Transporting Motorcycle

[redpoint5]

Original plan was to fly to DEN with the family and ride a sport bike my brother in-law gave me 1400 miles back to PDX. New plan is to drive the family out to DEN, they fly back, and I drive with the bike on a hitch carrier. Along the way I'm stopping in Boise to work a day or 2 with customers.

Any suggestions for success on this trip? I was thinking to buy a motorcycle cover to protect the bike on the trip back, but then I'm wondering if it would just flap around too much in the wind and potentially cause more harm than good.

[freebeard]

Depends. Athwart the back or trailering on it's rear wheel?

Something that you can shrink wrap with a heat gun.

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by freebeard

Depends. Athwart the back or trailering on it's rear wheel?

Something that you can shrink wrap with a heat gun.

Athwart. Here's what I'm getting;

Walmart

Shrink wrap is a good idea, but I don't have any. I suppose there's likely less damage than if I rode the thing. I bet it's mostly protected behind the Mazda. Kinda wanted to attract less attention from prying eyes, but I'll lock the thing to the carrier.

[Stubby79]

Unless you're bothered by the idea of it getting covered in dust, rain and kicked up water, I don't see much need to cover it. I suppose if it's new and shiny, you might not want it to get messy...

Stretch-wrap and a plastic sheet(vapour barrier) would protect it better than a motorcycle carrier, and not flap in the wind. Would keep prying eyes off it fairly well too. You just have to figure out how to do it in such a way that you can still get it on to the carrier.

Lock that thing up well! I have motorcycle U-locks (like bike locks, just bigger) that I'd put one on each wheel and a cable through them to the trailer hitch. And a locking hitch pin too.

Good luck!

[Piotrsko]

Shrink wrap is also known as clinging kitchen plastic. Yellow box in paper aisle at walmarts. Home despot has regular sized shrink wrap on a big roll for big $$.

Sideways on the back is going to ruin your mileage.

[freebeard]

Mummify it in Saranwrap.

Saran
Plastic
Saran is a trade name currently owned by S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc. for a polyethylene food wrap. The Saran trade name was first owned by Dow Chemical for polyvinylidene chloride, along with other monomers. The formulation was changed to polyethylene in 2004 due to the problematic chlorine content of PVDC.Wikipedia

[JSH]

I wouldn't worry about the bike getting dirty - it won't be any different than getting pelted by bugs while riding. I would not but a cover on it. It is likely to do more harm than good flapping around and rubbing on the paint.

I would check to make sure the hitch on your Mazda is rated to carry enough tongue weight to support the motorcycle.

What kind of bike are you getting?

[jakobnev]

Sell someone a 1400 mile adventure trip from DEN to PDX!