Trailering Your Bike

[marid2apterbilt]

Ok not sure what subforum to put this under so here goes....

I got A HF wheel chock last week.. Used it trailering my bike to the Skuuter crawl.. For what it is (cheap) it works.. I can run the bike up on the trailer letting the chock stop me pretty much and get off to tie it down.. Its not the steadyest contraption in the world but it will hold the bike up...

My problem is tieing the bike down.. Seems exerytime I have a strap come loose.. Because of this I always use 2 on the front and 2 on the grab handles.. Sometimes i even run 1 thru from side to side using the rear foot pegs..

This last trip I had 1 on the front come loose after coming thru the Ocoee river george on us64 and a rear 1 come loose right after i got on the interstate from Mt eagle..

I am using Ratchet type tie down straps and a canyon dancer for the front and just ratchet tie downs on the rear.. My only guess is the trailer is flexing loosening the tiedown where i hook into the Stake pockets on the trailer...

How do you tie down your bikes??

Any special tabs or hooks I can bolt into the frame of the trailer??

If you have pics can you post them too.. I meant to take pics of mine but forgot sorry.. Its just your basic tiedown S shaped hook.. The stake pockets on the trailer are angle iron welded to the side of the trailer forming a triangle..

Will running bungee straps from the tiedown to another point keep tension so they dont come loose?? any one tried this???

[toddulu]

ratcheting tie downs coming loose??? :biggrin: That's no bueno!!! Sounds to me like you do it the same way as me, but I'm pretty sure the axle would fall off the trailer before the bike would come loose after I get done strapping it in. Although rather than using the passenger grab handles I put a tie down on the passenger peg assembly. Also, do you have tie downs that have the loop on the ends? Those are worth their weight in gold as far as I'm concerned...

[YoshiHNS]

how far do you compress the springs. Have moved plenty of bikes around in trailer and truck and never had a strap come loose. I usually two straps on the front and one on the back, two if i have more straps. The front is wherever I won't mess up the plastic. Back is either across the seat with one strap, or off of the rear footpegs with two straps. I only use ratchet straps, and make sure that I get a good couple of revolutions on the ratchet unit so the strap is wrapped enough where it can't pull loose. I have the bike on the center stand when I can. I tighten the front down until the front forks are at least 1/4 compressed, but never more than 1/2 way. Rear is just tightened to the point where it is tight and the rear can't swing anywhere. Good test is trying to rock the bike loose. If you start shaking the trailer/truck, you're fine.

[jeremy556]

You need to tighten your tie downs.

The bike's suspension is going to compress which will release tension from the tie downs if they are too loose.

[Guest]

If you have a good front chock all you need is two straps. Attach each of them above the rearsets going forward and away from the bike at about 45 degrees to the floor. You should only compress the suspension about an inch, you will notice that the bike is compressed evenly, much like riding the bike by using this method. The bike will not move, and any bumps you hit while driving will still allow the bike to move slightly. If you compress the front end to much by straping the down your front end you will signifigantly shorten your fork seals life.

See the picture in on the baxley chock website FAC http://www.baxleycompanies.com/Faq.html

[jeremy556]

If you have a good front chock all you need is two straps. Attach each of them above the rearsets going forward and away from the bike at about 45 degrees to the floor. You should only compress the suspension about an inch, you will notice that the bike is compressed evenly, much like riding the bike by using this method. The bike will not move, and any bumps you hit while driving will still allow the bike to move slightly. If you compress the front end to much by straping the down your front end you will signifigantly shorten your fork seals life.

See the picture in on the baxley chock website FAC http://www.baxleycompanies.com/Faq.html

This advice only applies to the Baxley. Do NOT try it with any other chock besides maybe a Sport Dock.

Other chocks just keep your front wheel from turning, they do not hold onto the wheel, and your bike will end up on the floor of the trailer if you do not secure the front end.

[RED RUNNER]

"Canyon Dancers" (short clip on straps) in the front, attached to heavy duty ratchet type tie downs.

Two tie downs in the back, tied to each passenger bar.

Moderate compression on front and back.

Make sure the tie downs straps are attached to the trailer using the ends; if you bind or wrap up the nylon itself, it will rub and eventually tear. Happened to me but the bike didn't fall off, thank goodness.

[Guest]

I've used that method on the tubing hoop type, baxley, and the sport chock for thousands of miles without any problems. If I use the cheap hoop type I usually strap the wheel only to the front of the trailer though the chock to make sure it can't move around.

[RED RUNNER]

Forgot the link:

http://www.canyondancer.com

[Phormanluge]

Forgot the link:

http://www.canyondancer.com

:laugh: for the Canyon Dancer.

Used this to tie the bike down on ferry trips...

