[acecycleins]

Get a Baxley Sport chauk (sp). The device allows you to roll the front wheel into a "vice" style clamp that will hold a bike up-right without tension on the fork springs. Then find tiedown areas on your bike for stability. That's it.

 

[56599]

Interesting topic...There is a trade off.. Theoretically speaking having the bike compressed means it will take more force to move it around thus it be more secure. Since the force of spring can be simplified as F=kx where k is the spring constant and x is the distance of compression. However, all those bumps on the road get transmitted as mechanical energy thus if your bike is compressed then it can't use the suspension to transmit the energy into the suspension as oscillations of the shocks (the shock oil then heat) . The energy has to transfer somewhere so it gets transmitted to the frame.. So I can see how that might not be preferred..However, I have found that compressing the bike makes it seem more secure and less likely to move around .. I doubt if there is any real difference unless you plan on driving on really bumpy road... Where is sportbike_pilot? He could give you a better answer and would probably tell me to stick to electrical hardware and software...

 

[56599]

Sounds like a better solution...good post

 

[56599]

P.S. I am simplifying things by using a spring to model the forks/suspension. In reality forks as you know have different damping for compression and expansion...

 

[33809]

Without having some force acting straight down on the bike other than gravity, then good luck keeping the bike upright.



My vote is that the suspension needs to be loaded slightly, otherwise everytime you go over a bump the shocks will unload and the wheels will move laterally (not good).



Don't overload the forks too much though or you'll be replacing your fork seals in the near future.

 

[56599]

Sounds good...

 

[50595]

This is what I've learned from professional tow operators who tow bikes:



It's good to load the suspension LIGHTLY to limit movement.



Use four straps, two front and two rear, to keep the bike from rolling fore and aft. Then use one over the top of the seat to cinch down to lightly compress the suspension



If the bike has crashbars, they make good attachment points to prevent fore-and-aft movement.

 

[gas_pig]

My only experience is towing 1 to 3 dual-sports in my 5x8 utility trailer.



#1. If it's your bike, invest in a fork saver. They're cheap and they work.

#2. I use high quality straps on the bars. They should be anchored down, out, and forward of the bike.

#3. I tightly strap the front portion of the front wheel/tire against the forward wall of the trailer.



This 'tri-strap' method ensures that the front end can't twist and move forward in the trailer causing the suspension to become lax. The fork saver ensures that you won't be frequently replacing fork seals.



You can also loosely tie down the back wheel just so it doesn't hop around. Usually I have so much stuff in my trailer that it can't move much.



I definitely agree that using a chalk is a great idea if you always trailer your bikes the same way. My issues is that I'm sometimes carrying buddies bikes so my configuration and placement is not always the same.

 

[48107]

I haul bikes every weekend, and so have made hundreds of trips. Fork savers are unnecessary, but they are inexpensive so if it makes you feel better go ahead and use them. Compressing forks for a few hours at a time will NOT permanently deform the springs and does not wear out fork seals. Fork seals wear out when dirt and debris puts tears in the sealing rubber.



You don't need to get excessive with your tie-down routine, either. Whether hauling sport bikes or MX bikes, I just use two tie downs on the handle bars (or clip-ons). I've never had the rear end hop or swing around.



Compress the forks moderately. It should be pretty snug; otherwise when you hit a bump, the forks could compress further, causing the tie-downs to loosen. If your tie-down hook is clipped into a ring upside down, when it becomes loose it could fall out. Avoid this by snugging down moderately (you do not have to totally crank on it!) and putting the hook in the eye right side up. You can also use caribiner style clips on your tie-downs, or use a bungee cord to take up slack in your tie-down, for ultimate security.

 

[35244]

Ace is right. I bought a Baxley SB001 three years ago. Jerome & the boys down in Dothan, AL are gifted fabricators.



I use two ties from the passenger grab handles on the ST1100 and the rear rack of the R100RT via soft tie extenders. Suspension is very lightly compressed.



Can load & unload solo. Empty weight about 450 lbs.



I did spend the extra cash on the rock guard. Tows like a dream behind the Escape or Ranger pickup. No, we have NOT hooked it to the Cooper S, thank you very much!!!



Before eyes roll too much, just where do I put SWMBO, dog, grub, etc., as we trundle to and fro from our not so palatial N GA mountain hideaway on a bi weekly basis from late March thru mid Nov? Answer? Helloooooo, Baxley!!!



I tried a tilt rail trailer. Not just no, but H EEE double sticks NOOOOO!!!!

 

[The_AirHawk]

I might Add:

Cinch it down until the bike and trailer/pickup "move as one" when shaking the bike side-to-side, - but JUST that tight and no further. I only use ratcheting ties on the front of the bike (the "main" weight-carrier).

Don't forget to gather-up and secure ALL the loose-ends of your straps, if the bike is exposed. Otherwise, they will flap about in the breeze and the ends WILL fray. This also could possibly loosen-up a camlock-type strap.

If one has straps that are ridiculously longer than absolutely necessary (They were On Sale!Cut me some "slack"........), running the tail down the length of the strap, through the hook, then back up and THEN tying it securely wouldn't be the dumbest thing one ever did - that "saved" me once.

If your trailer/truck/whatever has angle-iron or square-edged railing, be absolutely CERTAIN to "pad" with a rag or whatever any strap that crosses that edge at a steeper than ~15-degree angle - or it WILL cut it. Don't ask.......

Chocks are your Friends. "Locking" or "latching" chocks are your Lovers.......

 

[NLJ]

I have typically loaded the suspension aproximately half way down and have never had a problem. THe bike will cycle the suspension a bit on the bumps but won't fall. I would think that if you strapped below the suspension it would move alot more.

 

[43169]

I've hauled a lot of bikes, from dirtbikes in pickups to race bikes and cruisers in enclosed trailers and on flatbed car trailers.

By far the best system I've found is a wheel chock for the from wheel (mine came from Pingel) to hold the bike upright, and a slight to moderate tension on the suspension to keep the bike from bouncing around. You want enough tension on the forks to prevent excessive bouncing, and enough on the year so just enough on the rear to keep the back of the bike from sliding back and forth.

Make sure you use ratchet straps, not the ones you just pull through.

 

[44744]

I've often wondered what stresses the clamping of the front wheel puts on the fork down tubes, wheel bearings, etc. This type of force is not one that has been engineered for the front wheel/suspension to take. If a bike is subjected to that sort of stress over a long period of time (who knows, maybe only a few hours), and considering a cruiser weighting 800 lbs total (of course, not all acting on the front forks, etc), how has the steering, suspension been damage? Who really knows.