Tow Truck Motorcycle

[jwhughes3]

Sometimes you wanna go cross country and take a cage along for when you get to your destination.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rJJGGqsm0Fc

John

[BA80]

I hope there are auxiliary brakes on those dolly wheels.

[jetmechmarty]

I believe I remember seeing one of these or similar at The International Towing & Recovery Hall of Fame & Museum, Inc.

The museum is well worth the price of admission.
The International Towing & Recovery Hall of Fame & Museum, Inc.
3315 Broad Street
Chattanooga, TN 37408
(423) 267-3132

[IanDMacDonald]

I'm curious about the tranny, engine, etc., and their longevity with the drag.

[Eveready1100]

Greg, here's a pic of the brakes

[madmax-im]

I'm curious about the tranny, engine, etc., and their longevity with the drag.

horizontally opposed 6 cyl engine should be able to handle the load just fine

[jetmechmarty]

I'm curious about the tranny, engine, etc., and their longevity with the drag.

It might not matter. It was apparent to me that they replace vehicles in Japan after a very short while.

[XJOK2PLAY]

I would think if ever there was a need for a bike to "go to the dark side", it would be one like that!
I bet those wings go through rear tires fast.

But that is cool, John!

I also noticed the support tire under the hitch beam.
(To reduce the tongue weight from the bike's suspension.)

[Jerry]

Since only California (to date) allows that type of lane splitting it would technically be against the law to get to a broke-down cage like that.

Interesting idea...wonder what the 'folded-in" weight is like on the back of that Honda. I would think it would make the ride a bit top-heavy as well as rear-end heavy, must be interesting to ride with all that weight behind the rear axle.

[XJOK2PLAY]

Since only California (to date) allows that type of lane splitting it would technically be against the law to get to a broke-down cage like that.

Interesting idea...wonder what the 'folded-in" weight is like on the back of that Honda. I would think it would make the ride a bit top-heavy as well as rear-end heavy, must be interesting to ride with all that weight behind the rear axle.

Might be one of the few Wings that will wheelie!

[ViperRon]

You know I'd like to find a 2 to 3 mile long sweeping 25% downhill grade 50 mile per hour speed limit with a curve coming into a blind stop sign left or right turn only and then see what the driver thinks of this contraption. Now if someone out there that does not see an issue then maybe you can be at the stop sign waiting to go.
Seriously the biggest issue with this is the gross difference in weight. In a challenging situation that car will toss the bike anywhere it wants. The design not only should be to get something done it should be to get things done in all conditions safely. My issue is on flat land driving slow it works but making it legal in any sense enables an idiot to use it in situations that are very dangerous.
I had about 1000 lbs. on a 4X8 trailer going down hill where sand had been spread previously for ice and a medium size pickup and thought I'd never stop it in fact I may have been 10 miles per hour under at the top but certainly was way above limit at the bottom. If I had to really stop I couldn't have. All breaking tended to lift the rear of the truck reducing braking effect.

[jetmechmarty]

You know I'd like to find a 2 to 3 mile long sweeping 25% downhill grade 50 mile per hour speed limit with a curve coming into a blind stop sign left or right turn only and then see what the driver thinks of this contraption.

I believe these things were designed for use in a very congested Tokyo. I know the video was not Tokyo (traffic drove on the right), but that is the intent. For that, it's perfect!

[Eveready1100]

I'll agree with marty on this one. For getting to a broken down vehicle able to thread through backed up traffic where a normal tow truck couldn't reach. They're not talking about hooking up a car and going for a trip across the country here.
Ron, I take it you haven't got brakes fitted to your trailer behing your pickup, and putting 1000 lbs on an unbraked trailer is asking for trouble.

Just as a side note, I've experimented with using my bike trailer as a recovery unit, and fitted up with a custom channel ramp instead of the normal body, we used it to tow an 1100 Virago behind my XS for around 30 klms both down the motorway, and around suburbia as e trial run. It exhibited no problems either getting it moving off the line and up to 120 kph on the highway, and had no worries stopping either. My bike handled just the same as if I had a heap of gear in the normal body so it was no worries though the bendy bits either.
The ramp was a stepped design which helped to keep the centre of gravity lower with the rear wheel only about 6 inches off the ground, and the front wheel sitting on the drawbar.
The only reason that idea got scrapped was that I was worried about the whole rig tipping over if I hit a big bump on one side, due to the required 1 metre wide maximum axle width for trailers towed behind a motorcycle over here.

[motoman]

I'll agree with marty on this one. For getting to a broken down vehicle able to thread through backed up traffic where a normal tow truck couldn't reach. They're not talking about hooking up a car and going for a trip across the country here.
Ron, I take it you haven't got brakes fitted to your trailer behing your pickup, and putting 1000 lbs on an unbraked trailer is asking for trouble.

Just as a side note, I've experimented with using my bike trailer as a recovery unit, and fitted up with a custom channel ramp instead of the normal body, we used it to tow an 1100 Virago behind my XS for around 30 klms both down the motorway, and around suburbia as e trial run. It exhibited no problems either getting it moving off the line and up to 120 kph on the highway, and had no worries stopping either. My bike handled just the same as if I had a heap of gear in the normal body so it was no worries though the bendy bits either.
The ramp was a stepped design which helped to keep the centre of gravity lower with the rear wheel only about 6 inches off the ground, and the front wheel sitting on the drawbar.
The only reason that idea got scrapped was that I was worried about the whole rig tipping over if I hit a big bump on one side, due to the required 1 metre wide maximum axle width for trailers towed behind a motorcycle over here.

Nothing new.......saw similar setup being demonstrated in use mounted on ST1300's in Europe several yrs. back. Used in emergencies to get vehicle in a safe area off motorways.