Strapping bike in a Uhaul Enclosed Trailer

[soofle616]

On topic, strap the bike the way the picture above has shown and you'll have no problems. If you wanna go completely nuts you can build a 2x4 frame to mount a wheel chock to and strap the bike down to that. Then run two straps out to the rub rails on the side (make sure they pull the bike forward). I did this once when hauling 6 bikes to CT from MT in a single uhaul and had no issues but for 1 it's massive overkill.

As for the 5x8 with two bikes, no issues at all. My old HF 4x8 routinely carried 2 bikes side by side, both pointing forward. Chocks were mounted fairly wide apart to allow the bikes ample clearance on the bars. I bolted angle iron to the front of the trailer to extend the width a foot and a half or so on both sides and put eyebolts in the angle iron. That allowed a good angle on the outside strap of both bikes to secure them properly. Worked great for the roughly 10-12k miles I put on that trailer.

[StrayNut]

Depends on how expensive/fragile your bike is, but I rented a UHaul to pick up a bike in RI once and all I had at the time was a shit ton of rope. The seller was able to tie it up to the side pretty well using those horizontal wooden slats to loop around. It ended up looking like a spider web, but it worked. I'm not sure that would work if your bike has nice plastics or is really heavy though.

[CBR929RE]

most issues with getting 2 bikes in a tight trailer are easily solved by looensing the handlebars and turning them in. assuming them are clip ons of course.

[Pigman]

and DON'T Leave the bike in gear.....

[Pigman]

Wouldn't the back tire being on the ground with a gear engaged be enough to stop the plywood from moving back if its butted up against the front of the trailer?

This NOOOOO....

[lord1234]

This NOOOOO....

happy not to, but can you explain why?

[Pigman]

By chance you either Hit or stop abruptly, bike shifts forward and can cause damage to the tranny, cause its in gear applying force... in neutral it will move as needed. I have had bikes with 2 tie downs in neutral ---back and forth to florida and no problems at all. Just get the straps that crank down and lock out or close so they dont back out...

[dontpanic]

Styrofoam packing peanuts.

Lots of them.

[gamorg02]

Styrofoam packing peanuts.

All of them.

fixed...

[dontpanic]

By chance you either Hit or stop abruptly, bike shifts forward and can cause damage to the tranny, cause its in gear applying force... in neutral it will move as needed.

How much different would this force be from, say, a sloppy downshift? It seems to me that the drivetrain is engineered to withstand just those forces.

BTW, for back and forth security, I've just used 4x4s placed laterally and secured.

[Kurlon]

How much different would this force be from, say, a sloppy downshift? It seems to me that the drivetrain is engineered to withstand just those forces.

BTW, for back and forth security, I've just used 4x4s placed laterally and secured.

Randomly jamming your stationary engine back and forth is generally frowned upon.

[OreoGaborio]

I don't see how it's ANY different than whacking open or chopping the throttle... or trying to bump start.

[Kurlon]

Going forward isn't as bad... going backwards can snap starter chains and other shenanigans.

[CBR929RE]

I'd like to know why you're strapping it down with it being able to move so much. if its gonna move around that much why not just throw it into the truck and drop it on its side and not bother with the straps.

[lord1234]

Let me be clear. I am moving cross country with my Subaru Outback and a 5x8 trailer. I plan to put this in the trailer along with a bunch of other stuff...

[kbroderick]

I did a much shorter trip with my 1150GS strapped into the back of a UHaul box truck using the wall rails, which were decidedly not as beefy as tie-down points should be. I did make sure that when I packed around the bike, I did so in a manner that would support it if it started to tip (and didn't put anything particularly breakable where the bike would land on it...as I ride off-road, I was more worried about damaging other stuff or leaking gas than I was the bike itself). With that said, I think as long as your load doesn't shift badly, the same general principle should work. In my case, the bike was still upright and held by the straps when I got to my destination, so the careful packing proved not quite necessary.