tieing down vfr

So I'm moving cross country in July. I have an enclosed trailer to haul the VFR in, but I'm wondering about tiedown to secure it. A search here didn't find anything, though I admit I might not have searched for the right words. Owners manual has nothing.

Obviously anything to the frame is best. But it's just not that accessible on the front end of the bike. Can I use the passenger grab rails, foot pegs, grips? Any ideas would be very helpful.

 

I strap mine down using two straps; one end attached around the vertical part of the clip on and the other to the side rail of my truck. Then i crank them down so it doesn't move. i use the sidestand and have it in gear also. i usually will wrap something soft around the strap where it comes close to the fairings so they don't rub through the paint.

 

Canyon Dancer bar harness, or some soft tie strap extenders. With the strap extenders, wrap tehm around the clip on and put one loop thru the other, kind of like tying a knot.

 

yeah man, canyon dancer is the way to go. Ive trucked my bike around a good amount and it secures it very well.

 

Bingo, & a 2nd set of straps each side from the foot pegs or center stand.

DO NOT LEAVE IN GEAR for long distances(I wouldn't ever), that is very bad for your transmission, buy or make a tyre chock instead, or you can nail a short 2 by 4 piece behind each wheel, if a wood floor.
Also even in a inclosed trailer, put a M/C cover on it to help stop minor nic, & scratches on the bike while loading & shifting stuff in your trailer.

 

Whatever you do, do not; I repeat, do not secure the front end by the handlebars or clip-ons. Handlebars are meant to control the bike while the bike is moving under it's own steam, not to be used as securing points when transporting the bike.

Use soft ties to the fork legs at the fender bridge.
Use straps from the soft ties.

Suspension should not be compressed at all using the above method.

 

This thing gets good reviews:

http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle-trailer/motorcycle-trailer-tie-down.htm

-Mark

 

Well, with you guys responses (thank you!) and some web searches I've come up with the following tips:
- use the handbars/grips
- don't use the handlebars/grips
- tighten down the suspension
- don't tighten down the suspension
- secure the rear at the wheel
- secure the rear on the frame
- only use ratchet type tiedowns
- never use ratchet type tiedowns
- always use a wheel chock
- wheel chock? feh, who needs it

It seems there is no consensus. That rear tire thing MBricker linked looks cool.

 

Sport Chock and canyon dancer. With the chock you don't even have to wrench the front in down hard at all. Some tie downs from the passenger pegs just to be safe.

Use the sport chock for parking the bike in the garage too.

 

Put the bike on the kickstand, out of gear, get a large pad of old carpet and put over the seat, then get a wide web stap with a ratchet and tie down the bike to the floor hooks in the trailor - then chock the tires. You will be fine

 

Orrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, just sell your bike & buy a new one when you get there :caked:

 

Had to take the bike to the dealer yesterday so I got to practice my tie down technique. Front end got a wheel chock and tie downs at the front axle. Rear end got a strap around the rear tire like this and straps to the passenger grab rails for tipping stability. The rear suspension ended up being slightly compressed, but not a lot. The front suspension was not compressed or restrained at all.

Results: Even with an traffic avoiding swerve on the highway, no slipping or unwanted movement of the bike. This makes me happy!

I think though, I may add a couple straps to the front end to keep it from bouncing, it may be OK, but it sure feels weird to have the cycle suspension moving a half beat after the bumps.

 

I tie mine down like most of the racers do. It has never done any damage to my very expensive aftermarket forks or shocks. The bikes live in a trailer and get transported twice a month somewhere. I've even had a trailer roll and not damage the bike.

Front wheel in a chock
Tie downs from the clip-ons to the floor
A strap around the rear wheel to pull the rig back and tight.

(Front suspension pulled down almost to the rebound cones. If your springs are damaged by compression, they were junk and would collapse during normal use.)

 

I agree with everything said here. I've transported bikes with no chock - front clip-ons synched down tight and rear wheel pulled back tight with no problems whatsoever.

 

Hmm, how do you route the straps from the clip-ons to avoid the body panels?

 

I'll have to get apicture of the hardware store tree I made for the VFR to clear the body work.

It's a 1/2" tee with 1/2" ridgid nipples 16" long out to the sides with washers and caps on the ends. A box connector on the bottom to a 5" length of 1/2" EMT. (It slips into the steering stem) and a piece of 3/4" PVC as a spacer over the EMT to give clearance to the clip-ons. I have a pair of short straps that tie from the stubs to the grips at the master cyclinders to hold it in position and straps from the ends down to the floor.

Hopefully that is enough description for you to build one. Less than $8 in parts from plumbing supply. Not pretty, but effective. I keep planning on welding up a 'nice' one.

 

Canyon Dancer. Sold at ANY bike shop. And yah, don't stress about compressing the forks.

 

Thats what I use on my sport bikes & my dirt bikes !:biggrin: