Are you looking to know the right way to tie down your Harley-Davidson motorcycle in an enclosed trailer? Are you tired of looking around and finding incomplete procedures for transporting your bike? Don’t worry! In this article, you’ll find all the answers that you need.
Tying down a motorcycle in an enclosed trailer involves loading the bike and using the straps to tie it down. You’ll just have to ensure that you have the right tools and the correct instructions available.
In this article, you will get to know those instructions about how to tie down a motorcycle in an enclosed trailer. Not just that, you’ll also get to know an alternative method that doesn’t involve a chock. Continue reading to know more.
Transport your Harley-Davidson bike safety in an enclosed trailer
An enclosed trailer will be the perfect option to transport your Harley-Davidson. In an enclosed trailer, your Harley-Davidson motorcycle will be protected from the UV rays, wind, rain, and other external elements. Moreover, your bike will also be protected from the prying eyes of thieves looking to pull off something suspicious. It will be a lot harder for a thief to steal a Harley-Davidson bike out of an enclosed trailer.Â
Further, your motorcycle will also be protected from minor travel damages like pebbles, dust, and road debris. Such things might be thrown onto your motorcycle by the wheels of other vehicles moving on the road. If you’re tying your Harley-Davidson motorcycle, know that you cannot just drive it into the trailer and shut the door. You’ll have to secure your motorcycle inside the trailer such that it doesn’t fall or get damaged during the travel.
How to tie down a motorcycle in an enclosed trailer?
It might seem simple to roll your bike into the trailer, throw the straps, and you’ll be ready to go. However, it isn’t so simple, especially if this is your first time tying down your Harley-Davidson bike. There are a few pieces of equipment that must be arranged and the right instructions that have to be followed.
You should be cautious that driving a bike with a trailer behind is different from operating the vehicle on its own. Most enclosed trailers are relatively light, but it doesn’t mean that the driving experience will be the same for all. Keep the motorcycle in gear when you’re shutting it off. In case it becomes dislodged from tie-downs, it’ll be less likely to roll away. Then, you should get the equipment ready to start securing your bike to the enclosed trailer.
Transporting Harley-Davidson bikes in enclosed trailers is one of the safest options to transport your bike. You’ll need additional preparations to do that. You must gather a few pieces of equipment and then follow the steps mentioned below to tie down your Harley-Davidson bike.
Arrange the required equipment
You’ll need ratchet straps as well as heavy-duty D rings tie-down anchors surfaced mounted inside the trailer. You can also opt for ties that are thick and strong with heavy-duty hardware. Furthermore, you’ll likely want to avoid the equipment from failing while also not having to spend too much on tie-downs unnecessarily. Ratchet straps are very easy to compress, which is why they work really well. However, you can go for another option that comes with a high working load limit and accommodates your Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
A wheel clock will be another great tool to load up your Harley-Davidson bike. It’ll be really helpful if you’re working solo. The wheel clock can be bought either in plastic or in metal. It will help keep the front wheel from moving when you’re tying down your bike.
You’ll also want to have a trap or a motorcycle cover for protecting your bike from external elements. This comes in handy when you’re transporting your bike. You can tie the trap to your Harley-Davidson motorcycle instead of the trailer. It isn’t load-bearing, so you wouldn’t have to ratchet the straps quite as carefully. You should also keep a close eye on where the straps are laying.
This will be the case for the tie-downs and the tarp. You wouldn’t want metal or any abrasive material scratching your motorcycle’s paint job or chewing a hole in the seat. Soft straps and clear rags attached to the tie-downs will help avoid damage to your Harley-Davidson motorcycle when traveling.
Set up the enclosed trailer
The next step will involve setting up the enclosed trailer for your Harley-Davidson bike. This is one of the most important steps that you must do before beginning to tie your bike. Ensure that your Harley-Davidson motorcycle is as level as possible such that the bike will remain safe and secure. It is recommended that you should make use of a wheel clock as it’ll keep your motorcycle in place.
Wheel clocks are made up of plastic, metal, rubber, or other sturdy materials. These can be placed against the wheels for keeping them steady. The wheel clock will also eliminate any accidental lateral movement in the wheels similar to a car’s hand brakeÂ
Wheel clocks are essential for certain situations as when the motorcycle is lifted, parked, or transported. It will keep the wheels steady. They will come in different sizes and shapes when you consider the different wheel sizes and heights. Some of them will even feature ice cleats for working more efficiently.
