Hello all,
I just got an 09 Klx 250s and love it! This winter I'll be putting on my cabover and putting the bike in the trailer for some road trips. Was wondering if anyone had some advice on the best way to strap it down? I have a chock installed in my enclosed trailer. Does it hurt the forks to be compressed? Any help would be great! Thanks.

 

You can buy a spacer (can't remember what it's actually called) that sits between the top of the wheel and the underside of the lower triple clamp. That way when you tighten it down you're not putting too much pressure on the seals.

I have one, but never use it because it never seems as secure as cranking the forks down a bit. I just tighten them to the point where I can't move the rear wheel and that's enough. I've never blown seals being judicious with my tension on the straps.

 

I used a brace in my buddies truck, it was slick, and just as secure IMHO. A 2x4 or 4x4 could work as well I bet. Otherwise I've always cranked it down without one. I would loosen it at night if I were traveling multiple days without unloading the bike.

 

I've used both methods over the years. I prefer the wheel chock method. I go down lots of rough dirt roads to primitive backcountry campsites with my motorcycle trailer. I found I had to crank down on the straps fairly aggressively when just relying on the fork spring compression. With the chock between the tire and fender, you can crank down on the straps stoutly, and the bike remains very stable.

Yes, you can make a homemade version with a 2X4 and a crossbar.

 

Thanks everyone!

 

I used a brace between the front tire and fender until recently.
A friend has his set up with a "pedestal" that fits under the center of the bike. I made one up for my bike and really like it. Make it so the suspension compresses a little before the underside of the bike begins to rest on it. This will put some pressure on the tires. Once the bottom of the bike is sitting on the pedestal you can really crank it down. I dont have a great pic of it but you can see it under my bike in this pic.
Dan

 

I use MotoCinch which eliminates straps, gives great peace of mind, and makes loading and unloading a cinch! Probably put over 3000 miles on the trailer this summer hauling the bikes around and I am really happy with this purchase.

 

I like this idea a lot. I think I'll try it, too. Just a note, though: It looks to me like this method absolutely requires straps on the front and rear of the motorcycle. Although, just tying the front would be a great way to get the back wheel up in the air.

 

Dan, I can see how the pedestal setup would be good for a hitch hauler, but the 2 extra straps seem like a little bit more hassle than I'd want. Using a trailer or even a pickup bed, it's nice to just lean the bike over a bit to place the front wheel fork chock and then pull the two straps tight. I even use a little rubber hose cover chain with a quick clip for securing the rear wheel. I also use two bungie cords to keep the strap ends from flapping in the wind. I can completely strap or unstrap the bike in seconds.

 

With the pedestal I would say that you do need straps in the back also. The tension on both ends of the bike keeps even pressure on the pedestal. When the bike is on the hitch hauler I definitely want 4 straps. If you only run 2 straps and one of them breaks , your bike is probably going to hit the pavement.
My buddy has over the center type locking front wheel chocks mounted in his truck. TNC you should look into these. You would be timing yourself in milliseconds if you had one. Seriously , you put the front wheel in , pull the lever over the center, and then put a strap or something like TNC's chain on the rear wheel and you're gone. We run straps to each of the pegs to keep the bikes from moving from side to side too much , since they are packed in so tight. This type of chock allows us to load our bikes closer to the sides of the truck ( we don't need any angle for straps ) and allows us to get three bikes in the back of his truck without touching.
Dan




No bike is touching