I lost a Bike

530ktm

530ktm

I have a Kendon 3 rail folding trailer I have used a lot for the last 3 years. I tow it behind my Jeep Wrangler and it is great as it tows very nicely, has torsion bar suspension that works great and folds up and goes in my garage. Yesterday coming home from a day of riding I was coming down the 15 freeway in the slow lane and the traffic was moving along at 25 mph. Traffic usually sucks along there on Sunday afternoons. I just looked in my mirror and the bikes were riding along just like they always do and then suddenly I hear this loud scraping and grinding noise. I look in my side mirror and spinning around in a shower of sparks in the lane next to me is my sons CRF 150R.:foul:A big rig is about 2 feet from running the thing over as I pull over and run back but he manages to stop just in time. I am still in shock from this happening as I have towed bikes ranging from little kid bikes to Harleys on trailers for years. Apparently the tie down hook came out of the flat mounted hook point when the bikes suspension would compress and it ejected the bike off the side of the trailer. I am now going to redesign the hook point on the trailer so they attach differently. Amazingly the bike landed on the left side and the hand guard and axle nut took all the abuse. Not a scratch on the seat, pipe or fenders and even the hand guard is okay with some plastic being replaced. I thanked my lucky stars for the rest of the journey home that this turned out the way it did as it could have been a disaster. Anyone ever have this kind of thing happen to them?
 
timoyz

timoyz

Back in the day, I had a buddy that would take a extra strap, and attach it to inside fork, to inside fork, on the 2 outside bikes. He learned it from his Dad, and we always gave him crap for it. Then, low and behold, a strap failed on the way out of El Mirage. That extra strap was the only thing that saved my bike. Dads always know. :hail:
 
rezrider

rezrider

530ktm:
I have a Kendon 3 rail folding trailer I have used a lot for the last 3 years. I tow it behind my Jeep Wrangler and it is great as it tows very nicely, has torsion bar suspension that works great and folds up and goes in my garage. Yesterday coming home from a day of riding I was coming down the 15 freeway in the slow lane and the traffic was moving along at 25 mph. Traffic usually sucks along there on Sunday afternoons. I just looked in my mirror and the bikes were riding along just like they always do and then suddenly I hear this loud scraping and grinding noise. I look in my side mirror and spinning around in a shower of sparks in the lane next to me is my sons CRF 150R.:foul:A big rig is about 2 feet from running the thing over as I pull over and run back but he manages to stop just in time. I am still in shock from this happening as I have towed bikes ranging from little kid bikes to Harleys on trailers for years. Apparently the tie down hook came out of the flat mounted hook point when the bikes suspension would compress and it ejected the bike off the side of the trailer. I am now going to redesign the hook point on the trailer so they attach differently. Amazingly the bike landed on the left side and the hand guard and axle nut took all the abuse. Not a scratch on the seat, pipe or fenders and even the hand guard is okay with some plastic being replaced. I thanked my lucky stars for the rest of the journey home that this turned out the way it did as it could have been a disaster. Anyone ever have this kind of thing happen to them?
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timoyz:
Back in the day, I had a buddy that would take a extra strap, and attach it to inside fork, to inside fork, on the 2 outside bikes. He learned it from his Dad, and we always gave him crap for it. Then, low and behold, a strap failed on the way out of El Mirage. That extra strap was the only thing that saved my bike. Dads always know. :hail:
Click to expand...

I TOO had the same thing happen only before I learned to tie/strap them together besids the tie downs used. Mine happend when I came out of the gas sstation except "I" didn't know I lost the bike...a guy pulled up next to me andtold me I dropped it a block back. Luckily no one hit it...Wifes bike, unimportant at te time :devil:...j/k. tore up the left hand grip a little bit and bent the peg but otherwise ok. I used a piece of rope to tie the bars togetherin the event an inside strap broke (again) the bike would fall off.:banana:
 
timoyz

timoyz

rezrider:
I TOO had the same thing happen only before I learned to tie/strap them together besids the tie downs used. Mine happend when I came out of the gas sstation except "I" didn't know I lost the bike...a guy pulled up next to me andtold me I dropped it a block back. Luckily no one hit it...Wifes bike, unimportant at te time :devil:...j/k. tore up the left hand grip a little bit and bent the peg but otherwise ok. I used a piece of rope to tie the bars togetherin the event an outside strap broke (again) the bike would fall off.:banana:
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Don't you mean inside strap? :noidea:
 
530ktm

530ktm

I am glad to hear that this has happened to others. I thought I was a complete moron or something. I even have spare tie downs but never even thought something like this could happen. I will be using the spare straps from now on tying all the bikes together as one big package. Thanks for the tips. :thumb:
 
rezrider

rezrider

530ktm:
I am glad to hear that this has happened to others. I thought I was a complete moron or something. I even have spare tie downs but never even thought something like this could happen. I will be using the spare straps from now on tying all the bikes together as one big package. Thanks for the tips. :thumb:
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It's crazy how small a world it really is...as for what happened to you would be a whole lot crazier than what happened to me. I'da freaked out...Mine wound up in the median between the yellow lines. It was more embarrassing than anything having to pull up and "re-load" the bike...I'm geting much better at handling situations likethis. I had a blow out on my TH the last trip out...scared the crap out of me because of the loud "POP", I was under an overpass when it blew...I saw tread flying around so I knew it was me so I calmly pulled into the next lane then onto the shoulder.....
 
530ktm

530ktm

I forgot to mention the embarrassment factor of having to walk out in the lanes of freeway traffic and pick up the motorcycle. It is like everyone is looking at you like your are some kind of dummy. I have gone through the blow outs in the past as well. I had an older motor home once and the front tire went and ripped out the propane lines and a bunch of wires up in the front wheel well. I thought the whole thing was going to go up in fire. :shocked:
rezrider:
It's crazy how small a world it really is...as for what happened to you would be a whole lot crazier than what happened to me. I'da freaked out...Mine wound up in the median between the yellow lines. It was more embarrassing than anything having to pull up and "re-load" the bike...I'm geting much better at handling situations likethis. I had a blow out on my TH the last trip out...scared the crap out of me because of the loud "POP", I was under an overpass when it blew...I saw tread flying around so I knew it was me so I calmly pulled into the next lane then onto the shoulder.....
Click to expand...
 
rezrider

rezrider

530ktm:
I forgot to mention the embarrassment factor of having to walk out in the lanes of freeway traffic and pick up the motorcycle. It is like everyone is looking at you like your are some kind of dummy. I have gone through the blow outs in the past as well. I had an older motor home once and the front tire went and ripped out the propane lines and a bunch of wires up in the front wheel well. I thought the whole thing was going to go up in fire. :shocked:
Click to expand...

The joys of having fun! :banana:....or is it.....:eek:.....:ride:
 
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