Strapping the Valk down

[robin]

I'm going to put the Valk in my truck and haul it to Colorado I know i should ride it but want to spend more time out there riding so my question is when i put it in the the truck i have a wheel chock that i bought at the NYC bike show this year and you don't have to bolt it down which is fine where is the best place to hook the tie downs ?
I'm thinking from reading around here that the front ones go to the crash bars  but where would be the best place for the rear?

[shortleg]

  I use the frame near the rear foot pegs.
       Shortleg[Dave].
  Also if you want wrap around rear tire.

[Garland]

I put the front ones at the inner curve of the handlebars, rear at strut bolt behind the shock on my tourer. These areas make it easy to sit on the bike and compress the springs somewhat, and I think the high attachment point makes for better stability.

[Master Blaster]

For the front I use soft straps around the bottom triple tree.  Walley World has them for like 2 bux a pack of 2.  for the rear I usually tie to the bottom bag guard  Front I pull forward and out, rear a little out and down or a little forward and down.  Use good quality ratchet straps and make sure they dont contact any paint or chrome.  Turn fuel off, and put the kickstand up.  Not necessary to bottom the forks, I usually leave 1 1/2 or 2 in.  Chreck every gas stop for loose straps, and anything unusual.  Trick is you want no movement at all between the bike and the vehicle.  I tow a lot and this works.

[R J]

I put the front ones at the inner curve of the handlebars, rear at strut bolt behind the shock on my tourer. These areas make it easy to sit on the bike and compress the springs somewhat, and I think the high attachment point makes for better stability.

Stay off of the handlebars, they are not strong enough to hold the weight of the Phat lady.





PS:  Keep the kick stand in the UP position unless you want a bent frame.......

[PAVALKER]

Thats how to do in in a trailer.... but I am concerned how he is going to get the fat lady up in a truck and tie it down.  What kind of truck and ramp are you using.

[R J]

Thats how to do in in a trailer.... but I am concerned how he is going to get the fat lady up in a truck and tie it down.  What kind of truck and ramp are you using.

Ya'll is making it difficult, he just asked how to tie it down..........

I wouldn't begin to attmpt to tell someone how to load into a pickup except find a deep ditch he can put the rear wheels in, drop the tail gate and then ride it in......  Same for unloading.........

Otherwise he needs some very heavy duty curved ramps and about 6 people to help get it in there.....

There are units out there on the market you install in the pickup bed, roll it out and down on a angle, tie the bike on at the base and roll it into the bed all by your lonesome, but, them b*stards are expensive.    Maybe not a much as a trailer, but trailers is all I have ever used even when we were in the reocvery business...  Some of the bikes we picked up you would of needed a fork lift to load em up without a trailer..........

http://www.cruiserlift.com/cruiserramp.html

[robin]

Thanks everyone for your input i'm going to put the bike in the truck with a roll back my friend has i was looking for tips on strapping it down in the truck i have the two hold downs that are already in the truck front and rear (f150) just wanted to know where to put the tie downs on the bike.

[BigMac NJ]

Make sure you use the strongest strap you can find. I made the mistake of using a thin width strap on one side last year and now have the scratches on the tourers bags to prove it. Use large soft ties on the bottom triple tree and keep checking them frequently. The straps that RJ has pictured above are perfect
Do not use the orange size in picture below.. a sharp  turn entering a truck stop at 3 MPH proved
fatal for the orange strap...It was a bad few days for the tourer as a couple of days later I let it fall over on the right side from a jack in my driveway. I now have just about matching scratches !