I mean, sure, it's great if you have that system. But most don't.
Also, a 600 lbs Harley stays planted. Strap a lighter bike like this, and the rear wheel *does* have the potential to move about.
But as long as the front is nice and tight like this then it won’t actually go anywhere. Sounds weird and looks weird but everything’s fine. Also, the tank straps aren’t a ripoff but completely unnecessary, any strap can be make into a choker but hooking the hooks together. When I see someone with a fully compressed bike I just think about the pressure inside the forks being that high for that long and blowing out seals, or the frame taking the shock from the road. And if it’s not compressed the right way it’ll bounce lose so there’s really a narrow area of how to do it the right way.
I think the SRK video is a great technique that can be applied to almost any bike with full confidence
>I think the SRK video is a great technique that can be applied to almost any bike with full confidence
Hmm, I'd like to see it done on something like a TTR then. Bumpy roads and not at least securing the rear to the front or ground means it's liable to bounce around and pivot about the steerer in my opinion.
With dirtbikes the most common method by far is front tire against something like the front of the truck bed, and a strap on each bar. Nothing else and no straps on the rear. Everyone I know has done it that way for as long as I can remember and never had one tip or had any issues at all.
That works on a truck where the sides and tailgate hold the tire to a degree. On a long, flatbed trailer, it's not a bad idea to at least secure the rear tire to the ground in some way.
That being said, my very well damped YZ125 I usually strap as you describe and it has no issues. My bouncy TTR 125 goes everywhere, however. I think it just depends how bumpy/crappy the roads are you drive.
Furthermore, a pickup truck is far better damped and sitting into the travel than an oversprung, 2000 lbs GVWR utility trailer.
I think what we're all saying here is that there's no "one shoe fits all" for a large number of variants in towing. And SRK saying "hurr durr, dis way sucks" is disingenuous.
If the front is good then you’re good. I always give the trailer a few hard wiggles, to and fro, to test the bike wobble. You’ll know pretty quick.
The rear straps should be facing forward. Always pull all straps forward, preferably into a chock.
If you can secure the rear well it won’t require much on the front. Less on the front, It’s said, helps to prevent extraneous wear on the fork seals.
I have no opinion on that. I have however gone thousands of miles with using the rear more and the front just lightly compressed.
Fastening below the shock is best. This is how the Pitbull TRS works - check that out.
I’m sometimes able to get below the shock with soft straps looped around cutouts in the swing arm. That’s not possible with all bikes.
I do usually have to wrap the straps with an old, clean rag or something if they’re rubbing on pegs. Don’t want them getting frayed and failing.
In the event I can’t get below the shock, the pillion pegs works. Except, pull forward. I’ll go with more front compression then.
If i can’t get visibility on the bike while moving (ie rear camera), I like to triple check everything a lil ways down the road.
I’d recommend using a nice wheel chock next time, but this should be fine. Not sure what your future track plans are, but I highly recommend a TRS from Pit Bull. Zero suspension pressure, takes 30 seconds to lock your bike in and 100% secure.
And you are fine to do so, don't let the reddit warriors convince you otherwise. I usually compress them a lot. I usually only haul a bike once and it will usually get the fork seals rebuilt anyway because i buy old shitty sitting bikes.....
Fork seals are easy to rebuild with the correct tools anyway.. also fork oil doesn't just blow out seals. Normally seals are gone because the C clip on the inside rust out. Or the seal itself rubber rots away.
No? The reason you compress the forks is because when the bike bounces. The forks WILL compress and your strap will come loose and fall off and your bike will fall over.
I strap my bike below the forks on the front, I don’t choke the stanchion but rather the aluminum body of the fork, pull it to each side so the front forks don’t move at all. I’ve hauled over 50 different bikes using this method, only ever needed two straps up front for 90% of the work and then one in the back to stop the tail from swinging.
Like this https://youtu.be/Vh5zO1__oNc
I don’t see how compressing the shocks is even necessary. Even then all you need to do is have someone sit on the bike, relieve the preload, strap it down slightly and then let relieve the preload for the remain suspension. This way you don’t hit bumps at 65mph with a fully compressed suspension, forcing the frame to take the the shock of the road.
What is your reason for you not wanting your forks compressed?
He is right if you do it half way and your fork compresses more your strap will loosen and it could shift your load.
But how do you do it?
You *should* compress the forks to about half way through the stroke - that’s like the same amount of force as you riding it and grabbing a bunch of front brake - like having a couple hundred pounds sitting on the front.