[marid2apterbilt]

Ok the only sugestion so far I havent tried is drilling holes for the tie down hooks....

If i tie it down any tighter jeremy something is bonna bend or break.....

[skuuter]

Ok the only sugestion so far I havent tried is drilling holes for the tie down hooks....

If i tie it down any tighter jeremy something is bonna bend or break.....

"Bend it, break it".......unless your ties are coming loose, no such thing as "too tight" with any pressure you can put on em' with your hands..........."SQUASH" that suspension.............. :laugh:

[jstanwood]

Not that I have it on my own HF trailer, because it would be polishing a turd, but adding E-track and the clip-in D-rings to the deck makes for really nice tie down points. I know you know where to get that!

I use the cheap Pingel wheel chock, Canyon Dancers, and 4 tie downs. Two ratcheting straps go through the Canyon Dancers and around the trailer deck to the frame rails. The other two straps go from the passenger peg brackets around the trailer deck to the frame rails. My bike moves as one with the trailer deck.

For my next trailering job, I plan to get a better chock that locks the front wheel.

[SEBSPEED]

I've tried the Canyon Dancer, didn't like it. I've loaded many a bike in a few different trucks, and never used more than 2 ratchet tie downs, never had any problems & always a solid transport, & most always by myself.

With the bike on the kickstand in the back of the truck, I hook the non- ratchet end into the truck bed corner(right side of bike oposite kickstand), then loop around the base of the clip-on. I then hook the ratchet end into the same point as the first, stand the bike up straight, and start tightening the strap to hold the bike upright. Repeat for left side, then tighten down equally compressing the suspension about 3/4 of the way.

DON'T OVERTIGHTEN THE STRAPS, you can blow your fork seals doing that!

[SEBSPEED]

ps- you may have to stuff a microfiber towel or two between the strap and your fairings when using my method.

[FotoMoto]

Ahh the tie down dilemma: tension too loose and they can come off, too tight and run the risk of blown fork seals. Plus, how to route them without damaging expensive plastic or switchgear? What to do? What to do?

I met this guy on CBX mailist back when I had one of those beasts. He also is into high dollar ducatis (are there any other kind?) and he uses a different method that makes a whole lot of sense. Full disclosure: I've done the rear this way but not the front as I never have rounded up the proper front straps PLUS I don't usually trailer, I ride, that's why I have a VFR. :warranty:

FWIW

http://www.mad-ducati.com/tiedown/TieDown.html

[house]

Wheeldock chock.... no front compression necessary. If you MUST use a canyon dancer, get some PVC that will fit over your grips... or they will get roughed up a bit.

[Conedodger]

I've had tie-downs come loose when I used to trailer my race car. I learned to use the excess strap and tie a knot near the ratchet. This will prevent the strap from pulling through the ratchet and coming loose. I used this method and the Harbor Freight chock to bring my VFR home from Florida to NY last year. The straps did not come loose once the entire trip!

Like others have said, make sure the straps are tensioned equally and the bike is standing straight up.

[marid2apterbilt]

Not that I have it on my own HF trailer, because it would be polishing a turd, but adding E-track and the clip-in D-rings to the deck makes for really nice tie down points. I know you know where to get that!

I use the cheap Pingel wheel chock, Canyon Dancers, and 4 tie downs. Two ratcheting straps go through the Canyon Dancers and around the trailer deck to the frame rails. The other two straps go from the passenger peg brackets around the trailer deck to the frame rails. My bike moves as one with the trailer deck.

For my next trailering job, I plan to get a better chock that locks the front wheel.

Yes i do.. May have some E-track laying around but i real pita to install.. Last resort after the bike falls off..

[marid2apterbilt]

Ahh the tie down dilemma: tension too loose and they can come off, too tight and run the risk of blown fork seals. Plus, how to route them without damaging expensive plastic or switchgear? What to do? What to do?

I met this guy on CBX mailist back when I had one of those beasts. He also is into high dollar ducatis (are there any other kind?) and he uses a different method that makes a whole lot of sense. Full disclosure: I've done the rear this way but not the front as I never have rounded up the proper front straps PLUS I don't usually trailer, I ride, that's why I have a VFR. :warranty:

FWIW

http://www.mad-ducati.com/tiedown/TieDown.html

Nice link.. Will keep this in mind..

Even the way i describe in my first post the bike didnt move.. The entire trailer and car would shake if i tried to move it at all..

The wrap around the trailor floor to the frame method sounds good too as i think my problem is trailer flexing..

Keepem coming guys.. Like in the linked atrticle every situation is different...

[Guest]

As for teh rear of the bike you do not need to use two straps, just take off your seat and run a strap over the bottom part of the gas tank where there are screws and then replace the seat, it hold the rear wonderfully, I did a trip for 10 plus hours like that and the bike never moved!