Strapping the Spyder down in/on trailer

[Don K]

Hey everyone !
First let me introduce myself.
I'm Don K / 53 yrs old. Married to my wife now for 32yrs.
My wife has been going through cancer treatments for the past yr. Still having scans etc. Currently in remission.
I'm on the waiting list for my m3 endorsement/Spyder course. Am planning on getting 7x12 enclosed trailer and am leaning towards getting the RT limited.
This is something that I want my wife and myself to experience together.
Any help/suggestions are welcome and appreciated.
Any suggestions on the best way to strap/tie the Spyder to the trailer?

 

[Buggy]

:welcome:
I tie around the hub on each front wheels and lead them forward. Two straps are run through the back wheel and lead back and too each side. Padding is used on all straps. The Sypder never moves.

 

[Gator37]

Welcome from Central Washington. Enjoy your new Spyder and ride SAFE. Prayer for your wife's continued remission.

 

[Buggy]

Sorry my pic is upside down and I can't seem to fix it....good news is the tie downs are still working!:joke:

 

[Bfromla]

:welcome: You will enjoy. & ray: for your wife & fam. Strapi g spyder in trailer go through & around the rims. Pulling oppsite directions on bike.(front to front & back to the back)

I also suggest using parking brake but, some may dissagree. Best to ride & enjoy rather than trailer., but do what you got too. opcorn:

 

[Frank G]

The pictures are of my RTL in a 6x12 "Stealth" all aluminum trailer. I use over the wheel tie downs to prevent scuffing of the rims and other body parts. The tie downs were purchased from E-Trailer.com.

Remember a 7' wide trailer (with 2 axles) will require a more robust tow vehicle which you may already have.

A lot to consider, good luck.

 

[rmag]

Welcome!

Hey Don,
We're glad your wife is doing better. I just finished reworking a 7x12 enclosed trailer for an RT. It was set up for two motorcycles. I replaced one section of floor, bought a sheet of exterior plywood and remounted the wheel wells. Also added two new d-rings in the front. Simply strap the wheels tight both front and back. Works beautifully.

Hope you are in the wind soon!

Rich & Ronda

.......sorry for the sideways pix.

 

[Buggy]

:welcome: You will enjoy. & ray: for your wife & fam. Strapi g spyder in trailer go through & around the rims. Pulling oppsite directions on bike.(front to front & back to the back)

I also suggest using parking brake but, some may dissagree. Best to ride & enjoy rather than trailer., but do what you got too. opcorn:

My dealer told me not to put the straps through the front wheels because it can affect the alignment. He said to put them on the hubs near the bottom a arm. Not saying you are wrong...just different options.

 

[bscrive]

We put a Stainless Steel 10mmx1.25 lifting eye on the bottom shock bolt. You just lift the front of the Spyder up to take off the pressure from the bolt, remove the lock nut, turn the bolt around, put on some locktite and screw the lifting eye on. Now you have a safe place to put your straps on. Works great with wheel chocks.

 

[SNOOPY]

We put a Stainless Steel 10mmx1.25 lifting eye on the bottom shock bolt. You just lift the front of the Spyder up to take off the pressure from the bolt, remove the lock nut, turn the bolt around, put on some locktite and screw the lifting eye on. Now you have a safe place to put your straps on. Works great with wheel chocks.

That is an awesome idea, thanks for sharing. :thumbup:

 

[Roadster Renovations]

:welcome:! Glad to hear your wife is in remission! Spend as much time together as you can. Owning a Spyder and trailering it places will be a wonderful way to do that.
It's kinda funny that you posted this thread because we did exactly the same thing 2 weeks ago. We purchased a new 7x12 (actually 13.6 with the bull noise) 2016 enclosed trailer from the manufacturer in Douglas, Georgia. We saved almost 2k buying direct. Drove down and picked it up.
We are towing with a 99 Ford F150 4x4 4 wheel drive with a 5.4L in it. It seems to do pretty good, but I would not want to pull anything heavier without going to a diesel. We average about 11 mpg fully loaded. The unloaded weight of the trailer is 11oo lbs and it is a tandem with electric brakes. The entire rear opens down so we can ride the Spyder in. Any other type setup might cause the bike to scrape when loading.
We prepped the trailer floor with 3 coats of Sherwin Williams Acrylic paint rolled on. The third coat we added some anti-skid stuff they sell called shark something. When it dried I was amazed at how nice an anti-skid surface it made. This will protect the floor from moisture and keep the bike in place as well as keep us from slipping going in and out. I put a heavier coat on the ramp since I didn't want to loose traction pulling the Spyder in.
I purchased 6 3/8" D ring tie downs from Amazon and pulled the bike into the trailer placing it where I wanted it. I then took a marker and marked the location I wanted each of the D rings. I placed 2 on each side of the rear tire at a 45 degree angle about 12 inches away from it and slightly behind. When drilling the holes I used 3/8" galvanized square head bolts so they would lock into the tie down. Underneath I placed RTV around the bolt, then a large flat washer and then a smaller flat washer. The galvanized nut was red loc-tited so it would not back off and cause an issue. The larger washer gives a larger area of contact and helps with lateral force on the D ring. My thinking was to go through the rim and keep the bike from wanting to go forward, as braking would be the majority of the force instead of acceleration. I then (and some may disagree with this) placed 2 D rings on each front wheel positioned so that they were in line with the tire but to the inside, rather than attached to the tire. Placement was about 18" away from the control arm. I used the lower control arm to attach to rather than the wheel. Putting stress on the steering (tie rods, DPS system, etc,) I thought might be a problem eventually, so the lower control arm was a better choice for me.
I used 1,000 capacity tie downs for the 5 point placement. Starting with the rear I got it fairly tight so that I could just start to see the tire flex. I then placed one front and behind each front tire. Care should be taken to tighten these down equal amounts. Otherwise, they will not isolate and pull against each other.
On the road for the first 2 stops for gas I checked them and had to increase each a little as everything settled in. By the third gas stop no further adjustment was required.

