Component number one, the wheel chock. For any tiedown system to be safe and secure there must be a means of insuring that the motorcycle will not move once tied down. The best means of accomplishing this is by preventing forward motion and turning of the front wheel, then using the straps to pull the bike down on the suspension and forward against the chock.

Those systems which actually grab or strap the wheel and rim in place seem unsuitable to us due to the potential for twist and warping of the front wheel under the sometimes violent stresses imposed by riding down the highway. Blocks and C channel were rejected because first of all, they provide a relatively sharp edge for the tire to chafe against. Secondly, in a violent movement such as hitting a pothole at speed or driving down a gravel road there is the potential for the tire to jump the channel and turn the wheel since there is little to guard against a sideways turn of the wheel.

Chocks have a number of advantages inherent in their design. First the mounting hardware can be mounted almost anywhere, allowing multiple loading combinations while maintaining optimum weight distribution, and a quick disconnect so as not to interfere with other potential uses of the trailer. Secondly, the chock blocks sideways movement along the full length of the chock , which insures that the wheel should not jump the chock in a violent movement. Third, the chock provides a crush resistant front to prevent forward movement in the event of a collision or panic stop. A final feature of the tubular design is that the round tube offers no sharp edges reducing the threat of tire damage.

Component number two: tiedowns such as Soft Loops are used too preserve paint and chrome while securely attaching straps to the motorcycle. In selecting soft loops to use in tying down your motorcycle there are three determinates of strength. The sewing, the width, and the thread count. Sewing has to pretty much be determined by the manufacturer. select a reputable manufacturer and the sewing should be acceptable. Look for loose threads and broken stitches on older straps. Width should be the same as the ratchet straps you are using. Look for any fraying or cuts in the strap material, any cuts and you should replace the strap immediately. The most important determinate of strap strength is the tread count, while thread count is not shown on the box it can be determined by examining the thickness of the strap. The thinner the strap, the weaker the strap.

We STRONGLY encourage the use of ratchet tiedown straps for securing motorcycles. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, with ratchets it is possible to secure your motorcycle by yourself, thereby avoiding the need of a second person to help load. Second, the use of ratchet tiedowns also let you increase the tension on the motorcycles suspension which will reduce shock loading the straps during towing. Shock loading occurs when the trailer hits a bump on the highway, The secured motorcycles suspension compresses to absorb the shock, while the suspension is compressed all tiedown straps go slack and then are snapped tight as the suspension expands. Shock loading can cause loosening of the strap due to slippage (pull type straps due to their design are especially prone) or strap breakage since the shock load may be several times the normal load on the strap. The more the bike's suspension is loaded when tied down the less the suspension can or will compress during towing and the lower the shock loads are. Ratchet straps by design will compress the motorcycle's suspension farther than the pull types can. A final note on tiedown straps, We have seen a definite tendency to economize and use bargain priced straps. It always amazes me to see a $15,000 Motorcycle secured with the cheapest straps that could be found. If your bike falls over the ten dollars you saved on a set of straps will not begin to cover the cost of fixing the ding to your motorcycle.

Bike Specific
How you tie down your bike depends in great measure on the brand and model bike you have. Before we get into the does lets cover a couple of don'ts.

First of all do NOT tiedown your bike by the handlebars. I know that allot of dealers recommend this but it has been our experience that this is not a secure tiedown for a couple of reasons. On Harley-Davidson Motorcycles and a couple of other brands the handlebars are rubber mounted, tying down the bike by the handlebars can end up with a bike whose handlebars will slip down into your lap. Regardless of the type of motorcycle you ride the handlebars are not designed to accept the stresses that are generated in towing down rough roads or hitting a pothole or 2X4 at speed. Finally, tiedown straps should form a 45 degree angle between the bike and floor, consequently the lower on the bike that the tie downs are the closer to the bike the floor tiedowns can be and still be secure.

A second major don't involves those who ride Honda's 1500 Goldwing, A second major don't involves those who ride Honda's 1500 Goldwing,DO NOT use the rear bag guards on this bike to tiedown the motorcycle, you will pull them right off of the bike.

Finally, Never put a cover on your motorcycle when towing it on an open trailer. No matter how well the cover is tied down road grit and tiny movements of the cover will wear the paint right off of your motorcycle!!!

Ok now on to the specifics of bike tiedown, the tips that follow are not the only way to tiedown motorcycles but they do work. We recommend tiedown any bike by either the frame or a part solidly mounted to the frame of the bike. We recommend the use of six ratchet tiedowns per bike, four at the front and two at the back.

On the Honda Goldwing, Yamaha Venture and many sport bikes we recommend putting a soft loop to surround the triple tree and tying off of the loop with two ratchet straps one pulling directly forward into the chock and the second pulling forward and out to the side.

On Harley-Davidson brand bikes the reversed forks require a different strategy. On the Harley move to the front of the engine where the frame meets the crash bars or where it would meet the crash bars if not and repeat the four strap tiedown mentioned above. At the back of the bike we recommend that you tie a soft loop around the passenger hand grips (1500 Wing, Yamaha Venture Royale), the passenger footpegs, or the rear frame of the bike itself. This will require a little bit of experimentation as your bike may have pipes, or other parts that interfere with the strap's run. Things to watch out for would include sharp corners, (or even dull ones, chafe is a major cause of strap failure. Hot pipes, or anything that might be damaged if a metal portion of the ratchet contacts a chromed part of the bike. Sometimes interference or contact can be avoided by reversing the strap which would move where the ratchet sits in relation to the bike.