ratchet straps for hauling my bike to NC

[Oxblood]

I guess I'm lucky I've always just attached one of my trusty wal-mart straps to each side of the handlebar and then to the bed pockets. Cinch em down tight and have yet to have a bike shift on me. Here's my truck after going from NC to the western slope of Colorado, two sets of mountains, and yes the tailgate was down the whole way as the triumph was too long for my swb.

[Bob]

Word of caution... When folks are saying hooking up at handlebars I'm figuring they're talking down low at the yoke. Gotta watch you don't spin your bars. If you run up the bars some cause you're hooking at your top bed corners you could spin the bars on a bump. (no pun intended...) I hook at the base of my dog bone hickys but I don't have any fiberglass etc. I just pull it down for about half the travel. I don't like putting my springs at full collapse and halfway-ish is firm enough. The back end I grab frame each side and just snug it. Worked for the ride bringing it home ... Knock on wood... It hasn't needed to be hauled in years. Always managed to coax it home when things have gone a little sour.

[Racer Z]

If the bars spin or rotate in the yoke or clamp, they were not installed correctly. It is outside the scope of this thread to determine correct handlebar installation.

The bars on a 80 inch Harley aren't any stronger than the bars on a smaller lighter bike. I've seen guys bend there bars while trying to pick up a dropped bike. Most of the bikes that I would strap in at the bars are light dirt bikes that usually have a cross bar. A 650 isn't so bad if they have the right bars.

I would never tie-off at the end of the bar, except for certain bikes using a "Canyon Dancer". The first bend nearest the clamp is usually OK, depending on the bike.

The strongest mounting point up front is where the fork tube meets the lower triple clamp. Use a "soft tie" around the tube or triple clamp and then a hooked strap. Be careful not to damage the lines.

On certain occasions, I would run an extra set of straps. Better to run extra straps and thought of as a fool than to damage a bike with too few straps and prove your foolishness.

As always, use good judgment.

[hdpusher]

"The bars on a 80 inch Harley aren't any stronger than the bars on a smaller lighter bike. I've seen guys bend there bars while trying to pick up a dropped bike. Most of the bikes that I would strap in at the bars are light dirt bikes that usually have a cross bar. A 650 isn't so bad if they have the right bars."


Harley Bars for 80 inch are a larger diamiter than most Metric Bikes 1" compaired to 7/8". So wareaglef100 are prob the 7/8"

Also Bob has a good point you do not need to "bottom out" the suspension to hold the bike in place. It is hard on the fork seals to be under constant max pressure for extended periods. Or in Bobs case a springer front end. PS nice pan