2011 RSS SE5 trailer tie downs suggestions and making it more areodynamic
Bought myself a trailer, thinking of going the Spyderfest. Where/how is the best way to tie the bike down. I have three chocks, that I can screw into place when I figure out where to put the bike.
See the pix, another question. When towing it back 250 miles I got terrible gas mileage. Reading about aerodynamics, some suggest that the expanded metal tail gate, is terrible for wind resistance. Any sage wisdom here?
One of the hardest decisions you'll ever face in life is choosing whether to walk away or try harder.
Yeah, the tailgate is a big sail catching the wind. You can modify it by putting a hinge in it so it folds in half or make so you can take it off and store it on the trailer. Jack the Spyder up after it's on and put it under neath, or make it a 2 piece and store them on the sides.
Bought myself a trailer, thinking of going the Spyderfest. Where/how is the best way to tie the bike down. I have three chocks, that I can screw into place when I figure out where to put the bike.
See the pix, another question. When towing it back 250 miles I got terrible gas mileage. Reading about aerodynamics, some suggest that the expanded metal tail gate, is terrible for wind resistance. Any sage wisdom here?
I modded a trailer with a lift gate to where the "ramp" slid under the trailer floor, and would pull out the back for loading/unloading the RT. It worked very good and wasn't too difficult to fab if you can weld.
J. D.
2016 F3T Magnesium Metalic : Smooth Spyder Dual Backrest, Lamonster LED Head lights and Fog lights
........Regardless of what others will say here !!!!!..........The only " TIE DOWN SYSTEM " that will IMHO work and NOT scratch your paint .......is by using a Heavy duty Rachet Strap over the rear tire ( E-Bay ,, DISCOUNTRAMPS.COM )......I paid $19.95 last year for mine , and only one is needed as long as you block the front tires on the sides.............I didn't TEST it on purpose, but during a serious accident, the RT I was towing didn't move...............Mike
I bought a couple of stainless steel lifting eye nuts (M10 thread) that I put on the bottom shock bolts on the front of the Spyder. I removed the old nuts and turned the bolts around and put on the lifting eye nuts with some thread locker. Now you have a solid place to hook some tie straps on without undue stress. The lifting eyes can stay on permenently for when ever you need to use them. I bought mine on ebay $9 for both. They work great.
For the back wheel, I just wrap a tie strap around it and hook the tie straps to a couple of 'D' ring tie downs I installed on each side of the trailer.
The idea of hinging the ramp is a good one but just be careful you don't pinch yourself when lowering the gate.
I modded a trailer with a lift gate to where the "ramp" slid under the trailer floor, and would pull out the back for loading/unloading the RT. It worked very good and wasn't too difficult to fab if you can weld.
J. D.
This sounds like a good solution, when you have time could you post a pix? Thanks
One of the hardest decisions you'll ever face in life is choosing whether to walk away or try harder.
Never could figger out why folks trailered their motorcycles to a motorcycle rally. Now I can't figger out why anyone would trailer a fully licensed vehicle like a Spyder to a rally. I say, "Ride the thing!"
Never could figger out why folks trailered their motorcycles to a motorcycle rally. Now I can't figger out why anyone would trailer a fully licensed vehicle like a Spyder to a rally. I say, "Ride the thing!"
the spyder will block a lot of wind. tails boards do strang things to air flow. some tests have shown a P/U has less drag with the tail gate closed then open.
now tying a load down you need min of 2 tie downs so if one lets go the other will hold. some fancy chocks have basket straps or a pin that locks a wheel in the chocks so that is good as a tie down. and then a strap through the back wheel pulling back a little will hold the spyder in place and let the shocks and springs work like they do when riding it. when i put one on a flat bed i use 3 ratchet straps 1 ligiht one on each frount wheel down and a little foward and a hevy strap through the back wheel pulling back in a wide V only the straps tuch the wheels if the wheels are fancy i wrap the strap in a soft cloth clean cloth.
the retired tow truck operator is peeking out here.
This sounds like a good solution, when you have time could you post a pix? Thanks
I sold the trailer just before I got the enclosed trailer for my Toy hauler and have no picts. I welded a piece of angle iron under both sides to accomedate the ramp, and hooks on the front edge of the ramp where you pull the ramp out and hook it to the rear of the trailer. Real simple.
J. D.
2016 F3T Magnesium Metalic : Smooth Spyder Dual Backrest, Lamonster LED Head lights and Fog lights
Never could figger out why folks trailered their motorcycles to a motorcycle rally. Now I can't figger out why anyone would trailer a fully licensed vehicle like a Spyder to a rally. I say, "Ride the thing!"
Some of us old farts, aren't ever doing 2000 miles on a bike. The women that I might travel with, are not doing a bike very far and need to carry with them half the house/closets. So a van min and a Holiday Inn, min. But prefers the Bemmer and a Four Seasons.
One of the hardest decisions you'll ever face in life is choosing whether to walk away or try harder.
2011 RSS SE5 trailer tie downs suggestions and making it more areodynamic
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Originally Posted by pitzerwm
2016 F3T Magnesium Metalic : Smooth Spyder Dual Backrest, Lamonster LED Head lights and Fog lights
........Regardless of what others will say here !!!!!..........The only " TIE DOWN SYSTEM " that will IMHO work and NOT scratch your paint .......is by using a Heavy duty Rachet Strap over the rear tire ( E-Bay ,, DISCOUNTRAMPS.COM )......I paid $19.95 last year for mine , and only one is needed as long as you block the front tires on the sides.............I didn't TEST it on purpose, but during a serious accident, the RT I was towing didn't move...............Mike 
