transporting silverwing

Hi-new member from bc canada. I would like to drive to mexico with my bike. I'm trying to figure out how to do this. There is a used bike style of carrier rated for 500 pounds. You attach it to your trailer hitch and the bike stands, out in the "open" , on the back of your truck.Previous owner used it for transporting his dirt bike. My s/w weighs 500 lbs- and he says it would be ok for my bike. Your opinions are respectfully requested- it looks like this would be an ideal way to go. thx

First off, I'd research the brand and model of the carrier to get the exact rating; it may also be on the carrier's manufacturer's label. Don't rely on the prior owner for the rating or his/her determination that it would be "okay" for your SW.

Second, depending on your model SW, the wet weight is listed as 541 pounds for an ABS model. Have you added any options to it? Add that weight, too.

I don't recommend exceeding the weight rating of the carrier. It's dangerous to do so. Besides, you may have increased liability exposure if you exceed the rating, and your insurance company may frown on the practice.

Have a great trip!

I'd recommend renting a motorcycle trailer and tie it down correctly, otherwise there is to much risk in dumping the bike and/or hurting someone.

Best way to Mexico is ride it!!

Hitching to bumper hitch not recommended as SilverWing drive train bit designed to be towed with rear wheel on ground.

I'd love to ride to mexico-however the round trip would be 8000 k's. Not to be-labor the conversation but.... Amazon has a heavy duty hitch mount rack ( black widow-600 pounds) for only 200+....so,so tempting and easy solution. pls tell me someone has some experience with this type of transpo. Looking at a regular, pull behind your truck type runs above 1700 dollars

What is wrong with a 8,000km trip riding a SilverWing? Having ridden to Mexico several times on both scooter and motorcycle, the biggest hassle is Mexican Insurance....available by day.....I found it was cheaper to buy for a year---$160 last time.


What is wrong with 8,000km trip on SilverWing?

Biggest hassle for me was always Mexican Insurance----available by day or year....I found it cheaper to buy a year's worth at $160, rather than by day

I'm a very nervous rider. Even when i owned a big yamaha. I've been to baja a couple of times-once on a bicycle. I found the road to be relatively "unbusy" most of the time. Don't like the pressure of me piddling along at 90k's per hour with a huge backup in my rear view mirror. Hoping my soon to be purchased airflow windscreen helps my confidence-hats off to you for braving your adventure. Like my new bike, but kind of a wuss still.

I've seen heavier motorcycles carried on trailer hitch carriers. One thing you need to know is the maximum hitch weight your truck can take on its receiver. On these kinds of carriers you don't have the ability to use an equalizer hitch so all the weight of the bike and hitch rig are putting a downward bending load on your truck's receiver.
If you look around you should be able to find a utility trailer sufficient for your bike. Even a Harbor Freight trailer for less than $300 would be able to do the job with a bit of work, some plywood and a piece of channel for the wheels. A trailer would be a lot safer set up, easier to load and unload and you could also carry a bit of other stuff on it if needed. The HF trailers will carry up to 1000lbs.
One other possibility would be to search Craigslist and see what you could find in the way of a utility trailer. Lots of trailers around for 500-600 dollars.

What he ^ said. What category hitch do you have? If it's class III you're at the load limit with bike and the weight of the carrier and tie downs. Class IV is a 1200lb tongue weight so that would be no problem (other than getting the bike up on the thing. If you have a car or minivan you probably only have a class I or II and can't pull it off. I say buy a cheap flatbed and do it.

a Swing hanging 3 to 4 feet behind the rear wheel of a small suv or mini van can  reduce weight pressure on the front end and can cause a steering problem.Find a small used boat trailer for a 12 ft boat  , install a 4 " rail   U channel and a front wheel chock should not cost to much. Under $400.oo maybe  less and some labour should make a good hauler for a Swing.

Hi- just thought I'd give you an update. Well i found a trailer. Chock installed, ramp and tie downs purchased. Planning on baja in jan- 5-6 weeks. Thanks for all your help. Oh yeah- some toys too- 55l givi top case, airhawk cushion- just waiting for my 214af windscreen

Good move. After trailering several bikes a couple of things that might help you mostl likely already know these but maybe some here haven't transported a bike before.

Keep the side stand and center stand retracted. They can be damaged or damage the trailer when jolting down the road. Hard on the bike frame. Use ratchet straps, they're easy to adjust which is necessary because all ropes and straps tend to loosen, especially when they get wet.

