Trailering the FJR

[Hppants]

I'm crossing into uncharted territory. I'm going to be trailering my FJR across the country.

Can you please show me your setup for this?

Tips?

Tricks?

I'm particularly interested in where you tied it down from? Protecting the plastics and such.

On the Center Stand or not?

?????

Thanks in advance.

[gixxerjasen]

Canyon Dancer is what I used. Along with the subframe and exhaust hangers. Worked all the way to Georgia and back on a family vacation.



The canyon dancer was for left right stability and the other two mainly helped to keep the bike from rolling forward/backward and provide additional stability and a little backup in case of a failure.

[Festus]

I personally wouldn't do it on the center stand. You want to compress the springs and you can't do that on the rear with the center stand down.

I did the canyon dancers as well. If you need to borrow a set, I'll gladly send you mine, if I can put my hands on them. Haven't seem them in quite some time but I'm sure I can find them. I think, alternatively, you could slip a strip up behind the front wheel and pull directly down on the triple tree with a strap.

A good wheel chock cuts out the need for a lot, but if you don't have it, you don't have it and straps will work.

[D-Eagle]

Condor Wheel Chock. The one below with the wide arms in front. Roll it in, it locks the front tire and you can get off without holding it up. Then tie down. I don't bolt down my Condor Chock. It sits in the front of the trailer and the bike weight locks it in place.
I've used Canyon Dancer (I found the ones with cups on the end was easier on the grips and controls) for many trips many years ago. No issues.

Others will say you tie around the triple tree and strap down (think inside the fairing). I think a lot depends on where your trailer tie down points are.
When I brought my goldwing home in Feb (salt and snow), I used the Condor wheel chock, the Canyon Dancer, and then tied down above the wheel and down....but didn't have to go as tight on any of the tie downs.

On the back I use a single strap (over a cloth to protect the rim) through the rear rim to keep it from moving from side to side. The Condor Chock is excellent.

https://www.amazon.com/CONDOR-PS-1500-P ... 1575357063

[rbentnail]

Canyon Dancer is what I used. Along with the subframe and exhaust hangers. Worked all the way to Georgia and back on a family vacation.



The canyon dancer was for left right stability and the other two mainly helped to keep the bike from rolling forward/backward and provide additional stability and a little backup in case of a failure.

Canyon Dancer for me too, very similar to this pic for the other straps.

[gixxerjasen]

Depending on your grips, the canyon dancer is either good or bad. On those rock hard heated yamaha grips, they work fine.

[DesignFlaw06]

I throw up any time someone says Canyon Dancer. That piece of junk is actually responsible for me getting the FJR because it slipped off and totaled the Nighthawk.

I loop the strap around the lower triple clamp and back down on each side. That works well. Then I take a strap around the back tire to keep the rear end from jumping around. Condor chock is your best bet, but a piece of wood to put the front tire against will work just as well.

If it's your own trailer, I highly recommend putting down e-track. It makes the trailer way more versatile when tying things down. Do NOT put any bike on the center stand. Let the bike's suspension do it's job. The tie downs are just there to make sure it doesn't fall over.

Tried and true method for tens of thousands of miles, including one incident where the tongue fell off the trailer on I-80 in the middle of Omaha. Bikes stayed upright though!

[gixxerjasen]

How the heck does a CD slip off?

[dcarver]

Enclosed or open trailer?

Single or double axle? Yes, it matters.

I trailer out my POS dirt road all the time. At speed. With open and enclosed trailers, single and double axle.

FJR? around the triple tree. Tie downs on rear brackets to keep back end in place. Condor wheel chock up front or my custom made unit in the enclosed trailer.

BTW, ratcheting straps much more secure than 'tie downs' unless using a high quality tie down. DAMHIK.

If an enclosed trailer, I love this system in the toy hauler..

https://boltiton.com/pages/toy-haulers-trailer-installs

[raYzerman]

Depends on your trailer and tiedown setup.........

If you have crash bars, tie to them and pull the bike forward into your front end, preferably some kind of wheel chock. Canyon Dancer is a good backup to keep it upright, but shouldn't use that for a main tiedown point for long distances. A Harbor Freight wheel chock works fine, but any chock should be bolted down. At minimum if not bolted down, you need to have your ratchet straps tied to the trailer and not the chock.
Rear wheel, just loop a strap around the wheel and tie to each side of the trailer so the rear wheel doesn't wander sideways.

[bungie4]

Hauled my fjr across the country and back on an open utility trailer. First thing, remove the fold down brake, i mean ramp. This by itself was worth about 5 mpg. I strapped on a set of aluminum ramps.

Soft tie downs on all contact points. Use ratchet straps. Up front around the lower triple tree. This is your main attachment point. Double them off you want extra security. Tie downs and ratchet straps are cheap insurance. Around the back wheel to keep it centered and from bouncing around. Tighten the front straps so your front suspension is compressed approximately half way. This keeps everything under tension while still allowing some front movement.

Do not use the center or side stand.

I made the mistake of putting extra security straps, with soft tie downs sound the bars. This scuffed the powder coat and lightly flapped against the black dash covers 'polishing' those spots. Do not do this.