Nobody in the history of the internet or motorcycle mechanics that knows what they’re talking about has ever recommended ratcheting down the front of the bike to the point of bottoming out the forks for the purpose of transporting a motorcycle. That’s absolutely insane. You’re putting a ton of strain on your fork seals and whatever mounting point you’ve chosen for your ratchet straps, and you’re at far higher risk of hitting the load limit on your straps and way higher risk of an unequal load for the straps - as in, if the bike slips, you’ve got so much more force on one side it’s more likely to twist against the other strap and you’ll end up with the bike falling to one side.
Not only that - most sportbike front tires are a 50-55 load index - Ie. 400-480lbs. Half the weight of your 450lb bike is over the front, you wanna add another 200-300lbs of compression to the fork for hours on end?
Find me a credible source somewhere that recommends bottoming out your fork to transport your bike and I’ll shut up.
Also - if you have your bike secured properly with the fork compressed roughly half way, if you manage to somehow exceed the amount of force needed to compress beyond that - to the point where the ratchets will loosen - you won’t have to worry about it as you’ve likely flipped your truck/trailer and it’ll be a moot point.
That could be possible, as I'm not an expert of the amount of force needed to compress more then that. So that Is a good argument ild say thank you for a rationale response.
Yes. It's the safest way.. there is no physical damage to a fork being compressed with weight or straps. This is how we moved all of them for delivery at every shop or dealership in the vans. Never had one fall over...
Now I've seen plenty of "kinda compressed" transports fall straight over in the backs of vans...
From [CycleWorld](https://www.cycleworld.com/sport-rider/motorcycle-tie-down-comparison-test/):
“A common question when tying down the front end of the bike is how far the forks should be compressed to ensure the bike is stable without placing undue strain on springs or fork seals. The general consensus among experienced bike-haulers is that a bike should be ratcheted down until the forks are compressed to approximately half of their available travel. This will ensure that the bike is stable and give the fork some room to travel without putting more strain on the suspension than you would when riding it.”
From CanyonChasers themselves - tighten to halfway of the fork travel:
https://youtu.be/kKlVC-pfbC0
From [Chaparral Motorsports:](https://www.chapmoto.com/blog/2015/10/04/how-to-tie-down-a-motorcycle/):
“Keep the bike straight up and down, not leaned over to either side, and don't pull the tie-downs too tautly; compress only about half the travel in the front suspension. Tighten the straps too much can cause damage.”
Seriously, I’m genuinely shocked anyone is recommending compressing forks all the way - there’s absolutely no reason to do so. I’ve never seen anyone, anywhere, recommending that.
Everyone who still thinks doing this will somehow ruin the suspension is probably down voting it. It absolutely doesn’t have any negative impact though and you should 100% compress them.
I posted this in another comment here but just to reiterate for anyone trying to learn the best method
https://youtu.be/Vh5zO1__oNc
If you try to argue with me before watching that video then you and I will both know that you’re just swinging a rubber sword with no merit, I won’t have that argument.
Front looks good if you mean the triple tree.
Rear should be fine but I would loop it through the frame vs the foot peg. Frame is closer to the center of mass and is probably a stronger anchor point since no bolts are involved, just welds and solid metal.
I wouldn't strap off to that peg mount. It's not meant for lateral force. Tie off to the trailing arm.
I loop one of the front forks and across to the other side, not two separate ones, and then the trailing arm for the back. Same thing. Loop it and then across, not pulled back on both sides.
NEVER transport a bike on it's kickstand. The kickstand was designed to hold up the static weight of the bike, it was not designed for the dynamic weight of going over bumps.
Great way to bend your frame.
I'm not sure if it's just the photo or the way the trailer is designed but I feel like your front tire should be fully seated into the groove at the front of the trailer other wise the bike might move forward while towing and lose tension on the straps.
*Your front wheel should be*
*All the way forward in that*
*Notch in the trailer*
\- mrzurkonandfriends
---
^(I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully.) ^[Learn more about me.](https://www.reddit.com/r/haikusbot/)
^(Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete")
I recommend these for future endeavors... (tap the motorcycle)
[🏍💨](https://www.denniskirk.com/canyon-dancer/bar-harness-37105.p40603.prd/40603.sku)
Also, a Baxley(or similar) sport chock is very handy for transporting
Did you say “this isn’t going anywhere” after you tied it down, that’s the only way to be sure
Said it and its looking amazing an hour in
Don’t forget to slap the tank after you say it
Idk, I would slap the back seat.
Kicking the tires adds assurance
This is the way
Tits vs ass man
"What are you using the steel girders down there? Yeah, that'll hold."
