Some beasts aren't meant to be caged - Trailering & Saddlebag Latch Issue

This year, Nick and I decided to do the Ramapo 500, and the wife was also going to tag along. With her going, trailering is required because she works 3rd shift the night before. And our truck/trailer combo works pretty well. But the FJR has never been really happy about being tied down. Straps always come loose during the trip and we have to readjust each fuel stop.

But in the last hour and a half of this trip on the way home, the right (I think it's right, the one on my right side) flew off in the trailer and rubbed against the wall in the trailer. Got the paint down to the plastic. The bag will not latch securely on the bike now. All the searching I did keeps coming up with the security screws rather than the latch mechanism that secures it to the bike. It doesn't look like the bar that pops up on the bag is traveling any less than the left one, though I haven't actually measured it. I did see something about it slipping a gear tooth. I also saw the aftermath of taking one apart, so that doesn't appear to be an option.

Grabbing a hold of it with vice grips and working the handle to see if that bar comes up farther? Any other ideas? I've got another trip coming up in a couple weeks that I need the bag for.

Nick's trailer, my truck, so I have to haul the bike to his house across the state for this arrangement to work. Putting the the FJR back on my trailer to go home. About 20 miles down the road, the slack on the strap came loose and wiggled its way through a crack between the floorboard and the wall just big enough for the strap. Once it got out there, the wind took it until it found its way to the axle. The axle took it the rest of the way. Pulled the bike over, but not all the way. I don't think it damaged anything, but I hit my breaking point right about then.

Thoughts on tie down points for the FJR? Something has to change and riding it isn't always an option.

Haven't really taken a look at the bike. I was so pissed off by the time I got home, looking at then would have resulted in more damage.

Tim - sorry to read about your misfortune. I can't comment intelligently regarding your saddle bag problem except to say that I've read it 3 times and can't really understand exactly what the problem is. Perhaps you could post a pic or two that might describe things a little better?

Regarding a better strapping method for the FJR, I have not trailered my Gen 1 or 3 bikes. But I know many who have trailered the FJR. Without a doubt, the best method is to do 2 things:

1. Use this type of strap system:

https://www.uscargocontrol.com/Ratchet-Straps-Tie-Downs/Motorcycle-Tie-Down-Systems/Motorcycle-Combo-Strap-Kit?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=pla&utm_term={Keyword}&utm_content={AdID}&utm_campaign={BING-ProductAds}

Run the "slings" around the triple clamp from underneath the fairings. Then hook one end of the ratcheting strap s-hook to the sling "eye", and the other to an eye bolt on the trailer. Spread the eye bolts as wide as you can without having the strap rubbing against the fairing. Rachet down the front forks about 1- 1.5 inches and you should be GTG.

The rear slings go around the swing arm sub frame - again, high - perhaps near the rear peg frame work. Same concept - use the s-hook on the sling eye on one end, wide eye-bolt on the other.

2. Use a front wheel chock. This is critical if you employ #1 - because you are not grabbing the handlebars, the wheel can move back and forth and if it does, all straps will loosen. I suspect that's what is happening with your current system - the front wheel turns and loosens everything.

I have one friend that has trailered a Gen 1 all the way to florida in an open single axle bouncing trailer that was hitched to a camper (second trailer in line, ZERO suspension back there).

Hope this helps.

The only time I trailered mine was a trip with another couple where my wife and I would normally have ridden but our friend's bike wasn't well suited for them riding 2-up the distance involved.

Front wheel in a chock. Tie down loops around the handlebars close to the triple clamp, not high up on the bars themselves, cinched down enough to secure the bike but not too hard. Saddlebags removed and stowed in back of truck wrapped in movers blankets to prevent scratches. Rear wheel strapped in with one tie down strap looped around wheel and tire to prevent rear of bike from skating around sideways.

500 miles give or take, checked all straps at rest breaks and gas stops on the 3 bikes we fit in the trailer. After retightening at the first stop they never budged and no harm to any of the bikes.

I have trailered mine (to dealer for service) exactly like pants said.

No fuss no muss...

As for the bag not latching: perhaps the bottom mounting

bracket/ foot peg/ muffler hanger thingy got bent

inwards enough to prevent the bag from attaching.

Canyon Dancer has some nice stapping systems. Here's a link to a YouTube video that has some tips on securing the bike safely.

