Cook Strait Ferry

[Keystone19]

Bring your own tie downs or use the ones supplied?

[James Deuce]

Take your own. You'll need three. One for each handle bar and one over the seat unit. Bring a couple of rags to protect the paint too.

Oxford make some tie-down attachments for your handle bar grips.

[bugjuice]

yeah, Swanman was telling me the other day, about the 'bits of string' they gave him to tie down his beast.. Take your own.. piece of mind if anything

[juzzer]

Took the TL accross and used the ones on the boat with no issue, but Jim2 makes a good point re the rags...

[Finn]

Bring your own tie downs or use the ones supplied?

I'm sure the crew on the ferry tie the boat up themselves. Don't worry about it. Sit back and enjoy the journey.

[Hitcher]

What Jim2 said.

[deathstar]

if they damage your bike do they pay for it or is it some sort of "owners take blame in damages"

[madboy]

Bring your own tie downs or use the ones supplied?Depends - do you prefer leather or synthetic against your skin?

[Hitcher]

I'm sure the crew on the ferry tie the boat up themselves. Don't worry about it. Sit back and enjoy the journey.
No they don't. Well, they will if you don't. And any damage is at your cost. Take your own tiedowns, do the job yourself and di it properly.

[MrMelon]

If you can tie knots with a single bit of rope you'll be fine with the ones they supply. I couldn't tie knots for shit, but I twisted the rope around enough times that it wasn't going anywhere! If not, you'd better get some of those ratchety tie-down things!

[bugjuice]

No they don't. Well, they will if you don't. And any damage is at your cost. Take your own tiedowns, do the job yourself and di it properly.
re-read what he wrote.

[Keystone19]

Depends - do you prefer leather or synthetic against your skin?

Leather baby, leather...:devil2:

[Big Dave]

Atchally - you don't need to put them anywhere near your paint. Around your footpeg joints and lower triple clamp does the job best. Maybe the guard might need protection - but that's all if you do it that way.
Put your sexy leathers on and go and purr at our favourite bike shop 'can I have some tie downs pleeesse' and they should give you some out of a new bike crate.

[James Deuce]

On the TRX for instance, the lower triple clamp had the tie downs rubbing on the lower inside edge of the half fairing. I don't use footpegs for a tie down point after a mate's Impulse had the footpeg snap in transit and take out the HD Electra Glide next to it.

You need to figure out what will work for your bike.

[cowpoos]

Depends - do you prefer leather or synthetic against your skin?

took the words right out of my head ya buggar....now I'll have to post something boring and sensible.....:argh:

[skelstar]

Jill - theres a good thread about this that Jonty started just before Xmas. Ill find it...hang on.

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=21401&highlight=Jonty

[cowpoos]

yeah.....get your own tie downs....pull to tighten ones are shitloads nicer to use than the ratchet type.....you'll need three at the minimum....

[Zapf]

KS,
I hve done it before.....

bring 2 x tie downs that doesn't have bare metal hooks for attaching to your bike... with the SV you can tie it down on the tri clamps, with them exiting the bike at the bottom of the front fairing.

then get 2 of their grubby tie downs and 1 to each of the rear pillion pegs. don't need the handle bar extensions for the SV... and as Mr.Cow said... "pull to tighten ones" are good

when are you doing the crossing?

[skelstar]

I wondering about using slings around my handlebars (climbing slings) and then using their grubby tiedowns...better than taking bulky tiedowns all around the country.

[Zapf]

just make sure they are rated for a good few hundy kg's

[Big Dave]

mate's Impulse had the footpeg snap in transit.


Luck he wasn't riding it. whats an impulse btw?

[Keystone19]

Thanks guys and thanks for the link Skel.

We are crossing on January 22nd. Was wondering about Thule tie downs (used for kayaks) as they are much smaller and lighter. Anyone used these or are they too light?

[James Deuce]

whats an impulse btw?

Suzuki GSX400X. A naked GSXR400 with "interesting" styling. We got shed-loads of them in NZ VERY cheap in the mid-late '80s.

It was a very rough crossing.

[James Deuce]

...Thule tie downs (used for kayaks) as they are much smaller and lighter. Anyone used these or are they too light?

I've got a pair of 500kg Thule friction (pull to tighten) tie-downs. They work really well. Check the breaking strain of the ones you've got. It may be on the mechanism or printed on the tie-down strap.

[Devil]

Thanks guys and thanks for the link Skel.

We are crossing on January 22nd. Was wondering about Thule tie downs (used for kayaks) as they are much smaller and lighter. Anyone used these or are they too light?
If they dont work out, I've got four new bike ones that you can borrow.

[skelstar]

just make sure they are rated for a good few hundy kg's
How about 20,000N? (static) ;)

[Firefight]

will lend you some Jill if you don,t have any of your own.

pm me


F/F

[juzzer]

Suzuki GSX400X. A naked GSXR400 with "interesting" styling. We got shed-loads of them in NZ VERY cheap in the mid-late '80s.



Saw one with a turbo and fuel injection racing at Puke in the early 90's, was instersting to watch the "Repulse" bending and flexing in the middle going thru the corners... :slap:

[Zapf]

How about 20,000N? (static) ;)

remembering from physics class ...its around Gravity applies around 10N / Kg of mass. So that is 2'000kg? think that is plenty... :)

[ManDownUnder]

Bring your own tie downs or use the ones supplied?

OH I could take that question places right at the moment LOL...

Velvet ropes best, fluffy handcuffs a close 2nd ...