Pull the scooter down on its suspension a bit with the straps so the springs are compressed a bit. That will allow the bike to absorb road shocks while keeping slack out of the tie down straps.

I'd recommend repacking the trailer bearings and adjusting the tension. I normally carry a cheap IR non-contact thermometer bought from Harbor Freight to check bearing heat at rest stops. Wheel hubs more than just slightly warm indicate trouble. Have a spare tire for the trailer as well as a spare bearing.

Also don't make the mistake of putting a cover on the bike when transporting, the flapping will eventually damage the bike's finish.

Really appreciate the feedback. Bearings will be re-packed. I have four tie down points on my trailer. They are at the 4 corners, inside on the floor. Where, on the bike, should i attach my tie down straps? Also, baja is getting a little more unsavoury-theft wise every time i go there. Is some kind of locking system worthwhile or is the steering lock sufficient? Thx again- novice questions-trying not to miss anything that i'll regret.

Put a cable on the bike to the trailer with a combination lock. The handlebars should be centered with the front wheel pulled against the front of the trailer or wheel chock. I used ratchet straps on the rear from the passenger grab handles and two straps on the upper front fork to the corners of the trailer. Check your tie downs a couple times in the first hundred miles or so in case any loosen and need snugging up.
I'd use a lock on the tow hitch on the tow vehicle and a lock on the trailer hitch to make it more difficult for thieves.

Have you thought insurance in Mexico for the bike, car and you.
Howard

You can't legally drive into Mexico without buying Mexican insurance at the border. Just the same as Mexicans driving here, no?

One more if I may, after you double check the straps make sure you secure the ends well so they don't flap around and do damage, I used wire ties and never had a problem that way.

I'm planning to drive to calexico? and park/pay for the truck and trailer. Then ride into baja down to cabo and back. Having crossed at tijuana before I want nothing to do with that nightmare. Im willing to pay for parking anywhere from san diego to calexico if anyone has any suggestions. Also, my concern for bike security, maybe overblown, is just for the bike itself, since ive left truck/trailer near the border. Mexicali, ensanada san felipe, muleage, loreto, todo santos, la paz and cabo are my main points of travel-with CHEAP motels along the way. I know the area pretty well.

It's hard to beat a sturdy cable and combination lock. It should be long enough to run through the rear wheel (hard to remove quickly) and around something like a pole or railing. I'd tend to leave the two front cubbys open. That way no one would force them open or they might think the bike had already been robbed.
Sorry to hear that robbery is becoming common in Baja. I've made a couple of camper trips there. We enjoyed Bahia Coyote and some of the smaller towns. I much prefer the Seat of Cortez side for the warmer water. I do tend to stop in places other than big towns. We've never had a problem there. Less likely to get Moctezuma's Revenge than the mainland. No problem with the drinking water either. I wonder if they still have the 'Green Angel' trucks patrolling the main highways to assist gringos who've broken down.

Still best way to "transport" SilverWing is to ride it!! but tie to trailer===Qwik Ties (SP?), available at bike shops.

I carry 4 in event of breakdown/tow truck need.

SilverWing I would use 2 on passenger grab handles----saving seat from strap tow truck operator would use. Front on upper fork legs.

Normal tie down traps hook right on/in.

I made up four 'soft ties' out of Sampson nylon braided line. Its available in most yachting or marine supply stores. 5/8" diameter works well. Cut 24" lengths, work an eye in each end and you have excellent soft ties which you can loop around the grab handles and up over the top of the fork casting to get four good tie downs. Just loop the tie around the attach point and pass one eye through the other, pull snug, attach ratchet strap. The fork loop should go around the casting up over the fork tubes. That way you can pull the fork down about 2" or so. My compressing the suspension of the bike with tie downs they will stay taught pulling against the springs and still allow the bike to absorb road shocks.

Has anyone used these and if so how do you like them? They have pretty good reviews. They are self tightening so if you go over RR tracks or a pothole they automatically tighten up.

http://tinyurl.com/odk49fk

Here's also a youtube video showing how to use them:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9szax4vSyM

The reason I'm asking is because I transported my SWing on a boat trailer that I converted to haul my SWing. The vehicle I was following (because they KNEW where we were going) got lost on some muddy bumpy dirt roads. We stopped a couple of times and I looked at the ratchet straps and a couple came loose, one at a time luckily. I didn't lose the SWing. I have a wheel chock already mounted to the trailer so I don't need their chock, just the straps. The trailer worked great by the way. I didn't feel it behind me. Now all I need to do is put a 1 7/8" ball on the front of my pickup so I can park the trailer easily. I can't see it in the mirrors even tho I put extension mirrors on the pickup. By the time I see the trailer in the mirror it's already jackknifing.

