Tie-downs

[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.

[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, luckily both broke while riding

[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.

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