Spyder Tie Down Sanity Check

[MattHelm21]

Hi,

Cyndie and I are going to be traveling with a good size toy this weekend for the first time. Call it a shake down cruise. We are going to have a Can Am Spyder in the Garage. I’m including a diagram I’ve drawn. On the left side is the way Can Am recommends the bike be tied down. They are straps through the wheels, BTW. Unfortunately, on my Toy Hauler, I have the half bath extending into the garage eliminating one of the needed tie down points in the front passenger side and at the rear, there clearly isn’t enough room to pull to the rear.

So, the right side of the image is my illustration of my solution. Instead of pulling the front wheels forward and the rear wheel rearward, I’m pulling the front wheels rearward and the rear wheel towards the front but also to the sides.

We are headed from NJ to DE this weekend so it will be a short trip on interstates. Any input is appreciated.

Thanks,

Edit: on the left, Can Am offers the two solutions for tying back/down the rear that is why there is a red and green.

[chuckster57]

I don’t see anything wrong with your way of securing. Bottom line, it isn’t going to move.

[MattHelm21]

Thanks Chuck. The difference(and what nags at me a bit) between the two tie downs is that in the Can Am recommendation, you can see how it would prevent the bike from lifting up with the strips cinched down. The straps would have to get longer for that to happen. With my method, it seems as if the straps could actually loosen if the bike lifts up(at least the ones pulling forward and the ones pulling backward). The two straps nearly perpendicular to the centerline on the back wheel should prevent that as well as the 1000lbs total weight of the bike but one always wonders.

[Frank G]

I pulled my 2013 RT all over the place for a couple of years in the back of a toy hauler TT.(Vengeance 29V). Lots of stuff to cover. If you have air suspension and you tie down over the seat or the trailer hitch if so equipped you may want to deflate the air bag. If you do not deflate and it looses air you have a loose bike. I always ran a wide strap across the seat with a large folded towel under it to keep the bike from bouncing If you run straps through the wheels use some Microsoft towels to protect the finish. Your approach to keep the Spyder stable front to rear is good. When strapping the rear wheel DO NOT CROSS THE SPROCKET you can bend or break it. Use good quality straps, the best you can afford, stay away from HF junk. Have you tried to load yet? Sometimes they bottom out on the crossover point and some have had great luck in loading backwords.

[K_N_L]

One word of caution, watch for your valve stems when you go to tighten your straps down. ( play the "we know a thing or two cuz we've seen a thing or two commercial !)

[MattHelm21]

So, I’m only strapping through the wheels so hopefully the air suspension shouldn’t be an issue.

I have not crossed the sprocket(I was careful there and did see that in the manual).

I’ve checked but will recheck anyway to make sure I didn’t strap over a valve stem.

I’m using the BRP tie down kit with the padding around the straps for through the wheel protection.

I tried getting it in two ways and what I found works best was to put some blocks under the end of the ramp to raise it a bit and use some short ramps I have to climb up to it. I was able to get over the lip above the ramp without high centering and then lock the parking brake to keep things in position while strapping down.

[JRTJH]

Matt,

I tow a Slingshot on a trailer behind our fifth wheel. I used E-Track plates and 2" ratchet straps to secure it to the trailer floor. I mounted the E-Track through the floor, drive the bike onto the trailer, run a strap over each wheel, ratchet it down tight and put the cover on the bike. So far, we've got about 5,000 miles towing it behind the fifth wheel and so far not an inch of movement or a loose strap. We're currently at the Grand Canyon and trust me when I say that some parts of I-40 have definitely tested the security of the tie-downs !!!

[MattHelm21]

John,

We looked at several options(Slingshot included) but our rig dictated the Spyder as the largest. Since we are 64 feet overall already and NJ as well as other states we travel in forbid a second trailer, it had to fit in the garage and our FZ414 is really only useable 10 feet(12 feet with the 1/2 bath extending in).

The factory tie downs are my best option since they are already mounted to the frame and rated to 5000 lbs. I’ll post back after the weekend with how the tie downs hold up. Here is a shot through the door all tied down.

[MN-Clark]

Try wheel chocks and use a ratchet strap to hold them against the wheel. Use 4 or 6 tie down straps.

I haul a 2008 HD Road King this way. Secure and easy.

