Yeah, so I have towing through progressive, but
I'm pretty sure it's effectively useless if I get out of town,
like a state or two over.
The last thing I'm going to want to or be able to do,
is spend a week somewhere trying to get something substantial
or major, and or wait around a few days for parts, fk ups etc.
I want to just get home and home with bike, without spending
a couple thousand dollars to do so, and of course be sure
there's no issues, just hook up, lock down and get home.

One solution, you might need to have the bike towed somewhere safe instead of leaving it on the roadside but rent a U-hual pickup truck and motorcycle trailer. A set of Canyon Dancers would do the trick but a couple ratchet straps on the swingarm or muffler hangers plus front wheel would be a lot safer. Carry the Canyon Dancers with you and buy the straps at a hardware store wher you can also get a ball hitch to fit the trailer. That's what I would do but I've hauled my bikes in this way with my own truck a few times so I know the ropes. If you had help loading, it would be fine. You actually might even do it yourself but rolling the bike up the ramp at a fast walk can be a little scary the first time. It's not a perfectly safe thing to do if you're in a hurry. It would behoove you to rent the trailer and learn to tow yourself with your own car. I'm 230 lbs and my Gen1 was down to about 460. I still preferred to load the bike on a downhill grade. I could do it on a flat surface but downhill was a snap and fortunately, I have a steep hill on the road just outside of my house.

Otherwise, tow the bike to the nearest shop and rent the truck to drive home. You leave it at your local U-Haul place. Rent the truck to bring it back when your bike is fixed, leave it where it came from, ride the bike home. I'd check with U-Haul to determine if this whole scenario would work but from my experience, it should.

Otherwise, check with Triple A if they will tow you and your bike home. I bet they will.

I took my bike on a 600 mile trip when it was new. I never gave a thought to the need to tow it. LOL that was the time I had to ride over wet ice on a bridge. It wasn't solid ice, it was pelletized but it was slick and the 14 was the full 540 lbs! I white knuckled the steering, didn't touch the brake and idled through it. No GPS, no idea of how to get there except the note of directions I got off google taped to my gas tank. I met a couple forum friends in Illinois and we headed off to the Mississippi in Iowa.

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It's my U-haul trailer bike platform with Pit Bull trailer restraint. Way overkill but guaranteed the bike won't tip over.

https://zx14ninjaforum.com/messages.cfm?threadid=E1C93CB8-A09A-C11D-BC3250A7A6432A2F&page=1&searchTerm=Pit%20Bull%20Trailer%20restraint&show=0

* Last updated by: Rook on 3/14/2026 @ 2:31 PM *

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It's my U-haul trailer bike platform with Pit Bull trailer restraint. Way overkill but guaranteed the bike won't tip over.

Excellent build.
I was in a U-Haul place a few years ago, and while I was
waiting for the customer ahead of me to rent a trailer,
the attendant was asking him for next of kin, and several
personal references with addresses etc,
I walked out, what a bunch of crap.
I would expect a drivers license and credit card would be
all they'd ever need.

A set of Canyon Dancers would do the trick but a couple ratchet straps on the swingarm or muffler hangers plus front wheel would be a lot safer. Carry the Canyon Dancers with you and buy the straps at a hardware store wher you can also get a ball hitch to fit the trailer. That's what I would do but I've hauled my bikes in this way with my own truck a few times so I know the ropes. If you had help loading, it would be fine. You actually might even do it yourself but rolling the bike up the ramp at a fast walk can be a little scary the first time. It's not a perfectly safe thing to do if you're in a hurry. It would behoove you to rent the trailer and learn to tow yourself with your own car. I'm 230 lbs and my Gen1 was down to about 460.

Good tips!
I had to look up Canyon Dancers, I have some but with no center strap
tying them together, I use it to balance my bike sometimes when
working on it, tying the straps up to the side-corners of my bike shed.
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I'll have to get a set of those canyon chasers, they won't be much weight,
and anyone that's going to tow my bike if need be, will have hook and ratchet
straps, but some probably wouldn't have the right straps for the bars.

Excellent build.

On the trailer platform, thanks. It could be achieved with a 4' x 4' sheet of plywood and a couple 2x4s you screw in after the bike is loaded. There's no damn way my platform is going to tip over though, even if the trailer tips over. Some straps from the muffler hangers would be adequate. The floor of the trailer is corrugated, the tires would fit into the center low spot and pretty much prevent it from moving laterally. I take no chances with handling my bikes though. If I'm going to take a chance, I'll do that when I ride it. That platform weighs as much as me and it's eight feet long. There's not a lot to hold onto when I carry it. When I carry it is like one of those once in a lifetime lifts, instinctively go to my left side and if it falls, my foot will be dog meat. I need to attach some kind of wheels for moving that thing. It's not bad to drag it but it's hard on the wood frame.

