Bonneville America Forums Forums Off Topic Discussion Forums Lounge Need some trailering advice

Hey guys, before you shoot me.... let me 'splain. Matt and I are going to trailer to Pat's together for a couple reasons, mainly health related so SAVE IT!

OK now that the formalities are out of the way...
How big a trailer do we need to fit two bikes?
What's a good formation to tie down two? Staggered? One facing front, one back? At angles? Etc?
We would probably be rending from uhaul unless someone has a multi-bike trailer they want to lend us
Thanks guys!

Well from the looks of the U-Haul website, their motorcycle trailer doesn't look like it'll get the job done with 2 bikes since the Max load is 950lbs. Two of our bikes are over 1,000 lbs. All is not lost though, because they have this open trailer with ramp with a max load of 1,650 lbs. But that one does come with heavier restrictions on the vehicle towing the trailer.

Putting them both in with the front end first shouldn't be a problem. I don't know what kind of tie-down points that trailer has, but in general it's a good idea to tie them down from a low point on the bike and also up high when talking about the front end. If you only tie from say...the handlebars, the bike's front wheel could slip out.

Good luck, and btw...I mailed that magazine today.

Will we need to put something in to keep the wheels from sliding out? Maybe some 2x4s nailed down?

I personally have 3 sets of tiedowns... so I'll be ok Matt and I will figure it out. If it has a wood bed, we can screw down some blocks. I'm more worried about the criss/crossing of straps.

Also, what about the kickstand? Up or down?

Benny,

On a trailer, some kind of channel or brace to snug the front tire into so you can use nylon straps to pull forward against a solid object AND down. Compressing the front springs won't cause any problems I've run into. Others might differ? I think floor or low mounted solid mounted tie points (eye bolts, whatever) are a necessity. I use four straps, 2 front and 2 rear and haven't had a problem. Fastening the tire itself is a good backup, but I have never done it, although I am a fan of "redundant systems" when hauling loads on the highway.

Loading both bikes forward facing is easier IMO. Then when off loading, loosen one bike at a time, put it in nuetral, straddle bike, while other guy drops the tow vehicle clutch and your on the ground, Repeat for bike #2. (kidding man, kidding ). Check straps when stopping for gas, refreshments or restrooms. Have fun. To me one of the riskiest moments of dropping a bike is loading/offloading on the ramp whatever you use. The leveler the better. More than one person has driven a snowmobile/motorcycle through the rear window of a pickup truck.

And don't take any guff off that Canandinqua crowd for using a trailer.

JH

Tie to the frame right behind the key and the side cover for the back and right above where the frame bolts are up front. Put the kickstand up and definitely block the wheels.

Go 50 miles and check and then like John said, check every break.

One bike forks forward, one bike forks rear. 4 straps per bike at 4 corners (especially at the handlebar mounts), cross tie to trailer rails. Front forks should be around halfway
compressed.

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Benny,
IMHO you should face both bikes forward. Spend $30 and get the JC Whitney wheel stops. When you tie down the bikes you don't hook the handlebars directly. You loop the tie downs through the triple trees and connect both hooks to the trailer loop. I like placing tie-downs on the rear pulling backwards against the front tie-downs. I hook them to the holes in the frame under the bike. It will require that the rear trailer loops are very low on the trailer floor.

I bought some handlebar tie straps (slide over the ends of the bars) for ferry use but never used 'em

A couple of points if I may...

a. If you are trailering more than 50 miles or so, do NOT just crank tie-downs tight. Build/get a large block of wood with an upper surface of 8"x12" (or thereabouts) to put under the frame where a center stand would be mounted. You'll want to consider nailing a couple of strips lengthwise to help avoid slip-out. When you crank down your tie-downs your bikes will be resting on the blocks and not subjecting your shocks to various insults.

b. Do NOT put a cover on the bikes. If you do, dust/road grit WILL get under it and between the underside of the cover and your paint/chrome. You will have effectively created a 55mpg sander with your bikes being the grinder's object of affection.

My 2¢.

benny, alot of trailers are not wide enough to permit side by side loading unless you offset them, that is why you see alot of times one loaded front first and one backwards, so look into that issue (if you can load them side by side 8' is ok if not you will need 10') and decide what you are comfortable with. if it is an open trailer, it might not be a problem to get them far enough apart that the bars dont touch?? but it might be a problem to tie them down right?? someone said to tie the from the trees, rather that the bars, and with this size bike that is best. for sure you want the kickstand up, think about it hahahaha if something happened and the stand was down and and it got broken....now you got nuthin!!!! stand up is best!!! you want to secure the front wheel either with a couple pieces of 2x4(one on each side of tire) or strap it to the trailer frame so it cant twist cuz if it can turn it will. strap it down tight at both ends and will be alright. have fun at Pats and i hope to see you in Ga. oh yea, and i totally understand the reasons, i have mine also!!!! aaarrrggggghhhhhhhhh

Good advice guys!

Tried posting this yesterday but it did not want to work.
The tip about wood under the bike from accessguy is good, and try to tie the straps parallel/even angles to the shocks, front and rear. This makes it as rigid as possible.
You guys can park the cars/trailers in the side yard too, then you don't have to worry about filling up the lot at the motel.

Yeah I did work for a cargo securing systems company once, so I have the basics down I'm more looking for advice from experience, which I have gotten! So thanks. I like the wood idea too. I remember not understanding the calculus involved in predicting the movements of two masses suspended with springs in between, so I'd rather not learn the hard way with the trailer

To trailer two good size bikes you will probably need a 8' wide trailer (width includes the trailer wheels). Not sure I would be comfortable towing a bike on a trailed backwards. If you do take most of the bike accessories off (in particular the screen if it has one). Strap at four point and I always tie the front wheel to the wheel chuck. If the trailer has a flat bed then also brace the rear wheels or strape the rear wheel to the rear tie down locations. You don't want to over compress the shocks and if you hit a good bump then the rear wheel can shift. Over time this shift could result in the bike laying down. Thus the reason to strap the rear wheel.

This last summer I trailered my bike and two kayaks up to Beech Mountain,NC. Everytime I stopped I did a complete walk around and rechecked and adjusted as necessary. The trailer I used was setup for 3 bikes. So I put my bike on the middle rail and the 2 kayaks on the outside rails. It took getting use to the width of the trailer, but I liked it because it was wide enough that I could see both wheels at all times in my side mirrors.

Tom

benny,
I trailerd two bikes from CT to Myrtle Beach last May. I have a Motorsports 2 rail trailer. One word of advice bring along a spare tire for the trailer. I was loading the bikes for the trip home, and found a drywall screw in the tire. I had a spare, but had to find a plug kit so I would still have a spare for the trip home. I use double tiedowns on the front. forks & bars I use loop straps, and dont put tiedowns hooks direct to bike. No tiedown on the back, just a strap through the wheel to hold it to the rail. Cheak all each time you stop. Good Luck
Mark

Wanna lend me your trailer?

benny,
you can use it if you want.
just let me know
Mark

Well it beats renting a trailer that MIGHT have accomodations for bikes! I'll PM you.

That would solve a lot of problems for us. I don't think Uhaul will let us put any rails in the bed of their trailer.