I've found that some straps will stretch when they get wet, then shrink again when they dry, requiring regular adjustments. Otherwise I can check and adjust them after the first stop - usually just a handful of miles from my driveway - and I'm good to go from Montana to Phoenix, though i will still check them periodically.

There are a couple of current threads that deal with the bag latching mechanisms not operating properly, usually due to forcing the latching handle at some point resulting in the interior ratcheting mechanism "skipping a tooth" resulting in the vertical shaft not extending far enough. One such thread posited using a screwdriver blade to force the gear back one tooth to its original position. Good luck with a solution.

On big heavy bikes I like locking ratchet type straps with carabiner clips in place of the hooks so they can't possibly bounce loose.

A wheel chock is defiantly required. IMO...

I'm wondering if you tried to tie the bike down with straps to the back frame and bent something. As BikerChuck suggested, the back should just be tied to keep it from going side to side. The real force goes to the front of the bike.

With 2 bikes in the trailer, the tie down points on the bike aren't very far away from the bike. We get it to hold, but it always requires adjustment every couple hundred miles. All 4 of them generally are loose. The exhaust is what really gets in the way of an effective tie down. A new wheel chock seems like a good idea. Right now it is just a 2x4 that the front tire sits up against.

There wasn't really a trailering incident this time. The freak thing about the strap wiggling its way through the cracks was avoidable by tying up the slack better. The Canyon Dancer is how I ended up with the FJR. Stupid thing slipped off Nick's bike and totaled my Nighthawk on the way out to Rhode Island. I may add one in addition, but I don't trust that thing.

The saddlebag is the real issue now. That didn't pop off due to how the bike was tied down. You guys are scaring me that something might be bent on the bike. The back straps weren't anchored there, but may have in the past. This could have been something waiting to happen for a while. Played with it last night with no success. Going to pop into the Yamaha dealer today. They have a used 05 sitting there. Hoping they will let me swap bags temporarily so I can decide if it's the bike or the bag. I guess I'm hoping it is the bag. Paint is scuffed up anyway. Seems like an easier fix. If it is the bike, then I've got a new set of problems.

I don't have any trouble trailering mine, but I think it's because I have a couple of these:



The cruisers go in real easy and have lots of tie down points. It's a little harder to find spots to tie off on the FJR, but it works.

Really unless I hit a big bump, slam on brakes, etc. I think those chocks would hold the bikes up with no straps. Of course I am not going to try that with my FJR.

DesignFlaw06 said:

... That didn't pop off due to how the bike was tied down. ...

Click to expand...

Did you tie it down using the silencer (muffler) carrier? If so you might have bent the carrier down, this would enable the case to come off since the lower case support is on that carrier. Measuring from the top of the rubber of the lower mounting feature to the frame top where the front top bag mount goes. I measure as 170mm.

(Click on image for larger view)

Overview The measurement Note the frame is below the level of the plastic.



You can check the bag by measuring how far the locking tab protrudes, it should be about 40.5mm.

mcatrophy said:

DesignFlaw06 said:

... That didn't pop off due to how the bike was tied down. ...

Click to expand...

Did you tie it down using the silencer (muffler) carrier? If so you might have bent the carrier down, this would enable the case to come off since the lower case support is on that carrier. Measuring from the top of the rubber of the lower mounting feature to the frame top where the front top bag mount goes. I measure as 170mm.

(Click on image for larger view)

Overview The measurement Note the frame is below the level of the plastic.



You can check the bag by measuring how far the locking tab protrudes, it should be about 40.5mm.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the measurements, greatly appreciated.

Travel on the bag was around 40mm. I don't recall the exact number, but it matched the left bag, which fits snug. I had the calipers out last night measuring.

Measurement from the mount to the top of the rubber piece is about 171.45mm. Only had access to a tape measure at work, and doesn't do metric. But nothing seems out of place.

I have tied down there in the past. But in the last couple years, since the straps kept falling off. The normal method now is to loop the strap around the back tire. Gets me out as far as I can, without the straps touching anything.

Took the bike to the local dealer and borrowed their 05. Problem follows my bag, not my bike. I guess that's good? Maybe? I don't know.

I can get it to latch enough to ride it for the time being. Insurance company is buying me a new bag. $100 comprehensive deductible sure beats $500 for a new bag. Trailering with the bags on I don't think is going to happen anymore.