Zero Knievel

The bolts only attach the fenders…so I suppose your idea would work, but I’d need a locking nut on both sides and I question if the short distance it would provide would make enough of a difference. I was going to make a snarky quip about complicated math, but then remembered what you do for a living. With my current health, I find that all day rides (over 500 miles) take enough out of me that riding at the destination is a chore…especially if I have to have the means to ride back home. If I ride someplace and there’s fun stuff to do other than ride, I can make the trip about riding there and back. Going to Utah was an exhausting trial and not a vacation…odd as only a decade or so ago I used to ride cross country. Once a month jaunts with the locals wear me out if I have to go all the way to Johnson City, TN just to meet up.

23 year old XX with not even break in mileage. Garage queen...and I wonder what issues it may have from never being ridden.

I doubt an eye bolt would be fit to substitute for a wheel mount bolt. I agree that the mounts should be further from the bike.

From what I can tell, there is nothing to hook on to with the BMW. I thought there was, but it was how the metal was shaped and not a hole I could look through. No. Those are the anchor points provided. Even if I could find an anchor that would attach using longer bolts that hold the wheel assemblies to the axle, I’d have to make sure it wouldn’t compromise the trailer by putting the tie down stress on the wheel hub. Just did it the way it was illustrated.

Well, I hope the issue is finally solved. Got the new rear strap system today. I experimented before with the wheel chock, but double checked for this test. Note that now the chock is set at the second to front hole. It previously was set at the very last hole in the back. This helps the bike remain stable when I’m not holding it…although for good measure I should always load/unload while parked on a level surface. Now my front ties are anchored to soft straps at the bottom of the triple tee. It comes in its own carry case. Bought it from Wheels & Wings in Lake City, Florida. I have to position the strap as such to avoid unnecessary contact with the muffler and swingarm. There is a gap between the strap and the swingarm, but I think I will still look for something to use as a buffer so they don’t rub during transport. It occurred to me that a washing mitt (for cars) cut open at the end could slide over the assembly as a sleeve. I’ll take a closer look tomorrow when I’m in town. Took the finished product out for a short drive. So far, so good. If you know the roads around my house, they aren’t that well maintained, so lots of bumps that make the bike shift side to side. Everything held firm.

Take them all...make French braid versions of them. Sell them advertising that they can handle triple the data.

Rule 34 provides....

No. People seem to assume I'm some dumb ass for not knowing something one would not know until they encounter it the first time. Never had an issue with store-bought ratchet tie downs until now. Never had an issue with prior towing/trailering. Now that I know better, I won't repeat the mistake. Don't we all fuck stuff up because we didn't have the benefit of a "bad experience" to learn better. Hell, I'm telling everyone to never go to a hospital when an outpatient clinic will do because you might get bills from multiple parties who claim to have rendered service, and it's easier to just pay them than argue over it. Incidentally, I mentioned this when seeing my dermatologist, and she agreed...at least in an outpatient setting, you know you get a bill from the clinic and nobody else unless you're told up front (e.g., lab work done elsewhere). Same deal with Medicare. I've learned a lot from watching what my parents and their friends have gone through dealing with Medicare to pay things. For example, if you are admitted to the hospital "for observation," you likely will foot the entire bill because Medicare does not cover that. So, if they want to keep you overnight, they need to admit you as a regular patient. For my dad's stroke, there was no issue because the precursor stroke mandated he stay overnight for observation as the big one would likely come that night (which it did). Recently my mom was sick and had chest pains. They wanted to admit her but until they got certain test results back as positive, it was not "necessary" and would not be covered by Medicare. Imagine having to know all this and have the presence of mind to ask questions when in the ER as a patient. We learn from experience.

Everything works fine…until it doesn’t. Had I run into this issue in the past, I wouldn’t have had an issue now.

And my point is that the poor design of the straps (too long a length between the hook and ratchet) made it unfit for this particular application. Since these things come with no instructions, it’s easy to presume that it being rated for motorcycles means it’s good for all applications with motorcycles.

No, but one tends to trust the manufacturer’s specifications. The Prius has dedicated jack points in the front and rear for a floor jack. I have to make sure inspectors and mechanics do no use a floor jack elsewhere as it will damage the underside of the car. For jack stands, I use a floor jack properly and then position the jack stands with rubber pads as usual.

You should take a good look at what’s on the market. Many are claiming fit for use on motorcycles, but they have the excessive length between hook and ratchet. Again, that’s what BMW calls for, and I never had any issues when taking the bike in the bed of the truck. Oh, well, it’s a learning experience. First trip, I learned “snug” wasn’t enough for this trailer. This time, I learned the recommend anchor points don’t work with this trailer. Because someone mentioned it, I experimented with the front wheel chock. The prior owner had a bike with the same size front wheel. He supposedly didn’t have any issues, but I was trusting it was correct for my bike (yeah…never assume something is set correctly). So, I decided to adjust one notch at a time and see what happened. First notch didn’t have a noticeable difference. Second notch holds the bike upright and steady and is easier to pull back out without assistance. Between this and a rear strap designed to keep the rear tire firmly in place, I hope to have the problem properly settled. And, yes, I have a wheel chock, but because it’s not bolted down, I removed the part that cups the back side of the tire and use it to keep the front wheel facing forward when strapped in the back of the truck. I expected the same performance from the trailer and thought the lateral movement was the product of a single, narrow rail supporting the bike. After all, if the front straps pull the tire firmly into the chock, it always worked in the past. I had no idea the rear portion of the wheel chock adds so much stability.

