Tie Down Our Bikes

[MJB]

Quick Question

I am heading out on Wednesday Sept 1 and will be traveling on a ferry the first day.
Will have to tie the bike down, which I have never done before.

Anyone ahve any suggestions on the best tie down method?
Pictures?

[hankth]

Took the jet boat ferry from ME to Nova Scotia a couple of years ago. They had tie down hooks in the floor of the ship. They were about 3 ft apart, and they supplied tie down straps that went over the seat and tied to two of them. The bike had to be on the side stand, so it was a three point tie down. Very generic and very effective. Check with the ferry people.
Safe trip, Hank

[MJB]

Thanks Hank

I'm taking the ferry form Muskegon to Milwaukee; crossing lake Michigan.
They will supply the straps, but I have too tie it down

My question is too what parts of the bike.
Front forks, frame.
I'm sure I will figure it when the time comes, but just planning ahead

[lewellen]

Thanks Hank

I'm taking the ferry form Muskegon to Milwaukee; crossing lake Michigan.
They will supply the straps, but I have too tie it down

My question is too what parts of the bike.
Front forks, frame.
I'm sure I will figure it when the time comes, but just planning ahead

I've had reasonable luck going from the handlebars to rings on the floor, with the bike on the centerstand, compressing the front suspension. That's a stable orientation for the bike, the sideways force from the tiedowns keep the bike from falling sideways, and the compression of the front suspension makes sure the hooks won't pop off the handlebars.

Good roads,

- Lewellen

[mogu83]

When I go on the road I carry a pair of tie downs and a set of soft ties. Nylon webbing about a foot long loops over handlebars (or wherever) and you hook the tie downs into them, keeps the hooks away from the bike.

[jess]

I have no experience in this area whatsoever, so please feel free to disregard everything I say. I tie down scooters (usually broken ones) all the time, but have never had occasion to tie down my BMW.

That said, I seem to recall a special technique for tying down telelever-equipped BMWs.

EDIT: Found it: http://www.grassrootsbmw.com/uploads/Tiedown2.pdf

Again, I don't know if this is still the preferred way to do it, but this was at least an official document as of 10 years ago.

[sjbmw]

I was fortunate on the Lake Express Ferry to the Wisconsin MOA rally I had my resident engineer (challey) on board to make sure I did not botch the job and create a catastrophe.

The ferry was pre-booked with hundreds of bikes, so they had plenty of straps on hand, but a trip to Home Depot for at least 4 (6 would be better) ratchet straps would not hurt.
The floor of the boat should have latches in the floor, 4 points minimum, 8 in a rectangle would be superb, with the most options.

This is challey's R dead center, (with mine above it) and the rear 5th tie down is around the tire I think, to really prevent any rolling. Also, put the bike in first gear after tie down.



What a fast boat that is. I'd ride it again.

[deilenberger]

I have no experience in this area whatsoever, so please feel free to disregard everything I say. I tie down scooters (usually broken ones) all the time, but have never had occasion to tie down my BMW.

That said, I seem to recall a special technique for tying down telelever-equipped BMWs.

EDIT: Found it: http://www.grassrootsbmw.com/uploads/Tiedown2.pdf

Again, I don't know if this is still the preferred way to do it, but this was at least an official document as of 10 years ago.

Last month (how long ago it now seems.. bummer.. wish I was there again..) That's about exactly how I tied down my bike on the St. John-Digby ferry, but the bike was on the sidestand. The left side strap was set to keep it from coming off the sidestand, and the front and rear straps would keep it from moving foward or back, plus the bike was in gear.

Seemed to work fine with no damage to the bike.. I'm not a big fan of over-the-bars on a BMW.. many BMW bars are soft mounted, plus you have heated grips which can be damaged, even with "Canyon-Dancer" ties..

[mogu83]

A point: Be careful of those ratchet type tie downs, their's the tendency to over compress the suspension. The bike should be sitting on some of its suspension. Depends on where you attach the tie down but something to be aware of.

8 Tie Downs!!!! I usually put two up front and tie the rear tire down to the rails on my dirt bikes (-200 lb bikes) and usually two front and back, with the rear tire tied down to the rail, when I trailer my /5.

Also good idea to run electrical tape (or whatever) around the open end of the hook. That way if the strap gets loose the hook doesn't fall off and beat your bike to death while your motoring down the road at 80MPH listening to your favored CD.

[Bill Stevenson]

I have been sitting on the sidelines on this thread because how a bike is tied down is at once crucially important for safety and because if you do it wrong a whole lot of bad news follows in rapid response. But I decided that my input might help save you or someone else a whole lot of grief. The first thing you ought to know is that Ancra makes the best tie down equipment period. If it ain't Ancra it is not used on my bike. Yes Ancra is more expensive, in this case you get what you pay for. As others have warned you, care must be taken or your bike could be damaged. In addition to the standard pair of Original Ancra tie down straps (rated for 4,500 lbs. tensile strength if memory serves) (the red ones and the black ones are best - I have no idea why but they are), Ancra makes strap extensions as one poster already showed you that fit over the handlebars and provide loops for the hooks on the tiedown straps to attach to. This arrangement is particularly helpful with any bike that has a fairing as it allows a nice wide and high point of attachment. Note finding attachment that is at once secure and also will not harm the bike is critically important. High and wide attachment is more stable than low and narrow. Although some people only use one set, I have learned over the years that having two sets of tie downs, one set on the front, and a second set on the back, is safer, more secure, and provides a useful back up if one comes loose or is damaged for some reason. With respect to the use of side stands and center stands, a properly secured motorcycle using Ancra Original straps should be left suspended between the two sets of tie downs with side and center stands up and out of the way. In that way the bike is suspended side to side and the slight stretch in the tie downs will allow a bit of movement to cushion the bike from damage. Suspension should be compressed almost fully but not quite fully, again to allow the bike suspension to absorb bumps. Caution and judgment are called for here as if the suspension has too much travel, the straps will work loose. Either put the transmission in 1st gear, or better secure the front wheel with a chock to prevent for and aft movement. All four tiedown straps should be pulled tight a bit at a time, first one side, then the other keeping the bike perpendicular. Front first, then back, bit by bit until the suspension is almost, but not fully compressed and the bike is not leaning to either side and is even front to back. Check your tiedowns frequently during transit and tighten them up if necessary. Finally, check your tiedowns before each use to make sure there are no cuts or abrasions in the webbing. I replace mine every 3 to 5 years as these are wear items and they do lose their strength. Although I have tried to be as clear in my description as possible, if you can find someone who knows how to tie down a bike properly, it would be best to have him or her show you how the first time. You haven't seen everything until you've seen a big bike come loose. I have seen this twice, once a Goldwing came off a trailer in the mountains, and more recently a big HD on the sidestand and not properly tied down came out of the bed of a pickup truck on the Florida Turnpike. No joy, both bikes were total losses. There is no difference between a safe tiedown on a trailer, on a ferry (depending on how rough the passage this might be the most difficult), or on a truck. Care in this matter is extremely important.

Regards,

Bill

[vroomr]

The 2008 owners manual which I downloaded from BMW has a section titled "Securing motorcycle for transportation" starting on page 74. I consulted this because my bike's in transit right now. Much to my surprise, it advises handlebar attachment (with the straps passing through the telelever) and maximum suspension compression. I guess I get to say RTFM.