How do you load/secure mororcycles? Photos?

I use a rack from Bolt-It-On:
http://www.boltiton.com/

I bought it 7 years ago and it still works great. IMHO, there's a few advantages over single wheel chocks:

• no drilling or permanent changes to the floor
• completely configurable - I never know how many bikes I might be hauling to the track
• dirtbikes and streetbikes
• easy to take out when not needed, or on location when extra sleeping space is needed

fj12ryder wrote:

JAM2015 wrote:
-Snip- I have had too many front wheel chocks fail, and fork seals blow out, as well triple trees come out of alignment. No more!

Sounds like you trailer them too much and don't ride them enough. :) I'm still kicking the PitBull system around. Just can't decide.

Ha. I dont ride road couches, I ride sport and motard. I put plenty of track and mountain miles on the bikes every year. Trailering is only necessary in case of a get-off.

JAM2015 wrote:
-Snip- I have had too many front wheel chocks fail, and fork seals blow out, as well triple trees come out of alignment. No more!

Sounds like you trailer them too much and don't ride them enough. :) I'm still kicking the PitBull system around. Just can't decide.

I went with the PitBull restraints. I have had too many front wheel chocks fail, and fork seals blow out, as well triple trees come out of alignment. No more!

Here are a few pics of my Goldwing loaded in the Toy Hauler. The chock for the front wheel is screwed into the frame and removes quickly once the bike is off loaded. I use the straps previously shown over the front forks and make sure the shocks are compressed. I also put tie downs on the back side guards, so it is tied down at 4 points. It has ridden rock solid for over 6,000 miles.

We waited for several years before we came across a toyhauler that worked for us. We also hated the idea of giving up living space to haul bikes, and felt like the separate garage just wasn't part of the living space. There's just 2 of us so we didn't need the sleeping space or separate living area. We finally found the Fuzion 383, which of course is no longer made. When we take the bikes out we get back all of our living space except for about 3 feet, and the trailer looks like a regular 5th wheel, complete with entertainment center and storage space. We like it very much.

This is how we secure our bikes:


A couple tie downs at the front and a couple at the back and it's done. The front ones are pretty loose since I hate to put too much strain on the handlebars, and the chocks keep the bikes in place. And everything can be unloaded and put away in just a few minutes since nothing is bolted to the floor. Easy, peasy. We've never had any issues with gas/oil/motorcycle smells.

To answer your question on loading the bike. I ride mine up the tail ramp in first gear keeping the RPMs up. I ride it right into my chock then secure it down.

To unload, back it off the trailer keeping it in first gear and using the clutch to brake. You don't want to use the front brakes. When I am 1/2 way down I just let it roll off backwards.

I did have a fall while loading my 700+ Honda once since I did not have enough forward speed. I now wear my helmet when loading and unloading our two motorcycles.

Our trailer uses the garage area as the bedroom with a happi-jac queen bed that lowers. Never a gas or oil smell. If you have that issue then you need to work on your bike!

I bought some tracks from ETrailer.com and they will work out pretty good to secure more important cargo, a occupied electric wheelchair.

http://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Cargo-Control/AnchorTrax/AT3375.html

The 12" long hardware is secured through the floor to the backing plate underneath, and once installed is really easy to use. Just clip in the hardware to the top where you need it. Then ratcheting tie downs, or straps can be used to hold the handlebars or back of the bikes. Push down on the front of the bike to compress the springs, and tighten, then it will not move around on you.



They also sell a few tie down loops, the $25 kit comes with two loops and two floor mounts.

They also sell kits for the standard rectangular tie down floor system, and 4' long bars that you can attach the hardware to at any point along the way.

They sell a tie down with something like seatbelt material to secure the loads as well.



This "Ericson" tie down is for the rectangular openings of the 4' long track, not the kit shown above. They do not interchange.

My handicap van has seat belt tie downs with auto retractors ($125 a pair) for holding the wheelchair, and fit the track above. It works really well to secure the wheelchair in about 30 seconds! And considering I have to do this 4 times on each trip, it helps to do it quickly.

Have fun camping!

Fred.

haste maker wrote:
My problem with a Toy Hauler is, why give up 10 foot or more of your trailer just to haul a motorcycle, & if there is a gas or oil leak from the motorcycle while in the Toy Hauler, your whole trailer smells like gas/oil..this is the reason I haul my bike in the pickup bed with a travel trailer, which I use D-rings to tie my bike to the pickup bed.

We full time in our TH. I have a desk built for my Ham radios and a sewing table for the wife. Typically when w e get somewhere for 4 or more days, we'll offload the GoldWing(no gas or oil leaks), lay down a carpet, and it becomes an additional 10' of living space/ radio room/ sewing space. That gives us 43 ft of living space which suits us fine. It has its own AC, TV, stereo and DVD so it also serves as alternate living room, especially if we have the back deck deployed.

On the next post about not using a chock, I'd recommend against not using one. Mine bolts into the frame using the front center tie downs bolts. It takes me all of 1minutee to remove the chock before putting down the carpet. I don't want to have a $25k bike dropped for want of a couple extra minutes, but that's me.