Bonneville America Forums Forums Off Topic Discussion Forums Lounge Towing bike question

I've built a tow ramp that fits on the back of my wife's suv. The front wheel straps up onto it, and the rear wheel rolls on the ground. I was going to tow my "57" down to Missouri to ride in August, but now I'm considering taking the 02 America instead. Other than the chain wearing, are there any issues mechanically that prohibits me towing the bike with it in neutral and rolling on the back wheel?

Other than burning up the motor due to lack of oil, none. Seriously the engine needs to be in operation to pump the oil to lubricate the engine and the transmission. If the engine is turned off then the oil will not circulate and you will damage your transmission gears even in neutral.

Huh... I woulda thought turning that rear wheel while in tow would do little more than add a bit of wear to the tire (chain and sprockets too). The device Paul linked us to ( http://www.oldinc.com/rhmcbscan.htm ) has the back wheel rolling along behind. But cha know... a way around this would be to pull the chain for the tow. Yeah... a bit of a hassle but with one o' those clip-on master links it wouldn't be too bad. Just a thought.

Could just pop the chain off and tow it, that is if you use a clip style master link. An old bike or different designed modern bike would be fine in neutral but I think Dan is correct here since our bikes depend on oil pressure to lubricate inside the cases.

Hey Rich,
Off topic but where in Missouri are you planning on riding?

I think I remember somebody on the forum suggesting those front-wheel tow rigs were best for short hauls and lower speeds (up to the bike shop and back, for instance).

Heck, ride the darned bike. Your happiness quotient will be higher than riding in the SUV