tie downs and shocks

[Woody]

I was loading my bike and a friend told me not to tighten the tie downs until I was ready to leave which would be two days later, he said it would ruin the shocks. what is your thoughts on this?

[CaptainJoe]

Depends on if your bottoming them out and how rough of roads you were traveling...

 

 

I trailered my bike to Cody, Wy... 3 days out 3 days back probably took the front end down 1 1/2 - 2" inch with ratcheting straps and about 1" in the back with no problems.

 

Can gaurentee you one thing though... if you don't get that front end down enough your bike will fall over...

 

 

When strapping down dirt bikes i never strapped back but always compressed front around 3" ...

[allwx]

I've been told this, too, and have always followed that practice. I compress the forks as far as I can get them, but if the bike is to stay in the trailer any length of time I release the tiedowns while it sits. I was told the reason is the fork springs may lose some length from being compressed so much so long.

[dingy]

OK, this is sure to bring on the nay-sayers.

 

I have towed and been around a few towed bikes and the best way I have ever seen it done is to strap the front end down below the upper fork tubes. Soft sided straps need to be used so tubes aren't marred. On a 1st gen, go just over fork cross brace.

 

This allows the lower part of the forks to be tightened down as much as desired. The bike is then able to rebound using the front forks. There is little chance of a strap coming loose when a big bump is hit.

 

The back end has always been done regular way, generally can't get straps in a position to be effective on rear.

 

Gary

[Yammer Dan]

NAY NAY NAY....... I ride a 1st Gen. Only time I tie it down is when the parking lot is full of 2nd Gens!!!:whistling:

 

I really don't have a lot of experience tying down these brutes. Dingy's advice sounds good.

[tz89]

I used a figure 8 this summer on my 89vr and it worked fine. I just wanted to try something different. Over the fork brace, down and cross over behind the lower tube, out and hooked to the tie downs. My theory was it would keep all the stress on the brace while not rubbing the upper tube or seal.

 

Not recommending it; it just worked for me. Sorry I didn't get a photo.

 

t

[playboy]

NAY NAY NAY....... I ride a 1st Gen. Only time I tie it down is when the parking lot is full of 2nd Gens!!!:whistling:

 

 

Dan must have a bashful scoot It's always trying to hide around 2nd gens and he is to slow to catch his ride

[Yammer Dan]

NAY NAY NAY....... I ride a 1st Gen. Only time I tie it down is when the parking lot is full of 2nd Gens!!!:whistling:

 

 

Dan must have a bashful scoot It's always trying to hide around 2nd gens and he is to slow to catch his ride

 

 

 

Yeah you ought to see "Brown Sugar" try to run away and hide. But you have to look Quick!!! She is almost as bashfull as I am!!

[Woody]

thanks y'all, this was very helpful as usual.

[birin]

I lost a front fork seal on a 3000 kilometer haul this spring over a 4 day period when I racheted the front end down tight.

[allwx]

I lost a front fork seal on a 3000 kilometer haul this spring over a 4 day period when I racheted the front end down tight.

 

The seal might've been on the way out anyway. I never saw one leak after any kind of hauling. I do like the advice on not compressing the forks, though, makes sense. However one thing compressing does is to compensate for inevitable loosening of the tiedowns.

[Preacher Dude]

Why would you even tie a bike down????? They are made to ride not haul. The only time mine is hauled is when it is broke.

[Gray Ghost]

I used to think that bikes should only be ridden, but when I had to move an RV and my bike at the same time I couldn't come up with an appropriate hitch to let me tow the RV behind the bike. Now if I was Muffinman that wouldn't have been a problem. He probably would have found a way to put it on a HF trailer.

[Wolf]

NAY NAY NAY....... I ride a 1st Gen. Only time I tie it down is when the parking lot is full of 2nd Gens!!!:whistling:

 

I really don't have a lot of experience tying down these brutes. Dingy's advice sounds good.

 

and I thought only the 1st gens were prone to falling over...

[footsie]

Why would you even tie a bike down????? They are made to ride not haul. The only time mine is hauled is when it is broke.

 

 

If see my bike on a trailer, call 911 it been stolen.

Preacher venture don't break.

 

 

 

Gregg

 

 

 

P.S. Dingy I tie mine the same if I have to haul it.

[Monty]

This is what worked best for me. No compressing at all. Pulled it from Oklahoma to Tennessee with no problems. I40 in Oklahoma and Arkansas is one of the roughest roads in the country, too.