How do I tie a 1st Gen in a trailer?

[GaryZ]

OK gents, I need to tow my 1st gen VR in a trailer. My sport bike handlebar harness won't reach across the buck-horn bars. What is the recommended method for tie-down?

[painterman67]

how I was tought and it seems to work great. Put the tie downs on the front over the bottom part of the triple tree( the black part under the fairing). Compress the front forks. Then put the rear tie downs onto the saddle bags rails with the hook over the part to where it want slip and compress the rear suspention. Put bike in neutral as Ive heard that trailering can destroy the tranny. Not sure if it will but its what Ive been told and works for me so who knows. I use the heavy duty ratchet straps and have towed it several times with no problems. Hope this helps.

 

 

Oh yeah forgot to add and as youve towed a bike before its probably old info for you but make sure one set of straps is pulling back and one set is pulling forward so the bike want move . and I stop every 100 miles or so to recheck every thing. Good luck

 

 

David

[MiCarl]

I do pretty much what painter says. I also use some nylon web slings around the attachment points then hook into the web so the hooks can't damage anything.

 

They're similar to THIS. I've found them at the local motorcycle accessory shop and at the trailer supply store. I've also heard they are available in the sporting goods sections of the big box stores.

[chocking]

I've trailered my 84 a number of times several thousand miles..Nylon straps around the triple tree....I would not attach them to the saddlebag bars though..I run the tie down straps around the frame near the rear pegs....

 

Use a decent wheel chock in the front and pull everything forward..

 

Also use a ratchet strap around the front tire and the wheel chock...

 

Don't compress the forks more than 1/3 of the way down..

 

 

Clay

[Thom]

I have no IDEA , and all those pic's is a lie !

but if i knew , you need to cross the straps on the rear and on the front , strapping to the fork brace works good too .

Some people in Texas think all I ever do is trailer a 1st gen

[Eck]

As much as I have heard about those 1st Gens, I would think you need to tie the trailer to the top of the bike...

[dingy]

I am going out on a limb and suggest a different way to tie the front down.

 

I prefer to hook a SOFT sling around the forks just above the fork brace. Support the bike only with the tie downs so it is not riding on the center or kick stands. You need heavy straps, at least 2" wide.

 

The logic behind this is then the front end of the bike can ride on its suspension and move up and down.

 

If you go across the triple tree and the suspension compresses when going over a bump, there is the risk that the tie downs will become slack enough to allow the hook to disengage.

 

I brought the parts bike I got from MiCarl back from Detroit last year over some very rough roads and it rode fine.

 

We have trailered my Venture and an HD Dyna this way several times with no problems.

 

Gary

[skydoc_17]

Hey Gary,

Because I move a LOT of bikes here at the shop, and most of them are First Gens., And the front fairing is problematic for attaching tie down straps, here is the method I use.

I attach two RATCHETING tie down straps on the front crash bar tube pulling forward on both sides of the front of the bike. I do use the rear luggage crash bar for the rear but I connect the tie down with a nylon handle bar strap on the luggage crash bar where the down tube is welded to the crash bar tube, with the tie down straps heading rearward. I have attached a pic with the attachment points marked in yellow. The trailer I use has a front wheel trough that I can drive the front into, if you have a wooden floor in your trailer, get the wheel strait and nail a 2X4 on each side of it. You will notice that in the second pic, there are no tie downs on the handle bars or front forks. This bike traveled 500 miles with no damage. Works every time. The only time I ever had a First Gen. VR tip in a trailer was when the tie down RIPPED the cleat right out of the metal floor of the rental trailer I was using.

Earl

Edited November 22, 2010 by skydoc_17

[Guest Swifty]

how I was tought and it seems to work great. Put the tie downs on the front over the bottom part of the triple tree( the black part under the fairing). Compress the front forks. Then put the rear tie downs onto the saddle bags rails with the hook over the part to where it want slip and compress the rear suspention.

...it worked for me, Ontario-Virginia-Ontario this summer.

[friesman]

I just use a Baxley chock that clamps the front wheel in place, holds the bike up, and then run straps from the passenger grips forward to the floor anchors and i am done. I dont tie the front down as i want the suspension to move, just the front wheel is clamped down. Ive travelled down to California and all over western canada that way with no issue.

 

I unload and load my bike every day in the season from my trailer, its great that I can do this myself with this chock.

 

Brian

[GaryZ]

Thanks for all the responses. I got it in the trailer for a test fit (after removing the windshield) and discovered the obvious . . . the existing front wheel chock and tie-downs were designed for my Ninja and other than the chock, nothing else was in the right place.

 

I ended up using a combination of your ideas. I removed my 2x4 chock and mounted my "drive-in" chock from Harbor Frieght. I tied lower triple-trees with a slight compression of the forks, and tied the passenger crash bars to the sides.

 

After 50 miles I checked and found the triple-tree tie-downs had fell off (!!!). However that harbor frieght chock was holding her up. I put the front tie-downs back on and tied them different (they stayed on). I checked in Dallas and found one of the rear ties had fell off. She was still standing proud.

 

Notes to self:

1 Harbor Frieght front wheel chocks are worth it

2 tape all tie-down hooks or they can fall off

 

[Condor]

I use a Canyon Dancer on the grips. I have one of the originals and see that they have improved them even more. I also like to use a trailer that has side walls in order to keep the webbing off the fairing. They now make the CD is different lengths to fit different widths. When I first bought my original it was one size fits all and when picking up a bike sometimes they are a little on the short side.