Tieing downs

We go for long trips in our RV pulling a trailer for our SW. I know the SW has tie down holes on the back frame but I have been using the handlebar hand grips to tie down the front. Does anyone else tie down the front another way. I have not been able to find any tie down holes on the frame in front.

Much appreciated.

Bill

On ferries I occasionally use a set of straps with soft sleeves that go over the handlebar grips with loops for tie-down strap hooks at the end. When the straps are secured to the deck and the the straps tensioned, the left strap secures the right handlebar and the right strap the left handle bar. There's also a Velcro strap in the kit to pull the front brake on, the same strap keeps the bundle tidy when the handlebar straps are folded up.

https://www.silverwing600.com/t1652-front-tie-down-location

This is how I tied down my SWing when I brought it back from FL in April. It worked great too! Although I used some nylon rope in place of the red straps to tie down the front. The reason for that is because I didn't have any straps to use. I guestimated on the length of the rope and tied square knots in them. I had to cut them off once we got home because the knots jammed up. The passenger handles in the back worked great to finish holding it. I used ratchet straps to apply tension to keep the Wing upright and stable. We didn't have one problem with it on the way back either.

So the hand grips is the only solution for securing the front, is that correct? Also Meldrew you crisscrossed the straps whats the reason for crisscrossing?

Bill

9erfan wrote:

So the hand grips is the only solution for securing the front, is that correct? Also Meldrew you crisscrossed the straps whats the reason for crisscrossing?

Bill

Obviously you didnt click the link Dale N posted for you.

Thanks Hotwings, no I did not click on Dales link. Man I learned a lot after doing so. Thanks Dale.

  I use short soft straps over the lower triple tree on each side and motorcycle straps from there to tie downs in the floor. On the back I put a tie down across the rear of the seat to keep the rear from hoping around.
I have one of those tie downs that attach to the handle bars if someone wants it for $20.
Dave   

9erfan wrote:

Thanks Hotwings, no I did not click on Dales link. Man I learned a lot after doing so. Thanks Dale.

You are welcome. That's how I learned to do it. Lots of info on this site! I love it.

Has anyone ever heard of a "canyon dancer". It is a cross strap to the handlebars to whatever tie down cable/rope you choose. I use mine whenever I travel and it works extremely well. If I knew how to upload pictures, I would send them with this text, Lynn

I just moved two Swings in a trailer about 3,000 miles. I'll see if I can get pictures of the rear mount - a bar thing someone really good at fabrication made for me, that essentially ties the bikes together - it puts the force on the rear handgrips, but without putting force on the body panels. It basically tied the two bike's together in the back, so they couldn't tip side to side.

I used the harbor freight chocks for the front (the ones that are like the Condor (don't bother with any of the other HF chocks), and that gets your front secured well. I would never trailer a Silverwing without a *GOOD* front wheel chock. As for the front, I did Dale's method - I have Canyon Dancers, but never used them - too scared it will rotate the bars. You can put a ton of force on the front using Dale's method without damaging anything.

Some hints:
You don't need to worry about "blowing seals" in the front - there's no pressure in those front suspension when they aren't moving, even if compressed. It's not a gas shock. If someone noticed a leak after towing, that's unrelated to the force on the front suspension. But you'll hear people warn about this - don't worry about it, crank those straps down reasonably tight (but not on the bar ends - you will hurt your bars).

Another hint is to make sure to tape over any hooks that would allow a strap to come loose if you go over a bump.

Dale N. wrote:

9erfan wrote:

Thanks Hotwings, no I did not click on Dales link. Man I learned a lot after doing so. Thanks Dale.

You are welcome. That's how I learned to do it. Lots of info on this site! I love it.

This is kind of funny, thanks Dale for linking to my post - Dale  

Which Dale are y'all referring to?

jdeereanton: Does it really matter? Pretty much anyone with the name "Dale" is very smart and knowledgeable! That's my story and I'm sticking to it....