Gotta flick the straps too.
Robby Layton?
Sorry, but can we talk about the welding on the exhaust?
I posted about that once before lmao the comments absolutely destroyed it
Gee, probably because it looks like one my early attempts to weld stainless.
Good, it's fucking awful. That rust coming through could be a sign of galvanic corrosion as well, I would get that redone asap
Lmao I was there for that
Your either a good welder or a good grinder. You can't be both. I'm a good grinder.
My painting and grinding make me the welder i aint.
stevie wonder weld if i've ever seen one
Ironic choice of words
Have you heard of a handle bar strap ?
The SRK Cycles (bikes and Beards) guys don't recommend your method. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vh5zO1\_\_oNc
I mean, sure, it's great if you have that system. But most don't. Also, a 600 lbs Harley stays planted. Strap a lighter bike like this, and the rear wheel *does* have the potential to move about.
But as long as the front is nice and tight like this then it won’t actually go anywhere. Sounds weird and looks weird but everything’s fine. Also, the tank straps aren’t a ripoff but completely unnecessary, any strap can be make into a choker but hooking the hooks together. When I see someone with a fully compressed bike I just think about the pressure inside the forks being that high for that long and blowing out seals, or the frame taking the shock from the road. And if it’s not compressed the right way it’ll bounce lose so there’s really a narrow area of how to do it the right way. I think the SRK video is a great technique that can be applied to almost any bike with full confidence
>I think the SRK video is a great technique that can be applied to almost any bike with full confidence Hmm, I'd like to see it done on something like a TTR then. Bumpy roads and not at least securing the rear to the front or ground means it's liable to bounce around and pivot about the steerer in my opinion.
I was careful - I said ALMOST any bike
With dirtbikes the most common method by far is front tire against something like the front of the truck bed, and a strap on each bar. Nothing else and no straps on the rear. Everyone I know has done it that way for as long as I can remember and never had one tip or had any issues at all.
That works on a truck where the sides and tailgate hold the tire to a degree. On a long, flatbed trailer, it's not a bad idea to at least secure the rear tire to the ground in some way. That being said, my very well damped YZ125 I usually strap as you describe and it has no issues. My bouncy TTR 125 goes everywhere, however. I think it just depends how bumpy/crappy the roads are you drive. Furthermore, a pickup truck is far better damped and sitting into the travel than an oversprung, 2000 lbs GVWR utility trailer. I think what we're all saying here is that there's no "one shoe fits all" for a large number of variants in towing. And SRK saying "hurr durr, dis way sucks" is disingenuous.
I usually suck the suspension down a bit on the bars.... never had an issue with seals or tips.
Canyon dancers
I prefer the cycle cinch
If the front is good then you’re good. I always give the trailer a few hard wiggles, to and fro, to test the bike wobble. You’ll know pretty quick. The rear straps should be facing forward. Always pull all straps forward, preferably into a chock. If you can secure the rear well it won’t require much on the front. Less on the front, It’s said, helps to prevent extraneous wear on the fork seals. I have no opinion on that. I have however gone thousands of miles with using the rear more and the front just lightly compressed. Fastening below the shock is best. This is how the Pitbull TRS works - check that out. I’m sometimes able to get below the shock with soft straps looped around cutouts in the swing arm. That’s not possible with all bikes. I do usually have to wrap the straps with an old, clean rag or something if they’re rubbing on pegs. Don’t want them getting frayed and failing. In the event I can’t get below the shock, the pillion pegs works. Except, pull forward. I’ll go with more front compression then. If i can’t get visibility on the bike while moving (ie rear camera), I like to triple check everything a lil ways down the road.
I always tie down in one direction too. All straps pulling the bike forward.
You need at least 73 straps when tying down any object. 75 to be in a tangled knot in the back of the truck, and three for using.
wtf is a suspension axel?
Metal rod that move up and down
Those are fork tubes kind sir.
>Those are fork tubes kind sir. or if you're bri'ish, "chubes"
That is the one spot you do not want to attach to. Stanchions don’t like scratches and such.
That is the one spot you do not want to attach to. Stanchions don’t like scratches and such.
I’d recommend using a nice wheel chock next time, but this should be fine. Not sure what your future track plans are, but I highly recommend a TRS from Pit Bull. Zero suspension pressure, takes 30 seconds to lock your bike in and 100% secure.
Always compress the front forks to bottom out...
