Hey. I'm looking to get my first softail and I'm going to have to trailer a bike for the first time. It's about 100 miles, mostly highway. I have made arrangements to rent a Uhaul motorcycle trailer. I did a search and read up about trailering and I see some posts about not using cheap straps. I have two straps that came with my motorcycle lift and 4 Harbor Freight straps. Are these sufficient? Someone suggested I get a set of bar harnesses but it sounds like strapping to the forks where they meet the fender are a better option.

Any advice would be appreciated. Better yet, anyone free Saturday that wants to drive me to make the deal so I can ride it back would be greatly appreciated!

 

as long as your straps are rated for 1200 bs or more you should be fine, ratchet style is helpful ... I prefer strapping the front where the fender mounts to the sliders ... I've done the handlebars in the past but find the fender slider location gives me a better hold ... it lets the suspension work and doesn't mess with the handlebars

 

Besides straping where the front fender is bolted to the fork tubes. Take two straps and run through the rear tire and pull in opposite directions. The front will keep it locked down without compressing the suspension, and the back will keep it from going side to side without compressing the suspension.

 

The U-Haul motorcycle trailer has a bump-out at front that helps with front wheel alignment.
Motorcycle needs to be in neutral.
The better straps have a clip at hook in order to prevent hook from unhooking if a large bump is experienced.
A zip tie or tape could be used if your straps do not have the clip.
All painted areas that can be exposed to strap rubbing should be protected in order to prevent scratched paint.
They sell soft covers that can be used on straps to avoid having to use towels and such in order to prevent scratches.
Consider tieing a knot at strap ends once installed in order to reduce possibility of a release.
Find a way to secure strap ends so they do not whip bike.
Many folks tie from front fender bolt area but i find the triple tree area to be more solid and provides a taller triangle to balance and support to front end.
Do not strap from handlebars since handlebars can flip forward or backwards on most harleys and cause straps to experience a tension loss.
Some folks compress shocks all the way, others half way or whatever.
I compress half way.
Keep security in mind.
Forks will be unlocked and sometimes people also forget that trailer itself might not be locked to ball or hitch..
A 100 miles in not much at all but consider carrying a small compressor and fix a flat or whatever. It sucks to get a flat if you have no tools and no spare tire.
*Sometimes people forget that a car can be rented ONE WAY when buying a vehicle away from home.
You drive rental car to deal location and make deal with rental car with you just in case deal does not happen for some reason.
Once deal is completed then you return rental car and get a ride from seller from car drop off location back to bike... or use an Uber to get back to bike.

 

WOW thanks guys. I ordered the Rhino motorcycle strap kit. It They have latches on the hooks, they will be the main two straps for the front. I can use my other straps for the rear and maybe another set of straps for the front.

I watched a couple of videos on the uHaul MC trailer and it seems pretty easy.

 

Whether you decide to connect your tie downs through the bottom triple tree, or the fender mounts.... I suggest using padded, soft tie loops. It allows you to keep the buckles of the ratchet straps away from chrome & paint... less likely to cause a scratch...

I couldn't find the ones I bought several years ago, but they were soft nylon loops, with a sheepskin pad around the center of the loops..

They looked something like these.....

https://www.uscargocontrol.com/Soft-...iABEgISRfD_BwE



PS- I've used a U-Haul motorcycle trailer before and they work well. They make two types. One with a smaller, fatter wheel/tire combo, and one with the regular sized wheel/tire combo.. I'm sure both are OK, but around here, with 75mph freeway speeds, I had a choice and got the one with the bigger tire/wheel combo... The bigger wheel/tire trailers also have higher side guards for better protection from road debris..

These are file photos of the two types:

 

Deck screw a wheel chock, two straps from the bars, and two in the back. They'll never notice the screw holes.
Piece of 4" channel work just as good the wheel chock, jus sayin

 

4" channel?

 

channel iron, pick up a piece of aluminum channel from home depot, drill 2 holes front, 2 back, deck screw it to the trailer bed. Butt it up the front of the trailer for best results.
You just created a wheel guide, basically a wheel chock. Wheel chock give you more support but sometimes it's easier to grab a piece of channel?

 

The U-haul trailer for bikes has a built in pocket for the front wheel. The trailer is really well made for bikes. Low to the ground, nice smooth wide ramp, tie loops everywhere. I just rented one and it was just under 20 bucks for 3 hours.