How to haul a bike
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Squid
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 21
From: Nebraska
How to haul a bike
So I'm headed across the state to pick up my bike from my moms and about half way she calls and says that the weather is going bad and its going to be about 30* for the next several days... So I had to either ride it home 5 hours or come up with something else so here's what I came up with
I'm headed back in the morning so hopefully I don't get pulled over or anything
Fingers crossed
I'm headed back in the morning so hopefully I don't get pulled over or anything
Fingers crossed
Senior Member
Superstock
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 466
From: SF Bay Area
WOW, I must say this is quite creative. How did it tow? I am impressed. 
Also welcome to this fine webpage, you will find more than you probably care to know about the SuperChicken here. I know I have.
Also welcome to this fine webpage, you will find more than you probably care to know about the SuperChicken here. I know I have.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Squid
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 21
From: Nebraska
Ill find out tomorrow but its way over built so it should go well. The car already had a hitch and all the material was laying around the farm so no money out of pocket either
Thanks for the welcome
Jon
Thanks for the welcome
Jon
Rex Kramer-Thrill Seeker
SuperBike
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 2,312
From: Brookfield, WI
Yeah, very creative way to get it done! Only thing I would check on, is some states require a flag attached to anything extending four feet or more past the rear of the vehicle. But, not sure if that applies to a motorcycle being towed?
If it was me, I would just wing it, but if you were worried about the cops, swing through your local Homeboy Depot and grab a free flag...or use a red bandana if you have one, pretty much anything red really.
If it was me, I would just wing it, but if you were worried about the cops, swing through your local Homeboy Depot and grab a free flag...or use a red bandana if you have one, pretty much anything red really.
Senior Member
Superstock
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 250
From: Seattle
Nice looking SH... but I dunno, I think I would have rented a U-Haul trailer.
That may work really well, but I'd spend the whole drive looking in the mirror, afraid the bike was going to fall off.
Not that looking in the mirror would help, but that wouldn't stop me from doing it anyway.
That may work really well, but I'd spend the whole drive looking in the mirror, afraid the bike was going to fall off.
Not that looking in the mirror would help, but that wouldn't stop me from doing it anyway.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Squid
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 21
From: Nebraska
Well I'm about 2 hours away from home and its been working great so far I wish I had thought of this last year
I thought about taking the chain off but didn't get around to it...
Thanks for the complements
I thought about taking the chain off but didn't get around to it...
Thanks for the complements
Senior Member
MotoGP
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 3,871
From: Phoenix, AZ
Great fast way to get that bike on the road!
This type of hauling isn't exactly new and certainly not harmful or dangerous as far as I know... They sell kits to haul bikes in a similar fashion with the front wheel still attached. Granted, not as cool as a home build version...
So I would assume they're pretty legal and relatively harmless to the motorcycle.
This type of hauling isn't exactly new and certainly not harmful or dangerous as far as I know... They sell kits to haul bikes in a similar fashion with the front wheel still attached. Granted, not as cool as a home build version...
So I would assume they're pretty legal and relatively harmless to the motorcycle.
Senior Member
Superstock
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 458
From: Rome, GA
Actually if you don't remove the chain it is harmful to the bike. Without the oil pump running its not that great for the transmission. you are heating up the oil in the bike and it isn't getting cooled because it's not getting into the oil cooler, nor is it getting cleaned by the filter so you can end up with metal shavings in the oil that create even more metal shavings until you have sandpaper in the bottom end of the engine.
At the very least if you did not remove your chain you need to drain and swap your oil as
1) it may be dirty now
and
2) it may be a little burnt/brokedown now.
Of course it could be fine as well, but I wouldn't want to risk my engine for $20 worth of oil
At the very least if you did not remove your chain you need to drain and swap your oil as
1) it may be dirty now
and
2) it may be a little burnt/brokedown now.
Of course it could be fine as well, but I wouldn't want to risk my engine for $20 worth of oil
Senior Member
Superstock
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 458
From: Rome, GA
Senior Member
MotoGP
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 3,871
From: Phoenix, AZ
Out of curiosity, how much does the oil heat up in a situation like this? It's not getting cooled by the filter, but it's also not getting heated by a thousand 500cc explosions per minute. Just thinking out loud.
The metal shavings make sense somewhat, but aren't those immediately filtered out once you start the bike and therefore the pump and filter? It doesn't seem like they're less filtered than when it's running for those miles, just not dumping fresh oil on the tranny specifically.
I'm not refuting you to be an *******, just genuinely curious. How how is your oil pan, JayTea?
The metal shavings make sense somewhat, but aren't those immediately filtered out once you start the bike and therefore the pump and filter? It doesn't seem like they're less filtered than when it's running for those miles, just not dumping fresh oil on the tranny specifically.
