I wouldn't advise towing a motorcycle this way, unless it was chain driven and the chain removed.
No way would I tow a shaft drive cycle this way.
Larry
I agree with everyone above. The backwheel would be spinning all the components within your tranny, etc and not be good for it. Also, unless I am incorrect you can't just disconnect your drive shaft. It has a small bolt which hold it to the drive shaft coming out of the rear engine case. Simply undoing this bolt would do you no good. You'd have to figure out how to take the whole drive shaft out of the bike...way more trouble that its worth.
I have seen bike carriers however for street bikes that hook into the trailer hitch. I know they are pretty popular for dirt bike but they make ones that support the heavier load of a street bike. I dont know what the max capacity is but thats worth looking into. I've also seen used single bike trailers for on a couple hunderd bucks on Craigslist. I know you want to avaoid a trailer but this might be the best, and cheapest alternative for you.
IMHO
Towing backwards may affect the speedometer. It might make your bike a low mileage one.
It could also damage the speedometer components attached to the front wheel.
As per the unrestrained front wheel, I can visualize the front wheel wobbling and going into a real tank slapper.
A small one up bike trailer would be best.
larryb22 wrote:Towing backwards may affect the speedometer....
DaveNearAtlanta wrote:....there have been instances of tire blowouts and accidents as a result of extended interstate highway speeds with this trailer....
mildhog wrote:I'm not good enough to ride 2-up yet so the little woman rides in the car if we go on a trip. Always good to have options. Thinking more if it broke down, I could get it with the van and tow it home. The shaft would have to be disconnected. Anyway, just wondering about it. Seems like a bad idea.
DaveNearAtlanta wrote:I usually rent a trailer from U-Haul whenever the need arises to transport a bike as opposed to riding it (bringing home a parts bike or a recently purchased bike needing maintenance, retrieving a friend's late model Vulcan that died on the road, etc.) There's a store about five miles from home that always has some available for rent. Their motorcycle trailers work well and only cost about $15 per day, and are great for local use but they are not intended for extended trips. For longer trips, they have a ramp trailer with larger tires that works well and is only slightly more expensive.
The local Uhaul has nothing like this, I will request one and see if they can get it next time I need to haul a bike. When I bought my parts bike, I had to borrow a friends' pickemup truck, the gas money I could have saved by towing it with my tow equipped station wagon would have been enough to rent this thing 3 times over AND I wouldn't have to bother anyone else.