Tie-downs

[RnB Fan]

This is probably a silly question but I am taking my bike across the Strait on the ferry next week and so I need to buy some tie-downs for the trip. Having never taken my bike on the ferry before I will admit to being a little nervous about the whole "securing the bike on the ferry thing". Can anyone advise me if there is any minimum length tie-down I should buy or are one sort better than others. Any help appreciated. :confused:

[The Baron]

Hi any set of four tie-downs will do and yes take your own. When you tie your bike down on the ship put one wheel against the wall or piller etc. Leave your bike on the side stand (three points on the ground) not your main stand and strap all four corners of the bike. Some people I know also take a small length of string to tie one wheel firm to the ground. Have fun on your trip.

[RnB Fan]

Thanks for the advice.

Cheers.

[barty5]

Dont buy cheap arse ones ie: the thin ratchet tyre are crap they break and they are a pain to undo.
The pull through type that are nice and thick sold as bike tie downs work well just remember once pulled down tie a knot with the left over strap round the buckle that way they wont slip by accident.
Enjoy trip.

[klingon]

One more tip: Tighten everything up so the suspension/forks are a bit compressed - means the tyres have a nice firm grip on the steel surface.

And don't be afraid to ask for advice if there are other bikers tying their bikes down too (assuming they look like they know what they are doing). That's how we all benefit from each others' experience :niceone:

[Kinje]

The pull through type are good. One either side on the front and pull down the suspension.

There are often wheel chocks lying around that you can grab and put round the wheel.

Are you on the Kaitaki? That one is kinda tricky to tie down on as they just have this length of chain along the deck to tie up to :argh: The rest of the boats have good anchor points.

Have a great trip. Might see ya down there :2thumbsup

[Katman]

As has been alluded to there are different degrees of quality in tiedowns. Don't just go for cheap ones. The clasps can slip and they are often rated to a lesser breaking strain.

Stick with known brand names like Aerofast or Oxford.

[scott411]

i would stick with aerofast, still NZ made and good quality, i have had oxford ones and they are only average in my opinion,


most good bikeshops should stock aerofast ones

[Maha]

As has been alluded to there are different degrees of quality in tiedowns. Don't just go for cheap ones. The clasps can slip and they are often rated to a lesser breaking strain.

Stick with known brand names like Aerofast or Oxford.

Or the ones Tamahere used years ago? they must have been pretty good...dont know the brand though.

[nodrog]

the aerofast ones are the probably the best i have used, only used 2 on the front when i took my RSVR to the south island, never moved an inch.

[Strider]

cool. Planning to head over to Nelson for the new year and always ment to ask on here about tie downs on the ferry vrossing. Will check out them aerofast one.

[RnB Fan]

Thanks for the help and advice. Off to the shop now.

[bully]

get one of thos oxford bra strap things, it holds the tie downs off the fairings.

[Gremlin]

Since we're talking about this, any argument on side stand down vs up?

Trailers etc. always believed side stand up, and do so, and used this theory on the ferry with a fully laden blackbird, but I seemed to be the exception on the ferry, with most tying the bike down on the side stand...

[Ocean1]

I've seen one of the older hook-both-ends tie downs come off the bars on a bike that was snugged down on it's side stand, the bike had leaned well over on the stand.

I've never left the stand down, just hook up the side with the stand down first, pull the slack out of that tiedown then haul the other side down within mebe an inch of bottomed out that side, back around, kick the stand up and pull that side down the same.

Add something to stop the back end moving around sideways and that's it.

[Kickaha]

Add something to stop the back end moving around sideways and that's it.

I always tied down at all four corners (cept bikes don't really have corners but you know what I mean)

[Grumpy]

Another tip I was given was to take a shoe lace or something similar along to tie the front brake lever on with.

[Ocean1]

I always tied down at all four corners (cept bikes don't really have corners but you know what I mean)

Can't hurt.

I was thinking dirt bikes, it's instructive to watch one on the trailer when you're steaming across a lumpy padock. They barely twitch. I've had the back slide sideways if I didn't tie the back though.

[Gremlin]

mmm wouldn't recommend tying bikes down using the handlebars, as you saw, it can slide off the grip. I normally aim for the top triple clamp or fork tubes. Still allows plenty of grip for compressing the forks, but someone pushing down can help.

As for the rear, normally a loop through it, tied down on either side somewhere...

[Ocean1]

In that case it was hooked onto the bars either side of the clamps. I still tie dirt bikes down there, only now I use the hook & loop type tiedowns.

I tie the Buell down at the lower tripleclamp, better angle.

[BigG]

Another option is to buy from the bike shop aTransport strap it fits across your handelbars and you fit your tie downs through them. It is desined for bikes with fairings. I use this for takeing bike to track days and have no problems, as every one has sugested take decent tie downs. If you lived in the area I would lend you a set.

[ynot slow]

Practice tying the bike in your garage or a mates one to suss out tie down points,nothing worse than getting on board and thinking how the hell does this go?

[Kennif]

And another thought ... when you are removing the tie-downs ... take off the ones opposite the sidestand first. Otherwise your bike will flip over on the rh side and break your brake lever. Then you will have to take ALL your luggage off before you can stand it up again!! And don't ask me how i know. :doh:

[speights_bud]

mmm wouldn't recommend tying bikes down using the handlebars, as you saw, it can slide off the grip.

or on some bikes such as the ol' GPX they can break, the GPX 250 (older model at least) has a fault in the handlebar design which is a weak/pre stressed point, i broke two in the time i had mine, and both in the same place, :doh: luckily both broke while riding :sweatdrop :apint:

[Southmotian]

Since we're talking about this, any argument on side stand down vs up?

Personally I think down. Just don't get carried away cranking it down on that side. I witnessed a guy f*ck the sidestand on the ducati he had just flown down to pickup by doing this.

My method:
All 4 corners as mentioned before
Tighten opposite side from sidestand first until bike is almost verticle (don't let it overbalance though!)
Tighten sidestand side until there is a little bit of pressure back on the stand, but don't get carried away.

The reality is that in all but the rough sailings it could probably sit unsecured so long as it is left in gear.

[Mystic13]

And another thought ... when you are removing the tie-downs ... take off the ones opposite the sidestand first. Otherwise your bike will flip over on the rh side and break your brake lever. Then you will have to take ALL your luggage off before you can stand it up again!! And don't ask me how i know. :doh:


PMSL what seems obvious to some and is clearly a lesson waiting to happen for others.

My lesson was never move the bike standing on the opposite side to the side stand. The bike was sitting on the side stand. I stand on the right and pull it toward me and wheel it out of the garage. I didn't realise the side stand had clipped the lip of the floor and swung back a bit but not flicked up. I lean it away from me slowly till it sits on the sidestand and as I lean it further I find I am losing balance and the stand hasn't hit the ground yet. Then in very slow motion it continues going over with me still holding on to break the fall. Thankfully no witnesses.

Lesson learnt. The price of the lesson was a small hard to see 1cm long scratch in the fairing down the bottom and everything else was good. Another rider I know did the same thing and it cost him heaps with everything possible breaking.

Another riders lesson. He pulled up in front of a crowded bar and decided to look cool. He flicks the side stand down before stopping. His plan is to seeminly stop and jump off the bike as it falls on the side stand while he's walking away. As he hopes off he nudges the sidestand back but again not up. He hopes off as the bike falls onto the stand. And he faces the crowded looking cool and starts his walk only to be taken out by his falling bike. As he's laying there sprawled on the road he's contemplating what went wrong. Gazing up at a brown rainbow created by the spray of beer as everyone burst out laughing.

I'm not sure what the lesson is here because i think the routine is potentially quite cool.

[MarkH]

I'm not sure what the lesson is here because i think the routine is potentially quite cool.

The lesson: Try too hard to look cool and you come of looking like a try-hard or if it goes wrong, like a fool.

[klingon]

There is an excellent how-to segment on ferry travel in Graham Allardice's book The Biker's Bible - Fun and survival on road-going motorcycles. (I have borrowed a copy from BRONZ.)

It includes a diagram on how to tie your bike down, and gives all sorts of useful tips (like fill your tank after you get off the ferry to minimise weight).

Here's a Readers' Digest Condensed version of what he advises:


Park your bike on the side-stand, in first gear, steering turned to the left and locked. Run the front wheel up to a wall or other fixed stop, or if that's not possible use chocks.

Attach one tie-down around the left side of the front fork yolk (lower triple clamp). Attach the other end to a deck-mounted eye to the front left of the bike and tension the ratchet until the front suspension starts to compress.

Attach a second tie-down also to the left side of the fork yolk, and attach the other end to a mounting eye to the front right of the bike. Tension the ratchet to compress the suspension a little more. (In calm conditions you may get away with only securing the front of your bike.)

To secure the rear of the bike, attach a third ratchet around the right rear grab-handle (or rear carrier or frame member). Attach the other end to a deck-mounted eye and tighten to compress the rear suspension. Do the same on the other side if you feel it is necessary.

This is the same technique you would use if carrying your bike on a trailer. Once you get the front secured, it doesn't matter if the back moves around a little bit - the bike won't go anywhere.

(Thanks also to The Stranger for demonstrating this technique while rescuing my bike about 18 months ago - it has come in remarkably useful since then!)

[Skyryder]

I use three tie downs. I have the bike on the main stand and not the side stand. Two anchor points in the front ( like a V) with the tie down wrapped aroung the front shocks and two anchor points on the back with the tie down through the back of the bike.(V) These are ratcheted up firmly so as the bike can not swivel on the stand. Third tie down is positioned over the seat and ratchetted up so there is downward pressure on the bike and the stand. Solid as.

Skyryder