Carrier frames - looks like a simple and inexpensive way to tow a motorbike:
http://motorbiketrailers.org.uk/
I’d guess that if the bike is left in neutral and you don’t go too far, it would be OK?
oooooooohhhhh I’m cringing just looking at that…
I know it may be absolutely safe in theory, but I Would hate to carry my bike around like that!!!
Plus you’re putting stupid miles on the rear tyre for no reason!
Plus: To keep cost down use a 6″ x 2″ peice of wood abour 900 cm long for a ramp. (Not supplied)
Now if my maths are correct that’s a 9metre long piece of wood… not sure where you’d store that in the car? Unless you were sure to find one at your destination
Seen them in use on the continent and the Germans don’t seem to mind how far they tow them. Multiple security straps (as in the picture) seems sensible and I think I’d add a D lock for those coffee breaks.
I’d guess reversing would be an absolute bu88er, but I’m hopeless at reversing a simple trailer.
Bike in neutral seems pretty sensible too!
Only bad thing is you’ll have very square tyres!
Miles on the rear tyre aren’t really an issue - I’d be using it for short distances and rarely. (And besides, this will just be rolling under no power - much less wear.I’m pretty sure the 900cm is a mistake and they meant 90cm 
Again, I’d looked at these. I just don’t think I would trust it, no matter how far the journey…
accident waiting to happen really
Wear on the rear tyre will be negligible. Its not the same as the tyre pushing the bike along. Its freewheeling, a lot less forces. You could still puncture it though 
I dont see any safety issues … Just remember it there . Used solo tows with cars plenty and dont see much difference . However I would buy a proper bike trailer so I could load it up with other stuff too get more use out of the tow .
I don’t like the idea, are these even road legal here? …
I’d seriously challenge the wear on the rear tyre, the bike is angled rearward with more weight on the rear tyre than normal, increased weight must mean increased wear! The 900cm will be a typing error and should read 900mm, its a short ramp to get the bike onto the rig.
My main concern is stability under all driving and road conditions. What would happen if you had to emergency brake? Surely with no braking to the rear wheel there is a risk the bike would jack knife. Imagine having to stand on the brakes halfway around a bend, the bikes rear wheel will want to overtake the car. What about uneven road surfaces, speed bumps and the like, what effect will all the bouncing up and down have on the headstock? Bikes are designed to be pushed along from the back, driven by the rear wheel, not dangled by the front wheel and dragged along.
It all looks just so wrong.
Yes, they are road legal.
I would imagine that, with such a towing dolly, one would drive as if one had a trailer on the rear. Not fast, very carefully, avoiding hard surfaces where possible, etc. Of course a trailer would be “better”, but it’s more expensive, and harder to store…
Seeing as the bike won’t be carrying the weight of a rider (& has been designed to be capable of traveling along carrying 2 adult passengers & even a full set of laden panniers), I don’t see how the rear wheel can be bearing even as much weight as in normal use let alone more!
All the stability issues are also just as applicable to trailers.
I probably wouldn’t use one for trackdays etc. but for what Szymon says he wants it for I’d say it was fine.
Incidentally, it seems that a dolly like this would not be legal for towing a track-only bike (or an off-road only bike). To be towed like this, a bike needs to be fully road legal, with MOT and insurance…
Driving the tyre is always going to cause more wear than just rolling it - just look at how front/rear tyres wear on a car.
The straps look like they would stop the bike from fishtailing under heavy breaking etc. as long as you’re not driving like you stole it I can’t see the bike fishtailing
As long as the bracket is sturdy and rigid I don’t see a problem, I think I’d like to be able to see how it bolts on and kick it/stand on it before I trusted my bike on the thing but in principle I don’t see a problem.
Out of interest Szymon, what circumstance do you need to take the bike short distances attached the back of the car, can’t you just ride the thing?
So which number plate do you display on the back of the bike? Surely it should be the cars number plate in place of the bike as the bike isn’t being ridden.
I want to be able to take my car to be serviced/repaired/whatever to my preferred Landrover specialist, who is 30 miles away in the middle of nowhere. I’d drive to him, then ride back, and do the reverse to pick the car up.
I would think that the car’s number needs to be on a plate hung on the back of the bike - but lights wouldn’t be needed since they wouldn’t be obscured at all…
-simon
In effect the bike becomes a single wheeled unbraked trailer without the option of adjusting the nose weight …
Therefore the stability issues are very different from that of a two wheeled trailer.
A simple test can be carried out by holding a bicycle by the front wheel and ‘towing it around’, see how when you want to turn left there is a tendency for the bicycle frame to lean to the right.
It all looks so wrong
The front wheel in the trailer is ‘locked’ by the webbing straps acting as tie rods through the handlebars, it’s not free to turn like in your bicycle analogy. The gyroscopic effect would also presumably resist the bike falling over.
It actually has one advantage over the trailer shown on the same website, it keeps the centre of balance a lot lower.
So hold the bicycle by the forks, my point is the bike wants to go right when the car turns left and visa versa.
Interesting point about the lights …
I’m thinking you may need a trailer board to display the car registration number and rear lights, have a red here The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 PART II Regulation 21