Dale have you considered two tall rods removable, perhaps flags installed in the L / R hand front corners of the trailer, seeing them makes it easier to back but a front hitch makes it real EZ.

oldgwingguy wrote:

Dale have you considered two tall rods removable, perhaps flags installed in the L / R hand front corners of the trailer, seeing them makes it easier to back but a front hitch makes it real EZ.

I have two fiberglass rods with homemade flags on them. They work fairly well but the front hitch would be super easy.

Dale- nifty little gizmo-ordered a set. thx

Re: above post. Refering to the rachet set.

Dale - That tie down looks a lot like the way I did it in the back of my truck. The only thing I'd add would be a couple more ratchet straps connected to the grab bars and running forward to the side of the trailer. That way you have some redundancy in case one of the straps break or come loose.

I have an Overbuilt lift on my motorhome that I use to transport my Silverwing. Great unit for my application. My wife and I are snowbirds and spend the whole winter down south. Last winter we were in Baja Mexico. Did the whole length down to Cabo San Lucas. My method of cinching the bike down is a bit different than the picture posted above. I use the two shipping anchors that can be found under the rear fender. They are more that adequate for your needs. In the front I have two straps that I loop around the triple tree. Be careful on the left side that you don't pinch the brake lines. I always use the side stand to hold the bike up as I tighten the two rear belts first. Then I take the side stand out and cinch the front. I compress the front forks approximately 2 ". The bike will not move even with that small amount of compression.  I then use a tie down strap to lock the front wheel. I check the tie down straps every time I stop for fuel. Don't worry too much about the straps loosening.  I have had as many as two loose at one time. Just re tighten and off you go. They will also stretch in the rain. On your way down to Cabo stop in Guerro Negro and do the whale watching trip. We touched a few and had them spying on us also.  Remember, the journey should be better than the destination. This winter we are heading from Western Canada to Florida. I will take my scoot as I always do and not worry about its stability on the lift.   One of my fondest memories of the Cabo trip was riding in January to the beach in my cut offs, sandels and tee shirt.  Enjoy your trip and ride safe.

Dale N. wrote:

Has anyone used these and if so how do you like them? They have pretty good reviews. They are self tightening so if you go over RR tracks or a pothole they automatically tighten up.

http://tinyurl.com/odk49fk

Here's also a youtube video showing how to use them:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9szax4vSyM

Look interesting though pretty expensive. I'd guess they made them up from automobile seatbelt units.

What is the "triple tree"? Not really understanding the tie downs on the front of the bike. I have 2 tie down anchors on both front corners of my trailer- from the responses they should go around the upper part of the front shocks. I did plan to cinch the front wheel ( as in above video, with my own chock-not theirs) there is room on the bottom of mine to loop a strap thru. Perhaps if i could visualize your method, it would be another alternative. Totally new to all of this, thanks for your help.

The very top of the forks are held together by the triple tree. You have to reach up above the front wheel under the fairing to see or feel it. I use loop straps and thread them thru themselves. ie you make a loop. Then you place them on top of the triple tree. Careful of the brake lines.Maybe google and you will get a better idea of what the triple tree looks like. Just the chock alone on the front wheel is not adequate. You must use a tie down strap and thread it thru the wheel and the chock. Then tie down the front forks. In effect you have three tie points. This prevents the bike from moving forward and backwards. I know the fork straps do this also but I feel more comfortable with the third tie point. You must cinch down the front of the bike by looping a strap over the triple tree and then run the tie down strap from the loop to the anchor on your trailer. I bought the loop straps at Canadian Tire. They are a strap with an eye at each end about 8" long. You thread one eye thru the other eye and form a loop. Hope this helps.

Strictly the SW doesn't have a 'triple tree, it's constructed like an aircraft nose wheel in that the two fork tubes attach to one casting that also has the steering shaft. Most common motorcycle forks have two bridges that the fork tubes pass through as well as the steering shaft.
Some have said that the unusual construction of the SW isn't as strong but I've never heard of anyone having fork failures. The casting that makes up the top of the fork is pretty Skookum. I believe it's well capable of handling any loads the SW can put on it.
Same thing goes with the single disk brake on the front wheel. While most other maxis have two disks and calipers on the front wheel, the SW seems to have capable brakes to me. The amount of braking effort vs. bike weight is as good as a Goldwing and most other motorcycles.