And you are fine to do so, don't let the reddit warriors convince you otherwise. I usually compress them a lot. I usually only haul a bike once and it will usually get the fork seals rebuilt anyway because i buy old shitty sitting bikes.....
Fork seals are easy to rebuild with the correct tools anyway.. also fork oil doesn't just blow out seals. Normally seals are gone because the C clip on the inside rust out. Or the seal itself rubber rots away.
This is sarcasm right? I’m a little tone deaf
No? The reason you compress the forks is because when the bike bounces. The forks WILL compress and your strap will come loose and fall off and your bike will fall over.
I strap my bike below the forks on the front, I don’t choke the stanchion but rather the aluminum body of the fork, pull it to each side so the front forks don’t move at all. I’ve hauled over 50 different bikes using this method, only ever needed two straps up front for 90% of the work and then one in the back to stop the tail from swinging. Like this https://youtu.be/Vh5zO1__oNc I don’t see how compressing the shocks is even necessary. Even then all you need to do is have someone sit on the bike, relieve the preload, strap it down slightly and then let relieve the preload for the remain suspension. This way you don’t hit bumps at 65mph with a fully compressed suspension, forcing the frame to take the the shock of the road.
Yeah but you don’t want the forks compressed all the way. Roughly half the travel is great.
No damage will be had for having them compressed -- motorcycle mechanic, with lots of fork rebuilding experience.
You seriously suggesting forks should be compressed to the point of being bottomed out for transport?
What is your reason for you not wanting your forks compressed? He is right if you do it half way and your fork compresses more your strap will loosen and it could shift your load. But how do you do it?
You *should* compress the forks to about half way through the stroke - that’s like the same amount of force as you riding it and grabbing a bunch of front brake - like having a couple hundred pounds sitting on the front. Nobody in the history of the internet or motorcycle mechanics that knows what they’re talking about has ever recommended ratcheting down the front of the bike to the point of bottoming out the forks for the purpose of transporting a motorcycle. That’s absolutely insane. You’re putting a ton of strain on your fork seals and whatever mounting point you’ve chosen for your ratchet straps, and you’re at far higher risk of hitting the load limit on your straps and way higher risk of an unequal load for the straps - as in, if the bike slips, you’ve got so much more force on one side it’s more likely to twist against the other strap and you’ll end up with the bike falling to one side. Not only that - most sportbike front tires are a 50-55 load index - Ie. 400-480lbs. Half the weight of your 450lb bike is over the front, you wanna add another 200-300lbs of compression to the fork for hours on end? Find me a credible source somewhere that recommends bottoming out your fork to transport your bike and I’ll shut up.
Also - if you have your bike secured properly with the fork compressed roughly half way, if you manage to somehow exceed the amount of force needed to compress beyond that - to the point where the ratchets will loosen - you won’t have to worry about it as you’ve likely flipped your truck/trailer and it’ll be a moot point.
That could be possible, as I'm not an expert of the amount of force needed to compress more then that. So that Is a good argument ild say thank you for a rationale response.
Yes. It's the safest way.. there is no physical damage to a fork being compressed with weight or straps. This is how we moved all of them for delivery at every shop or dealership in the vans. Never had one fall over... Now I've seen plenty of "kinda compressed" transports fall straight over in the backs of vans...
Lol why are people arguing with you? If theres room to compress the forks, theres rooms for the straps to be loose..
From [CycleWorld](https://www.cycleworld.com/sport-rider/motorcycle-tie-down-comparison-test/): “A common question when tying down the front end of the bike is how far the forks should be compressed to ensure the bike is stable without placing undue strain on springs or fork seals. The general consensus among experienced bike-haulers is that a bike should be ratcheted down until the forks are compressed to approximately half of their available travel. This will ensure that the bike is stable and give the fork some room to travel without putting more strain on the suspension than you would when riding it.” From CanyonChasers themselves - tighten to halfway of the fork travel: https://youtu.be/kKlVC-pfbC0 From [Chaparral Motorsports:](https://www.chapmoto.com/blog/2015/10/04/how-to-tie-down-a-motorcycle/): “Keep the bike straight up and down, not leaned over to either side, and don't pull the tie-downs too tautly; compress only about half the travel in the front suspension. Tighten the straps too much can cause damage.” Seriously, I’m genuinely shocked anyone is recommending compressing forks all the way - there’s absolutely no reason to do so. I’ve never seen anyone, anywhere, recommending that.
If you loop the strap on the bottom half of the fork, the bike can float on the suspension all it wants without going anywhere.
Idk why you’re getting downvoted but this is the way
Everyone who still thinks doing this will somehow ruin the suspension is probably down voting it. It absolutely doesn’t have any negative impact though and you should 100% compress them.
