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Towing a motorcycle with a dolly?

93Bandit

93Bandit

Forum Mentor
Has anyone here towed a GS or other bike with a motorcycle dolly? Similar to a car dolly, where the front wheel is off the ground on a carrier attached to the hitch, and the rear wheel is on the ground.

I want to be able to haul my motorcycle when I travel, and I can't reliably find a hill to park next to that I can roll my bike into the bed with. I don't want to use ramps as that has too much opportunity for something to go wrong. My GS is too heavy for one of those carriers that holds the whole bike up with the hitch, and I dont have a place to park a trailer. I'd rather not rent a uhaul but I guess that's always an option. I'd just like to have something of my own to use when I want wherever I want.

So does anyone have experience with one of these dolly's? When using a dolly to tow a RWD car, you run the risk of burning up the trans so its generally advisable to remove the driveshaft if towing with this method. Would the same thing apply for a motorcycle? Remove the chain? What about when your bike is a shafty?
 
How often are you going to do it? For me personally, I would just rent the U-Haul if occasional use or buy a small trailer with a ramp you can ride it up on to and strap it down. Storing the trailer at a friend's place of course
 
I'd probably use it twice a year, maybe more. Unfortunately parking a trailer at a friend's house is not an option either.
 
I am going to ask you one question. I believe you might be smart enough to get the implication. :-k

Do you value your bike at all?

.
 
Yes, I have done it. Would I do it again? NO.

Hopefully this goes along with what Steve was implying.
 
I might be too european to understand this...but either one travels with the bike itself, or mounts a small bike or bicycle to ones' RV/car/whatevs. No?

Other than that, if I were on my own and the ramp too steep: I'd mount a winch to pull the bike up the ramp, freeing me to guide the bike.
 
93Bandit said:
Has anyone here towed a GS or other bike with a motorcycle dolly? Similar to a car dolly, where the front wheel is off the ground on a carrier attached to the hitch, and the rear wheel is on the ground.
Click to expand...

No I haven't. My only claim to fame is being towed by a car and rope six miles through city traffic on a Truimph 350 back in the 70s. Things we do for friends in a jam, never to be repeated.
There is a fundamental difference between a car and bike on a dolly. The car has two wheels on the ground. All the cornering forces on the bike are going to get transmitted through the front end by sideways bending of the wheel, forks and stem. Then there is fishtailing, accidentally dropping into gear and so on.
Like pulling a cat by the tail imho.
 
Looks like this dolly is a bad idea, i just found this warning :

https://picclick.co.uk/Dangerous-motorcycle-scooter-trailer-towing-dolly-DO-NOT-264321262398.html


If you are thinking or intending buying one of these Fastrikes towbar trailer dollies, please contact me first by telephone or email, this item is not fit or safe enough for public highway use, potentially it's an accident waiting to happen.
I have had too get a local engineer to reweld the dolly in six places before it was safe enough to test.
When tested, towing in a straight line all is well other than when navigating speed humps, my motorhome has a rear facing camera which allowed us too see exactly what is happening, the ratchet straps will change from be taught to becoming slack as the motorcycle rises and falls over the speed humps, secondly turning sharp right or left enables the motorcycle to pivot at the steering pivot point to extreme lean angles greater than 45 degrees, which was severe enough for the pannier bags to touch down onto the road which now has left one bag scratched and damaged.
When I contacted my insurance company they were not interested.
If you would like to call me on 07956 888630 I will happily give you the full story.
Also check your vehicle and the towbar and ball have a maximum safe down loaded weight limit and most motorcycles will exceed a caravan nose weight by at least 50 kilo's when the front wheel is placed onto the "Towing Dolly" remember a caravans nose weight can be adjusted in moving internel objects forwards or backwards, therby achieving a safe weight of between 75 - 90 Kg on top of the tow bar/ball.
An average motorcycle say 240 Kg weight, will impart a down load weight of 120 Kg on the tow bar/ball and the motorcycle down load weight cannot be changed, like a caravan or trailer.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
attachment.php


a shaft drive? NO WAY! ...even a chain drive, you have to take the chain off. I'd rather drag the front....
 
Thanks for the feedback guys. My knee jerk reaction would be to say this is a bad idea, but I figured I'd ask you guys just in case it's feasible. I'll just rent a uhaul for the time being. Maybe someday I'll have a place to put a small trailer.
 
well, I've got a trailer and a 12volt winch too, but I've certainly mused on some kind of one-man power assisted bumper/trailer hitch mount for something bigger than a dirtbike ....Even taking one or more wheels off might help the "portability" (and weight) you seek. It'd depend on your vehicle too but maybe a ramp extended and then lifted off the road is a thought..across the back is pretty common but extended behind is an idea too....lots of opportunity for creative tinkering... :)
 
Google for collapsible bike trailer. They're available.
They fold up small enough to put in your trunk and can carry a reasonably hefty bike when deployed.

As far as the towing of the bike with the front wheel off the ground, well I did it.
It was a lightweight bike (Can-Am Bombardier) and I had made a bracket through which the front wheel spindle fitted. So, lift the bike front onto the bracket, insert the spindle, attach a couple of ratchet straps and away I went for a 500 mile trip.
I overlooked one (well two) things.
Firstly, the exhaust of the van melted through one ratchet strap.
Secondly, the failure to remove the drive chain probably impacted the gearbox life. I didn't really use that bike much later on anyway, so I never found out.
 
Last edited:
Gorminrider said:
attachment.php


a shaft drive? NO WAY! ...even a chain drive, you have to take the chain off. I'd rather drag the front....
Click to expand...

Wow!

How much do you care for your bike? The first thing I noticed was that bike is a shafty...messing with the gears! I have chain on my "T" and also a collapsible trailer from Harbor Freight.

This is when I had it stowed in the garage.
Garage2%202_zpsmhy5zdxt.jpg


I love my little trailer!
2014-01-04_081128_zpsf8e381fd.jpg


Ed

****
See this thread for more info: https://www.thegsresources.com/_for...HF-Utility-Trailer-For-My-quot-T-quot-GS750TZ

****
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the info, Ed. I'll just wait till I have a place to put it and get a small trailer like that.
 
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