Hauling CT 125

[m in sc]

cool. i guess ive been doing it wrong for 30+ years. I'll let you know when I lose an impossible to replace vintage or custom bike off a hitch or trailer. If anyone loses a single tie down point on a trailer or vehicle, its garbage and shouldn't be used, period.

There no debate... I've never lost a strap, vehicle or tie down point, or had them come loose on the over 100 bikes i've owned or any of my friends... ever. What i AM doing is showing how to secure a hook on an eyelet.

I fabricated my own hitch on the galaxie, and made the hitch carrier i use. I'm also a mechanical engineer.. for the past 22 years.

Anybody can do whatever they want. use shoelaces and bungees for all I care. Tying a 4 wheeler down, plywood, roofing tiles, utility poles, etc is much different than securing a 2 wheeled bike on a trailer or even more, a hitch carrier.

The peoples lives behind me rely on my doing it right, I have no desire to take out a family of 4 because I didn't do it right. But what do I know.

 

[Shoot870p]

Thanks for the photos. That clears it up for me.
hopefully this can ease along now. I do appreciate the info here and on the other posts. As stated, use it or don’t. Hopefully others decisions will not directly impact me and my loved ones.
got to go find a pot to stir somewhere…

 

[STUBBORN]

The brand-name ones are less likely to do that then the no-name or cheapo ones. That said even the good ones need to be replaced periodically. The ones I use for my ATV's get cycled-out every couple of years. As I mentioned in my post above, tightening the strap then tying a knot with the slack around the tensioned-portion helps. Although the last time I bought a ramp, it came with a cheapy Ratchet strap which seems to work fine for holding it in-place.

Good point. The friction straps included with the two 9 foot arched Titan ramps (1500 pound rating) are no name cheapo ones. After hooking the S hook to the tow bar receiver safety chain hole, I can't get the friction strap tight no matter how hard I pull. I am thinking of replacing these "safety straps" with 10 foot us cargo control ratchet straps:

At least, when I use these ratchet straps. I shall know that the 2 ramps are held to the van under tension.

 

[AZ7000']

I use friction straps for bikes in the truck or trailer. Ratchet straps on the hitch carrier.
I did buy what were supposed to be top quality friction straps but they would slip. That was a bummer. No carnage though.

 

[Shoot870p]

Good deal AZ!!

 

[STUBBORN]

I have a different method of transport. I transport my Honda Trail 125 inside my old Ford E250 van every day to practice slow speed maneuvering around cones. I use 9 500 pound ratchet straps (6 tied to two short 10457 pound rhino straps wrapped around the handle bar +2 - 1 each to the crash bar and one more tied to the back cargo rack.
View attachment 3472 I am using an inexpensive unsecured chock to stop the front wheel. It takes some time to load and unload the 9 foot ramps and secure the motorcycle. It's hard to crouch in the hot van for a long time but the motorcycle jeans have padded knees. I can drill some holes and bolt the chock to the floor if I need to.
View attachment 3471
I have not powered the motorcycle up the ramps yet as I park backed to a hill making the ramps almost horizontal. I move the bike placing my hip next to the seat slowly moving up or down the ramp with two fingers on the front brake. The left foot peg keeps hitting my legs. I find that bracing my back and pushing up with both legs slowly moves the bike up. May not seem like much, but at over 70, I can't do stuff as easy as I did in the 1970s.

I use lots of ratchet straps. Lock the front wheel turned left (push down the key) into the chock.
If leaving the bike for a long time. I lock front and back wheels and frame to the frame welded in
square steel piece with a 100+ pound chain and expensive lock.

 

[m in sc]

in that picture alone 6 of them aren't even locked.

 

[STUBBORN]

in that picture alone 6 of them aren't even locked.

I do not understand - locked straps?

 

[m in sc]

watch this, locking it is covered around 5 min in.

 

[STUBBORN]

Runs out to van. Gets ladder. Climbs ladder into van. Locks straps.

 

[dmonkey]

I use lots of ratchet straps. Lock the front wheel turned left (push down the key) into the chock.
If leaving the bike for a long time. I lock front and back wheels and frame to the frame welded in
square steel piece with a 100+ pound chain and expensive lock.
View attachment 3741

Do they make Spiderman costumes in dwarf sizes???

