New C14 owner - question about tie down for the back of a truck

[slidebite]

Hi folks,
I just made a deal on a 2010 C14 and plan to pick it up next week. I'm going to be loading it into the back of my Tacoma to get it home (about a 10-11 hour drive).

I'm thinking a couple ratchet straps on the bars to keep the front end down, but I'm a little concerned about the room around the fairing.

Is there a recommended way to strap one of these big boys down in the back of a truck without scratching body work?

 

[mcgyver74]

I wouldn't use the bars to tie down, they are clip on bars that are bolted to the top triple and are not meant to be load bearing.

Try to get some straps up under the lower triple trees....

 

[slidebite]

Is there room without scratching up the fender? To be clear, I don't own it yet and haven't had a good chance to examine one so I'm going by the expertise of those of you here!

And I appreciate it!

 

[mcgyver74]

It's a bit fiddly but you can do it.    Just have to watch the side fairings...

10 or 11 hours?  That's not bad, why not just ride it home?

 

[slidebite]

Would cost significantly more just to fly one way. Besides, one of the reasons the original owner sold it is because the roads in his area are horrid and a lot of construction. Not a good combo for my virgin ride.

 

[slidebite]

Follow up question:

If I'm to tie it down via the tree, it might be an issue as the tie downs in the truck box are near the top of the box, not the floor. I'm wondering if the angle would be steep enough to allow it? If not, do you think removing the fairing side panels would allow access? If so, what's required for tools?

Thanks again!

 

[S Smith]

I recently trailered the C14...  I used 2 soft-tie extension loops like these on each fork tube...

One went around the lower triple clamp and tube. The second looped through the first as an extension so that the tiedown hook was away from the plastic. 

For the rear I used a soft-tie around rear tire spokes with a tiedown on each side to keep the rear end from moving side to side.

I chocked the bike using a CONDOR unit.  IIRC, you will not be able to put the front tire up against the inside of the truck bed as the fender wraps over the front tire.

 

[C1xRider]

Follow up question:

If I'm to tie it down via the tree, it might be an issue as the tie downs in the truck box are near the top of the box, not the floor. I'm wondering if the angle would be steep enough to allow it? If not, do you think removing the fairing side panels would allow access? If so, what's required for tools?

Thanks again!

The only real place up front to tie down from is around the fork tubes and the bottom triple tree clamp.  From that point, the tie downs need to go down at probably 30 degrees from horizontal or more, and not too wide, to clear the nose assembly.  You can't spread them very far apart or they will contact the fairing sides.

I would not consider the handle bars as a viable option either.  On the old forum, a guy posted pictures of his broken stanchions (both broke when he applied the brakes real hard), which he figured were cracked from using them to tie down the bike.

Can you locate a small trailer?  From my experience of transporting mine, I do not think you will be able to tie it down in the back of a Toyota Tacoma, at least with any confidence, unless you added some tie down points to the bottom front of the bed.

Removing the nose assembly would be a major operation.  I would expect it could take at least a couple of hours, as you would be pulling the front half of the bike off to do it.  Probably longer if you've never done it before.

Regardless of the road conditions (assuming they are paved), find someone to drive you up there, and just ride it back.  Since it would be your first ride, you can ride it slow anyway while you get used to it.  If it's the ABS model, the KTRC will keep you out of trouble, at least from sudden wheel spin.

 

[slidebite]

Can you locate a small trailer?  From my experience of transporting mine, I do not think you will be able to tie it down in the back of a Toyota Tacoma, at least with any confidence, unless you added some tie down points to the bottom front of the bed.

I did think of that, that's how I moved my ST1100 with the 4Runner. The Tacoma however is a company truck and does not have a hitch. Potentially though, I could use a bumper hitch if it's a small trailer. However, there are bed tie downs at the back. I could potentially back the bike in and us the bed tie downs to suck it down.

Worst come to worst, I'll bring my jacket and bucket as a worst case scenario back up and ride it if I have to.

 

[budcallaghan]

You stated, "Would cost significantly more just to fly one way. Besides, one of the reasons the original owner sold it is because the roads in his area are horrid and a lot of construction. Not a good combo for my virgin ride."  In my opinion putting it in the back of a small pickup and jury rigging some way to hold it in place while transversing those same horrid roads with lots of construction would not offer much of a virgin ride either.  Call Hertz or one of their competitors and rent their smallest car one way.  Leave it at the nearest drop off point and request the seller follow you there and then drive you back to the bike's location, get on the damn thing and ride it home.  The C14 is a big, heavy bike and just getting it in the pickup would be a hassle with the same degree of difficulty to be encountered when unloading it.  Unless you have no riding ability, in which case you shouldn't be buying such a big and powerful bike, the bike is in more peril in the back of a small pickup than it would be carrying you. 

 

[Cap'n Bob]

U haul has a motorcycle trailer that should be fairly easy to load. Just a thought.

 

[mcgyver74]

The U Haul motorcycle trailer is VERY easy to use (Had to trailer my old C-10 due to a stripped oil drain bolt once....Once )

I do agree that putting the bike in a pickup is a risky proposition,  a U Haul trailer would be much safer.

IIRC the first CDA award (Connie Droppers Anonymous) for the C-14 was a result of loading into a pickup....

 

[Cap'n Bob]

The U Haul motorcycle trailer is VERY easy to use (Had to trailer my old C-10 due to a stripped oil drain bolt once....Once )

I do agree that putting the bike in a pickup is a risky proposition,  a U Haul trailer would be much safer.

IIRC the first CDA award (Connie Droppers Anonymous) for the C-14 was a result of loading into a pickup....

Wrong. The first offical C14 CDA was from rolling forward when putting the bike on the side stand after unloading the bike off a trailer. The bike had .2 miles on it.  It was on Friday July 13, 2007. I just happen to know the guy with that first C14 CDA!  )

 

[mcgyver74]

) )

 

[slidebite]

U haul has a motorcycle trailer that should be fairly easy to load. Just a thought.

And that's what I'm doing. I took at better look at the anchor points in the Tacoma and I really don't think I'd trust them... I think they have a bit too much play.

Luckily the Tacoma still has a bumper hitch which is decent and the wiring adapter is only about $50, so that's the route I'm going to be going.

I recently trailered the C14...  I used 2 soft-tie extension loops like these on each fork tube...

One went around the lower triple clamp and tube. The second looped through the first as an extension so that the tiedown hook was away from the plastic. 

For the rear I used a soft-tie around rear tire spokes with a tiedown on each side to keep the rear end from moving side to side.

I chocked the bike using a CONDOR unit.  IIRC, you will not be able to put the front tire up against the inside of the truck bed as the fender wraps over the front tire.

I don't have a wheel chock, but I think I'll use your technique as a guideline. Thanks!

 

[bberry]

I have haul my Concours 14 a number of times on a trailer using the same method as S Smith never had a problem.