Wear them or leave them at home! Mrs B and I tour for a couple of weeks at a time, typically covering 2-3k miles. We put luggage in our bags and tourpak, with a large soft bag on the rack for surplus riding gear. Leathers are way too bulky for our liking!

 

Used to see these a fair bit, but I haven't seen them in use for some years now. That alone tells me something.

Those I've seen had dubious security measures for actually holding the bike on. I suspect this is the big reason they've faded away, too many bikes falling sideways or off completely while going down the road. Especially if they have to strapping onto the tow vehicle. Then you'll have slack straps when you hit a valley, and tight straps when you crest a rise. Seems like a good way to have a strap fall off or break.

I suspect they are pretty durn hard to load the bike up onto. The higher the tow vehicle, like a 4x4 truck, probably the harder it is to load the bike onto it.

You'll be pulling the bike down the center of the roadway. Right where there it is the oiliest, and where you tend to straddle things you don't want to hit.

 

but if you need even more room check out a trailer hitch rack. That's what I did and use a soft side cooler for more storage or picnic lunch on one day trips. We have done several 10 day + trips no problem. Actually just got the rack for our latest trip. Made it just fine without it but wanted more room to carry a spare helmet.

 

A LOT of stress on the neck bearings that is NOT supposed to be there........

YMMV

Lon

 

How's the handling on that? I'm curious about the impact it's had on the ride, braking and handling of the bike carrying the load like that.

I'd also be curious if you've had any grief from a cop, since it appears to block the licence plate and the brake and tail light.

 

An Evo - plainly a man of taste!

 

That would be my worry. With my luck I wouldn't make it out of the town I live in with that thing on there. I would also worry about cars not seeing my brake lights.

The few times I have had to trailer I just rented a U-Haul. I do understand that people up here like to trailer south during the winter and prefer an enclosed. Snow/ice and salt aside I would use a stinger or kendon before using the method the OP is asking about.

 

Just did a 3k mile trip in June and can't tell any difference in handling at all.

As for lights. With the bag i have on there it blocks the tail light but not the turns. To compensate i installwd all led lights and converted tour pack lights to run brake turn. And I have a 15" led run brake light installed on the rack.

I had same concerns about the plates and almost relocated them to the rack, which would be pretty simple to do but with the bag you can still see them. Not easy but their not easy to see on an ultra anyway. I went through 11 states and crosses the Canadian border and back with no issues. Border guards plate reader couldn't see them so they had to step to the rear of bike to get the number but both said no problem.

 

Cool, thanks for the follow-up info. It's a carrying idea I'd never thought of, and I might play with that some time.

 

In my time, I've had several trailers (two enclosed) that I've used to transport my (our) bikes on trips, and I've also had (still have one) two tow-behind-the-bike cargo trailers that worked out really well when we rode two-up.
Now that my wife rides her own bike and we both have saddlebags and a tour pack. the little trailer is no longer necessary.

I've parked my truck an trailer at motels, on private property and in trailer rental spaces and I've never had any bad incidents but that is always a possibility.

As for the "bumper" mounted dolly, I see that as a last resort in transporting a disabled bike home or to the repair shop. I'd never use it for long distance towing.

I've only loaded and hauled one motorcycle in a truck bed as it is a PIA for loading and unloading, and secondly, doing so is dangerous.
The only way that I'd consider transporting my bike in my pickup bed would if I had one of those power-loading units and they're fairly expensive, but definitely worth the investment if you use them frequently enough to justify the expense.