I want everyone to be able to see as many options for dog carriers as possible. For smaller dogs, there are a few more economical options available. Once a fair comparison is made I’m confident that you will come back to The Ruff Rack. I encourage you to search the products listed to check current prices and details. All information below was ascertained from the company’s website or from people that owned a certain carrier in the past.
- Kuryakyn -$303.95 Luggage with a hole cut in top
- POW-€209.00 plastic box for tiny dogs, works on a bicycle or vespa.
- The Beast Riders-$819-$1034, a leather bucket, fastens to a sissy bar, Max weight 75 pounds, Takes 18 to 20 weeks to get, offers zero impact or abrasion protection.
- Rowdy Hound-$2000.00+$499 for the mount, Carrier weighs 50 pounds, big box with a lid that slides back. Not a bad design.
- Pillion Pooch-$1079.42 before 20% discount, plastic base, dog suspended so it can swing around creating unstable footing, uses a tent to cover it so it restricts most of the dogs view, breeze, and access to smells, mounted far rearward, big, cumbersome and unsightly, for dogs 60 pounds and under.
- K9 Moto Cockpit and Nano Cockpit-starting from $850 to $1750+$500 for the large+$50 for mount without a luggage rack, must buy the specialized harness for $75-$100, forces dog to lie down so restricts the dog’s view, the dog is strapped down like a 2×4 on a flat bed trailer so it can’t sit upright, pool noodle covered side rails are so low they offer minimal protection, mounts are welded on so it is for that one make and model motorcycle so resale value is based on luck alone, 1-2 week “design phase”, 8 week build time, useful utility purpose for carrying items other than a dog, slick, well produced website. (I got the idea of this buyer’s guide from them.)
- DMC Sidecar-$6496.00, Six month build time, Changes every aspect of the motorcycle from performance to handling to braking, difficult to restrain your dog and still allows them the freedom to see, offers some protection from the outside but offers no protection from hitting the inside of the sidecar, fair resale value, requires a dedicated motorcycle strong enough to haul the extra weight.
- WAGS Trailer-$4295.00, six month lead time, changes the performance and braking of the motorcycle, requires a motorcycle strong enough to pull it, temporally closed or out of business.
- Rally Cart Motorcycle Trailers-starting at $6398.00 CAD, fantastic mono wheel design, offers decent protection, has a variety of uses other than carrying a dog, the best weight carrying ability of anything available, minimum effect on motorcycle performance, excellent customer support. If we were in the market for a motorcycle trailer, this is what I would get.
We hope this gives you a fair overview about the available alternatives. We still think that The Ruff Rack is the superior option in terms of safety, flexibility, and pricing. However, if you choose to go a different route and build your own at home, please have a qualified mechanic look it over before carrying your dog in it.
