How to Strap a Motorcycle onto a Trailer

Many bikers will tell you that you should never trailor your bike. A time does come when it is necessary to do so. When you do need to trailor your bike, it's best to know how to do it - the right way - so that your wonderful ride will be ready to go when you reach your destination.

Things You'll Need

• Bike
• Trailor
• 4 Ratchet Straps
• A friend or sitter stand

Instructions

1. It is known as "duck walking" because you look like a waddling duck when you do it! Sit on your bike then using your legs, push the bike up onto the trailor. Put the bike onto the sitter stand or have a friend hold it so that it's standing straight up instead of leaning like on a kick stand.

2. The front two straps hold onto the handle bars - one on each side - and connected to the special loops on the side of the trailor. (If you don't have a special motorcycle trailor, you can pull the straps to the corner of a regular trailor and use the bar of the railing.)

3. The straps in the back are connected to the shock anchors. (It's the place where the back shocks are connected to the bike.) There is a place there where you can hook the ratchet straps.

4. Tighten the straps to secure the bike. To test it, wiggle the bike a bit and/or the trailor. If the bike moves at all - slides around - the straps are not tight enough. There is a link below that explains in detail how to use ratchet straps - complete with pictures to help you!

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure the front straps are tight enough to compress the front forks. This will prevent the bike from bouncing too much which could unhook the straps and ultimately cause the bike to come off the trailor.

• Make sure that your straps are not freyed or cut in anyway. This can cause the straps to fail and your bike to be damaged.

• For added protection against the weather, you can put a tarp over the bike - OVER the straps as well. You can then secure the tarp with bungee cords. DO NOT put the tarp on before you secure the bike. This can cause slippage of the straps and once again damage your bike.

Resources

• Ratchet Strap Instructions