[17A]

Hey Guys;
I will be picking this bike up in a couple of weeks and may have to trailer it home if this snow and cold persists like it looks it's going to well into April.

I've trailered lots of bikes and ATV's but never a heavy cruiser. Normally when I trailer bikes. I attached soft straps on the upper forks and crossbar (Think that is referred to as the triple tree) and compress the forks at bit to make the bike rock solid. I also stabilize the front and rear wheels with straps.
Does not show it in the attached pictures, but the bike will also have wind deflectors installed on the forks, and that will not allow me to attach straps to the upper forks the way I want. Do the forks need to be compressed on these bikes?
Want to hear some options to attach the soft straps. Hand grips, crash bar, lower forks.

I have a 5' x 10' trailer with tie down rings on the floor in all four corners and rails along the sides to attach straps.

Attached a few pics for reference. Not shown, but there will be fork deflectors installed.

Thanx in advance

 

[Brad_G]

I have trailered many times for several thousand miles total. I have a wheel chock that I run the front wheel into. So that keeps it in place. The enclosed trailer (I store it for a buddy for the privilege of using it whenever I want) has E-tracks along the sides. On that trailer I put straps on the rear floorboard brackets and they attatch to the E-track just in front of where the driver floorboards are. So it pulls the bike forward and down just a bit. The bike won't shift or rock without shaking the entire trailer. The other trailer I use I pull behind my camper. It's an open bed. It too has a front wheel chock. I used that to pull a newly acquired Road Star from Pensacola FL back home to Iowa (1,000 miles). On that trip I ran the straps around the shocks just above the fender mounts. That doesn't compress the suspension and is very stable. I did start out with a strap across the rear wheel above the axle but it cut through part way home. So I left it off for much of the journey.

I know many do tie them down up high by the bars. But I've heard of folks blowing shock seals or bending the bars. So my personal preference is low on the front shocks.

 

[17A]

I have trailered many times for several thousand miles total. I have a wheel chock that I run the front wheel into. So that keeps it in place. The enclosed trailer (I store it for a buddy for the privilege of using it whenever I want) has E-tracks along the sides. On that trailer I put straps on the rear floorboard brackets and they attatch to the E-track just in front of where the driver floorboards are. So it pulls the bike forward and down just a bit. The bike won't shift or rock without shaking the entire trailer. The other trailer I use I pull behind my camper. It's an open bed. It too has a front wheel chock. I used that to pull a newly acquired Road Star from Pensacola FL back home to Iowa (1,000 miles). On that trip I ran the straps around the shocks just above the fender mounts. That doesn't compress the suspension and is very stable. I did start out with a strap across the rear wheel above the axle but it cut through part way home. So I left it off for much of the journey.

I know many do tie them down up high by the bars. But I've heard of folks blowing shock seals or bending the bars. So my personal preference is low on the front shocks.

Rodger...thanx. I will use straps on the lower fork tubes as in the attached pic. It's not a V-Star but the concept is the same.

 

[Brad_G]

Do you have a wheel chock as well? If not, I'd suggest a secondary set of straps as a backup in case something would happen to the primary straps. With a wheel chock the bike will stand on it's own (although I wouldn't trust it bouncing down the road).

 

[17A]

Do you have a wheel chock as well? If not, I'd suggest a secondary set of straps as a backup in case something would happen to the primary straps. With a wheel chock the bike will stand on it's own (although I wouldn't trust it bouncing down the road).

No I don't use a wheel chock, but I will stabilize the front wheel to the rails on the trailer with a 2nd strap. I'll also stabilize the rear wheel with straps in both corners. Thanx for the reply.