Another Equipment Question

That's an American thing @Fork Lock never seen in the UK so I don't think you're going to get any response on the device from this side of the pond.

 

I’ve not seen one either. The only tow bar mounted motorcycle racks I’ve seen carry the whole bike transversely mounted actress the back of the vehicle but are aimed at comparatively light off road bikes such as Trails etc.

 

My son used one on his Ford Fusion with a fairly light bike. Unfortunately, since he was returning from college, and his trunk was loaded, his suspension wasn't stiff enough to keep the tow rig from hitting the ground on every bump. I had to rescue him halfway home with my trailer!
If your vehicle has a stiff enough suspension, it should work great for 80-mile round trip rides. I worry about the wear on the motorcycle back tire for frequent use. Also, since the oil is not circulating, does the tranny fluid get hot with the back tire spinning? I've heard that some who use this break the chain to keep the tranny from spinning. Seems unnecessary to me.

With my pickup, I elected to buy a 10' ramp to load my bike in the back. This is a near-700# Trophy SE, mind you. A few ratchet straps and I'm good to go. This is how I have transported the bike while pulling my 26' camper to Colorado, Utah, Finger Lakes, Northern Maine and the Great Smokies.
The ramp is not cheap ($700). And it takes a bit of courage to ride into your truck bed the first time. Backing out is made easier by ensuring that the ramp is wide enough to get your feet down comfortably (39" total in three parallel ramps).
This may be overkill for your application, unless you want to take the john boat and motorcycle on a trip some place! And, if you don't have a pickup, it's a non-starter. Good luck!

 

The gearbox has positive lubrication from the oil pump which obviously it won’t get when being towed. That would be my main concern on a long tow rather than any tyre wear which will be minimal as the bike has no load (rider).

 

A light hearted one?

I see no reason why you couldn't tow the bike backwards providing that the bars were securely strapped pointing forwards.

There may even be a benefit for bikes with cable drive speedos driven off of the front wheel?