*First time trailer transport help*
Banned
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,551
Likes: 6
yep, park her with front wheel aganst front of trailer and lean her over on the stand while you connect front straps.
Attach ratchet straps to lower trees at the forks and tighten them until she is standing up straight, then keep tightening the straps until the forks are collapsed about half way and the scoot is forced against the front of the trailer.
Move to the rear and run a strap thru the rear wheel down low to each side of the trailer, but wrap one time around the rear tire and wheel........You don't want the rear skidding to either side, right?
No matter what, do not attach tiedown straps to handlebars......You can bend the bars if you hit a bad bump.
Once strapped like described, get a fresh latte' and drive till it's time to ****. At the **** stop check your straps. If all is good, skip next check and just ****.
Attach ratchet straps to lower trees at the forks and tighten them until she is standing up straight, then keep tightening the straps until the forks are collapsed about half way and the scoot is forced against the front of the trailer.
Move to the rear and run a strap thru the rear wheel down low to each side of the trailer, but wrap one time around the rear tire and wheel........You don't want the rear skidding to either side, right?
No matter what, do not attach tiedown straps to handlebars......You can bend the bars if you hit a bad bump.
Once strapped like described, get a fresh latte' and drive till it's time to ****. At the **** stop check your straps. If all is good, skip next check and just ****.
Banned
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,647
Likes: 2
From: Fairmont, Wv
like said before, stand it up straight, strap the front down (I use the handlebars) good and tight. strap the rear so it dont slide to either side. after 20 or so miles check the straps. make sure the excess can not come loose, use tape to secure the excess if needed. most important, keep those front straps tight. I keep the ratchets on the drivers side so I can keep an eye on them.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,438
Likes: 3
From: Chesterfield, VA
I use a Pingel chock, no kickstand, and four straps. Two straps up front from the lower tree. I don't recommend using the bars and they can bend under the tension of the straps. Two on the rear from the lower passenger peg mounts. I have eyebolts on the floor of the trailer positioned so the straps pull down, forward, and to the sides.
Tourer
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 375
Likes: 1
From: Jackson NJ
When tightening the front straps don't allow the forks to compress beyond the point that they normally do when you sit on the bike. If you really tighten down the front straps and over compress the forks then you could bust a seal.
Road Master
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 972
Likes: 23
From: NC
Yes... put it on the trailer and use the kickstand initially. Be sure that the first strap you attach is the front LEFT one... If you attach the front right one (first) and tighten it down just a little too much then the bike will fall over to the right... If you attach the front left one first and accidentally tug on it a little bit then the kickstand will save you. Attach the front left strap loosely but tight enough that it will prevent the bike from falling over to the right. Then attach the right side and ratchet it down just enough to start to stand the bike up straight off of the kickstand. Now put the kickstand up and evenly ratchet down the front two straps so that your forks are maybe 1/3 of the way compressed. And yeah, attach right at the base of the handlebars, NOT on the handlebars themselves. The front straps are the most important ones but do what that other guy said and tie off the rear of the bike somehow to keep it from sliding to the left or right. And yeah, check on the straps after pulling the bike 5-10 miles and then again maybe after 40 miles or so. If they're staying snug that long then you're probably gonna be fine. I use those locking wheel chocks now but a simple trick I used to use that helped keep the front tire from moving to the left or the right was... I cut a piece of plywood about one inch more narrow than the width of the trailer... and about a foot long... then screwed 2 2X4" boards to the plywood, each a foot long and spaced a tiny bit wider than the width of the front tire... then laid it down in the trailer at the front... pull the bike up so that the front tire slides in between the 2 2X4" boards. The weight of the bike will keep the plywood held down to the floor of the trailer and the width of the plywood will keep it from moving from side to side... maybe a picture would make it more clear...? Something like this...
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Club Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 16,320
Likes: 306
From: Boynton Beach, FloriDuh
I use a Pingel chock, no kickstand, and four straps. Two straps up front from the lower tree. I don't recommend using the bars and they can bend under the tension of the straps. Two on the rear from the lower passenger peg mounts. I have eyebolts on the floor of the trailer positioned so the straps pull down, forward, and to the sides.
Personally, I use 6 straps even with a locking chock. A set of "safety" straps brings alot of "piece of mind".
Last edited by cHarley; Dec 24, 2009 at 06:21 AM.
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Road Captain
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 618
Likes: 3
From: So. Cal
I was recently towed 'cause of a flat rear tire and the driver used the Canyon Dancer harness. It worked really well. I'm going to get one now.
http://www.canyondancer.com/
http://www.canyondancer.com/
Club Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 16,320
Likes: 306
From: Boynton Beach, FloriDuh
I was recently towed 'cause of a flat rear tire and the driver used the Canyon Dancer harness. It worked really well. I'm going to get one now.
http://www.canyondancer.com/
http://www.canyondancer.com/
As said above, strapping the bike off from the bars is a good way to bend them. A bike should be strapped off from the lower tree, but it's your bike.