Zero Knievel

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?

For all the sick measuring, I have to ask… So, why didn’t it come with a control module to do all this. Connect to 12v line and signal wires to tell it when to do what? Sounds like you tried to do something other than run wires to the correct existing circuits. Hell. The Prius is heavily computerized. My BMW is CANBus. I made sure anything I wanted to add had a control module and/or was compatible before buying. So, I’m having an issue wrapping my head around why you’re having as issue in the first place.

Paint it light blue and update the tech and you could try to pass it as KITT in that horrible effort to reboot Knight Rider.

So long as there’s an incentive to lie/cheat without serious consequences, it will happen.

Well, you criticized using wood to make a draft piece. I say it would be fine to attain the desired shape and size…then use it as a template for making it from better materials. Unless you can re-smelt metal at home, why waste a good piece of metal when you haven’t determined the final form?

Why would you waste valuable materials making the test version?

Well, it would work for a test fitting and brief testing. If it's right, use it as a template for one made of better materials.

Wouldn’t it be easier to just buy your sex bench?

The midi-chlorian count might be off the charts. 🤔 Gonna just glue and screw. The table is on a sturdy frame…no danger of failure. Furbird’s take makes perfect sense. Glue and screw a reinforcing strip and pack the crack with either wood glue or wood filler.

You getting kickbacks from the local orthopedics association?

Not sure if this matters, but this end of the table faces the windows in the kitchen that had 1/4” of ice on the inside this past Christmas…when we knew we had to replace the windows. 0 degrees that morning, and I think I remember hearing a CRACK that day, but didn’t see where it came from. I suppose extreme contraction made a weak point split. I actually see no structural issue with the table because the underlying frame is completely intact. Even if the split crossed the whole table, that surface wouldn’t collapse under normal use. Shot so the floor would reflect light into the camera so the crack would be visible.

I’ve added 3 more photos. Can’t force it back together by hand, and we keep the table covered, so I’m not worried about aesthetics.