Towing...ideas/concerns
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Tourer
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Towing...ideas/concerns
Heading to the Black Hills in 10 days, towing the Wide Glide. Happy to say its only been on a trailer once in the 4 yrs owning it and someone else tied it down. What do you guys recommend? 4 straps on the corners? Anyone ever had any towing mishaps? Straps let go etc?
Elite HDF Member
Joined: May 2008
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From: S.E. MO
4 straps and a fifth on the front wheel if you dont have a wheel chock. Like Jake said becareful were you strap it.
Also make sure to put it in neutral. Having it in gear isnt going to keep it from going anywhere if the straps give.
Also make sure to put it in neutral. Having it in gear isnt going to keep it from going anywhere if the straps give.
Tourer
Joined: Jul 2009
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From: Enterprise, AL
The closer/narrower you have floor tie down points to the bike, the more the suspension will have to be compressed in order for the straps to generate the necessary horizontal-component tension/force to hold the bike upright. When you move the tie downs out/wider from the bike, they have more of a horizontal component and will hold the bike upright with less tension. Some will say you need to compress the hell out of the suspension regardless or else you will hit a bump, the suspension will compress itself, the straps will become loose and the bike will somehow end up on its side...but I won't delve into that argument.
I like some sort of side rails the best (i.e. like the u-haul utility trailers, although I'm in no way vouching for the quality of u-haul stuff, just an example--stout side rails on a pickup bed is probably a better example), as you don't need much tension to hold the bike upright and the above argument becomes moot since any vertical movement will actually translate to more tension on the straps.
Regardless, what I'm looking for is having as much of the working load of the strap as possible available to secure the bike how I need it secured--which is in every horizontal direction--as opposed to bottomed out on its suspension and pressing into the floor of the trailer/bed with its own weight in addition to thousands of pounds of strap force. By "available", I mean using the minimum amount of tension possible to hold the bike where you want it so you have the maximum amount of tensile strength in reserve for when the bike is pulling against the straps while your driving or if one of the straps is beginning to fray, weaken or fail etc...
I like some sort of side rails the best (i.e. like the u-haul utility trailers, although I'm in no way vouching for the quality of u-haul stuff, just an example--stout side rails on a pickup bed is probably a better example), as you don't need much tension to hold the bike upright and the above argument becomes moot since any vertical movement will actually translate to more tension on the straps.
Regardless, what I'm looking for is having as much of the working load of the strap as possible available to secure the bike how I need it secured--which is in every horizontal direction--as opposed to bottomed out on its suspension and pressing into the floor of the trailer/bed with its own weight in addition to thousands of pounds of strap force. By "available", I mean using the minimum amount of tension possible to hold the bike where you want it so you have the maximum amount of tensile strength in reserve for when the bike is pulling against the straps while your driving or if one of the straps is beginning to fray, weaken or fail etc...
Last edited by Andjh123; Jun 3, 2010 at 02:36 AM.
Tourer
Joined: Jul 2009
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From: Enterprise, AL
lol, sorry I don't. My physics/geometry theories and ramblings are just from experience of hauling a bunch of different bikes in different types of trailers and beds, so I've put a lot of thought into it and tried a bunch of different stuff over the years (and would like to think I have it mostly figured out, but who knows.) Personally, I think "JakeinMa"'s setup pics at the top is pretty much ideal in terms of floor/low tie down points are nice and wide and good, solid points on the bike.
Regardless, it always scares me to see people hauling their $30k bagger down the road on some trailer with the bike all off-kilter and cranked down with 14,572 lbs of force to the trailer...and doing it with those #$@! fuzzy handlebar harness things (that H-D sells!) around the grips...ugh.
Regardless, it always scares me to see people hauling their $30k bagger down the road on some trailer with the bike all off-kilter and cranked down with 14,572 lbs of force to the trailer...and doing it with those #$@! fuzzy handlebar harness things (that H-D sells!) around the grips...ugh.
Last edited by Andjh123; Jun 3, 2010 at 02:40 AM.
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Well, after a 6 hour ride in the rain to myrtle beach a couple of years ago, with trailers passing me on the left and the right, I'm not embarrased to say that mine has been on a trailer a couple of times. Riding it is still my first option, but if I check the weather and it doesn't look good for the trip going or coming back, I won't hesitate to get the trailer out.
While having service done a while back, I walked over to a harbor freight store and picked up a cheap locking wheel chock. I bolted it to the floor of my open cargo trailer and it's a big plus. I think it helps keep the bike from putting back and forth pressure on the straps and making them loosen up as fast. So, with the wheel chock, I strap from each side of the lower trees as shown above. The key is to compress the front forks enough as to not get a lot of bounce going down the road but not too much as to put too much pressure on the fork seals and causing a blowout. My last trailered trip, I blew a seal but it didn't blow until a couple of days after unloading. I'm not sure if trailering had anything to do with it or not. Anyway, with a wheel chock and 2 good straps at the front, the bike pretty much isn't going anywhere with nothing more than that. However, I take 2 straps and wrap one through and around the back wheel close to the bottom and hook the 2 together and tie them down on either side of the rear of the trailer. That helps keep the back end from jumping sideways should you hit a bump and the rear wheel jumps up a little bit. Get padded straps or put something under them anywhere they touch the bike though. I got lazy on my last trip and have some rub marks on my lower trees from the straps. I think they will rub out easily next time I go to polish them up but that can easily be avoided.
While having service done a while back, I walked over to a harbor freight store and picked up a cheap locking wheel chock. I bolted it to the floor of my open cargo trailer and it's a big plus. I think it helps keep the bike from putting back and forth pressure on the straps and making them loosen up as fast. So, with the wheel chock, I strap from each side of the lower trees as shown above. The key is to compress the front forks enough as to not get a lot of bounce going down the road but not too much as to put too much pressure on the fork seals and causing a blowout. My last trailered trip, I blew a seal but it didn't blow until a couple of days after unloading. I'm not sure if trailering had anything to do with it or not. Anyway, with a wheel chock and 2 good straps at the front, the bike pretty much isn't going anywhere with nothing more than that. However, I take 2 straps and wrap one through and around the back wheel close to the bottom and hook the 2 together and tie them down on either side of the rear of the trailer. That helps keep the back end from jumping sideways should you hit a bump and the rear wheel jumps up a little bit. Get padded straps or put something under them anywhere they touch the bike though. I got lazy on my last trip and have some rub marks on my lower trees from the straps. I think they will rub out easily next time I go to polish them up but that can easily be avoided.
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Tourer
Joined: Dec 2007
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Thanks for all the tips/info guys. If it was just me going the trailer would be sitting in the driveway, but the Mrs. is going, which means several shoes, hair dryer, curling iron, god know how many change of clothes etc etc, you get the hint! Regardless, the bikes going with us and it will be much more enjoyable hitting the twisties on that then our GMC Envoy!!!! One of these days I'll get her trained on how to pack for a bike trip and that its ok to wear blue jeans more than once between washing LOL.
What I'm learning is to strap at the triple trees and worry about horizontal security more so than vertical. Makes sense to me!
What I'm learning is to strap at the triple trees and worry about horizontal security more so than vertical. Makes sense to me!
