| Author | Message | ||
     Pmjolly |
What's the best way to trailer these on a flat open trailer? I have a Pitbull trailer restraint for mine, and I absolutely love it. I will be hauling two more Buells. I'll need to find a way to haul another R and a CR or XB. We are all headed to Dragon 4. My concern is tying down the bikes puts undo pressure on the suspension. If you put enough to keep it from bouncing, it might damage the seals or bend something. Too loose, and it bounces against the straps. Something might break or come loose. I wouldn't be so concerned if we were just hauling across town. This will be a fifteen hour drive one way. I have a few ideas of my own, but I figured I'd ask for advice before I fabricate anything this weekend. I'm thinking I can make the front end rigid and tie it down with no bouncing and no stress on the suspension. Any thoughts? | ||
| Nillaice |
sinch them down, leaving ~3 fingers of suspension on the forks, and re-check after the first 30 miles or so. | ||
| Littlebutquick |
take the front fender off and put a large block of wood between the top of tire and bottom of the yoke so when you strap it down you it will save your fork seals | ||
| Xodot |
I've hauled my 25r and buddy's Aprillia 15 hours to the dragon a few times now with success. (Success means they have not fallen off yet) I ratchet the straps tight so there is no bounce on the straps or movement in the suspension when the trailer hits bumps. I concur with Nillaice's 3 finger rule. I reason that the bike suspension moves lots when I ride it, so how would keeping it compressed for 15 hours hurt anything? Good topic | ||
| Crowley |
Some 'split' plastic water pipe put over the fork slider lets me strap down the front of my track bikes without compressing the suspension. | ||
| Gofast |
I use the 3 finger rule. Trailerd to Branson and back with no issues on either bike the 1125 or XB12. Looks like I'm getting this trailer, Merry X mas and Happy Birthday to me. Bottom line, you need to be comfortable with how your bike is strapped down. Also, avoid speed bumps at 80 mph whenever possible.  | ||
| Smit3833 |
I usually crank down the front suspension to compress 1/2 the way down the shock. The rear I will generally go over the swing arm for a more solid mount and crank it down. For a third strap I go through the rear rim and put force pushing the bike forward, the front tire is up against the back of my truck bed. I've had it like this for days on end traveling cross country and no problems yet. | ||
| Pmjolly |
Well, Gofast, since one of the bikes is yours, I guess you get to decide how you want to tie it down. I was thinking along the lines of what Littlebutquick said. I was going to ask if you would mind removing the front fender to install a spacer. I was thinking of something to go into the steering stem like the Pitbull stands do. It is directly in line with the center of the front tire. It would do the same as the board inserted in there, but could not fall out. I am still going to screw down some boards to make a rail of sorts so nothing can move around. I also considered a pipe or something similar to go on the forks like Crowley suggested. I was concerned it might hurt the dust seals. I won't do anything to tie down these other bikes that I wouldn't do to mine. | ||
| Xodot |
GoFast I have trailer envy. I bow before you guys with heavy duty rigs like that - what are you towing it with? Family economics require I haul with my Buick which has 1,000 lbs towing capacity. I use every lb with a small trailer, buddy's Aprillia and my 25R. | ||
| Gofast |
Trailer weighs in at 1,100 lbs, has electric brakes if needed. I tow with 08 Dodge, 5.7 Hemi. I'm looking at trading the Camry for a Hybrid Escape or something smaller that will still pull the trailer and a couple of bikes. I get around 12 mpg pulling the boat, but it is heavy.  | ||
| Xodot |
Nice truck! You need it pulling the toys that size. Cheers. | ||
| Bueller4ever |
I don't get the reasoning for isolating the suspension. You sit on the bike and the suspension is compressed. Maybe we should all remove our forks and ride without to save wear and tear. | ||
| Pmjolly |
I worry that too tight will damage the seals. It would be more than just riding it. It would be like an endless slammed wheelie. I also worry that just enough to hold it will allow it to bounce against the straps and something might come loose or break. We finally decided that each person would be responsible for tying down their own bike in their own way. I am going to help by screwing down some boards for makeshift rails. I am also going to install some permanent tie down points on the bed of the trailer. That is one thing they said they needed. Mine will be held by a Pitbull trailer restraint. It needs no tie downs, and the suspension can bounce freely all it wants to. It holds the bike in place by the rear axle. | ||
| 07xb12ss |
Hey Pat im looking at a Baxley wheel chock, any problems with screwing that to the trailer? Seems to be pretty affective and I would just need straps to hold it, not actually pull it down. And I can use it in the garage before and after. Pretty good reviews. | ||
| Pmjolly |
I don't mind screwing things down at all. If you decide to go that route, maybe you could let me have the chock the weekend before, so I can go ahead and mount it to the trailer. I was thinking I might want to come by and load our bikes ahead of time to make sure everything fits OK, sort of a dry run. I want to be able to load the bikes easily and get rolling quickly when it's time to go. The day we are leaving is not a good time to find out something we had planned won't work for some reason or another. | ||
| 07xb12ss |
Awesome, I can give it to you a few weeks before. Yea, loading the bikes before would be a good idea. This trip is so close, yet so far. Ill be ordering tires this next week - hopefully the weather will get better so I can wear out the rear on the CR. |