I just put the setup through it's hardest test today on Tail of the Dragon. 318 curves in 11 miles. Switchbacks, rapid slowdowns from elevation changes both up and down. When we got here and I unloaded the bike it had not moved a fraction of an inch in any direction. No problem with the steering and the alignment seems to still be fine. If you would want I can post pictures of how we have ours set up.

Good luck with the wife. Looks like you have both have been given a second chance! Our best to you and yours!

 

[thereverend]

This is

Hey everyone !
First let me introduce myself.
I'm Don K / 53 yrs old. Married to my wife now for 32yrs.
My wife has been going through cancer treatments for the past yr. Still having scans etc. Currently in remission.
I'm on the waiting list for my m3 endorsement/Spyder course. Am planning on getting 7x12 enclosed trailer and am leaning towards getting the RT limited.
This is something that I want my wife and myself to experience together.
Any help/suggestions are welcome and appreciated.
Any suggestions on the best way to strap/tie the Spyder to the trailer?

What I use

 

[Bfromla]

My dealer told me not to put the straps through the front wheels because it can affect the alignment. He said to put them on the hubs near the bottom a arm. Not saying you are wrong...just different options.

Thx friendly opinions are good. Had me double check myself fyi owners manual pg 138 two methods to strap down 1 though tire , 1 around lower A arms. Have to go through rear RIM ONLY & does state to use parking brake. Fyi. Hope all works out


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Roadster Renovations]

Thx friendly opinions are good. Had me double check myself fyi owners manual pg 138 two methods to strap down 1 though tire , 1 around lower A arms. Have to go through rear RIM ONLY & does state to use parking brake. Fyi. Hope all works out


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Nice to know I was right for a change!

I used the lower control arm to attach to rather than the wheel. Putting stress on the steering (tie rods, DPS system, etc,) I thought might be a problem eventually, so the lower control arm was a better choice for me.

 

[Don K]

What I use

What is this set up called? Where did you purchase?
Thanks for the info.

 

[Don K]

The pictures are of my RTL in a 6x12 "Stealth" all aluminum trailer. I use over the wheel tie downs to prevent scuffing of the rims and other body parts. The tie downs were purchased from E-Trailer.com.

Remember a 7' wide trailer (with 2 axles) will require a more robust tow vehicle which you may already have.

A lot to consider, good luck.

Do you find any issues with the size of the 6x12.Some on the site say the assist cables on the rear ramp door drag the Spyder when loading and unloading.
I was considering the ,6x12 until reading this may be an issue. Since you are using this size/What are your thoughts?
Thanks Don

 

[Don K]

View attachment 118354View attachment 118355Hey Don,
We're glad your wife is doing better. I just finished reworking a 7x12 enclosed trailer for an RT. It was set up for two motorcycles. I replaced one section of floor, bought a sheet of exterior plywood and remounted the wheel wells. Also added two new d-rings in the front. Simply strap the wheels tight both front and back. Works beautifully.

Hope you are in the wind soon!

Rich & Ronda

.......sorry for the sideways pix.

Thanks for the info.
Do you feel the 7'x12 would be better than 6x12?
My wife is starting to get her hair back (lost it all during chemo).Really opens your eyes.

 

[Frank G]

Do you find any issues with the size of the 6x12.Some on the site say the assist cables on the rear ramp door drag the Spyder when loading and unloading.
I was considering the ,6x12 until reading this may be an issue. Since you are using this size/What are your thoughts?
Thanks Don

Yes, the cables are a tight fit. There is a 1/2" clearance on each side. so I ask for help to hold the cables out. All things considered, the 6' wide was a better option than a new heaver tow vehicle.

 

[stillriding]

What is this set up called? Where did you purchase?
Thanks for the info.

​It's called Superclamp. I have it and love it. They're a supporting sponsor. See their listing on this site's home page.

 

[Bob Denman]

:welcome: Glad to hear that your Wife is in remission... She'll be in our thoughts and prayers for continuing successes! :thumbup:
Securing the Spyder to a trailer has already been covered, so I'll just offer best wishes in your quest for the Class M3 endorsement, and get ready to start having some FUN!! :yes:hyea::yes: