Interislander lashings

[Divot]

What ever you do TAKE YOUR OWN tie downs. 4 of them. And find out how to do it corectly. Ask a Racer or Dirt bike rider to SHOW you how. Then you wont have any problems.

[oldrider]

The worst thing about ferry crossings is having your own bike secure with a couple of retards either side of yours coming loose and recking your bike! :slap:
Has not happened to me but definitely has happened to a couple of my mates. Were they ever pissed off!
You do not have to use excessive compression on your suspension you might do damage to your fork seals.
Put the bike in position on the side stand. Pull your ties down on the stand side then pull the other side down firmly then tie a rubber block under each wheel. It will move about a little if its rough but it wont be going anywhere.(They supply the blocks)
I believe you should get good ties and carry them under the seat all the time ferry crossings are just one part of the journey.
You will have more bother waiting outside in the rain for a ferry that is invariably an hour late. Cheers John.

[Mooch]

Have taken bikes on the Interislander a number of times, normally take own ties rather than using rope with hooks provided. For the bad crossings the trucks a well chained down so it'll probably be your neighbours bike that may cause issues. The Ferry workers are normally good if asked one how to tie the bike down and will help after the cars / trucks have been parked. Bikes are normally allowed on first to give you more time to sort it out.

I normally use two triangle shapes to tie the bike down, the front going around the handle bars and down forward out to two eye points. The back starts around the bracket for the rear foot peg, out to a eye on the side, then across to the rear wheel, around the wheel and provided wheel chock, out to an eye on the other side and back to the foot peg bracket on the other side. The tie downs are then tighten until the bike compress on its suspension, but don't tighten too much as you may bend your side stand.
For the front tie downs if the ties are touching fairing put something between them (like gloves) to stop abrasion to the paint.
Also check the bikes either side of you, if you don't like the way they are tied down then tell the owners / give them a hand.

[NinjaBoy]

All the bikes i have tied down this way are sports bikes, with fairings. It sometimes does take a bit of stuffing around but normally is possible to avoid them. Specially if you do it to the bottom tripple clamp, you can sometimes avoid the fairing all together. Depends on bike though.

On my F4 there is just enough room to thread the loop through the gaps in fairing under the front cowl. Just make sure when you loop it around the triple clamps that the webbing isn't rubbing on a sharp surface eg. cable clips or such like.

[T.I.E]

thanks people good advice for me too. thought the idea of the front hand brake lever being tied up was a useful also, and with the rubber chocks i'm sure it wouldn't move.

[LB]

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Not sure if someone's said this already (half asleep....) but I always leave mine in gear, rocked forward till it locks (couple of inches usually).

Never had any problems. More worried about bikes next to mine that aren't tied down propertly than my own one (though never had any problems). Have had a couple of pretty rough crossings and the bike's always been fine.

Happy to show you Hamish's handlebar harness if you want to have a look - flick me an email if you want me to bring it into work. (away today though, on 6.30am flight to Auckland to go to the racing at Pukekohe - yeehar!!)

Take care riding in particular if it's wet. Railway lines are a bastard. The steel floor can be quite slippery - take care getting off - wet steel/boots sometimes slippery.
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[heavenly.talker]

Hey

I have just bought a book for our South Island tour called
Great Escapes: A Guide to Motorcylcling Touring in New Zealand by Peter Mitchell.

On page 90 he gives this advice:

Crossing Cook Strait.

…the Cook Strait has a deserved reputation for rough seas, and if your are even remotely likely to encounter strong winds then steps should be taken to protect your motorcycle from damage.

Even before you park your motorcycle inside the ferry, there are dangers to be faced. The steel ramps leading onto the ferry can get very slippery from sea spray, rain, diesel and oil spills. Traction is limited, and any braking must be done with extreme caution.

Secondly, cargo decks and entrance ramps may be grooved with railway tracks, which can be deadly traps for motorcycle wheels. Take maximum care.

The ferry staff should offer to strap your motorcycle down, and such strapping usually consists of a large ratchet strap or rope with hooks extending over the seat and fastened to the deck at about 45 degrees out from the centre of the motorcycle. With a bit of luck, padding will be placed over the seat to protect it. The motorcycle is usually placed on its centre stand. Motorcyclists have experienced a wide variation in staff skills and attention to motorcycle, so the following steps are recommended:

1. Instead of using the centre stand, place your motorcycle on its side stand. This gives the motorcycle three points of contact with the steel deck rather than two and is considered more stable.
2. Either leave your motorcycle in first gear or, preferably, strap your hand brake so that it is firmly ‘on’. A strong rubber band, an old piece of inner tube (approx. 30mm wide), or even a belt will suffice.
3. Once placed on the side stand, four straps are recommended – two at each end of the motorcycle, fastening the front and rear forks to the deck much as guy ropes fasten a traditional tent. Experienced travellers carry their own adjustable webbing or ratchet straps for this task. When tightening the webbing straps it is advisable to take weight off the side stand by almost pulling the motorcycle upright.
4. The Ferry staff may still add their central seat strap for safety, but make sure the heat is protected from damage or pinching.
5. Lastly, make sure all valuables are removed from the motorcycle and taken with you to the passenger area. All saddle bags should be locked, or securely fastened to prevent pilfering.

With a bit of luck, the above should see your beloved motorcycle safely across the Cook Strait.

Hope that helps :-)
Totally recommend the book even though it is now 5 years old (published in 2000 by Longacre Press).
Have fun and take care
K

[Jonty]

Thanks for all your advice. I imagine I will have the bike wrapped up like a christmas present so it aint going anywhere!!

[Pixie]

The cheap tie downs you get from Mitre 10 for $10 are perfectly adequate
They are good for 300kg ea
I didn't use the hooks,but doubled the strap trough the buckle/winder and put the loop round the bars a few times and hooked the loop over the levers

[Dadpole]

Never trust the clamp on the tie-down to hold. I always put a loop in case it slips.

[pritch]

The better modern tie-downs are designed so that the strap part goes around the bars and the hook is further down out of the way.
They have carabiners instead of open hooks at the bottom end.

Use a cable tie or duct tape to hold the front brake on, along with the chocks and it shouldn't go anywhere.