It does no harm to the fork seals. It doesn't build pressure like that.
I can take the memory out of the springs , but if i'm going to winch mine down, Its only for the ride home, IF i think its going to be any longer i throw in a brace.
Best way to strap down the bike.
- Thread starter hondacr500af
- Start date
I can take the memory out of the springs , but if i'm going to winch mine down, Its only for the ride home, IF i think its going to be any longer i throw in a brace.
I don't worry about springs anymore. I used to. I pull one down hard enough that the strap hooks won't shake loose. I have springs I have been using for over 20 years. They haven't lost 2mm. Most springs live well being compressed 70% of their inbound travel. I got to see a 470 Continental engine with 1400 hours, taken down. It was 48 years old. 6 cylinders. Some of them had to have been at max compression for about a sixth of those 48 years. If you tried to find a difference with your eye or a tape you couldn't. They all passed the compression test, though none were reused. I decided I worried too much.
Good stuff.
I also use the ratcheting tie downs. My inferior brain does not trust the single pull type. Hard to drive down the road when I'm constantly looking back at the bikes... I'd rather not think about them. -BIG DAN
Either way the tie downs do the job however with the pull down type... DO NOT leave them in the bed of your truck as the sun will damage the straps causing them NOT to stay tight... they WILL slip...
I know this...
I think any of these techniques work but I just want to add that I cut off my lower end hooks and replaced them with heavy duty carabiner hooks as I lost a bike on a trailer once when the lower hook came loose from going through dips in the road and the forks compressed a little bit. There is nothing like looking in the side mirrors and seeing your bike spinning around in the lane next to you and a semi truck slamming on his brakes. I also use soft ties to avoid messing up the handlebars. If the bike stays anywhere for a time I am away a nice large cable gets added to the pot with a big lock.
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Oh yeah…..I did lose a bike once, some dick cut the tie downs and stole the bike outa the truck right in front of my house…….luckly I got it back 8 days later,the kid went to jail and I got 2200.00 in restitution.
That is where the big cable and big lock come in handy.
Just a bit of a difference from losing a bike due to faulty straps and losing a bike due to faulty security measures. I had a tie down break once and lost a bike on my way out of the gas station... I did't know it until someone pulled up along side and asked if I HAD 2 bikes on the trailer.... Ahhhh shiiiiiiit 
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Gives one kind of an empty feeling in the gut at the moment.Just a bit of a difference from losing a bike due to faulty straps and losing a bike due to faulty security measures. I had a tie down break once and lost a bike on may out of the gas station... I did't know it until someone pulled up along side and asked if I HAD 2 bikes on the trailer.... Ahhhh shiiiiiiit
Luckily I had only gone a block and stopped at the light when he pulled up... My truck had a shell on it and was full so I couldn't see out the back window and the only tiome I would see the bikes is when I turned... never expected that to happen. Since then it is ALL i ever think about when tying them down! Even inside my TH...
1.5 straps, beaners on the bottom, soft on the top, single pull, never had a problem, just hauled them 385 one way and 385 back.
Shock saver sometimes, but not always. Seals!!!! Haha, seals are not under any load in compression, just the springs and no worry there.
Shock saver sometimes, but not always. Seals!!!! Haha, seals are not under any load in compression, just the springs and no worry there.
There is!
Some people just start threads without looking.
https://www.dirtbikeaddicts.com/con...ou-tie-your-bike-down.6643/page-2#post-154710
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