Tie down points.

[Jruby38]

I am going to tow the bike first time next week from Mass to Dragon Tail in a Uhaul motorcycle trailer.  Any free good advise on tie down points on a 99 Standard. Best I think is the fork brace by the headlight and engine guard on front, and top rear shock bolts, with three HD ratchet sets. This bike is NEW, went from 999999 to only 140 miles now. Do I have break the motor in again.

[hubcapsc]

There's this...

http://www.herberts.org/wayne/valk/tiedown.htm



Check out the good angles on the tie-downs, near 45 degrees...

Ever see bikes angled into the corner of the pickup bed? I wouldn't do that...

Kickstand up.

You're right about the engine guard being a good candidate.

I use the handlebars right by the risers, they're likely to twist and dump your
bike if you hook on anywhere else...

The very best place to hook on depends on where the other end of the tie-down hooks
on... you want to end up with that near 45 degree angle.

I remember once at the Harley shop the guy tightened my tie-downs so much it almost yanked
the tie-down hooks out of the truck sockets and deformed the front of the truck bed rail... that's too
tight... just tight enough will make the bike and the trailer or the bike and the truck bed rock as one when
you rock the handle bars.

[R J]

I use the lower engine guards in the front.

I use saddle bag braces in the rear but since yours is a STD, I'd use a lower or upper shock bracket. 







Turn the FUEL OFF.

If you tie to these points, make sure the front wheel is braced so as not to turn.

In a U-Haul motorcycle trailer they have a little extension for the wheel.   If you don't have one of those trailers, take a strap, insert one end through the wheel, take the other end down and around the tongue, close to the front panel as you can get it, ratchet it tight.    When ya gas up, check each strap to make sure it is tight.   

Okay, you are ready to roll almost.     Shake the bike and the trailer should move right along with the bike.   If it doesn't you need to pull another click or 2 on the ratchet.    Only use RATCHET straps.    You are not strong enough to pull those little flipper straps and I do not trust them anymore.    Did a recovery in California and the damn strap came loose, tightened it up again and the next stop it only had 1 half of the strap, the other half had fell off someplace after it broke.

I have only used 3" ratchet straps since then.     I did recovery in California for about 8+ years after I got off work.      A lot of them I got from the CHP dispatcher.

[Motorider]

When I trailer my I/S, I tie it down like the first picture that was posted. It may be overkill, however, I use 2 inch ratchet tie downs with stainless steel quick links on the ends. I just don`t trust the hooks on the ends of the tie downs. I want something that can`t unhook itself if I hit a pot hole. My wife and I will be at the Dragon`s Tail on May 30 and 31. I`ll watch for another Valk.

[R J]

When I trailer my I/S, I tie it down like the first picture that was posted. It may be overkill, however, I use 2 inch ratchet tie downs with stainless steel quick links on the ends. I just don`t trust the hooks on the ends of the tie downs. I want something that can`t unhook itself if I hit a pot hole. My wife and I will be at the Dragon`s Tail on May 30 and 31. I`ll watch for another Valk.

If you hook the strap low, you don't need to worry about it coming unhooked..

Hooking low, you have taken all the bounce out of the bike without crushing the front forks.

When I 1st started motor recovery, that was the way I used to hook them in that 1st picture.    Almost lost a motor coming down the grapevine just outside of LA.  It had bounced up and down on me and worked itself loose.   I had a car pass me and tell me about the bike,  I pulled over into the emergency park lane and fixed it.    From then on, on every recovery we experimented till we come up with the 'Hook em low and go'. Over the years I have hauled several of my bikes across from the left side to the right side, and never had an ounce of trouble hooking this way.

In 1989 or 1990, I got T-Boned right in the middle of the trailer at about 65 MPH.   My truck broke loose from the trailer, it went in the ditch and did a couple three, side way wobbles and then slammed a light pole.    Broke the pole off it hit so hard.   The trailer was almost bent double, but the bike was still rock solid under the conditions.  The Trooper who investigated the accident,  said he couldn't believe that bike was still on the trailer.    The recovery company in PA unloaded the bike, drug the trailer up on the flat bed.  Wife drove the truck to the motel and I rode the bike.

So, you fasten them your way and good luck if you are in an accident, especially a 'T'-Bone.   My comments above are only for your information.

[N8171S]

Shut off the fuel and run it untill she sputters.  Bouncing carb floats from going over bumps will put raw fuel into the cylinders.  Could even cause hydro lock.  I also suggest disconnecting the Vac hose from #6 carb for the trip. Better yet,  just ride the bike to the Dragon.

[cookiedough]

If hooking down low on the crash bars compresses the front shocks slightly, then it would work as would the handlebars in front.  Just remember as said to shut the fuel valve off and wouldn't hurt to run it a few miles with fuel valve off before strapping down along with having side stand up.  I know when I strap my ATV's all the time on my trailer,  there has to be some tension on the straps to the racks to compress the shocks so they do not bounce around as much which if you hit a big bump in the road, the shock compression from having the straps pretty tight will not allow the straps to come loose, but could break as one did to me on the road and never noticed it until filled up for gas.   I got lucky the ATV never slid off the back of the trailer which could happen if I hit another bigger bump since the back of my trailer has no side rails and tire was about 2-3" from the edge. Agree, everytime you stop for gas or every 100-200 miles or so, make sure to stop and check those straps for tightness, you never know and better be safe than sorry. 

[Motorider]

R J When you say hook low, where exactly are you hooking to the Valk? Also what keeps the Valk from  falling over? Are you depending 100% on the wheel chock? Just asking, I`m here to learn.

[R J]

The front wheel chock if you use one will hold the bike upright and keep the front wheel from turning.

When ya hook low like my picture, I'm on the lower part of the engine guard and there is a little flat chunk of steel on the guard for bracing. If you look real close to the one front wheel picture you can see where I'm talking about.   Hook behind that brace.     By hooking low, you are not putting any down force on the shocks.    Believe it or not the bike will not bounce up and down, it just follows the trailer where ever it moves to.    It is kind of hard to explain without actually seeing it.

The 2 straps on the rear, pull the bike to the rear, which tightens the front strap in a bounce and Visa Versa on the fronts to the rears.  My way, if you shake the bike, the trailer will move in the same exact pattern and the bike will hang right on the trailer.