08-FZ6
Junior Member
Some of you might recall my thread asking for advice trailering a bike. Well, last weekend I got everything I needed to trailer my bike from VA to NY. I got a great deal on a trailer ($50) and bought everything else I needed (wheel chalk, bar strap, ratchet straps, etc.) I was doing a practice run to see how everything would strap down. This was before I had the bar straps and as I was messing with the straps, my bike fell over on the trailer. Luckily, the trailer has sides on it which kept the bike from falling off the trailer onto the garage floor. I tried to catch the bike as it fell onto the throttle side grabbing onto the handle bar with one hand. Obviously, this didnt work. Since I couldnt lift the bike from that side I had to let it go and hope that the trailer wall held the bike as I ran around to the other side. I managed to get the bike back onto the kick stand and see the damage for the 1st time. I scratched the fairing pretty good and got a small scratch on the tank but thats all. Even though the damage was minimal, my heart was broken. I couldnt believe I dropped my brand new baby and I wasnt even on it. So once my ego mended a bit, I went and bought the bar straps.
On the day of the trip, I started out on the bike and planned on putting the bike on the trailer after a few hours. After about 100 miles in stop & go traffic (90+ degree heat) I decided to put the bike on the trailer. Everything was going just as my wife and I practiced until my wife said "Are your handle bars bent"? Once again, my heart broke when I realized my throttle bar was bent almost all the way to the tank. I was watching the suspension as I used the ratchet straps with no regard to the handle bars. Since there was nothing I could do at the time, I swallowed my pride again and got in the car to drive the rest of the way to NY.
When I got to NY, I was able to bend the bar back using a section of an exhaust pipe my brother-in-law had lying around. It looks almost as good as new and I was able to ride it. I had a great week and put about 400 miles on the bike riding with my brother-in-law & father-in-law. My father-in-law now wants an FJR after riding my bike.
The trip home went fine. I made sure to watch the bars as I was ratcheting down the straps. I will be order new bars soon just to be safe. I am sure they are not as strong as they used to be. I will post pics of the damage done from dropping the bike soon. I am at work now so maybe when I get home.
On the day of the trip, I started out on the bike and planned on putting the bike on the trailer after a few hours. After about 100 miles in stop & go traffic (90+ degree heat) I decided to put the bike on the trailer. Everything was going just as my wife and I practiced until my wife said "Are your handle bars bent"? Once again, my heart broke when I realized my throttle bar was bent almost all the way to the tank. I was watching the suspension as I used the ratchet straps with no regard to the handle bars. Since there was nothing I could do at the time, I swallowed my pride again and got in the car to drive the rest of the way to NY.
When I got to NY, I was able to bend the bar back using a section of an exhaust pipe my brother-in-law had lying around. It looks almost as good as new and I was able to ride it. I had a great week and put about 400 miles on the bike riding with my brother-in-law & father-in-law. My father-in-law now wants an FJR after riding my bike.
The trip home went fine. I made sure to watch the bars as I was ratcheting down the straps. I will be order new bars soon just to be safe. I am sure they are not as strong as they used to be. I will post pics of the damage done from dropping the bike soon. I am at work now so maybe when I get home.