I'm not refuting you to be an *******, just genuinely curious. How how is your oil pan, JayTea?
Senior Member
Superstock
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 458
From: Rome, GA
Out of curiosity, how much does the oil heat up in a situation like this? It's not getting cooled by the filter, but it's also not getting heated by a thousand 500cc explosions per minute. Just thinking out loud.
The metal shavings make sense somewhat, but aren't those immediately filtered out once you start the bike and therefore the pump and filter? It doesn't seem like they're less filtered than when it's running for those miles, just not dumping fresh oil on the tranny specifically.
I'm not refuting you to be an *******, just genuinely curious. How how is your oil pan, JayTea?
The metal shavings make sense somewhat, but aren't those immediately filtered out once you start the bike and therefore the pump and filter? It doesn't seem like they're less filtered than when it's running for those miles, just not dumping fresh oil on the tranny specifically.
I'm not refuting you to be an *******, just genuinely curious. How how is your oil pan, JayTea?
While I don't think doing this for a short trip are particularly harmful or abusive, I've also seen transmissions that grenaded while being towed like this. I don't know how the transmission was treated before hand or if there was a pre-existing problem with it before hand, just that I've helped replace gears afterwords on a GSX600 Kanoftuna (Bike was just purchased, test rode fine, brought home this way across maryland and pensylvania to NY and transmission was fubared when we got home, oil was very sparkly)
Senior Member
MotoGP
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 3,871
From: Phoenix, AZ
That settles it. The only solution would to turn the bike on so the cooling and pumping systems all work. And in that case, you probably need a person on the bike to hold the throttle at 3krpm and a little TV in front of them to play through different track levels like that game at Dave & Buster's.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Squid
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 21
From: Nebraska
I didn't get a chance to check when I got home just passed out but if I have to do this again I will slide the axel forward enought to get the chain off the sprocket and ziptie it out of the way
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Squid
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 21
From: Nebraska
So how should I change the oil? I've always gotten vehicles up to tempature so the oil thins and drains all the way but I don't want to risk damaging anything by running it possibly having an unsafe amount of metal in the oil?
Senior Member
Superstock
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 458
From: Rome, GA
I normally use 1/4 of a quart of clean oil in my bike and drain again to get the last little bit out of the bottom. Remember if the bike has been sitting a while all the garbage will settle to the bottom. A magnetic drain plug helps this as well
Senior Member
Back Marker
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 134
Man love the creativity, but if it was me I would of either rented a trailer or borrowed one. I purched my bike only 30 or so miles from home and had my buddy go with me that has a trailer designed for hauling bikes because his bikes are not street legal (race bikes). I was nervous riding her home because it had been 10 years since the last time I owned a bike when I bought my hawk and from there to my house its all freeway that is very busy.
Senior Member
Superstock
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 458
From: Rome, GA
Man love the creativity, but if it was me I would of either rented a trailer or borrowed one. I purched my bike only 30 or so miles from home and had my buddy go with me that has a trailer designed for hauling bikes because his bikes are not street legal (race bikes). I was nervous riding her home because it had been 10 years since the last time I owned a bike when I bought my hawk and from there to my house its all freeway that is very busy.
I don't ever like to ride a new bike home. I couldn't say why. Maybe just because I like to get used to it on the familiar roads at home
Senior Member
Back Marker
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 213
From: Pac NW
Just as Insulinboy postulates that towing with the chain on is harmful, I would suggest it is not. Only the transmission is turning. I'm not sure if it has oil bathing it or not but it doesn't generate heat.
Senior Member
MotoGP
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 5,066
From: NYC
Man, very creative and good injunuity but if I were there I would've tried to talk you out of it. At the least I would have put tie downs on the bars to stabilize.
The forks werent meant for lateral loads and it just doesnt quite look safe. I guess cuz I have seen so many bikes fall off those fork bottom stands.
The forks werent meant for lateral loads and it just doesnt quite look safe. I guess cuz I have seen so many bikes fall off those fork bottom stands.
Thread Killer
SuperBike
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 2,097
From: Geneseo, IL
Looks to me like his tow framis replaces the front wheel with the axle holding the bike in place. No way it could fall off unless the axle were to fall out and that's not likely. If you put tie downs on it, that wouldn't allow the bike to lean when the car turns causing mucho tweakage.
Rex Kramer-Thrill Seeker
SuperBike
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 2,312
From: Brookfield, WI
20mph would have been better, but remember, young kids don't have the long legs necessary to run that fast. So, where was I...oh yeah, so she would hold the bike while he got the car up to speed, then with a mighty leap, launch herself into the back seat. A game of Fruit Ninja was her reward.
Stopping on the other hand...