Use a wheel chock to make loading and unloading solo much easier. When you ride the bike on the trailer, commit to it. Unless you're a world class trials rider.

Stop and check all tie downs after the first 25 miles. Then again after 100. Check all tie downs before departing in the morning if you overnighted somewhere.
Check trailer tire pressure. Make sure you have a means of both jacking the trailer and removing a wheel in case of flat.

Can i come?

https://photos.app.goo.gl/tmwHzb7WdTrFnLqg6

[Dan Cooper]

If you have a flat bed trailer or an enclosed trailer, these make it much easier to load a scooter by yourself.
Expensive, yes!
https://www.pit-bull.com/browse-yamaha/ ... 0075ma-100

T-Rex makes a kit specifically for a Kawasaki C-14. Might want to check with them to see if they can make a kit for the FJR.
https://www.t-rex-racing.com/Strapless- ... -s/158.htm


dan

[escapefjrtist]

Using Niehart's Aluma trailer, front wheel chock with soft ties and your choice of strap around lower triple clamp. I prefer a quality ratchet strap but have also used Ancra straps. Add two straps (one each direction) on rear wheel to keep bike centered. I secure loose strap ends with velcro ties.

Good luck!

~G

[N4HHE]

I throw up any time someone says Canyon Dancer. That piece of junk is actually responsible for me getting the FJR because it slipped off and totaled the Nighthawk.

Mega dittos! Dirtbike handlebars were designed for abuse but not FJR handlebars. Not to mention handgrips or the throttle!

The Right Way™ to secure an FJR is to route the ties over the lower fork bridge just inside the fork tubes. Easiest way is to drop the tiedown through from the top. Route both hooks down from the top, strap over the bridge, hooks affix to the trailer but not so far apart the strap tries to spread the fairing.

Never use sidestand or centerstand. Neither are designed for the impacts of riding in a trailer.

In the back I usually use footpegs, but forgot what I used on FJR. Primarily the rear ties are to keep the rear wheel from hopping left/right going down the road. On trailer my dirtbike rear wheel always moves if not tied, but not in truck.

Would post a pic of two FJRs on my trailer but my ISP won't let me ftp to the web server tonight. Will try tomorrow when I can get someone on the phone.

[danh600]

Condor Wheel Chock. The one below with the wide arms in front. Roll it in, it locks the front tire and you can get off without holding it up. Then tie down. I don't bolt down my Condor Chock. It sits in the front of the trailer and the bike weight locks it in place.
I've used Canyon Dancer (I found the ones with cups on the end was easier on the grips and controls) for many trips many years ago. No issues.

Others will say you tie around the triple tree and strap down (think inside the fairing). I think a lot depends on where your trailer tie down points are.
When I brought my goldwing home in Feb (salt and snow), I used the Condor wheel chock, the Canyon Dancer, and then tied down above the wheel and down....but didn't have to go as tight on any of the tie downs.

On the back I use a single strap (over a cloth to protect the rim) through the rear rim to keep it from moving from side to side. The Condor Chock is excellent.

https://www.amazon.com/CONDOR-PS-1500-P ... 1575357063

I use the Condor wheel chocks too! Good product.

I run straps through the rear wheel. Then I have soft loops (like figure 8s) that I put on the top of the front forks. Then attach straps to the loops. So Condor chock and four straps. Bikes are very secure. I usually stop after about 20 miles and check the straps. Then good for the day.

I don't crank down hard on the suspension, just snug.

[raYzerman]

And, don't forget to inspect/service/grease your trailer wheel bearings. Tires good? Carry a spare?

[D-Eagle]

https://www.amazon.com/USA-Ratchet-Stra ... 53567&th=1

I use these for straps. Seem to be better than anything I found in stores and I like the "S" hooks have the spring mechanism so they cannot slip off.
Don't be fooled by the "made in America" claims though.

[Festus]

https://www.amazon.com/USA-Ratchet-Stra ... 53567&th=1

I use these for straps. Seem to be better than anything I found in stores and I like the "S" hooks have the spring mechanism so they cannot slip off.
Don't be fooled by the "made in America" claims though.

I have a set of those too. They are really good, compared to all the other garbage out there.

[gixxerjasen]

I like the "S" hooks have the spring mechanism so they cannot slip off.

This right here. Most folks find that if they don't crank down on the strap tension, that when you hit a bump, the bike's suspension compresses and the hooks slip off. One tip to stop that is to run a bungee cord between the rings on the hooks to keep tension on the hook so it doesn't pop off. Go back and look at my photo though, I learned from an old racer, instead of using something with the spring method, I have those rings which go through the circular part of the hooks on my straps, not the hooked part. This way you can bring them down snug, but there's no amount of bouncing that will cause the straps to come loose. I do the same thing with soft ties on my dirt bikes. Then you can travel without the suspension compressed to hell and back and not worry about the bike coming loose, it'll bounce a little but that's what the suspension is designed for and at the same time you aren't putting undue pressure on any part of the bike.

Here's another example.

[SkooterG]

Yamaha stopped using the Canyon Dancer on the FJR Demo bikes many years ago due to problems. Not sure what problems. They strapped down to the lower triple clamp. One or two rear straps just for stability.