Beull Lightning Tie Down Question

[rishardh]

Need to haul my Lightning from Dallas to Toronto for a road trip around Ontario with my Bro-in-law. Got a used Motorcycle Trailer in a Bag. Very cool setup. Can be broken down and stored away in the attic or closet.

What's the best way to tie down the Lightning to the trailer? Where should I loop through the straps?

 

[strmvt]

Canyon Dancer for your handle bars and then just strap it down in the rear I usually use the passenger peg brackets. I'l take some pics of how to use the Canyon Dancer and post em tomorrow.

 

[skizzy]

I go around the bars, I have two straps, they are short, they wrap around the bars and straps go through them. Strap front wheel to front of trailer and one strap through back wheel. I have a small flat utility trailer, I always figured the more secure the better.

 

[rishardh]

Thanks strmvt. The guy I bought the trailer from told me about the Canyon Dancer. Some reviews say they damage the grips.

 

[rishardh]

skizzy, what do you mean when you say the straps go through the bars? I was thinking of using the bars too then I saw the wires/cables clipped on to it.

 

[keisersozae]

I guess I'm wreckless but I just use 2 tie downs, both to the handle bars. I trailer my bike to Arkansas twice a year (800 miles one way) no problems. When I had the Firebolt front it was a little trickier to get around the fairing. I used to use a variation of canyon dancer's on my old 900RR until my grip came off and my bike launched into my bed rail of my pickup. Never again.

 

[sk8ace]

When I trailered mine, I used 4 straps. one on each side of the front forks right below the headlights and one on each passenger bracket. I cranked it down pretty good and compressed the shocks about 1/4-1/2 of the way down. After a few hours, the rear ones were a little loose so I had to re-tighten them. Worked pretty well, just keep an eye on the straps, all the vibrations can loosen them up after a while.

 

[Miami78]

When I trailered my bike from southeast Virginia to Las Vegas (about 2500 miles) I looped a ratchet strap over each side of the handle bars with the strap threaded under the wiring and cranked it down till the shock was about half way compressed. I used a third strap wrapped around the rear wheel, but it came loose shortly into the drive...the back end still never moved around.

 

[strmvt]

I've never had any issues using my Canyon Dancer and the grips I've hauled my bike to Indy from Toledo and to Detroit and back several times no issues at all.

 

[rishardh]

Thanks for your input guys. Very helpful. Looping the strap under the wires is a good tip. I should have thought of that.

I read somewhere to place a block of wood under the bike before you ratchet it down. That way the bike will not bob when you go over a bump. Do you do that too or just compressing the fork 1/2 way is good enough?

 

[fishgutz]

Shoe laces from my son's basketball shoes work too.
Not.

 

[rishardh]

Shoe laces from my son's basketball shoes work too.
Not.

>>> Sure, if they are rated for 1000lbs work load

 

[fishgutz]

Shaq's laces might work.

 

[Miami78]

Never heard of the block of wood thing...compressed down and front wheel in a chock (the low cost harbor freight one in my case) and it didn't budge the entire trip.

 

[rishardh]

About the block of wood under the bike... I read it in some forum a while ago when I was researching trailers. If I remember correctly it was done to avoid over compressing the fork and the bike from bobbing up and down. It looked like an excellent idea at the time. That's why I remembered that tip.

 

[skizzy]

I bought 2 straps about a foot long from the dealer that wrap aroung the bars then the tie downs go thru the holes in the short straps, they seem to work well. I don't think they cost much either.

 

[RT Performance]

i strap mine on the lower triple clamp hauled it a ton of miles this year that way ,
Long trips i loop one strap through the rear wheel to keep it centered

 

[black_xb12r]

you dont need a canyon dancer for a lightning you can just go sround the bars... canyon dancers are super nice tho... and anyone out there with a BOLT thats the only way you can tie them down... did see one guy loop straps around the bottom triple tree somehome tho on a bolt... looked pretty sketchy haha

 

[Bossanova]

rishardh
I have the same trailer- I haven't trailered my XB on it yet but my 1125R has been for a ride.
You will need to strap the front as well as the back. Go as high as you can on the bike in the back and out to the outer hooks on the trailer axle. I use the the nylon loop straps you can get at any bike shop and 1" ratchet straps. Go over your passenger rearsets (use a soft rag to pad the area where you loop it over or it will cut on the sharp edge). In the front I go around the forks, above the lower triple tree. This works fine on the 1125 and the straps don't chafe anywhere. On these trailers you have to tie down in the back to put tension on the axles, doesn't take much but it needs to be some.
Did you get the condor chauk or the rail type?
If you need any tech assistance, call Neil @ 800-278-8387

 

[strmvt]

if you had a regular trailer you could have used Pit Bull Trailer Restraint