Trailering an FJR (or how to break a Luggage Rack)

[dabayliner]

I hope this will help prevent anyone else from making this mistake. I loaded my bike onto the trailer and tied it down. I tied off at the handle bars and at the luggage rack. I may have put too much pressure on the luggage rack and during the trip home I noticed that a strap was hanging down so we pulled off the road to check it out.

The luggage rack broke at the most forward point on both sides. (you know that sick feeling...)

That is when PonyFool drove up and checked on us. Thank you I am glad you made it home safe. I owe you a Beer and NFO

He helped me attach two straps over the rear tire, with one over the mufflers to the outside of the trailer and next to the tire and then to the trailer. That worked and got us the rest of the way home

I will be riding to NFO, no more trailering

Anyone else see this before?

 

[weekend rider]

Ouch that should not have broke ...

Looks like a $500.00 toe job

 

[ponyfool]

Glad you finally made it home too and your bike didn't suffer any additional damage.

One option may be getting a Givi topcase and rack to replace the now broken stock one?

 

[dabayliner]

Ponyfool here is the picture I was talking about

 

[timk]

I ain't trying to be a smart alek, but if you do a good job on the front end, all you need to do is immobilize the rear tire, say a short strap(6 to 8in.) over your rear rim and bolted down. I use a wheel chock for the front, a set of soft ties on the forks, and a canyon dancer backing them up.

 

[dabayliner]

I have learned that, If the front is immobalized then the back doesn't need to be. This was a Duh moment that I won't repeat... You are correct this was a head slapping moment.

 

[abarron576]

I don't want to start a long thread or dispute on this subject, but I personally feel like a bike should be secured both front and rear. Even the best tiedowns can break, anchor eyes pull loose, and Murphy's Law can and will then be enforced. I have never (knock on wood) had a front tie down break loose, but have seen others with this problem and all that saved them was a set on the rear. Even one tie to the center of the trailer might keep it on the trailer and not on the road or ditch at 70 mph.

 

[ds390ssfjr]

wish i would of read this topic before this weekend. whoa is me, $500 for the parts damaged. i also like to have back secure but not to tight . it ok to bounce as long as the strap end are hooked so they dont pop off when the trailer goes over a bump. lesson learned the hard expensive way

 

[FJRay]

I had a customer tell me that in the process of bringing his custom HD home from the paint shop with just the front end secured that he looked in the mirror to wittness the tiedown break and 5k worth of paint work spread itself all over the road. I allways use at least 4 tiedowns and 6 if it is going to be a longer trip.

 

[madmike2]

Sorry for the cost of your education.

FJR @ 650 lbs:Nylon painted lugage rack=ungood3 You do the math!

I hope everyone who intends to trailer/haul their FJR reads this will now secure the rear of their bike using something more substantial (read: something metal) like the passenger footpeg brackets, etc.

 

[mike25]

Now we know the rear rack is absolutly, totaly, ******* usless.

 

[radman]

When I trailered Frank to WooFoo last year, a Canyon dancer, and a strap hooked to the rear peg/muff mount on either side held him solidly and immobile 1350 miles each way.

 

[wheatonFJR]

Now we know the rear rack is absolutly, totaly, ******* usless.

Is that so? I use it all the ******* time.

 

[e2b]

Now we know the rear rack is absolutly, totaly, ******* usless.

As a tie down you're probably right, as a hand hold it probably would never break.

 

[wfooshee]

When I bought my feej, it was out of town so I took a trailer. Used 4 straps. On the way back I was passed by a truck towing a custom chopper with one strap on each handlebar, going down and slightly forward. I actually prayed for a ratchet failure, or a really good pothole under the trailer wheels, just so I could watch. Of course with the rake on that chopper, tying the bars counted as the center of the bike.

BTW, dead-heading that bike trailer to Pensacola absolutely truly sucked.