LOL diversion.....I had one girlfriend after I was divorced. I had such a crush on her in high school and I had approximately no chance. She was not more than 105 lbs then. Twenty-five years later, two kids, she bloomed up to pretty darned close to the same weight as me. Still pretty, still looked like she might be what she was but most importantly, still lots of fun, a super fun person. We had lots of fun and lots of sex for a while. I was enjoying it, I didn't break it off, she did which was kind of ok. The reason I bring it up in conjunction with the discussion about this trailer platform is the once in a lifetime lifts I mentioned. There was one day my GF wanted to hang a humming bird feeder in the tree in the back yard. She couldn't reach so she told me to lift her. This was like ten feet of the ground so picking her up in my arms wasn't going to do it. I did a full squat, ass on my heals and she climbed on my shoulders. She laughed as I lifted that 200+ pounder to a full stand! She hung her hummingbird feeder and I'm not doing that again ever.

Another story, went to her father's house which has a steep driveway. We're talking almost moto-X steep but it was paved. When we lleft on the Hayabusa, the front was dancing up off the ground. I leaned into it as much as I could but I almost stopped and told her to get off and walk. !!!

Big girls are great. It's not some kind of contest to see who can avoid being big. The character is what matters in the end. I guess that's why I like 14s and Hayabusas.

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Another one, she challenged me to a wrestling match one time and I had to go all out on her! She was going to beat me if i didn't. I hurt her arm but there's no way I'm throwing in the towel to a girl who challenged me to a wrestling match and doesn't have the sense to quit. She was such a fun person though. Her name is Michele. I'd still be very happy to be with her but if she doesn't want to, that's ok too. We are friends.

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There's not a lot to hold onto when I carry it. When I carry it is like one of those once in a lifetime lifts, instinctively go to my left side and if it falls, my foot will be dog meat. I need to attach some kind of wheels for moving that thing. It's not bad to drag it but it's hard on the wood frame.

Yeah, that would hurt, it does sound like wheels would be good idea,
or a two handles and one or two 4 wheel furniture dollies, to throw under one end, perhaps.

Big girls are great. It's not some kind of contest to see who can avoid being big. The character is what matters in the end. I guess that's why I like 14s and Hayabusas.

Yep, without character, the rest doesn't last long.

Another one, she challenged me to a wrestling match one time and I had to go all out on her! She was going to beat me if i didn't. I hurt her arm but there's no way I'm throwing in the towel to a girl who challenged me to a wrestling match and doesn't have the sense to quit. She was such a fun person though.

Surprising how so many girls are a hella stronger than we would think.

it does sound like wheels would be good idea,
or a two handles and one or two 4 wheel furniture dollies, to throw under one end, perhaps.

I do have a handle on one end but two on each end would be better. Good idea on the furniture dollies. I'd probably have to make that myself but I've seen wheels for sale at hardware stores.

Surprising how so many girls are a hella stronger than we would think.

Some sure are. If they look it, they probably are.

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I'd probably have to make that myself but I've seen wheels for sale at hardware stores.

Better option? Hinged Wheels amazon about 27 bucks for 4 pack, you'd only really need two of them, but 4 might be good too, roll around with bike on the platform,,,

It's a shame that we can't edit more than once, sometimes I need
to edit a post several times,,,, but only once in a while will
I not just get a 'url problem can't process' or something to that
affect.

* Last updated by: Stratovarious on 3/16/2026 @ 7:00 AM *

Hinged castor link 1

Hinged Caster link 2
Above caster links might be cool, two different brands , very similar,
slight weight bearing difference.
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Below is what I was thinking of yesterday, 4 pack for eg here, under 7'' wide
I was thinking you could make them some type of seating/securing
capability so they'd be secure when needed and easily removed, but again
maybe the above hinged casters would be better overall ;

small furntiture corner type dollies

//

It's a shame that we can't edit more than once, sometimes I need
to edit a post several times,,,, but only once in a while will
I not just get a 'url problem can't process' or something to that
affect.

I get about three tries on my computer. If that didn't work, come back to it a few hours later and you should be able to edit. On the org, you have about ten minutes and whatever you wrote is there forever.

those retractable castors look like exactly what i need. thanks!

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I get about three tries on my computer. If that didn't work, come back to it a few hours later and you should be able to edit. On the org, you have about ten minutes and whatever you wrote is there forever.

I see, cool.
And that other forum that has the one-time feature, ackk!!!

My editing on some forums is done by looking at it
in it's presenting format which looks very different
from the Posting box, so for me that's where I do
a proof-read, and being so different looking,
things catch my eye easier.

those retractable castors look like exactly what i need. thanks!

Yeah, I think it might, I've need something like that many a time.

Balance weights, A. The red dot on a Pirelli tire is where we should line up
our valve stems , right? Isn't that the lightest part of the tire?

