Transporting your moto

[Mac_48]

How do you transport your moto in a friends pickup?  I've been told that I need a Baxley sport chock and a whole bunch of tie downs.  But for those poor people that don't want to spend a couple hundred on a sport chock(like me) and need a how to on transport(like where to secure tie downs), can you describe how you have done it?

Edit: yes I know that this is sort of a dumb question, but bare with me

[Alexandre]

its not really very hard and no you dont need to drop a load of $ for anything

make sure to center bike in the back of the truck facing forward

4 tie downs...

front 2 -- around the fork above the bottom tripple (there are loop type tie downs to not scratch anything) to the corner of the pick up bed

rear 2 -- subframe to corner of pick up bed


make sure to compress the suspension after you have on the tie downs and tighten everything up.. have a person sit on the bike and push the forks down... then lean back and tighten up the back... as long as everything is tight and the bike is level you are all good for a road trip

[Mac_48]

Thats what I thought I just wanted someone to spell it out for me....oh well I guess everyone has their newb moments

[ducatiz]

one more tip i would add

get a rubber mat and put it under the tires.  the kind with sticky rubber on top and bottom.  hard to describe, but they are the honeycomb type shop mat.

they compress a bit and adhere to the metal truck bed better than the tire will. 

[dlearl476]

How do you transport your moto in a friends pickup?  I've been told that I need a Baxley sport chock and a whole bunch of tie downs.  But for those poor people that don't want to spend a couple hundred on a sport chock(like me) and need a how to on transport(like where to secure tie downs), can you describe how you have done it?

Edit: yes I know that this is sort of a dumb question, but bare with me

Harbor Freight sells a chock for about $30.  I didn't have much luck with it with sportbike size tires, but having two Baxleys, I didn't have much patience either.

All you NEED, is a couple of tie downs if your not going far.  Most people go overboard but I've got a lot of miles on bikes with the handlebars secured down and forward (to hold the bike against the front of the truck) and compressing the suspesnion about 2/3rds.  If you want, you can also secure it from the pillion pegs to each side, but it doesn't need it.
Lastly, make sure the bars and truck end are secure so a big bump can't compress the suspension further and let the strap go.  I usually use electrical tape for this.

[Research Monkey]

Canyon Dancer with 2 tie downs for the front (www.motomummy.com sells them pretty cheap)  If you have passenger pegs, you can use 2 additional tie downs for each peg.  All trucks usually have a hook in the bed you can use.

[55Spy]

Couple things to take into account is how far your transporting it.  I drove to tennesee to buy an S4r and brought it back in the truck.  4 tiedowns just like alexandre said. and had no probs.  I transport offroad bike all the time with only 2 tiedowns.  The rear ties really dont need to be too tight they are just to keep the bike from dancing around in the truckbed.

Now to answer your question. If you want to use just tiedowns and not buy a specialty product.  pull the bike in the truck up to the cab.  lightly against the front of the bed.  Use the fork tubes not the handlebar as your tiedown points (theres really nothing substantial to keep the tiedowns from slipping off the bars.  Use the lower triple to keep the tiedown from slipping down, tie a loop in the strap to run the hook back to(often called a truckers knot) this will keep the hook away from the bike and secure the strap so it won't pop off once the strap is tight).  Go out to the corners of the bed to the holes for tiedowns. even pressure side to side until the bike sits upright and level by itself.  Then compress the bike either with a friend pushing down or you pushing down while you pull up on the strap.  DO NOT BOTTOM OUT THE SUSPENSION.  you can damage the fork cartridge or even worse bend the fork tube if the truck hits a big bump or even just from the pressure on the bike.  let the suspension work a little while its in the truck.  It only needs to be snug not rigid. run the back 2 from the subframe or wheel to each corner.  with termis especially high mount you won't be able to get to it very well so i subggest using a towel and one strap throught the rear wheel looped around tire so it won't move laterally.   a non slip truckbed is the best to keep the tires from scooting on you or use a piece of rubber mat.  (short trip isn't as important).  check on the bike after a few miles to see how everything settled

I like the cam/ratchet type tiedowns because they won't release on you and get loose, but they can lead someone not used to tying down a bike to cranking on it too much and damaging the suspension.

[Slide Panda]

I'm a little iffy on the canyon dancer.  One was used to transport my 620 and it was fine - but people have reported it breaking the plastic pins in that switch clusters.  After seeing it in action, I could see how that can happen.



Some resource that might help
http://www.mad-ducati.com/ShowPage2.php?PageName=tiedown/TieDown.html

http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle-trailer/motorcycle-trailer-tie-down.htm

[Mac_48]

Thanks for all of the responses...i feel a lot better now.  I didn't want to drive home 3-4 hours without getting it spelled out for me 

[ducatiz]

Thanks for all of the responses...i feel a lot better now.  I didn't want to drive home 3-4 hours without getting it spelled out for me 

i-t-s n-o b-i-g d-e-a-l

[55Spy]

Thanks for all of the responses...i feel a lot better now.  I didn't want to drive home 3-4 hours without getting it spelled out for me 

No prob it's kinda an easy thing to worry about if you don't do it very often

[crozzer]

just adding a couple of other options here:
you can trailer. there is a company out there that makes a fold-able trailer (easy upright storage in your garage or against a wall).

I've seen ppl fit 2 bikes (i think) inside a dodge caravan.

I use a hitch mounted carrier.
It's the right amount of convenience for me. I can lift it and I can put the bike on it by myself, and I can store it in my basement.
I couldn't find my exact one online for reference, but this ones looks way better:
http://www.discountramps.com/smc-600-motorcycle-hauler.htm

btw - if you carry your bike sideways like this, obviously it is much less stable because if you brake hard it wants to fall into your car.  I've found that by leaning it a tiny bit into your car to start with, you really stabilize the bike against moving around.  (better to have it leaning towards your car than away from it, because it levers on the hitch less).  Because of this extra force on the bike, i usually take the bulk of the load on the triple (as described above), then add backup on the handlebars that is not as tight, then i also secure the rearsets, and finally, one through the back wheel, towards the front wheel, holding the bike from rolling backwards off the thing.  Not that it would actually roll all the way off, but this just helps limit any tossing and swaying back there.