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Don't leave home without it...

lmo1131

lmo1131

New member
Not BMW related, but interesting nevertheless.

Next time you discount pulling a trailer behind your bike as being too cumbersome, think of this GL1800 based Japanese Motorcycle Tow Truck [YouTube link]

towbike-3.jpg


motorcycle-towing-car.jpg


So what are the full ramifications of this invention? If you know guys that tow their bikes to rallies in a trailer, does this mean that NOW they can tow their trucks behind their bikes? It boggles the mind.. . .

Wonder what the downhill braking performance on that 1800 is like with a 3,200 pound "trailer" behind it ...?
 
Considering that motorcycles are balanced for the best braking without any additional load vs big rigs having the tractor designed for full braking when loaded....hmmm....seems like a real recipe for jack-knife-city. Especially with the tongue loaded substantially behind the rear wheel instead of over the center of that axle....I would think for sure you would need brakes on the trailer apparatus, which it appears it does have...
 
And I suspect that there is a very narrow set of operating parameters for this vehicle combination as well ... like; Maximum speed shall not exceed 40 kph [25 mph]. And when it rains...? No thanks.. . .

Still, a really clever way to clear freeway obstructions that can't be reached (because of traffic congestion) by regular tow trucks. If you've ever been stuck on the 10 where it meets the 5 in LA at rush hour you'd probably really like to see one of these running down the berm.
 
58058D said:
Especially with the tongue loaded substantially behind the rear wheel instead of over the center of that axle....I would think for sure you would need brakes on the trailer apparatus, which it appears it does have...
Click to expand...

I know nothing about trailers. With that caveat...

It is a three wheeled device. The third wheel is on the tongue of the trailer. It looks like there is minimal, if any, downward force on the hitch.
 
How did he get the [supposedly dead] car up on the trailer?
 
I've seen these rigs demonstrated on video several times over the past couple of years. They seem to be for real and used quite a bit in Japan. My hunch is that they are pretty useful within a narrow range of uses - like extracting a stalled car from a traffic jam and to the next exit or wide spot. I doubt they do much long distance hauling, but don't know that for sure.
 
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