Sports bike on a flat bed trailer

[binge]

Alright guys,

Possibly picking up an R1 on Sunday from Halifax.
It's 250 mile from me.
Will be making a round trip of it to pick up some bike bits in Leicester too.

Now my trailer, it's a flat bed, Steel framed trailer, with a wooden bed on it.
It's had my YZF450, and 2 pit bikes on it, all at the same time. Weighing in at probably more than an R1 anyway.

But I've never secured a sports bike on a trailer, ever.
I've put my MX and SM bikes on them all the time, as I dont give a sh*t if one of them fall over, there is nothing to break.

R1 falling over would write the bike off.


So here's the trailer:

https://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/291709_10150284330205606_506045605_7652797_410601_n.jpg


Would you do it?




Ben

[Frost]

Have done so. Might be worth checking the wheel base to make sure it'll fit properly though. So long as one of the wheels is strapped down it won't move back and forth or side to side, you just have to make sure it stays upright.

[andym]

Had my diversion delivered on something flimsier than that... made it more than 40 miles, 100 yards from the house the tyre came off the rim on a corner.

Just check tyre pressures, take your time and keep an eye on the trailer when going along the motorway... and if you are that worried about it, maybe try padding up the sides of the bike first... some old sofa cushions or a couple of single mattresses... OK the trailer will wobble around more since you would be turning it into a 6 foot sail, it won't stop all the damage should the worst happen, but it will reduce it a bit.

OK it's just an idea

[jimspeed]

I bought one of these
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mechanics-Workshop-Garage-Motorcycle-Motorbike-Front-Wheel-Chock-Stay-/280811885759?pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts&hash=item4161b154bf
to bolt on my flat trailer and it is pretty decent for the money even has quick release fittings to put on trailer..
take loads of ratchet straps too and maybe an old blanket to put over the panels so the straps don't mark them..
or go on the train and ride it back
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[Ichy]

Yes I would do it but another option is to search for bike trailer hire on the 'net and ebay. The average cost seems to be £25 for one day. Worth it for piece of mind.
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[Ichy]

Here you go https://www.tridenttrailers.com/trident_trailers_for_hire.htm £33.

or

Simon's Motorcycle Trailer Hire 8, Northridge Rd, Gravesend , Kent , DA12 5AY Tel: 07849 398355

or

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-Days-Motorcycle-Trailer-Hire-1-2-Bike-Gravesend-Kent-DA12-5AY-/320857123269?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item4ab49329c5

I guess one thing I hadn't considered is that they will probably want a deposit.
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[stonesie]

[andym]

I hired a trailer to collect a people carrier and that was only £35 for the day (£300 deposit though).

If you are confident enough in the trailer then there shouldn't be too much of a problem... not sure about a fiesta towing it though LOL

[binge]

It has to be this trailer due to the towing car.
I've not got the Fezzer any more, I've got my Mk1 Clio, which has been lowered 40mm.
I've also lowered the trailer since the picture, so it sits level when hitched up to the clio.
Cant tow a regular trailer with the clio as it sits at a right pissed angle!


I'm very confident in the trailer, Just never had experience in strapping down a sports.
Are they more likely to skip out from under the straps than an MX bike?
With the MX bikes, there were loads of strapping points on the bike.
On a sports, it seems there are very few.


New setup:

https://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s720x720/418047_10150580292430606_506045605_8945781_1709703325_n.jpg


And for the record, the Clio will tow just about anything.
It also out-drags most cars WITH the trailer fitted.
Smashed a VRs Skoda the other day with the Pit bike on the trailer.

[UKRedwing]

[Pie-Roe]

I moved my old x11 (240kg and a chunk wider than an r1) on a single small bike trailer about 40 miles.

I bound the front brake, put a towel on the seat and did two crossed over ties over it, one each side of the headstock compressing the forks, and a couple through the rear wheel.

as long as you rachet/tighten it down so the suspension can't move it should be fine.
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[binge]

[andym]

The thing that springs to mind at the moment is would you be overloading the rear end of the car? You might feel it safe and sturdy, but if you were stopped by the police for an unbalanced load or something (even though bikes are quite light, is it exceeding your axle weight?)..

Personally I've had an intruder 125 tied up in the back of an espace with a lump of washing line, as for straps, if it comes to it go and buy a very long length of blue rope and tie it around as much of the bike and trailer as you can. If it looks very secure then chances are it will be secure enough as long as you ain't going along a NSL dirt track filled with pot holes, dips and adverse cambers etc.

