I bought a Motorvation sidecar to mate with my 2005 FLTRI Road Glide. My plan is to have it installed in Sibley, Iowa and trailering it home. We are taking both Trike and RG out and spending a couple of days in the area to test ride the beast before running back to Indy with the Rig and the Trike.
Have looked thru what I could find on the trailering subject in the Forum. Have trailered the Trike, my 96 FLHTCI and Sportster in two on board combos from Northern Virginia out here to Indianapolis and around.
Deck rings, straps, and load balance are not my concerns.
Where are the most common points of securing straps on a Sidecar rig? Chock for front wheel and hack wheel seem common sense. (Inertia)
Any advise for a FNG?
Dave
We hauled our GS/CSM rig across Texas & back last month without issue after chocking the front wheel and strapping down "four corners" of the sidecar-frame/bike-subframe, reaching out diagonally for the anchor-down locations. We did not strap the handle-bars as customary with two-wheelers.
Lee
MB5+TW200+CRF250L+GTV300+INT650
XL883R w/Texas Ranger Sidecar
Zuma 50F + Burgman w/Texas Sidecar<Mrs. SwampFox
When we do this for customers we tie the bike and sidecar down on the trailer for the first time for them if they ask us to. I suspect that the folks at Motovation will do the same if you ask.
Jay G
DMC sidecars
www.dmcsidecars.com
Strapping the handlebars is a poor place to secure a bike. Handlebars move up and down with the suspension and are not really secure unless the suspension is completely compressed, which isn't all that easy.
I strap the front down at the sliders (which do not move up and down).
We've seen bikes dropped from handlebar securing.
A sidecar rig won't fall over, but the front handlebar straps can come loose on rough terrain.
A front chock is always a good safety item.
Lonnie
Also strapping at the handlebars is asking for fork seal problems.
A lot of this is based on the particular rig but here's what I do...
trailer has a wheel chock for the front wheel
1 strap from front center tie down to front lower sidecar mount
1 strap from the center rear tie down to rear lower sidecar mount
1 strap from front right "corner" of the sidecar frame to a front right tie down
1 strap from triple tree brace to left front tie down [this is to keep suspension bounce at a minimum]
I believe that my tie down is over kill but at the same time, I've never had an issue with it.
For very short hauls [like 12 miles to the mechanic] I use one the front and rear center straps.
Of course you can tie to the rails if you don't have built in tie down points.
I use the fabric loops at all points to make tie down easier and to save the paint.
Thanks all for the input. BTW, the lower slider front fender mount is where I have always strapped our trike and bikes after having Federal (HD's HOG bike mover) have to deliver her used 2001 Electra Glide Classic from PA to VA after we bought it for a Trike conversion in 2004. I broke my shifter toe on pickup of the two wheeler and could not ride it back to VA. The lower slider is where they strap to their pallets.
I lost the front seals on our 2003 Sportster when a flat tire stopped a PGR mission for me in Arlington, VA. Patriot HD was closest, but that is another HD service nightmare story, (HDForums circa 2007).
Rescue hauler Handlebar strapped the Sportster and shot the seals.
Again thanks for the input and I will asked Motorvation to help me strap it in Jay.
O'DWP
