The Bike Tow
Tool of the month
Trailers are very nice to have for transporting bikes, but not everyone can justify the high price tag or necessary storage space for something they see themselves using on a very rare basis.
The Bike Tow was designed with three things in mind: low cost, ease of storage and use, and versatility. The unit breaks down into six pieces that can be dropped into the trunk of most compact cars, yet it's capable of carrying virtually any model of street bike. It's been tested for years by rental agencies, dealerships, and lots of satisfied home users.
This latest incarnation of the Bike Tow features a new swivel-joint at the tow vehicle for added stability. By allowing the bike to swivel behind the tow vehicle, the Bike Tow and motorcycle both handle and feel just like you’re pulling a conventional trailer.
Our tow vehicle is a late-model Chevy Trailblazer, and the hitch receiver height almost barely makes the recommended limit of 16 inches above the ground. Bike Tow offers drop-down adapters for taller vehicles, but the average 1/2-ton pickup or car will not need them.
Installing the Bike Tow will take a single person about five minutes, but it is recommended that you have two people handling the loading and unloading just to be on the safe side. You didn't hear it from us, but we saw a guy do all the work by himself with very little effort.
1. The first thing we did was slip the main unit into our 2-inch hitch receiver and lock it in place with the included bolt.
2. Leave this yellow flag in place during loading and unloading of the bike. It locks the swivel joint in a straight position and stabilizes the load while tightening the straps.
3. Next, the two forward tie-down bars were slid into the Bike Tow and locked in with the provided pins. The included ramp was set in place, and we rolled an Ironhead Sportster up and into the wheel chock. We strapped the front end down with a pair of ratcheting straps, and Doug held the bike in place while our photographer stepped back to snap the photo.
4. With the ramp removed, the two L-shaped rear brackets were installed. A set of straps were ran from these brackets to the rear shock mounts to hold the bike into the Bike Tow, while the front straps provided vertical stability. The rear straps would normally attach to the rear footpegs, but this Sporty has none.
