How do you tie down your bike?

[Casper]

Let's see some pics of the different ways people tie down their bikes. I've always used Canyon Dancers, but after some reading and a close call I'm looking for alternatives. Figure others can learn from this as well.

[Bubba]

No pics, unfortunately.  But as someone who hauled MX bikes all over the Midwest in either a pickup or on a trailer, I can offer the advice that what is MORE IMPORTANT is the placement of the tie down in the hauling vehicle vs where its attached to the bike.  For both MX and street bikes--with or without fairing--I use the short soft tie loops wrapped around the bottom triple clamp in front and a secure point on the frame at the rear.  Use four MC tie-down straps (not ratchet straps!) to sturdy mounts on the vehicle, preferably at as close to a 30-45* angle from the bike as the mount point will allow.  Straps that are nearly vertical don't control the side-to-side sway of the bike as well.  Obviously, its way more crucial to get secure tie downs on a 900# cruiser than it is a 225# MX bike.  For even more secure tie down, you can make a custom block out of wood and place it between the fender/wheel and the triple clamp to take some of the pressure off the fork seals and to minimize rocking.  The danger in doing this is that if the block slips out, your straps won't have much tension on them and the bike can break loose!

 

Tying down this way is predicated on 1) having a fairly large and handy hauler like a truck or trailer that has either factory/OEM or aftermarket mounting points that are securely installed, and 2) hauling a single bike.  When you start hauling 2 or more bikes in an 8' pickup bed, you're not gonna have ideal tie down options.  I hauled 3 DS bikes to CO and back several years ago in a 7x12 tandem box trailer with factory D-rings and wheel chocks and it worked great....but was just barely big enough.

[Tonik]

Let's see some pics of the different ways people tie down their bikes. I've always used Canyon Dancers, but after some reading and a close call I'm looking for alternatives. Figure others can learn from this as well.

 

You could try actually riding your bike. I have found that works very well for me.

[Gump]

Ask Marlboro man

[Bad324]

Baxley and canyon dancer...never had a problem. The Baxley is the key, so much so that even though I'm bikeless and trailer-less for awhile, I still won't get rid of it for the day when both come back. Except the time we loaded up the night before and I was drinking. Wasn't paying attention and cranked it to the point I bent my helibar. This was completely user error though

Edited September 15, 2015 by Bad324

[MidgetTodd]

Canyon Dancers are all I use and you know I trailer everywhere. Yes there's stories of failure out there, but they are human failure not the CD failure. Any system can fail if you don't use it properly.

Knowing what you're doing is usually far more important than the product you are using.

I've never had an issue with the CD.

[2talltim]

I love CD with my TL but they would not work on the Vee or C14 due to the bars being to high and wide. On the 14 the few times it's been on a trailer I had to remove the air deflector and horn from the bottom of the triple tree. Then ran the straps between the fairing and forks to the bottom of the tree. On the rear I usually just hook onto the passenger pegs brakets.

Edited September 15, 2015 by 2talltim

[blue03636]

I currently use pitbull TRS but before that I would wrap the strap around the bottom of the fork behind the fender and just above the fork casting. I can try to grab a pic when I get home. The bike is solid and there is zero pressure on the suspension so you don't have to worry about the forks compressing and a tiedown coming out.

[Mary#17]

We used to use canyon dancers but now we use strapless stands. Love these things!  Wish we had them back in the racing days when we trailered almost every weekend. 

 

 

[Gump]

I like the strap material only canyon dancer type. They didn't mess up my grips and bar ends like I see the canyon dancers do all the time.

look up high roller handle bar harness. They're similar but mine have more material spanning the grip. Can't remember the name.

[rsvRidr]

http://www.ohioriders.net/index.php?/topic/108275-%282%29-Baxley-sport-chocks

[emoji6]

Sent from [emoji631] on my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Casper]

Baxley and canyon dancer...never had a problem. The Baxley is the key, so much so that even though I'm bikeless and trailer-less for awhile, I still won't get rid of it for the day when both come back. Except the time we loaded up the night before and I was drinking. Wasn't paying attention and cranked it to the point I bent my helibar. This was completely user error though

Never use Canyon Dancers with Helibars. There's a big warning in the instructions from Helibars about this. They'll bend or worse.

[Casper]

Canyon Dancers are all I use and you know I trailer everywhere. Yes there's stories of failure out there, but they are human failure not the CD failure. Any system can fail if you don't use it properly.

Knowing what you're doing is usually far more important than the product you are using.

I've never had an issue with the CD.

The stitching came undone in the webbing. I have pics if you would like. Canyon Dancer sent me a new one, like $20, and some free tie downs. They definitely handled it well, but still a close call I'd rather not repeat.

Wasn't it on your trailer that this happened?

[max power]

I have two sweet ass pairs of Canyon dancers sitting in the passenger seat right now for sale to the highest bidder.

Just do like Gump and used 30 ratchet straps in case the first 20 fail.

[Bad324]

Never use Canyon Dancers with Helibars. There's a big warning in the instructions from Helibars about this. They'll bend or worse.

 

meh the way I did it, wasn't an CD issue...it was definitely my fault. I used the CD dozens of time with the VFR helibars in conjuction with the Baxley and zero issues at all. That warning can kiss me ass

[MidgetTodd]

The stitching came undone in the webbing. I have pics if you would like. Canyon Dancer sent me a new one, like $20, and some free tie downs. They definitely handled it well, but still a close call I'd rather not repeat.

Wasn't it on your trailer that this happened?

No not mine. They stood behind the product and made it right though. That says a lot.

[Casper]

No not mine. They stood behind the product and made it right though. That says a lot.

They did a great job making the customer happy. But the fact that it happened still worries me. I'm not saying they're bad, just saying that experience has me worried to use them again and that the failure was not human error (at least not on my part, maybe manufacturing).

[2talltim]

Never use Canyon Dancers with Helibars. There's a big warning in the instructions from Helibars about this. They'll bend or worse.

My TL had Helibars, never a problem

[Casper]

My TL had Helibars, never a problem

Just because you can doesn't mean you should.

http://helibarsblog.com/tag/canyon-dancer/

[Bad324]

Call me James Bond of trailering, i love to live dangerously 

[Tpoppa]

I prefer to ride

[2talltim]

Just because you can doesn't mean you should.

http://helibarsblog.com/tag/canyon-dancer/

True but I'm guessing that Helibars are just as stout as any other bar(maybe stonger) they are just wanting to eliminate the idiot factor. Where some idiot cranks his straps on his CD "way too tight", breaks or bends somthing then wants to blame the bars. So they put the warning out there not to do it and then they can simply say "we told you not to, not our problem"

[Bad324]

they are just wanting to eliminate the idiot factor. Where some idiot cranks his straps on his CD "way too tight", breaks or bends somthing then wants to blame the bars. So they put the warning out there not to do it and then they can simply say "we told you not to, not our problem"

 

yes like this idiot

[magley64]

Like others, no need to strap it down, use kickstand for most situations, center stand when doing work on it.

[2talltim]

Like others, no need to strap it down, use kickstand for most situations, center stand when doing work on it.

Edited September 15, 2015 by 2talltim