Load your Harley-Davidson bike in the enclosed trailer
Once the straps have been prepared, you should look for the right way to load your bike on the trailer. Load your Harley-Davidson bike on the trailer before putting the kickstand down. Then, you should get the front tightened and then put the kickstand back up. This will help you make sure that the kickstand is properly protected during transportation.
With a chock – If you have a chock, ensure that you’re driving the bike as far back into the chock as possible. The chock will give you ample stability, but the motorcycle needs to be placed properly into the chock.
Without a chock – Even if you don’t have a front-wheel chock, you’ll still be able to transport your motorcycle. You should ensure that you are keeping the motorcycle as straight as possible in the trailer. You would want to have an even distance on each side of the motorcycle. Moreover, you’ll want to get your Harley-Davidson motorcycle centered inside the trailer. By centering your bike, you’ll be able to distribute the weight properly on the trailer axles. This will make the trailer pull much better while giving you a smoother ride.
Tie-down your motorcycle properly
Now comes the time to tie down your Harley-Davidson motorcycle onto the enclosed trailer. Initially, you should be looking to fix one of the ratchet straps against the kickstand tightly. You should continue to tighten it until there is no slack present in the strap. Then, fix the strap to a D ring on the enclosed trailer’s surface for holding it in place. You can even use soft straps on your motorcycle and loop them to the ratchet straps. This will help you make sure that there is no damage done to the body due to the straps.
The second strap must be placed on the chassis of the bike. You will have to position this one diagonally from the first one. Remember to choose the anchor points precisely. Repeat the same process with another ratchet strap on the front side of the bike. Then, the same has to be done at the rear end of the bike. Remember to tighten the straps until there is no slack present in the straps. This will keep your motorcycle perfectly upright during transportation.
Lastly, when you’re stopping somewhere for taking fuel or resting a little, remember to check the condition of your motorcycle. The vibrations from traveling might loosen up the straps and cause the bike to fall into the enclosed trailer. Frequently monitoring will greatly reduce the chances of accidental falls on your bike.
Key things to avoid when tying down your bike in an enclosed trailer
- Avoid going for the cheap strap options. The expenses for getting your bike repaired will be greater than the extra money you’ve to pay for high-quality straps. You should leave no alternatives other than going for top-quality, durable, and sturdy straps.
- You shouldn’t use rear bag guards as attachment points. These can easily get pulled off.
- Don’t use low-quality wheel chock for loading your bike in the enclosed trailer. You should either use a high-quality option, or you can use a bike rack as an alternative.
- Avoid driving recklessly when you’re having a bike tied down in the enclosed trailer. You might think that your motorcycle is safely tied down, but the vibrations will eventually loosen it up with time. Make sure that you’re driving slowly and in a decent way.
Is it safe to tie down the bike in an enclosed trailer without a chock?
It is recommended that you should avoid tying down your bike without a chock. Whenever possible, you must get a quality wheel clock or an alternative. Tying down the bike will help you accomplish a great job of preventing any movement when you’re driving around. Chock will be a prudent safety measure to protect your bike. Regardless, you should ensure that you invest in high-quality straps and hooks for your bike. The last thing that you’d want is for one of the straps to break when you’re driving.
If you cannot find the chock needed for your Harley-Davidson motorcycle’s wheels, you will have no other option than to look for an alternative solution to secure your bike in the trailer. Ensure that you lift the bike in the enclosed trailer as straight as possible. You should look to place it at the center of the trailer such that each side of the bike has an even distance from the walls.
You can improvise using a piece of wood or plastic if you cannot get your hands on wheel chocks. If it doesn’t fit properly, you can compensate for it by wrapping around a towel. However, you must keep in mind that the same arrangement won’t work for all Harley-Davidson bikes.
Conclusion
Thank you for reading. Hopefully, now you know all about how to tie down a motorcycle in an enclosed trailer. If you own a Harley-Davidson bike, you will want to keep your prized possession safe at all times. Tying it down in an enclosed trailer will be the safest way of transporting it. Follow the instructions mentioned above, and you’ll be able to perfectly tie down your bike and transport it easily.