[Pixie]

I've got a pair of 500kg Thule friction (pull to tighten) tie-downs. They work really well. Check the breaking strain of the ones you've got. It may be on the mechanism or printed on the tie-down strap.
$10 a pair 350kg tie downs from Mitre 10 are perfectly adequate,the bike isn't going to be hanging from them.(if it does you're in trouble)

[Big Dave]

OH I could take that question places right at the moment LOL...

Velvet ropes best, fluffy handcuffs a close 2nd ...

And then the guy in the Batman suit appears out of the closet - sure.

I always found a bunch of flowers, bottle of Champagne and a nice restaurant does the trick.

[Zapf]

have been told to stay away from ones that feel like nylon... as they snap.

[James Deuce]

$10 a pair 350kg tie downs from Mitre 10 are perfectly adequate,the bike isn't going to be hanging from them.(if it does you're in trouble)

I got mine for $15 a pair at a Great Outdoors sale

[Sniper]

Take your own

[terbang]

Ive allways used the ones on the boat and they are fine however I was a boy scout and can tie knots.
Oh yeah don't use the centre stand allways use your sidestand its more stable.

[Hitcher]

We use the Aerofast bike tiedowns. Superb. We tried to buy these from Motormart but had to conclude the deal elsewhere.

[cowpoos]

[QUOTE=Zapf]KS,
and as Mr.Cow said... "pull to tighten ones" are good

QUOTE]

Mr Poo's dammit....Mr Poo's !!!!!!!!!

[ZorsT]

Oh yeah don't use the centre stand allways use your sidestand its more stable.
Don't use your sidestand. You risk breaking the sidestand/mounting bracket if you do.

[Zapf]

[QUOTE=Zapf]KS,
and as Mr.Cow said... "pull to tighten ones" are good
QUOTE]
Mr Poo's dammit....Mr Poo's !!!!!!!!!

Mr Cow Poo's it is then

[T.I.E]

Don't use your sidestand. You risk breaking the sidestand/mounting bracket if you do.

yeah i thought that myself, depends on how good your side stand is. but centre stand might be less effective. center stand could work as long as you tie it from moving forward so it can't slip on the stand and also it would be more unstabe on the centre stand from a sideways movement. and with the boat rocking from side to side as it crosses the straight dam good luck, but it could work.

i'm thinking of taking a fully loaded cbr1000f across. and thats heavy and could be top heavy too. that gonna be fun.

maybe a practice run try the ties out on the bike before you leave so you know kinda of what you will do before you hit the ferry.

[cowpoos]

[QUOTE=cowpoos]

Mr Cow Poo's it is then

dammit boy.....Mr dam Poos....Poos I tell ya.....

[T.W.R]

Depends on which way they have you park the bike, sometimes its bow -stern & sometimes its port - starboard.
take your own tie-downs for the front end & use a supplied one to hold down the rear. also i use a small leather strap to tie up the front brake lever to lock the brake on.
tie-down the front per normal & lash the rear-end down across the seat, lock the brake on.
available anchor points are dependant on how many bikes are travelling & how the attendants want the bikes parked.
don't tie the bike down 100% rock-solid otherwise your asking for trouble, allow a very small amount of movement. if the bikes tied down solid the tie-downs can bind-up from the strain of the vibrations from the boat.

and the tie-downs supplied by the ferry are only old truck strops.

[terbang]

Dunno what sort of bikes you guys ride but I have tied down GSX1100's (fully laden) on more than one occasion and twice on a 1200 bandit and once on a K75 BMW all with luggage and the sidestands all held up. They are strong enough. Saw a Bold'or that had been left on its centrestand and on arrival at picton it wasn't a pretty sight after a rough crossing..

[Rhino]

I have taken the 'Wing across at least half a dozen times, using my own tie downs (4 of em.)

Have always put it on the side stand, rather than the centre stand and have never had any problems.

[Scorpygirl]

Don't use your sidestand. You risk breaking the sidestand/mounting bracket if you do.


Zorst... The Virago doesn't have a centre stand!!!! So I let her free flow between the tie downs!! :spudbn: I don't think so. :thud:

[ZorsT]

Many bikes don't have centre stands.

You need to have the tie downs tight... Its best done with two people, one to keep the bike upright while the other tightens the tie downs. If there isn't any slack, and the tiedowns aren't made from elastic, the bike shouldn't/won't move from side to side...

[k14]

Don't use your sidestand. You risk breaking the sidestand/mounting bracket if you do.
well then it must be made by suzuki. If tieing down your bike will brake the sidestand then it wasn't designed properly or made out of cardboard.

[Bloody Mad Woman (BMW)]

Definitely take your own - you do need three. Their strings are too basic - Always tie your own bike down. Once during the most horrendous storm - 5 hours in the cook strait - not fun, I was up at the bar - with the only other biker - and we heard this thunderous crash - I asked the barman what the hell was that - "Just the waves" fellow biker looked at me and we both said Christ the bikes. I knew mine was tied down very securely, however they also put more tiedowns on them as well. So bikes were well - unlike their owners, never ever upchucked before - on that trip - everyone was regurgitating! toilets flooded - jesus it was like a flamin sewer. They should never have left Picton.

[Lou Girardin]

Don't use your sidestand. You risk breaking the sidestand/mounting bracket if you do.

I doubt that, plus many bikes don't have centrestands. Then don't forget that the deck is steel and the bike will slide around on a centrestand and loosen the tie downs.
Save some grief, use 4 tiedowns and the sidestand. Then pray that the guy next to you does the same.