There’s no feeling like driving your motorcycle onto the open road. However, certain situations may arise where you’ll need to transport your motorcycle without driving it–whether to reduce your mileage or purely out of convenience. If you’re moving, going on an extended road trip, or buying a motorcycle out-of-state, you’ll likely need to strap your bike down on a trailer for safe transport.
If you need to transport your bike on a trailer, it’s essential that you tie it down and secure it properly. Otherwise, there’s a good chance that you’ll either damage the bike or lose it altogether while in transit.
Choosing the Right Equipment
The first thing you need to do if you want to safely tow your motorcycle on a trailer is choose the right equipment.
Ratchet Straps vs. Cam Buckle Straps
Your first order of business is to decide if you want to use ratchet straps or cam buckle straps to secure your bike. Ratchet straps are the more heavy-duty option and are stronger than cam buckle straps. However, you must be careful when using ratchet straps, as over-tightening them can damage your bike’s suspension.
Note that ratchet straps are also more difficult to use for beginners because of how they’re designed. They are the better option for heavier bikes, but either option will get the job done as long as you use them correctly.
Wheel Chocks
The second crucial player in safely transporting your motorcycle is the right wheelchock. You only need a wheel chock for the front wheel, and it must be compatible with either ratchet straps, soft ties, loop straps, or soft straps. More on that later, though!
Image courtesy of Amazon
Preparing Your Motorcycle for Transport
Once you have purchased your wheel chock and tie-down straps, you’re ready to begin the loading process. First, however, thoroughly wash your bike to get rid of any excess grime and debris. You should also give your bike a tune-up so that it’s ready to roll once you reach your destination.
When you’re ready to load the bike, make sure that the connection between your pickup truck and bike trailer is secure. Another key for safely strapping bikes down is to drive your tow vehicle to a level area, as loading a motorcycle on an uneven trailer is extremely difficult.
Install Your Wheel Chock
Once your truck and trailer are ready to go, install your wheel chock if you haven’t done so already. Most wheel chocks are bolted down to the floor of the trailer and then tightened with a series of nuts.
To center your bike on the trailer, take measurements before choosing your anchor points.. When you’re ready, secure the wheel chock, then drive your bike onto the trailer so that its front tire is at the front of the wheel chock.
Identifying Tie-Down Points
Next, decide how and where you want to attach your tie-down straps to your motorcycle. Unless your bike has specific tie-down loops or hooks installed on it, your best option is to use your handlebars in the front.
You will want to use two straps for the front and two for the rear.
Tie-down points for the rear of the back are more open-ended than the front. Every bike is different, so look for the highest and most secure point on the rear of the bike for your tie-down points. Ideally, your best option is high up on the chassis or frame of the bike or on the rear carrier.
Securing the Front End
Once your tie-down points are picked out, it’s time to start strapping!
Positioning the Motorcycle
To position your motorcycle correctly, follow these steps:
- Start with the kickstand down. This will ensure that the bike stays upright while you’re getting things set up.
- Tighten one side’s tie-down with the kickstand still down. Do this by attaching one end of your ratchet or cam buckle strap to the trailer, then looping the strap around the handlebar on that side. Attach the other end of the strap back to the trailer, and start to tighten it.
- Pull the bike upright and put the kickstand up before securing the other side to avoid any damage. Repeat step 2 on the opposite side.
- Tighten both ratchet straps so that the front suspension goes down an inch. Avoid over-tightening, however, as that can damage the bike.
Attaching Straps to the Trailer
Most bike trailers will have plenty of tie-down options along the floor or frame of the trailer. You can purchase tie-down anchors and install them on your trailer if you don’t. This is the best and easiest option because it ensures you’ll always use the same tie-down locations.
Image courtesy of Northern Tool
Tightening the Straps
Once again, you want to make your straps tight enough so that the bike can’t move–but aren’t so tight that you damage the fork seals or suspension on the bike. As a precaution, slowly tighten the ratchet or cam buckle straps, regularly checking the bike for wiggle room.
Securing the Rear End
After securing the front end, our focus shifts to the rear end of the motorcycle. This involves attaching straps to the rear frame and tightening them to prevent any movement during transport.
Attaching Straps to the Rear Frame
As with the front end, you will once again use soft loop ratchet straps to secure the back of your bike. Choose the highest points on the rear frame or chassis of the bike, such as the rear swing arm.
Hook one end of the ratchet strap into the tie-down anchor, loop the strap around the frame, and then attach the other end of the ratchet strap back into the tie-down anchor. Repeat this process on the opposite side, as well.
Tightening Rear Straps
With both straps in place, start to tighten your ratchets. Tighten the same way you did in the front – making them tight enough to reduce wiggle and movement but not so tight that you damage your bike.
Safeguarding the Wheels
Just for good measure, we recommend using a fifth ratchet strap to secure your front motorcycle wheel to the wheel chock. While this might seem like overkill, it will ensure that your bike can’t move from front to back, which could lead to side-to-side movement.
Common Problems to Watch Out For When Tying Down Your Motorcycle
To avoid common problems when strapping a motorcycle for transport, make sure to:
- Use the right high-quality straps
- Secure the front wheel properly
- Check the tie-downs
- Ensure even balance
- Attach front and rear tie-downs to solid points and not areas that could bend or come loose.
- Use straps and a trailer that can handle the weight of your bike.
Final Thoughts
Whether you are transporting your bike on the back of a trailer or your truck bed, using the right tie-down straps and wheel chock is essential. Be sure to double-check your work and tie up the loose ends of the ratchet straps before you hit the open road.
In addition to practicing safe motorcycle transport, you’ll also need to recognize the importance of safe motorcycle storage. If you don’t have enough room to safely store your motorcycles in your garage, check out Neighbor, a peer-to-peer vehicle storage marketplace. With Neighbor, you’ll find safe, affordable, and climate-controlled garages (or other motorcycle storage options) near you!
The post Secure Your Ride: How to Strap a Motorcycle to a Trailer for Safe Transport appeared first on Neighbor Blog.