Strapping them down

[bort]

A quick query re: ferries.
First time I went on a ferry on the bike, I copied a number of other bikers who put their bikes onto side stand and then strapped 'em down - it seemed appropriate. Next time I went on a boat, I started to do this and the boaty man chastised me and told me to put it on centre stand.

I obliged the burly gentleman, but wondered why he was so insistent? I thought it'd be more stable on side stand tied down. Am I wrong (again) or was he just being surly?

Cheers

Bort

[teffort]

Hi Bort
There were quite a few threads about this on the old site. Consensus is that tied down on the side stand is best as you've then got three points of contact with the ground whereas only two with centre stand. Always good idea to put tie wrap or similar over front brake lever too. Dunno why the ferry guy was so insistent on using the centre stand - plenty of bikes don't even have them.
Paul

[bort]

Cheers Teff, that's what I thought, but it was a very choppy trip second time. After putting it on centre stand, I spent the next 1.5 hours worrying about the shiny new blue ST about 2 foot away from the divvy and what the insurance claim might be if the 900 fell over!

Bort

[knight]

I've done it both ways but last year on Speed Ferries I was told by the man to put it on the main stand, he then put a wedge under the wheel. Four points of contact and a rock steady bike.
By the way last year was the first time we used Speed Ferries and couldn't fault them.
Richard

[latestartertommy]

Calmac, Skye to Mallaig, ferryman left the side / main stand decision to me!

Just as well, as heaving the fully loaded "teapot" onto the centre stand was probably out of the question!

Be curious to see what happens on the the Troon - Larne ferry in May.

Ride safe,

Tommy.

[berlin84]

Tend to agree Teffort, a lot of new bikes today have a main stand as an option. Mine doesn't have one. Never used the ferry on the bike, use the Chunnel, on the side stand, no straps no probelms.

[ewano]

Hi all..

I happen to have quite a lot of experience with ferry tie downs and ferry crews - especially with highly unstable (very heavily laden) bikes...

I know why the ferry chaps like to use the centre stand. It's to allow them to ratchet down directly over the seat using one strap and compress down the rear suspension so that the bike is clamped onto the floor. It's pretty secure (more so in thier heads), but not the best way to secure a bike on a ferry because the distance between the two feet of the centre stand is quite small and so it's not particularly stable laterally, and the bike is able to slide about under the strap as it's only one point of contact. It can also rip your seat if you are particularly unlicky. They like it because it's fast and they probably have alot of cars to get through.

A lot of ferry chaps like to ratchet over the seat even on bikes on the side stand. This is quite possibly the worst way to strap a bike down. NEVER let a cargo chap strap your bike down over the seat with one strap with the bike on the side stand. The strap compresses the suspension and the bike begins to move its centre of gravity closer to the topple point that would allow the bike to topple away from the side stand - not good. I had to stop a guy and get him to move away from my bike once in Norway when he was about to topple it onto himself.

My prefered method is to park the bike between two ground anchors. Stick it on the side stand and then run a ratchet strap on the side stand side of the bike from the ground anchor up and round the front of the frame (possibly the handlebars dependant on the bike) then off round the back of the frame and then back to the ground anchor forming a triangle. When you ratchet this up the bike is pulled towards the side stand and the suspension will decompress. Now do the same on the other side of the bike and ratchet the bike down to compress the suspension and incrrease the tension in the straps. The bike is now pulled down onto three points of contact with 4 tensioned lines to keep the bike stable laterally and the wheels to keep it stable front to back.

It doesn't take too long to do, and it's worth having a good look at your bike before you get on the ferry to work out the best points to run the straps around. so as to provide good purchase but not damage the bodywork.

I've used this method with good results and I've never had a fall over with it - even in very rough conditions coming over the North Sea.

I also made it over the chunnel with just the side stand and no straps but I was nervous as hell and had to hold the bike a few times to keep it upright. If I'd had a strap to hand I'd have strapped it over towards the stand.

Mind you we are talking about a very heavily laden bike..

[Nomad]

coming back from the IOW run the ferry stuffed the bikes in on side stands no straps ,wet steel deck no chequered plate,or non slip paint, an accident waiting to happen . Portsmouth ferry

[bobh]

The double-tie-down procedure makes a lot of sense, especially on a trailie / adventure-style bike as these always seem to have good solid sidestands. But I'd be a bit cagey about pulling down first on the left-hand side on a fully-laden 900 because it always feels as if it's about to go over as soon a I take my weight off it, even without trying to pull it furthere over. You'd certainly look a right prune if it did go over, never mind any damage to your or other's bikes.

I think you could get the same result more safely by taking up the slack on the right-hand side first so the supension can't come up, then tightening down on the left, then finally compressing the suspension with the right.

I'd certainly be unhappy about using the centre stand on the 900, partly becase of the reason already mentioned (the feet are too close together) and partly because it would put extra strain on an already overloaded part (these are the stands which regularly break in normal use, remember) - if it did break during the crossing the bike would certainly go over.

Definitely leave it in gear, and put a strong rubber band round the front brake lever (the same one you use to finish off bleeding the brakes). A helpful Belgian I met on the Shuttle a couple of years ago gave me an O-ring which is ideal.

Alternatively, go on one of SeaFrance's newer boats (Manet and Berlioz, if I remember right), which have half-a-dozen proper bike docks. These are like a channel you ride the bike into then the crew tie it down securely on both sides using the pillion rests or similar. The bike stays upright and it's not on either stand. It worked fine for my bike (and a 25-Grand Gold Wing) on a very rough crossing last October (rough enough to throw half the bottles in the duty-free shop on the floor!)

Bob

[ewano]

Bob,

Good info concerning tying down the 900. I guess the suspension don't move as much as a trailie, so it makes more sense to steady up the right hand side with a strap first.

I usually find that once it's strapped down on both sides, leaving it in gear is enough - it aint going anywhere in a hurry. Mind you I never had a rubber band...

Ewano.

[bobh]

B.T.W, I love the ad for the "Double Whammy Strapon" that comes up when you open this thread... Anyone tried one for tying down their bike on ferries?

[HRHpenfold]

bobh said:

B.T.W, I love the ad for the "Double Whammy Strapon" that comes up when you open this thread... Anyone tried one for tying down their bike on ferries?

your not supposed to mention that, for fear of them pulling the site ;D