Learned something about tieing down bikes...
Tourer
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 252
Likes: 0
From: ROCKVILLE,MD
i use a rope, i tie across the back of lift gate, i lay two tires in bed and lay bike on its side. works great if you don't accel to fast from a dead stop. and i never have to compress my front forks.....it been done this way for years....long before tie-downs
give it a try. what have ya got to loose.
give it a try. what have ya got to loose.
Thread Starter
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Road Captain
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 539
Likes: 5
From: Penna
Not sure of the brand but he said it was almost like the one from Harber Freight. No the tiedowns were not pulling straight out from the forks as they would be tied into the wall at that point !!! He just went from the fender mount straight down at an angle to meet the floor tiedowns. There was not a lot of side pull on the fork tube as I assume you are asking about. It should be noted he also had rails running the entire length of the trailer where he could put the floor tiedowns werever it suited best ( slots about every 1" or so to position the tiedown correctly)
Former Sponsor
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 119
Likes: 0
From: Stillwater Ok
Just letting you folks know that as a sponsor of the site I am offering the members a very good deal on the Wheeldock chock which is 20% off. http://www.wheeldock.com/H-D_forum_member.shtml
This is a wheel chock made here in the US with a lifetime warranty. It is also a one person job to use for anyone. It comes with mounting hardware for a trailer but works to hold your bike upright for cleaning or storage without having to be bolted down as well. I have never used a strap on the front of my bikes and you can see from my show schedule that I put about 30k miles per year on my trailer going to shows. I haul an 07 SG and an 05 RK side by side and only use two straps per bike which cris-cross over the top of the seat and then go down and a bit forward to the floor or out to a side wall with very little tension on the straps. This setup leaves the suspension free to do what it was designed to do which is to keep the tires in contact with the ground and the bikes springs are not compressed and held causing the free length to shorten and the front suspension to sag. I believe weeping or leaking front seals are often the symptoms of this and the real problem Is the springs are collapsed or partially collapsed.. When this happens the geometry of the front end is changed also. I have a video on my site which shows how my system works which you can see here: http://www.wheeldock.com/wheeldock_features_video.shtml
Road Captain
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 724
Likes: 2
Just letting you folks know that as a sponsor of the site I am offering the members a very good deal on the Wheeldock chock which is 20% off. http://www.wheeldock.com/H-D_forum_member.shtml
This is a wheel chock made here in the US with a lifetime warranty. It is also a one person job to use for anyone. It comes with mounting hardware for a trailer but works to hold your bike upright for cleaning or storage without having to be bolted down as well. I have never used a strap on the front of my bikes and you can see from my show schedule that I put about 30k miles per year on my trailer going to shows. I haul an 07 SG and an 05 RK side by side and only use two straps per bike which cris-cross over the top of the seat and then go down and a bit forward to the floor or out to a side wall with very little tension on the straps. This setup leaves the suspension free to do what it was designed to do which is to keep the tires in contact with the ground and the bikes springs are not compressed and held causing the free length to shorten and the front suspension to sag. I believe weeping or leaking front seals are often the symptoms of this and the real problem Is the springs are collapsed or partially collapsed.. When this happens the geometry of the front end is changed also. I have a video on my site which shows how my system works which you can see here: http://www.wheeldock.com/wheeldock_features_video.shtml
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 7,476
Likes: 5
From: Republic of Texas
Not enough tie down straps. I use eight on each bike minimum. I never compress the shocks more than half way. Bike needs to move but not enough to strike anything. I always tie the front wheel into my wheel chock. Never tie down by the handle bars and never tie off on anything painted. I also make sure that nothing rubs a painted surface. I was taught a long time ago that to tie down a bike like I was expecting to flip the trailer upside down and when I righted it the bike would be where I left it tied down.
Had a friend trailer my chopper to the shop for some tuning issues and he tied down the bike alot different than I ever saw. He used a wheel chock that locks in the front tire and allows you to get off the bike and it stayed upright by itself.I had seen these before so that was no big surprise and I have to say it made the tie down a one man operation. What he did from there really had me concerned as it was his belief that to compress the forks was not the best thing to do. He placed a ratchet on both sides of the front wheel just above the fender mount and just pulled the strap both ways straight out away from the bike. He then went to the back at the swingarm and just pulled that on both sides straight out also. I expressed my concern that [I] did not feel real comfortable with this and he said just try to shake the bike and see what you think. UNBELIEVABLE....The bike felt like it was embedded in concrete and I could not even budge it a little bit. Got to where we were going...about 45 miles and the bike was still as solid as ever. I was always taught to compress the forks to stop the up and down motion and eliminate the straps loosening up, this method was definetly alot easier and solid than doing it the "old" way. He explained that in his mind you do more damage to the forks and seals by compressing them and keeping them under a load than if you just allow them to move a little naturally during trailering.He claims all you need to do with this method is stop the bike from moving sideways. He has traveled from Pa to Florida and Sturgis numerous times with 5- 6 bikes in his trailer this way so I certainly think his method has proven itself. Thought sharing this might help someone.
Former Sponsor
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 119
Likes: 0
From: Stillwater Ok
Farmerstu, you can say BS if you like but this is what I have seen over the three years I have been installing and fitting center stands to H-D touring bikes. I am interested to know on what you base your opinion?
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 8,642
Likes: 6
From: Forest Lake, Mn
I have seen scoots on trailers, heading for Sturgis, with the rear end so tight, spokes have 'popped' on the rear wheel. WAY TOO MUCH pressure.
The guys that come up from Az every year, to Sturgis, bring 6-8 scoots on one trailer behind a big azzed motorhome. Strap front wheel to chock. They put frame blocks under the frames that literally hold the rear wheel up off the trailer.
Then strap them from frame to trailer via eyebolts in trailer floor. Then one strap thru rear wheel, to eyebolt, to prevent scoot from getting any excessive fwd pressure against the chock, if you SLAM on the brakes.
I came home 4 yrs ago, and built myself a set of frame blocks. But I am a 'Nervous Nellie', so I use 2 more tie downs than they do, but it certainly works for them. IF you do this, just make sure you put the frame block near the rear of the frame, below swing arm pivot works best for me. WELL, except for the one WITHOUT a swingarm.
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Elite HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 4,415
Likes: 5
From: San Antonio, Republic of TEXAS
one thing that i have always done is to place a block of wood under the frame. then tighten down the straps, the forks compress just a little until the frame contacts the wood. with this, the forks will not over compress and blow seals, or over extend and cause the straps to loosen up. some folks say it isn't necessary, but i feel its cheap insurance,never had a problem with it.
