Originally Posted by Casper

Wow! this runs the gambet on tieing down a motorcycle...
I've trailered many a motorcycle over my 45 years of riding, everything from dirt bike, motorcross to large touring biks and trikes.

#1. Never, NEVER use handlebars as a tie down point!
#2. I wouldn't use the engine guard as a tie down point.
#3. First, buy a good set of soft ties
#4. Buy a good set of tie downs, ratchet prefered.
#5. Use a good front wheel anchor, I like the wheel chock style, Harbor Feight sells a good knockoff.
#6. Use good anchor points on the trailer, use grade 8 bolts, backing plates etc...

Now that you have the trailer set up...
1. Pull the bike into the wheel chock, leave the side stand down.
2. slide the soft ties over the lower tripple trees, be mindful of the break lines etc. loop one end through the other of the soft ties after sliding it over the lower tripple tree.
3. On the left side place one tie down strap hook into the exposed end of the soft tie and the other end into you tie down point of the trailer, take the slack out of the tie down strap, not tight, just the slack.
4. On the right side repeat the left side...Now gently pull the bike towards the right side and tighten the tie down strap, move to the left side and tighten the strap, back to the right side and tighten a little more...repeat as necessary until the bike is secure. I do compress the forks, not compleatly, but its down there good...
5. Grab the handle bars and see if the bike shakes, it'll move a little but should be good and secure in the wheel chock..

As for the rear, I don't always tie off the rear. Depends on the flooring of the trailer. when I do I use two straps. I wrap one through the rear tire and put both tie down hooks in the same tie down point of the trailer, I use a second one and repeat. I tie them down making an X. One strap pulls to the left and the other pills right...I don't tighten a bunch, just secure the rear.

That's it...when you remove the bike, start by removing the rear straps, bike is not moving at this point.
Next, slowly release most of the tension on the strap on the right side, let the bike come over on the sidestand ( that's why I leave it down) release the strap on the left, and then release all of the right side and then left side....back bike out or off trailer...easy..

Originally Posted by Guntoter

You stated you attach the straps to the "lower triple trees," how do you do that when they are covered with the fairing? Are you meaning the fork lowers? If so is it at the fender attachment point? How do you keep from scratching the paint on the fender mounts, even with soft straps?

Originally Posted by tx-skydiver

I compress the front some. I don;t want the bike to have full suspension travel on a bump, snap back up and break a strap. The rear I use the footboards.

I did not compress one time and the straps unhooked themselves on a bump and my bike fell over on the trailer causing $1,800 worth of damage. I compress again and use the HD straps WITH THE CLIP! If I don;t have HD straps on my then I tape up the eyelet.

Originally Posted by Casper

I assume the bike in the picture is yours, that being said see the chrome air baffle? The soft tie strap goes over the tree that the chrome air baffle is attached to. Now maybe I'm not correct in what that black piece of metal is called, but I refer to it as the lower triple tree...

Originally Posted by Guntoter

It is the lower tree, but I still don't see how you tie down to that when the front has covers and fairing covering it. Anyway on my bike there is an air baffle which would prevent any strap on it anyway.

Originally Posted by Casper

Ok, Maybe a visual will help you understand..

Picture one is a screwdrive pointing to the lower triple tree.



Picture two shows a yellow tie down strap going over the tree and out the front. I don't use the strap this way, just a visual..


Picture three shows the yellow strap going through the rear, over the top and out the front of the lower tree..


The last picture shows the soft tie going in the rear, over the tree and out the front...then loops within itself to provide a tie down point for the tie down strap ( the yellow ones)


Hope this helps, if you squat down and look from the rear of the tree, you can see daylight, more than enough room for straps.