Motorcycle Tie-down Procedure

A proper motorcycle tie-down system has these major components:

• A means of securing the front wheel from moving forward or turning sideways.
• The means to attach the strap to the bike in a secure location without damaging the bike.
• A means of attaching the strap to the trailer.

Motorcycle Rails and Wheel Chocks

For any motorcycle tie-down system to be safe and secure there must be a way of insuring that the motorcycle once tied down, will not move. The best means of accomplishing this is by preventing forward motion, preventing the front wheel from turning and by using tie-down straps to pull the bike down on the suspension and forward against the chock.

Motorcycle Tie-down Straps

SportUtilityTrailers.com offers 1" wide straps rated at 2400 lbs. test and 800 lbs. working load. Our 1-1/2" wide straps are made to aircraft industry specs. They are rated at an amazing 6600 lbs. test and 2250 lbs. working load. Tie-down strap with a soft tie loop provides a strong and flexible attachment at the motorcycle. Tie-down straps are available with either ratchet or cam buckles. Ratchet tie-downs let you increase the tension on the motorcycles suspension, which in turn will reduce shock loading the straps when the trailer hits a bump. Shock loading occurs when the motorcycle's suspension compresses to absorb the shock. The tie-down straps go slack and then are snapped tight as the suspension expands. To eliminate shock loading without requiring extreme compression of the front shock absorbers, a fork support is recommended.

We recommend that you tie-down the motorcycle by either the frame or a part solidly mounted to the frame of the bike. Two front and two on the side is adequate for most dirt bikes and small street motorcycles. The use of six ratchet tie-downs per bike, four at the front and two at the back will give you the maximum amount of safety for a large motorcycle. On most touring and sport bikes we recommend using two sets of ratchet straps with soft loops to surround the triple tree. One set pulling the front tire directly into the chock and the second pulling forward and out to the side. On Harley Davidson motorcycles the reversed forks require a different technique. Move to the front of the engine where the frame meets the crash bars (if so equipped, or where it would meet the crash bars if not) and repeat the four strap tie-down mentioned above. At the back of the bike we recommend that you tie a soft loop around the passenger handgrips, the passenger foot pegs, or the rear frame of the bike itself. This will require a little bit of experimentation as your bike may have pipes or other parts that could interfere with the strap's run. Things to watch out for would include dull as well as sharp corners as chafe is a major cause of strap failure and hot pipes or anything that might be damaged if a metal portion of the ratchet contacts a chromed part of the bike. Sometimes interference or contact can be avoided by reversing the strap, which would move where the ratchet sits in relation to the bike.

Finally attach the straps to eyebolts mounted in the frame or flooring. If your flooring is wood use locknuts and large washers to avoid loosening or even worse having the eyebolts pulled through the wood due to shock loading. Always check your tie-down points for tightness.

Motorcycle Tie-down Tips

Tie-down straps should form a 45-degree angle between the bike and floor, consequently the lower on the bike that the tie-downs are the closer to the bike the floor tie-downs can be and still be secure. When towing two or three motorcycles SportUtilityTrailers.com recommend the use of extension tie-down brackets to achieve this angle on the outside tie-downs.

• Do NOT tie-down handlebars if they are rubber mounted or not firmly attached to the front end.
• Do NOT use rear bag guards to tie-down the motorcycle. They will be pulled right off of the bike.
• Never put a cover on your motorcycle when towing it on an open trailer. Grit and tiny movements of the cover will "sand" the paint right off of your motorcycle.
• Don't go for the "cheapest" straps when securing your motorcycle. The price to repair your bike will be far greater than the money saved buying economy straps.

Step By Step Motorcycle Tie-down Procedure

1. Locate and attach ratchet straps to the eyebolts on the trailer. Place back straps in a position where they can be reached from the seat of the motorcycle.
2. If you are loading two dressers and the handlebars or fairings appear to conflict try reversing one of the bikes positions on the trailer.
3. Start and warm up the motorcycle then ride or walk it onto the trailer. Insure that the bike is straight in the rail/ wheel chock and then while still on the bike attach the rear tie-down straps and tighten until the bike is firmly in place. Get off the bike and attach the front tie-down straps so that the bike is firmly in place. When you are finished the bike should be completely upright and straight. Shaking the bike should only cause trailer motion and very little bike movement.