Trailer and car look stable enough (I'd drive 'em), just make sure if the whole lot goes over, the bike will be stuck solid to the trailer and pad the top of the bike.

[grant965]

possibly add a new bar to the trailer which will come from the base upwards which you can tie the bike to and will stop it going over?
i.e. a pole near the rear that you can clamp/tie onto the swing arm?
If you have any old tyres put them at the side, I always use old tyres if there is risk of the bike going over as they absorb most of the impact.
Grant
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Ex bikes: 05 Suzuki En 125, '98 Yamaha Thundercat, '08 Honda cbr125, '05 Kawasaki z750, '03 Triumph Daytona 600, '91 Kawasaki ex250, '03 Hyosung Comet 125
Current Bike: '02 Suzuki TL1000R

[P.addy]

Ben,

Compressing the forks won't be that bad. When G picked up his GSXR thou, he put in his van and put straps over the front end wedging it down hard.

Put the front brake on solid, ain the wheel to the left and put on side stand possibly on a bit of metal thats spread out alot (I used a piece of wood really...) just thinking of the stand + straps forcing the stand into the wood is all.

Strap down over the front end then one from the left side of the trailer through the front foot peg and back on to the left hand side, same with the right hand side.

For peace of mind, one straight over the seat with a pillow or two so the straps dont rub on seat or plastics I did a 125 with 2 straps on a far more flimsy trailer for 20 miles then through detling

[Kickstart]

Hi

Bit that would concern me is that with that trailer you have nothing to stop the wheels sliding sideways, and as soon as that happens the bike will be a bit lower to the bed of the trailer and the straps to the top of the bike effectively far looser.

If you could knock up some kind of secure U shaped channel for the front wheel to sit in that would fix that issue. Or you could try strapping the wheel with a strap to each side of the trailer from the bottom of the wheel.

R&G make some bar straps. These slide over the grips and provide something to attach normal straps to. Worth getting some of these if you can. They are here.

All the best

Keith
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[chris-red]

Have you got or can you borrow an ABBA stand?
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[Bomberman]

[Kickstart]

[RIDINGforKICK...]

Don't underestimate how difficult it is to secure a load, especially something as awkwardly shaped as a sports bike.

If it does come lose, everything will unravel very rapidly indeed.

Been there.

[robbieguy2003]

I'd do it, a friend has moved my RR7 quite a few times on something that's not quite as good as your one.

I'd get x4 blocks of cheap wood and get them stuck down so you can get the front/rear wheels between them. Cable tie the front brake lever in so it's tight and not moving, then ratchet strap the thing down. A few straps over the seat, headstock, rear wheel/swingarm should keep it nice and secure. And with wooden blocks keeping the wheels from moving sideways, nothing should come loose.

When you pick it up, drive maybe a mile and then stop and check everything.
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Current Bikes: Honda CBR 600RR - '07, Suzuki GSX1250 FA ST '11
Old Bikes: Suzuki Intruder 125 LC - '2001, Honda CBR 600F - '92, Honda CBR 600RR - '03

[RIDINGforKICK...]

I'd secure it top and bottom, as Kickstart alludes, taking into account the fore and aft forces as well as the side ways forces, as safely as I possibly could, and then secure a tarp over the lot, and fasten that down tightly.

[Walloper]

If no front wheel holdererer. Try to get the attachment as high up on the bike as possible.
You will have to grab the bike by the handle-bars and attach to the outer edges of the trailer some how.
You can simply wrap the tied-down straps around a clear section of the bars and hoi it down.
Do the same at the rear. The pillion rests are best place and should be up high enough.

Be careful around bodywork lights etc.

You will probably need someone to help hold the beast whilst you tie it up.
Make sure you compress the suspension at least enough that your weight on the seat doesn't make it go down.

Make sure any straps are protected where they cross or wrap around rough/sharp edges.
On a haul the bike moves/jiggles about and after a while can cut/fret through the nylon webbing.

Tie it down and then stop after about 3-5 miles and check/re-do the tension.

Speed limits are: Single carriageway 'A' roads 50mph Dual carraigeways and Mways 60mph.
Cannot use the third lane on Mways and remember you have a trailer hooked up.
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[Kickstart]

[P.addy]

Also, gis a go