horizon.
Pasq is still fine-tuning its design with plans to launch the production model in the coming months. The CNC-machined, bolted 6061-T6 aluminum-frame pre-production prototype from OX West 2023 weighs 110 lb (50 kg), and Pasq hopes to shave that down below an even 100 lb (45 kg) for production. The trailer measures 62 in (1,585 mm) from the bike axle to the back-end. Final pricing has not been set, but Pasq is aiming for a base price around US$6,500, Holmes tells us.
The ADV1 took home a "Best of Show" award from Overland Journal, one of Overland Expo's media partners. Watch an earlier prototype handle pavement and not-so-pavement in the quick video below.
Source: Pasq
But don't take it on the Tri-State Tollway near Chicago, they classify a third axle as a "Commercial vehicle" and they'll kill you on the tolls. When I pulled my small utility trailer (GWV UNDER 900#) my tolls to my mother-in-law's went from about $5 to over $25, EACH WAY. I assure you, they will treat this exactly the same.
Now, if only it didn't cost the SAME as some of the smaller bikes. Look for $1k clones from Chiwan sometime RSN.