No. That was a brand new strap…first use. I don’t want to load up the bike to show how it was done, but I can say this… Most straps have too much material between the hook and the ratchet unit. I’m talking 6 or more inches. You want as little length as possible if working within a narrow space. These straps placed the ratchet portion on top of the rear foot peg. Straps rubbing together against the mount point plus the ratchet unit tightly in place and moving back and forth. Never had this situation before, so I didn’t anticipate the ratchet cutting through the strap. Before this, my straps always led away from the bike, never alongside it. The short trip I took to Kentucky didn’t have serious mishaps, but it was a much shorter trip. Examining the straps I used on that trip, I see similar damage starting on the straps. I have to go through all my straps and throw out the ones with damage.

This is what I was getting from doing it “properly.” Just so you have perspective.

Don't be irritable because Ukraine is losing the war.

I’ve thought of that, and if you actually examine the construction of the trailer, there is nothing sturdy enough to weld to or drill through that would produce a mount point one would trust with any significant amount of weight. To compensate for the original design, you’d have to add reinforcement, AND I doubt I’d find any welding shop that would touch the project if they couldn’t guarantee it would never fail. I don’t have the skill in welding to do it myself.

What is pictured isn’t what BMW suggested. The mounts for the rear foot pegs are the official rear tie down anchors for the bike. Because of how the trailer has the anchors too close, I was cutting through straps from the needless friction. What is pictured was my best effort to secure the rear without having the strap rub against itself or hard points that would cut through them. So, no, Tomek isn’t right. And [sarcasm] I’d like to thank him for shitting on a perfectly good thread rather than making his point in another thread or by PM. It appears he’s back from vacation.

True. However, the problem is now fixed. Checking some stuff for the BMW forums, I wondered if the front chock could go tighter (I was told it was set for 16" when I bought it). I made it two notches tighter, and now it holds the bike steady when I let go. The BMW crowd also put me on to THIS, which will work nicely. 🤘 There was one that runs through the hole in the rear wheel, but it MUST be exactly over the anchor points...which wouldn't work on this trailer.

Sure. Go ahead.

Explain, please. I did the original strapping PER BMW's INSTRUCTIONS. Those straps were compromised because they rubbed against the bike too much. The setup I went with was intended to minimize friction, and it worked enough to get me home. The trailer manufacturer actually has a video showing how to do it...except they hook rear straps to the opposing side shock absorber (double-sided swing arm) with the strap going over the tire...as if that can't slip during transport. In photos, they attached to the fucking exhaust pipe. Then again, some people trust those tension grip tie downs...even with heavy loads.

Yeah. It's an inherent flaw of the trailer. Rear anchor points are too close and on the trailer axle. Straps need to have minimal to no contact with each other or hard points on the item being secured because that's where friction can compromise them. My first failures going to PA was from the ratchet rubbing against the other strap which had a hard point behind it. Coming home, the damage is minimal, but just the shaking of the bike started to do damage. There's also blemishes in the paint where the straps were applied. Never had this issue with the truck, but the anchor points are higher and farther out...ensuring the straps are going away from the bike, not along it. I'll edit with photos to illustrate. Still, other than the migraine/allergy issues on Saturday, it was good to see everyone. 🤧 First failed strap… Friction wear from ratchet portion of straps. Method used for the trip home…which more or less worked. Anchor location (rear)… The silver-colored mounts for the rear foot pegs are the correct anchor points for rear straps per BMW. Never had an issue with a truck or trailer, so the problem is having the anchors too close to the bike and directly (more or less) below the bike’s anchor points. Straps should flow away from the bike and not need to run along it. FWIW, I added the thick, white zip ties to ensure the hooks couldn’t come loos should slack develop, and they held fine. Something I’ll remember for the future.

Driving home, it pretty much rained from when I entered Virginia to when I reached my home county. No issues with the trailer, but the new straps are already showing signs of damage. I’ll try to research for better quality straps. I’ll also post up on the RS board to see if anyone has similar experiences. That it held all day was nice, but if I’d have to buy new straps after a day or two of use, the trailer I have won’t be a viable option. Hopefully Steve and Phillip had good weather going into West Virginia.

Might as well. This way you don't have to worry about the extra mass forcing you to recalculate your recharge stops for the Tesla.

You bought years ago something for a bike you just now purchased?

Good luck getting your money back?