Chevy Corvette Tow Hitch

Although it's a topic that's open for debate, in this instance, I really am not crazy. And while I'm setting up my '00 coupe to be used for light-duty towing so that I can take my '03 Harley-Davidson Night Train with me to places where I want to ride but not necessarily ride to, there are plenty of reasons that Corvette owners might have for using their Vette as a tow rig.

No one in his or her right mind is going to use a Corvette for any sort of heavy towing. But a late (C4 or C5) Vette is completely capable of towing things like one or two jet skis, a lightweight fishing boat, a couple dirt bikes, or, in my situation, one or two cruiser-type Harleys.

At least two companies-Draw-Tite and Reese-manufacture light-duty hitches for C5s, and Reese also offers a similar unit for all C4s. And numerous companies offer an incredible variety of motorcycle haulers-everything from basic open-top boxes with a tilt-down gate to monstrous devices that'll carry several big bikes, as well as provide comfortable vacation living quarters for two to four people.

To do something as absurd as tow a Harley (or two) behind a Corvette requires, in addition to a quality hitch, a fairly small and lightweight motorcycle trailer. Seeing as how Harleys aren't exactly inexpensive (from slightly under $10K for a basic Sportster to $30K-plus "out the door" for some of the limited edition Softails and Touring models), it only makes sense to get a well-engineered and well-built trailer that's designed specifically for toting a big bike.

Whenever a trailer is not in use, it has to be stored somewhere, and even the smallest "dedicated" cycle hauler that's capable of carrying a Harley is going to take up a space measuring 8-10 feet by around 5 feet. At least two reputable trailer manufacturers offer carriers that can be stood up on end when not in use, which reduces the floor space to park one from 8-10 x 5 feet to 2-3 x 5 feet-a relative sliver of garage space that almost all of us can spare.

With those factors in mind, I went off the deep end and ordered a Reese Class II "receiver" hitch and electrical connector (PNs 105346 and 101569) from Corvette Central, then placed a call to H & H Trailer Co. to order one of their new and really trick SM1 stainless steel, stand-up, open-bed motorcycle trailers. It's a neat-looking little rig, constructed of brushed-finish stainless steel channel with aluminum diamond plate decking, and an easy to stow stainless and aluminum diamond plate ramp. I opted for the optional chrome-plated 13-inch slotted steel wheels and radial ply trailer tires, and a polished aluminum diamond plate removable front rock shield.

A couple caveats need to be mentioned. The Reese hitch is intended to fit '97-99 Corvettes. The hitch was engineered to fit with a stock exhaust system. And on page 4-33 of my owner's manual, GM states, "Your Corvette is neither designed nor intended to tow a trailer." What do they know? My car's a '00, but as far as I could determine from the GM product and information guides (a.k.a. press kits) we have in the office, The General made no changes to the frames and other rearward components between '97-03 models except for the exhaust tips in '01 and, of course, the titanium pipes and mufflers on all Z06s. If there's any interference between the hitch and my coupe's MagnaFlow pipes and mufflers, well, a little massaging (with a hammer) should resolve that issue. And C5s are damn near bulletproof, so I don't see any reason that the car can't pull an extra 850-900 pounds once in a while. (I am going to add a transmission fluid cooler as soon as possible, but that's about the only area that I can see the C5 needing help in.)