The amount of straps can be connected to the type of trailer you have. My experience those trailers with the little donut wheels bounce and fly much more easily than a heavier trailer with 14 or 15 inch wheels. Found that out on a trip to FLa from Pa. I used 6 straps and a Condor. Two up front from the crash bar area or onto the tie down brackets Harley sells that hook to the forks. Two in the rear to keep it from shifting left to right and the last two I put on the bars to control left and right tipping. Put those on last and don't crank them down too hard so you don't ruin your bushings. The piece of mind going down the highway at 80 in heavy traffic with idiots on the road is well worth the extra straps. On the trike, the tipping issue is negligible. Straps can come loose. I also use hooks with keepers or zip tie the open hooks to the tie down rings. I've towed bikes all over the country.

 

I have a Kendon trailer, which has a wheel dock like the Condor, and a Condor that I've used in borrowed trailers. I always use 4 straps. F & R. Typically i put the front at the fender mounts on the sliders, so the bike's suspension can work and so I don't have to fully compress the front just to know the front straps won't immediately loosen. I have also combined two soft ties then wrapped them full circle around the neck (in front of tank). This requires compressing the front. The Kendon is open, so i can see my bike in the rear view. The bike is much less jarred when the suspension is active, and i believe all the electronics inside the fairing are much happier for that.

The rear are usually attached to the saddle bag support, which is not ideal, then pulled forward. Ive considered wrapping the rim with soft ties then pulling forward.

I use large ratchet straps. No matter what i do, they loosen some. Check often.

 

When I used an enclosed I put in two extra floor D rings and had three tie downs for each side. When I switched to the open Aluma trailer I continued using three down each side.


I fasten fronts to highway bar and tighten enough so it takes some of the shock travel out of front end. Middle tie downs go on floor board supports. Rear tie downs are on passenger supports and pulled back and end up taking some of the rear shock travel out.


I know six tie downs is probably too much but I just figure if one breaks, or it I have to run through a ditch or something the bike just might stay in place.

 

3 sets of tie downs on each side of my Ultra. One ratcheted tie down connected to a soft tie looped around the passenger floorboard support pulled forward and out to a D ring in the trailer floor. Keeps the bike in position left to right and helps insure the front tire remains forward in the Condor chock. One ratcheted tie down connected to a soft tie looped around the lower fork slider just above the fender bracket pulled forward and out to a D ring in the floor. One ratcheted tie down connected to a soft tie looped around the triple tree and pulled forward and out to the same D ring. This set of tie downs stabilize the bike left to right but are not intended to compress the front forks.

Overkill? Probably. However this set up has so far prevented my nightmare of looking in the rear view mirror while pulling the trailer/bike and seeing the end of a handlebar sticking thru a trailer wall.

Works for me.

 

Just an FYI....A lot of people strap a bike down incorrectly. They strap the front straps pulling the bike into the chock (correctly) but then strap the two back ones down pulling the bike backwards towards the rear tie down spots. This causes the bike to be pulled both forward and backwards and causes your tie down straps to work against each other which is the reason when you drive for a bit and then check on your straps there is always at least one that is loose. The two front straps pull the bike into the chock and the back to should be strapped also pulling the bike forward....not backwards. I only realized this when I looked at the instructions that came with my chock.

 

Ha, not going to make it easy for him, he is going to have to earn it

 

Thanks for all the replies, I am going to add two more d-rings to the Aluma trailer.

Be Safe, JIM

 

Always double strap every point. If you're only running a single strap on a point, when and if that strap breaks, the tension from the opposite will pull it over.

 

Good point, Thanks JIM

 

I've got a homemade Condor style chock. 2 Big Daddy Straps off the front down tubes pulled forward into the V-nose e-channel. 2 straps off the passenger foot rest to keep the rear end from hopping around. My bike has never moved. Had the trailer up on one wheel at about a 45 degree angle one time, bike never moved. I think the chock would hold it alone except in a emergency like I had. (the straps I use on the back are what come with the bikes from the factory.) I'll check them after about 20 miles or so and at the first gas stop. Sometimes they need tightening a click or two. After that, I'm good to go the rest of day.