Motorcycles 101: riding with your dog

August 24, 6:45 AMSeattle Motorcycle ExaminerPhil Herring

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Joe prepares to strafe some back roads

Meet Joe, a 3 year-old miniature long-hair dachshund who likes twisty roads, fast riding, and prefers Japanese motorcycles.

Joe started riding not long after I did.  He enjoys going to the office on occasion, and in Joe's house, the only to get there is on two wheels.  His affinity for riding is somewhere between love and tolerance, but its clearly preferable to be being left behind.

Joe prefers to ride behind me, on the passenger seat, in a bizarre but well built contraption called a -- appropriately -- The Beast Rider.  At first glance, The Beast Rider looks like a highly creative S&M device, but in fact, it's very functional motorcycle gear, solely designed to carry dogs on bikes.

From his plush, black shearling-lined nest in The Beast Rider, Joe can duck behind me for relief from the wind, or put his head next to my hip for some good air blast.  (It's true that only dogs and motorcyclists understand what that feels like, and Joe, lucky dog, knows it from both perspectives.)

He's secured in the Rider by a harness with three connection points so he can move around a bit but can't jump off the bike to chase a random cat.  Not that he wouldn't like to.

Because of Joe's black fur and long, low profile he's hard to see when riding... and that's a good thing.  Taller dogs would be far more visible, raising the spectacle factor and possibly causing nearby cars to behave... erratically.  ("Hey kids, look at the dog!")

In other words, if you want to travel incognito, leave your hound at home.

Next: On the road.

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