Any body with experience have suggestions as to tie down points while trailering my bike. I have a Heritage Softail and my friend has a Road King. The dealer told me to use the crash bar up front (seems a little weak to me), and for the rear the floorboard mounts for the Heritage and the saddle bag crash bar on the Road King. I have always seen bikes tied at the handlebars. Plan on short trips for winter servicing etc. and long trips for vacation. Thanks.
Trailering tie down points
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I use the front bars and tie it down on each side and pull it down just alittle. The back want move if the front is tie down right.If you have a sissy bar use it on both sides for rear pull down just aliitle on both sides , both front and rear would be better than just using the front.
I would like to add a little to this question. I'm going to be picking up my Night Train here this Saturday. It's a four hour drive to pick it up. I have an enclosed car trailer that I will be using. The problem is I don't have any way to secure the front wheel. I do have tie down points on the floor. Can I use tie downs to the handle bars to the floor for the front and tie downs to the sissy bar (I added that) for the rear? Or do I need something to put the front tire up against? Any help would be GREAT! I don't want to mess the bike up before I even get to ride it. BTW: I'm trailering it because on the snowy passes 
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I use a good quality set of straps. I only tie it at the handlebars. Never have tied it at the rear.
Top, if you have some blocks or something that you can put in the front of the trailer to chaulk the front tire against use that to keep the tire away and also get a better angle for the straps on the front end.
Top, if you have some blocks or something that you can put in the front of the trailer to chaulk the front tire against use that to keep the tire away and also get a better angle for the straps on the front end.
I agree with wurkenman. I hauled my Glide from Wisconsin to GA in the back of my nissan PU. My dad and I tied it down by the handle bars in the front and by the sissy bar in the back. We made a U channel to set the tires in to avoid it sliding left to right.
I always tie off of the handle bars. I use 2 sets of tie downs. I have eye bolts in the floor of my trailer and in the upper rail. If I am hauling in a pickup, I always use two sets on the bars even if they are anchored in one spot in the bed. Most say two sets are overkill, but I had a brand new tie down snap and let a bike fall over, which dented the gas tank. I use something on the rear only if two bikes are side by side. I have had the rear ends shift together before the bikes "rubbed together" for a while before we discovered them. If you are hauling in a pickup, put something in front of the front wheel or you'll bend your bed wall. If you don't have a bed liner, you might want to put a board under the wheels also. I put a Road King in a new F-350 that did not have a bed liner. It swaged the bed down where the front wheel was sitting. If your pick up is a compact and you are hauling a big bike, you need to put something down to keep the rear tire from riding on the tailgate or it will get bent up also. I have a piece of diamond plate aluminum that I use there when hauling my Road King in my Toyota.
I don't have a garage, so I keep my bike in an enclosed trailer. It comes in handy when I go on vacation with the wife and kids. Wife won't drive that far by herself (following me on the bike). I can carry them and the bike and let them visit the in-laws while I go riding. Here's what I do:
First I have a 4X4 covered with carpet. I slide this under the frame (in front of the shocks on my Fatboy). Then I tie down the front (with ratcheted tiedowns) until the frame rests snuggly on the 4X4. I tie off the front by attaching soft tiedown straps on the front frame just above the engine guard. This way the front forks are not completely compressed, but the bike is secure. Then I tie down the back (attach at the sissy bar). I know the back will not move if I don't tie it down, but I feel more comfortable with four tiedowns rather than just two up front. Then everytime I stop, I open the side door and check the straps to make sure nothing came loose.
Top, you need something to keep the front tire from turning from side to side once it is tied down. In the front of my trailer I have a chock mounted on the floor. They aren't very expensive and easy to install.
First I have a 4X4 covered with carpet. I slide this under the frame (in front of the shocks on my Fatboy). Then I tie down the front (with ratcheted tiedowns) until the frame rests snuggly on the 4X4. I tie off the front by attaching soft tiedown straps on the front frame just above the engine guard. This way the front forks are not completely compressed, but the bike is secure. Then I tie down the back (attach at the sissy bar). I know the back will not move if I don't tie it down, but I feel more comfortable with four tiedowns rather than just two up front. Then everytime I stop, I open the side door and check the straps to make sure nothing came loose.
