Would you buy a motorcycle without a kickstand?
Would you buy a car without a parking brake?
What about a wheelbarrow with only one rear foot?

If you need to transport cargo with a vehicle, you need it to stay put and upright while you load and unload it. A good longtail build costs what, $2000+? And you complain about $350 for a top-of-the-line part that's stronger, more stable, and easier to use than anything else on the market, providing a function that is absolutely critical to the central purpose of the bike?

The kickback is nice for light-duty loading, but if you're really going to go crazy it's not enough.

Also, remote deployment is the sweetest thing ever.

-Dave
civilizedconveyance.blogspot.com