bad idea?

[hudsonderek 0]

so I'm driving to Sebastian from Maine, leaving on march second, and I've got a 2001 madzda protege and a motorcycle. I tried to trade my car for an old truck, but only had a week to try and do it. needless to say no one wanted to trade, and now I don't feel so comfortable getting some truck and then the next day driving 1,500 miles with it. So, here's my plan, put the front tire of the bike in the trunk of my mazda, and tie the shit out of it, and let the rear bike wheel trail behind. I've seen a picture of this online, and I know they make special front tire racks that attach to trailer hitches, but I'm poor, out of time and would need to buy a trailer hitch. anyone seeing anything Severely wrong with this idea? any better ideas that don't take money?

[DavidB 0]

I'm sure you could do it, but seriously doubt you'd get south of NY before you were pulled over, & then the fines & associated problems would make a small trailer seem positively economical.

When the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.

[wmw999 2,439]

There's a really good chance that you'll end up getting a ticket that's more expensive than towing the trailer (or finding a driver for your car) would be. You might find someone else who wants to go the same way that will caravan with you. Ask at all the NE DZ's.

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[davedlg 0]

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I'm sure you could do it, but seriously doubt you'd get south of NY before you were pulled over, & then the fines & associated problems would make a small trailer seem positively economical.

...not to mention the wear and tear on the bike wheel. Maybe look into a hitch rack for the bike?

[CSpenceFLY 1]

I second that you will not make that trip without getting stopped.

[Glitch 0]

Sounds kinda redneck-ish to me. I would certainly NOT even try this. Think about it.... road vibration + stretchy nylon rope = a lost bike + all possible reprocussions of said bike tumbling down the highway causing a mini-van full of toddlers to die a horrible and fiery death in the resulting roll over accident... At the very least, I'd bet you don't get 30 miles down the road before Leo notices (I'm pretty sure there's multiple law infractions involved, all of which were put into place to protect the general public from "things like this").

You'd be better off getting someone to drive your car down while you drive the bike, or just leave the damn bike there and go back for it at a later date.

This being said, the easiest solution would be to sell your rig and use the money to rent a small u-haul truck that you can put the bike in and pull the car with.

Randomly f'n thingies up since before I was born...

[cocheese 0]

Sell the bike this weekend.

[wmw999 2,439]

Anyway, this reminds me of an old Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers comic (yes, I'm that old), where they tied one car to another so they'd have something to drive across country, and had to hitchike home because their car got busted for miscegenation.

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[hudsonderek 0]

I never gave thought to it being illegal, but just called the state police, and what do you know? it is. but if I have huge boards sticking out of my trunk, as long as they have a red flag on them, I'm okay? I'm thinking I'm going to have to be bike less for a while. so are these http://www.oldinc.com/rhmcbscan.htm Illegal then? and if not, I don't see much difference between that and putting the rear wheel in my trunk.

[shropshire 0]

Why would they be illegal.. it's not like putting the front wheel of your bike in the boot of your car... it's a proper mounted carrier... seems quite cheap too.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[hookitt 1]

What kind of bike are you considering destroying? Dirt, street... etc?

Street bike. Leave your all weather gear up there with the bike, fly back up and ride it down.

My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto

[skydiver30960 0]

Suck it up and buy the hitch. You'll pay it off in one or two uses. You'll also need to buy the wiring harness for the lights on the trailer, but again: small potatoes with a quick return on investment, and about a five minute install time that anyone can handle. Then:

Rent the trailer. I know it's ghetto, but Uhaul or Ryder can set you up with a perfectly workable trailer that'll get you where you need to go, moving violation-free and with bike and car and your nerves all in proper working order.

Elvisio "or sell the bike, you'll shoot your eye out with that thing" Rodriguez

[CSpenceFLY 1]

He could probably buy a small trailer for what U-haul would want to rent one way. I know money may be an issue so I hate to say Buy Buy Buy but it is either that, leave the bike or sell it.

[wayneflorida 0]

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Sounds kinda redneck-ish to me. I would certainly NOT even try this.


No us Rednecks would tow the car with the bike.