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Hauling a bike tips?


smashweights

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To to harborfreight and pick up one of these.

http://www.harborfreight.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/small_image/135x/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/i/m/image_21102.jpg

Be sure to look into any magazine for a $20 off coupon.

Place it in the far front of your... van, truck, trailer, etc.

Just wheel you bike onto it and hook a strap up to each side of your bike pulling it forward.

Works great for parking your track bike without stands in the garage too.

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its really not that hard to strap a bike for the long haul and a baxley or even harbor freight chock makes it that much easier

I use my baxley, a canyon dancer and the passenger pegs because I'm paranoid and like overkill. The one time I didn't use my baxley and was trying to put 2 bikes in the trailer for the first time my dumbass cranked the ratchet strap too hard and bent the heli-bar since the mounting point wasn't out wide enough

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I'm personally not a fan of standing on one side of the bike and trying to power it up onto a trailer. I've always rode mine up, but my trailer is low and has a big wide ramp. I also have one of these bolted in front

http://www.harborfreight.com/motorcycle-wheel-chock-97145.html

And for what it's worth, I've never had an issue using ratcheting straps. If you release one side at a time with the kick stand down like they show in the video it's no big deal.

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powering the bike up a ramp, whether riding it or walking it, is a risky move at best.

When I loaded into my pickup, I would get a running start, but never go so fast that you're out of control.

have a step-box so you can get yourself into the bed more easily.

Get the bike as high up the ramp as your momentumn will take you, and then hold the front brake. once stopped, have a second person grab the rear wheel at its base, and rotate the wheel rather than pushing on the tail.

Not only does that ensure they're not pushing on bodywork that might break, but it also keeps the force they exert from pushing the bike anywhere but forward. Nothing sucks more than having your frient push the bike to the right (away from you) and having it fall on its side in the bed of the truck, or off the ramp...

Once the bike is in the bed, have the same person who helped you push sit on it while you strap it down.

Their weight compresses the forks a bit, so "snug" is all you need (not tight).

If you think the rear wheel is going to be resting on the tailgate, throwing a large board in the bed may not be a bad idea, to distribute the weight of the bike onto the bed a bit, and off the tailgate. Just be VERY aware that the board may slide, so it should be as fitted to the bed size as possible.

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I use soft straps more than my Canyon Dancer - just easier in my opinion...loop soft straps around bar then hook ratchet strap to soft strap....Daytona Bike Week, The Dragon, Myrtle Beach - many times, never had problem....just do not over tighten the front - could possibly blow fork seals

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shit, all this drama over transporting a bike a few hundred miles... If it weren't KC, I'd just offer to go with you.

There are many ways to eff up transporting a bike, but it's not rocket science...

If it weren't in KC, I'd just bundle up and ride it home :p

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Sounds kinda of basic, but I highly suggest checking all the straps, etc. after driving the first 20-50 miles and then at the next fuel stop(s). You may be surprised what a few bumps in the road will do to settle down a bike.

Don't compress the suspension too much, you want some travel for soaking up the bumps you will encounter.

I don't use a canyon dancer anymore. I just use soft straps at the triple tree, lower forks, etc. I was told that the canyon dancer has bent handlebars on more than one occasion. I have never had a problem with them, but don't wan't to take a chance. They certainly give you good leverage and a nice angle to tie down points, but I can see how they could bend or break handlebars in certain situations...

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I've never used Canyon Dancers; always looped the soft strap around the lower fork clamp and used tie-downs. If the CDs attach to the ends/outside of the bars, don't they tear up the grips and put a lot of stress on the throttle tube? Sounds less than desirable...

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Success! I slipped soft tie loops just above the lower fork bar and used that as the primary front tie/compression then put the canyon dancers on with some light tension to help stabilize the handlebars, tied down the rear using the passenger peg mounts and had to put some cardboard under the rear tire as it was sitting right on a horizontal ridge on the tailgate that would have put all the pressure on one small spot on the tire. Took squareheads advice: checked the straps after 20 miles, then every 200. Bike never budged, one side just needed to be tightened a click or two after about 400 miles. Most nerve wracking part was unloading it down this 10" wide steel ramp my friend had. I may not sleep all night after trying to carefully navigate that thing. Pics to come tomorrow!

54247_10100308229098606_474503895_o.jpg

Edited by smashweights
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Congrats on a successful mission!

Hauling it was easier than you had thought, wasn't it......lol

Haha, it was actually ridiculously easy. Only hard thing was getting it in and out of the bed. Probably would have been just fine without the canyon dancers and half the straps I used, but I'm paranoid like that, as you all probably noticed! :p It's killing me right now that the BMV isn't open to get this registered and legal to go.

looks sweet!

I actually had never seen the red one in person and pictures don't do them justice. This is gonna be a LONG winter indeed.

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