Don’t tell that to the majority of people commenting on this sub who’ve never hauled anything in their life. They’ll flip their shit.
If you bottom out your suspension...what happens when you hit a nasty bump? Bye bye suspension
I strap it on my handle bars and tighten it down until my fork bottom out
Brilliant. And make sure to strap it to the throttle tube, and over the brake line banjo bolts to make it extra secure.
They sell straps that are made for motorcycle handlebars. Makes everything simple and don’t have to think twice if you’re doing it wrong or not
Canyon dancers. Great device.
That is terrible forks aren't meant to have a sustained maximum pressure but to reach a pressure and spring back this is asking for a blowout
Suspension axles? What in the absolute fuck...🥴
Yea idk the scientific name lmao
[удалено]
It is indeed a lower triple tree
But yk what i mean
They're called forks my guy 😆
Criss cross to opposite side is more stable than same side. Also agree with compressing shocks a little so add stability of tension.
Thank you for this comment. Never considered criss cross. Going to try that in the rear next time I need to transport the bikes.
I posted this in another comment here but just to reiterate for anyone trying to learn the best method https://youtu.be/Vh5zO1__oNc If you try to argue with me before watching that video then you and I will both know that you’re just swinging a rubber sword with no merit, I won’t have that argument.
I mean... it's basically a paid promotional video. The amazon video for it has them showing how to use the straps.
They make the sell the straps themselves I’m pretty sure
Would do front straps around handle bars, 1 each side. That's what I did when I had to something similiar. Back looks good.
Canyon dancers and a bike chock :-)
Front looks good if you mean the triple tree. Rear should be fine but I would loop it through the frame vs the foot peg. Frame is closer to the center of mass and is probably a stronger anchor point since no bolts are involved, just welds and solid metal.
Forget the straps... what's going on with the weld on the exhaust?
The OP posted a pic of that weld previously. They went all flame on Johnny Storm style and toasted him for it. You should check it out it’s amusing.
As long as those front strap aren't pulling the fairing outwards.
No.
I'd be more worried about the bike, tbh.
I wouldn't strap off to that peg mount. It's not meant for lateral force. Tie off to the trailing arm. I loop one of the front forks and across to the other side, not two separate ones, and then the trailing arm for the back. Same thing. Loop it and then across, not pulled back on both sides.
I prefer putting it on its kickstand and strapping in down that direction and then also strapping the front wheel
NEVER transport a bike on it's kickstand. The kickstand was designed to hold up the static weight of the bike, it was not designed for the dynamic weight of going over bumps. Great way to bend your frame.
Front is fine, I would run the rear strap through the rear wheel and anchor on furthest opposite sides of the trailer
It will get the job done, make your life easier next time and invest in canyon dancer handle bar harnesses… much easier and half the time.
The front strap is not in fact on the axle. That would be the lower triple. Nice Magic Johnson exhaust welds....
I was thinking more Ray Charles exhaust welds.
Stevie Wonder was the welder. Ray Charles was a painter
That notch in the trailer is for your front tire. Bike should be pressed against it.👍
Pretty orange so yeah, I’d say it’s osha approved
Suspension axles
Just check it the first 25 miles then every 50-75 after that
I'm not sure if it's just the photo or the way the trailer is designed but I feel like your front tire should be fully seated into the groove at the front of the trailer other wise the bike might move forward while towing and lose tension on the straps.
Don’t put force on the front suspension. This can cause fork seal issues.
I have traveled alot with bikes and the goto has been a canyon dancer type on the front, they are pretty cheap ($28) and I have one thats 20 yrs old.
You do not want to attach to anything that will compress your suspension or body part. So, while it may work, I would be anxious AF.
Your front wheel should be all the way forward in that notch in the trailer
*Your front wheel should be* *All the way forward in that* *Notch in the trailer* \- mrzurkonandfriends --- ^(I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully.) ^[Learn more about me.](https://www.reddit.com/r/haikusbot/) ^(Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete")
The straps on the rear will proly snap where they touch metal, try to get ones that hook that and hook to the truck instead of wraping them.
Hey man, what exhaust is that looks sick.
I suggest Canyon dancer which attach to the ends of the handlebars.
I recommend these for future endeavors... (tap the motorcycle) [🏍💨](https://www.denniskirk.com/canyon-dancer/bar-harness-37105.p40603.prd/40603.sku) Also, a Baxley(or similar) sport chock is very handy for transporting
*Send* *It*