Top, you need something to keep the front tire from turning from side to side once it is tied down. In the front of my trailer I have a chock mounted on the floor. They aren't very expensive and easy to install.
Top, here is the one I bought:
www.accwhse.com/photos/lp_pop_chocks.gif
You don't need the extra hardware unless you want a second place to mount it.
Also, do not leave the kick stand (Jiffy stand) down when you tie down the bike. Make sure the bike is straight up at a 90 degree angle to the floor of the trailer.
www.accwhse.com/photos/lp_pop_chocks.gif
You don't need the extra hardware unless you want a second place to mount it.
Also, do not leave the kick stand (Jiffy stand) down when you tie down the bike. Make sure the bike is straight up at a 90 degree angle to the floor of the trailer.
I won't tie down by the handlebars anymore either. My RK bars were bent out of alignment by tying down at the bars and I had to replace the bushings to get it straight again. It was just a little at first but riding it you could tell the handlebars weren't level.
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GroundHog,
Don't know where in Indiana you live in but if you want to pickup some good soft ties and wheel chocks.......venture over to Chicago this next Sunday, 2/23. They are having what they call "the Worlds Largest Indoor Harley Swapmeet", I call it "One Hell of a Garage Sale". You name it, it's there....if it ain't it must fit a Honda!
Harley Swapmeet
It's a great time and the one and only swapmeet that I've ever been to that they body search you...... WOW!! Cheap thrills !!!
Ride safe!!!
Don't know where in Indiana you live in but if you want to pickup some good soft ties and wheel chocks.......venture over to Chicago this next Sunday, 2/23. They are having what they call "the Worlds Largest Indoor Harley Swapmeet", I call it "One Hell of a Garage Sale". You name it, it's there....if it ain't it must fit a Honda!
Harley Swapmeet
It's a great time and the one and only swapmeet that I've ever been to that they body search you...... WOW!! Cheap thrills !!!
Ride safe!!!
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4,276 Posts
Use the 4X4 under the frame!!! I know a guy who didn't. He was using ratchet tie downs, cranked them right down and blew a fork seal. Just go tight enough to be secure.
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1,382 Posts
I have an enclosed 7 x 14 and use this mehtod:
Mounted Pingel wheel chock
I place a 4" x 4" under the frame under engine toward front (saves the seals).
I've always used soft straps on handlebars connected to 2 ratchet straps on each side for added assurance. (Can't see the bike when hauling and always have this picture in the back of my mind of the Road King tilting)
Cam type strap through rear wheel (In case evasive move is in order when transporting due to some dumbass).
Ride rides with the trailer suspension.
Harley ships them with a strap over the axle on each side of the front wheel.
Placed my D-rings 24" from center each side for the front about 15" foward of front axle (I think). Pingle give good advice for D-ring placement. I bolted thru the floor with 1/2"carriage bolts and have 4"x4" plates on bottom side.
Saw an issue in American Iron about proper trailering last year and they also recommended the 4x4 under the frame.
Mounted Pingel wheel chock
I place a 4" x 4" under the frame under engine toward front (saves the seals).
I've always used soft straps on handlebars connected to 2 ratchet straps on each side for added assurance. (Can't see the bike when hauling and always have this picture in the back of my mind of the Road King tilting)
Cam type strap through rear wheel (In case evasive move is in order when transporting due to some dumbass).
Ride rides with the trailer suspension.
Harley ships them with a strap over the axle on each side of the front wheel.
Placed my D-rings 24" from center each side for the front about 15" foward of front axle (I think). Pingle give good advice for D-ring placement. I bolted thru the floor with 1/2"carriage bolts and have 4"x4" plates on bottom side.
Saw an issue in American Iron about proper trailering last year and they also recommended the 4x4 under the frame.
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