This is a humor post, please don’t take it too seriously or get offended.
I came across a motorcycle trailer the other day and had to laugh.
It basically looked like someone took the rear end of a tiny car, cut it off, added a hitch, and decided that what a motorcycle really needed was a trunk.
And not just a little trunk.
A serious trunk.
The thing had full bodywork, taillights, fenders, glossy paint, a luggage rack, and a license plate. From the right angle it looked less like motorcycle luggage and more like a tiny car that had somehow lost the front half.
It's listeted here - linky
My first thought was simple:
Why?
Motorcycles are supposed to be simple.
You have the bike, whatever fits in the saddlebags, maybe a top case, and whatever questionable amount of stuff you can strap to the passenger seat.
Then, little by little, we start solving all the problems we created by choosing to ride a motorcycle in the first place.
Need more wind protection? Bigger windshield.
Need more storage? Saddlebags.
Still not enough? Add a top case.
Top case full?
Apparently, add a trailer.
At some point we’re basically rebuilding a car one accessory at a time.
But Then It Starts Making Sense
The funny part is that the longer I looked at it, the less ridiculous it seemed.
If you’re touring long distance, camping, riding two-up, carrying tools, extra helmets, rain gear, camera equipment, or enough clothes that you don’t have to wear the same shirt four days in a row, having that extra storage could actually be pretty useful.
Instead of stacking luggage three feet high behind you, you put it in the trailer and keep the motorcycle itself relatively clean.
So I started this whole thought process making fun of the idea.
Then I started mentally packing the trailer.
That’s usually how these things get you.
Then I Remembered Eagle Canyon Raceway
The trailer also reminded me of something I saw years ago that I still wish I could find the original photo of.
I was heading out to Eagle Canyon Raceway and saw a gentleman riding a Gold Wing with his wife on the back.
Nothing unusual there.
BUT what was behind them.
He was towing a race bike to the racetrack behind the Gold Wing.
I remember staring at it because it was one of the greatest motorcycle setups I had ever seen.
Ride comfortably to the track on the Gold Wing.
Sport bike on the trailer.
Get to the track, unload the sport bike, ride all day, load it back up, and ride the Gold Wing home.
No pickup truck.
No SUV.
The motorcycle was the tow vehicle.
I don’t remember exactly what sport bike he was hauling, and unfortunately I haven’t been able to find my original photo, but I’ve never forgotten seeing it.
There was something wonderfully absurd about one motorcycle towing another motorcycle.
And at the same time, it made complete sense.
Apparently I Wasn’t the Only One
While looking for something similar to the setup I remember from Eagle Canyon, I found another great example online: a touring motorcycle towing a small trailer with a dirt bike loaded on it.
It captures the same basic idea perfectly.
A motorcycle.
Towing another motorcycle.
Because apparently once you have enough horsepower, anything can become a pickup truck.
Image credit: Motorcyclist
Source: “Honda Gold Wing vs. Kawasaki Vulcan Trailer Adventure,” Motorcyclist.com
https://www.motorcyclistonline.com/honda-gold-wing-vs-kawasaki-vulcan-trailer-adventure/
This is not my original Eagle Canyon Raceway photo, but it is a great example of the kind of setup I remember seeing.
Would I Actually Tow One?
Probably not.
At least that’s what I’m telling myself.
There are obviously some things you’d have to think about: braking distance, handling, parking, maneuvering at low speed, backing up, and simply remembering that there is another axle following you around.
But for the right kind of trip?
I can absolutely see the appeal.
Especially on a big touring motorcycle.
Gold Wing? Absolutely.
BMW K1600? Sure.
Harley Ultra? Makes sense.
I’d still rather be riding the motorcycle.
So yes, I laughed when I saw that little black trailer.
Then I looked at it again.
Then I remembered the Gold Wing towing a sport bike to Eagle Canyon or another motorcycle online towing a dirt bike.
At that point, the little luggage trailer didn’t seem nearly as crazy anymore.
Which is usually how these things start.
