Just purchased my new 2013 Road King Standard, and would like to know what would the best straps for trailering the ride if and when I need to take it to dealer for service and mods.
I have always used regular ratchet straps on the Sporty and Softail Nostalgia, but I always worry if I am using the wrong straps or not. Besides, the straps I have are universal and are very long and cumbersome to use on the bike.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Frank

 

These are the best out there. I've used them for years.
https://www.denniskirk.com/407791.sk...utm_medium=cse

 

+1..whatever you do..do not buy ones without the "safety keep" in the S-hook..don't ask me why I say that..:-(

 

I've always used Ancra tie down straps. They are designed for motorcycles & have never failed me.

You don't actually need ratchet tie downs. In fact you need to use care if you use ratchets. I've seen people hook a ratchet tie down to handlebars, or other non-frame locations & break the part because the ratchet made tightening so easy they didn't realize how much pressure they were putting on the part.

Always use two pair of straps on the front, & run each pair of straps to separate tie down points. That way if a strap, or tie down point, fails you still have the bike secure.

 

Your ratchet straps will work great for your bagger too. They are actually far better than the regular motorcycle tie-downs meant for lighter dirt oriented bikes.
If there is interference you can use what are known as 'soft-ties' which are short straps with a loop on each end. They allow you to move the ratchet mechanism to a point that doesn't interfere with the fairing or windshield.
If your ratchet straps don't have closed hooks you can run a bungee from the upper hook to the lower hook to ensure the hooks stay hooked (sorry).

 

Thank you all. I should have mentioned that I do not want to use the ratchet straps. I fear over-tightening on them. I would much prefer the cam lock type, and want more then an inch wide. I noticed when my Harley dealer came to deliver my bike after a clutch adjustment, they were in fact using two sets of strap in the front. One was a back-up set. I did notice they used the main set with the ratchet straps and secondary straps were cam lock. They did take caution when ratcheting the straps though.

 

Can't remember what they are called but I went through a couple before I found what I like at Tractor Supply. No such thing as overkill when it comes to securing your bike. I also use the double loop straps that go around my handlebars.

 

I use soft ties so that the hooks aren't touching (scratching) the bike. I use good quality straps no matter what I'm hauling.
From what I've seen the motorcycle specific straps are overpriced.

 

This aint Rocket Science, any ratchet or cam type tie down will work just fine.

 

I trust my loads with the current straps I have now. They are very strong, but very long and a real pain for strapping the bike down to the trailer. I would not use cheaper straps on my loads. In all the 40+ years hauling loads on my trailer, I have NEVER lost an item or had a load shift on me, but the longer straps were and are needed for the larger loads.
I guess if I have used both cam lock and ratchet straps this long, I should know not to ratchet down too hard. I guess I could be open to either cam or ratchet as long as they are good ones. Just can't deal with the real long ones any more on the bike. It takes longer to take up the slack of extra strap then to tie the bike down!