[AbHDToyHauler]

i use Biker Bars for the Harleys now but when i used straps i will tell you check them anytime you are stopped for gas or washroom breaks. Mine were good for first 1000 miles then one strap had let go (just failed not sure why) but I agree buy good straps. I wanted to add a camera in trailer to check on bikes. Wife and son thought it was overkill. Not anymore. LOL. You can never be too safe.

[MattHelm21]

I wanted to add a camera in trailer to check on bikes

Ironically, my trailer came with rear view and garage camera’s installed. The problem is they just won’t work at the same time. I can only operate one at a time and I prefer the rear view. If I copilot this time out, or if Cyndie wants to, I’ll try switching. It gets done on the monitor but only by disabling the nonessential camera first. I’m pretty sure it is a distance issue.

[Hozco]

abhdtoyhauler,
How did you mount the biker bar in the garage? Ive seen them and like them right now im using a condor chock and straps

[cookinwitdiesel]

Maybe I am missing something due to inexperience toy hauling, but could you just back the spyder into the garage so the skinny end is by the bathroom?

[AbHDToyHauler]

Originally Posted by Hozco

abhdtoyhauler,
How did you mount the biker bar in the garage? Ive seen them and like them right now im using a condor chock and straps

First i put both bikes in garage where I wanted them to be. I then raised bike slightly with small jack and put biker bar on frame and hooked capture uprights to bar then lowered it so I could mark where I wanted holes to go through. I then measured carefully to see where the holes would be and in my case all worked out perfect so I drilled holes through. Then you put bolts through holes in floor plate assembly and go under trailer and screw backing plated onto bolt threaded ends. Work best if you have a helper. Then helper tightens bolts while make sure backing plate is where you need it to be. Then drill hole up through back plate for carriage bolt. Have helper push carriage bolt down through this new hole and you add lock washer and nut and tighten it down. Do same for both bolts on each unit you are adding. Now you can remove the big bolt from above and threaded plate stays there. That way I could move to my other motorcycle trailer easily if we needed to use it which we did this winter. All you have to do is buy extra plates for each trailer you want it on. I got mine from Etrailer. Sorry for long and probably poor explanation but If i can off help or advice just ask. They work amazingly well. After thousands of miles over good and bad roads the bikes have never moved even a 1/4 inch.

PS: I found little plastic plugs to fit in floor holes when bars not in trailer and they are barely noticeable.

[MattHelm21]

Originally Posted by cookinwitdiesel

Maybe I am missing something due to inexperience toy hauling, but could you just back the spyder into the garage so the skinny end is by the bathroom?

Hi,

I prefer to load forward as it rode right in. Also, loading rear first, from what I’ve read, usually requires a winch since Spyders usually can’t get enough traction in reverse on the ramp. I haven’t ruled it out as the bathroom is inaccessible loaded forwards. All’s good though.

The trip was a success. I stopped periodically to check the straps and yes, they did loosen after about 100 miles or so just a bit but after taking up the slack they stayed tight and nothing ever moved. Hopefully, this will benefit someone else with the abbreviated garage like I have.

Thanks for everyone’s input.

[Snoking]

What about two additional ratchet straps.One from the front tie downs up and across the seat and the second from the middle tie downs up across the the seat cross looping through the front one and back down on the other side. Large towel or other pad on the seat. Tighten them so the cross point remains centered on the seat.

This would help to keep the bike held down to the deck.

[MattHelm21]

What about two additional ratchet straps.

I’ll try this next time. I think as a backup just tight enough to compress the towel a little but do nothing unless a major shift were to occur.

[msp2jxr]

I like what you are doing front to back but am concerned about up and down movement. Think of your trailer sitting on its roof. Would the Spyder stay mounted to the floor? I garage a Goldwing and there is very little to grab a hold of so I remove the side covers and go as high on the frame with soft strap loops and pull down so the bike can not lift from the floor. I use six straps in all plus a condor chock and have not had the Wing move during traveling.

[MattHelm21]

While I didn’t mention it, for the trip I placed one additional strap on the left front wheel going forward to the forward most tie down. The straps on the rear wheel going out to the sides are very short and once tightened should prevent lifting off during at that point. I think that the strap over the seat previously mentioned in the thread and the one front wheel strap pulling forward would take care of the front.