It works, and, by moving the drive to the front, you do free up the rear rack for cargo. I've never had a 'butt burn' though, not even close. There's a couple of disadvantages, though. First, the noise and exhaust are in front of you, so you get the full ... 'benefit' ... of both. Second, it impacts your steering - by adding extra inertia to the front fork, it makes turning more of an effort, and slows your steering response time in an emergency situation.