Mr mkmachine,
Commuting 100 miles a day for 2.5 years on my '52 Rapide while in the RAF at Wittering in the late 1970s, I needed a good luggage-rack/panniers/top-box and the ability to get the bike on a centre-stand safely and easily in all weathers. The solution was based on a beefed-up Series D centre stand and a longer handle supplied by ClevTrev and a quality rack designed by Tony Wheatley. The next posting was 3 years in Germany with the prospect of a few commutes back to the UK and lots of continental rallies. So that rig was left on the Rapide - and came in especially useful for the International Rally in 2003 (with pillion passenger) - organised by those intrepid Vancouver guys and gals.
The rig is still there to this day, and I can still heave the plot on to its centre-stand before dismounting
And yes, I guess it could be used as an emergency brake!
What's not to like? (Except that at 40+ years, it's probably out of warranty now... ).
A couple of photos attached.
Peter B