B. Is there a cool looking (not blk or gray) balance weight
for our bikes, and in the appropriate weight increments?

* Last updated by: Stratovarious on 3/16/2026 @ 8:58 AM *

And that other forum that has the one-time feature, ackk!!!

...especially if you do a tutorial and want to change/add to it later.

My editing on some forums is done by looking at it
in it's presenting format which looks very different
from the Posting box, so for me that's where I do
a proof-read, and being so different looking,
things catch my eye easier.

I feel the same, write a bunch of stuff and it looks fine. Post it and you see a few of errors.

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Balance weights, A. The red dot on a Pirelli tire is where we should line up
our valve stems , right? Isn't that the lightest part of the tire?

That's currently my understanding. It seems to work well with the Carrozzerias I have. The stock Hayabusa rim required a lot of weights when I did it that way. Check online. I have in the past and there's conflicting reports.

B. Is there a cool looking (not blk or gray) balance weight
for our bikes, and in the appropriate weight increments?

I shot mine with a spray of paint, As for weight increments, I cut them with a hacksaw. The smaller ones are going to fall off anyway.

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I shot mine with a spray of paint, As for weight increments, I cut them with a hacksaw. The smaller ones are going to fall off anyway.

Great idea, spray paint.
I said I don't want black, but as you say you painted them,
I'm thinking, why don't I put them close to center between spokes,
probably where most riders put them anyway....
I'd considered the red dot to be where the valve stem should go,
I mentioned earlier that they tire guy put the stem
on the opposite side lol, so they should be pretty far off.
What is funnier yet is that I recalled at an earlier time
that it was remarkable the tech that they have to make one
part of the tire lighter to compensate for the valve stem,
then this am it finally dawned on me that;

They probably don't use such tech, they just check the tire
when it comes out of the mold.

Good boy, now run along and try to spell cat again....

* Last updated by: Stratovarious on 3/16/2026 @ 12:47 PM *

I'm thinking, why don't I put them close to center between spokes,
probably where most riders put them anyway....

There's a ridge at the center of the stock rims so you can't stick a wheel weight dead center. You can butt the weight(s) up to that ridge. It works fine. Oh, reminds me...I would pick up some light duty double sided mounting tape and stick that to the adhesive patch on the back of the wheel weight. They stick better that way. Light duty mounting tape is very strong, I would probably not use the heavy duty stuff or it might be hard to remove. I've never tried the HD mounting tape but the light duty is very sticky. A full weight will probably remain sticking, the smaller ones I've cut down are more apt to fly off.

I'd considered the red dot to be where the valve stem should go,
I mentioned earlier that they tire guy put the stem
on the opposite side lol, so they should be pretty far off.

I've always aligned the dot to the valve. It usually moves a little by the time I get the tire on. Seems like it shouldn't be too hard to slide the rim a few inches inside a deflated tire. I must have tried to do that so maybe it's not so easy.

The tire guy might be right, I've read that the dot usually marks the heavy spot. Most seem to have the opinion that the dot marks the light spot, thus best to position it at the heavy spot on the rim which should be the valve. You could check for the heavy spot on the bare rim if you have a wheel balancing stand. Include rotors and sprocket. I did that a couple times. I don't think the valve was necessarily the absolute heaviest spot, especially not on my Hayabusa. That rear wheel requires a lot of weights to balance. The Ninja wheels were more precisely balanced and so were the Carrozzerias.

Just looked at my brand new, factory installed wheels and the red dot is indeed lined up right to the valve, front and rear. That answers the question for me.

What is funnier yet is that I recalled at an earlier time
that it was remarkable the tech that they have to make one
part of the tire lighter to compensate for the valve stem,
then this am it finally dawned on me that;

They probably don't use such tech, they just check the tire
when it comes out of the mold.

LOL yeah, they'd probably make tires perfectly balanced if that were practical. I'm sure they check them for the heavy spot after they come out of the mold.

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There's a ridge at the center of the stock rims so you can't stick a wheel weight dead center. You can butt the weight(s) up to that ridge. It works fine. Oh, reminds me...I would pick up some light duty double sided mounting tape and stick that to the adhesive patch on the back of the wheel weight. They stick better that way. Light duty mounting tape is very strong, I would probably not use the heavy duty stuff or it might be hard to remove. I've never tried the HD mounting tape but the light duty is very sticky. A full weight will probably remain sticking, the smaller ones I've cut down are more apt to fly off.

10-4
And I didn't actually mean 'dead' center, just saving ink

Just looked at my brand new, factory installed wheels and the red dot is indeed lined up right to the valve, front and rear. That answers the question for me.

Yeah, I'd checked with AI on the product page and indeed the red dot
is the lightest spot according to it, which coincides with
what I'd read before.

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