 

[Msfitoy]

I wonder if this is adaptable to a trailer hitch...seems to lock the bike securely and tie down is on the wheel, not the forks...

 

[dmonkey]

The CT125 front wheel might be too narrow for that chock. Wheel chocks made for narrower vintage or dirtbike wheels are usually V-shaped rather than U-shaped so the wheel isn't able to cock/tilt much when loaded into it. Pit Bull make nice trailer restraint systems that hold motorcycles by the rear axle nut/bolt. They have one for the Grom... wonder if it would fit the Trail. It would probably be too wide for a trailer hitch mount platform though.

If I were hauling the Trail in a van I'd look into adding some nice tie down anchors to the floor, ones that are recessed out of the way when not in use. Could reuse them for other mini-motos or other types of cargo later.

 

[m in sc]

def too wide for a 125. just tie it down right and zero issues.

 

[Msfitoy]

The CT125 front wheel might be too narrow for that chock. Wheel chocks made for narrower vintage or dirtbike wheels are usually V-shaped rather than U-shaped so the wheel isn't able to cock/tilt much when loaded into it. Pit Bull make nice trailer restraint systems that hold motorcycles by the rear axle nut/bolt. They have one for the Grom... wonder if it would fit the Trail. It would probably be too wide for a trailer hitch mount platform though.

If I were hauling the Trail in a van I'd look into adding some nice tie down anchors to the floor, ones that are recessed out of the way when not in use. Could reuse them for other mini-motos or other types of cargo later.

The one in the video is for standard big bikes...they have a narrower one for motorcross and also mountain bike shims...

 

[STUBBORN]

The CT125 front wheel might be too narrow for that chock. Wheel chocks made for narrower vintage or dirtbike wheels are usually V-shaped rather than U-shaped so the wheel isn't able to cock/tilt much when loaded into it. Pit Bull make nice trailer restraint systems that hold motorcycles by the rear axle nut/bolt. They have one for the Grom... wonder if it would fit the Trail. It would probably be too wide for a trailer hitch mount platform though.

If I were hauling the Trail in a van I'd look into adding some nice tie down anchors to the floor, ones that are recessed out of the way when not in use. Could reuse them for other mini-motos or other types of cargo later.

I only have 2 recessed tie down rings. I was not in a rush to add more since I may be selling the van in the spring.

 

[AZ7000']

I wonder if this is adaptable to a trailer hitch...seems to lock the bike securely and tie down is on the wheel, not the forks...

We have those in the trailer for 4 bikes. Less then 40 psi or so in the front tire and they dont work, useless for dirt bikes and bib mousses. I lightly tie down the front tire then lash the handle bars 90 degrees from the bike. Bomber for baja dirt roads and emergency stops too! We have a 12' enclosed and have them at 45 deg so they pull in like parking spots, once you rock the front wheel in you can let go to tie it down.

 

[mcmd]

easily. 2 straps front around lower tree, (around fork and back)or over bars, one or 2 across back. rack ok to use as tie down point. don't use friction straps they are garbage. use good quality ratcheting straps. would recommend adding center tie down point in bed of truck up front and in the back. do not leave on side stand or center stand. zip tie or velcro strap front brake to bar/grip to lock front wheel while transporting.

I've hauled multiple bikes in backs of trucks for 30 years, never had one come loose. .02 Heres my trail on a car rail. basically, like this but 2x.

note they are looped. thats stronger. also, at the tie point, the tail of the strap is then lopped through the eyelet then wrapped around hook then tied back onto strap. zero chance of hook coming out of eyelet this way. .02

Hi, Can you explain or show close-up pictures of this, " at the tie point, the tail of the strap is then lopped through the eyelet then wrapped around hook then tied back onto strap " Also wanted to ask about your experiences with the trailer hitch bike carrier. Are you able to load/unload and strap/unstrap the bike by yourself without help? Thanks for your input.

 

[m in sc]

I can, for sure, do it pretty regular. (solo loading) as far as looping it and tying it, page 1 of this thread shows how I do it, used my 67 yamaha as an example on the front wheel stand w the green straps.

 

[mcmd]

Okay, thank you for your response. I'll check out page one. I'm new on here and don't know my way around this forum very well yet.