Ah man cheap straps suck..

[BiGDawG]

Left my buddy's house after we got back from up north to get 3 miles down the road and have a strap break and my poor 200x got pinned under the front of the trailer lifted my trailer tire about a foot off the ground (sorry no pics was more worried about getting out of the road) called my buddy and told him i needed his help now as 20 cars or more passed me as i'm sitting in the middle of the road (4 lane road) with a 3 wheeler under the trailer with the ass end sticking up in the air lol, luckily while i was waiting for jay some guy came running out of his house to help me get it out from under the trailer and off the road, i picked up as much glass as i could find and my go pro mount

now i gotta fix the break / clutch handles and throttle they got shoved down and broke my headlight luckily the front fender is fine other then some scratches but the headlight is done plastic broke in 2 spots maybe i can fix it cause i don't think i'll find another 1 and if i do it wont be cheap i see 1 on ebay for $195.

before, didn't have the original light when i got it but plastic housing was perfect that's why i zip tied the light on instead of drilling hole's for that cover the guy gave me.
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s282/MARK2153/DSC02439_zps2605aa92.jpg

after, looks like the front fender may be a lil tweaked but no cracks
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s282/MARK2153/0921141724a_zpsc5e1b7d3.jpg

all the glass i could find and my go pro mount
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s282/MARK2153/0921141724b_zps500bc886.jpg

[just ben]

I have to say you made out pretty well considering how it could've been.

[BiGDawG]

yea luckily i was in town so speed limit was 45 and i was slowing down to make a turn. definitely going to build some removable walls for the trailer

[jeswinehart]

the front ratchet straps held but the back motorcycle straps loosened ???

[Ghostv2]

I'm surprised the forks held up and didn't get tweaked. Let alone break anything else. I say you made out with only a few bumps and bruises.

Makes it even worse it's a 2nd gen, around me they hide pretty well. Only know of one.

[BiGDawG]

well i usually use 4 straps just cause its a flat trailer i'll do the front like a dirt bike and i usually do the back like u see in the pic a strap by each foot peg to the trailer but it was a shitty rainy day and we just got back from up north and unloaded my buddy's quad and put my 3 wheeler back on the trailer and i just put 2 cheap harbor freight straps on it 1 on the front 1 on the back and the back 1 just snapped in half, might be the way i hooked it from the rear axle to under the trailer and maybe it wore on the wood but i only went maybe 3 mile's so from here on out idc how shitty the weather is it's gotta be strapped right


yea it looks like the handle bars / headlight took all the damage

[ps2fixer]

I don't think this relies on the quality of the strap, but the usage of them. My dad hulled 4 quads on his quad trailer about 500 miles. When we arrived, almost ALL of the straps were junk and some started wearing though. What caused it? We hooked around the edge of the trailer were the strap itself touched the metal trailer side (rounded edge), and with all the bumps and small movements, was wearing the material out.

My suggestion is to make sure the actual strap touches NOTHING but air. Use 2 in the front for each side, and hook on the lower part of the handle bars. Depending how the back of the trailer is, use 1-2 there as well (in the photo the rear strap looks like it is setup good).

Not trying to bash you or anything like that, please don't take offense if I didn't choose the best words, just sharing personal experience. You could always chain it down, but I think that would cause more damage lol.

[BiGDawG]

lol yea i think that's what happened cause we had a 400ex and my 200x on the trailer for a almost 3 hrs ride up north then back we had both + a 7 and a half ft plow on it with my buddy's straps witch are thicker, but yea i think my poor choice of 1 strap in the back to under the trailer witch made the strap rest on the edge of wood. I learned a lesson no madder the weather always strap them down the right way

[ps2fixer]

lol yea i think that's what happened cause we had a 400ex and my 200x on the trailer for a almost 3 hrs ride up north then back we had both + a 7 and a half ft plow on it with my buddy's straps witch are thicker, but yea i think my poor choice of 1 strap in the back to under the trailer witch made the strap rest on the edge of wood. I learned a lesson no madder the weather always strap them down the right way

Lol, just noticed you replied right before my post. Ironically, the straps my dad bought when we were on the trip were thinner than the original ones we bought, but were higher quality, so thicker isn't always better.

I forgot to mention, I'm glad there wasn't any more damage to the machine. When I read the trailer was on it, I was expecting either bent forks or bent rear axle.

[BiGDawG]

yea the rear never made it under the front tire went off the trailer and the strap on the front stopped it just as the handlebars hit the ground and the grab bar hit my tailgate so the 1 side of the trailer got picked up about a foot off the ground haven't rode it yet just put it back on the trailer got home and backed it in the barn made sure it still ran started first kick like always so here in the next few days when the weather clears up i'll take it for a ride after i get everything back where it need's to be as it is now the throttle is almost straight up lol

[6speedthumper]

Just be glad it was a small trailer, and not what I put my machines on. A tandem axle trailer with a GVWR of 10k lbs would have ruined that X! I'm surprised the forks are still straight!

I use 10k lbs straps mostly, but, do use very thick 5k lbs straps as well.

[clmeue37]

Yeah, strap placement is key. Especially considering that our Michigan highways are so dang rough.

[hoosierlogger]

You gotucky for sure. I remember seeing a thread on here about a guys 250R missile conversion coming off of the trailer. He said all he could do was watch it flip end over end down the interstate.

[jeswinehart]

Yeah, strap placement is key. Especially considering that our Michigan highways are so dang rough.

10-4 that clmeue37 ! The Mrs. and myself trailered 2 machines to the Muskegon area and there was some stretch's of highway roads that had the trailer bouncing around a lot.
Defiantly taking note about BiGDawG's experience !
Early in the spring at a small get together a member showed me the difference of strapping across the axles vs. strapping in a area that compress's the suspension. He never had straps loosen up that way where nearly always one or more of mine would come undone from suspension bounce.

john

[BiGDawG]

that would of really sucked it's the only toy i got left right now i'm still kicking myself in the ass for getting rid of the tri-z in my sig. and yea i never hook threw suspension always try to hook to the frame some where except in the front its hard to find a spot to hook, learned a lesson about hooking under the trailer not doing that again as the strap must of wore on the wood till it broke.

[RIDE-RED 250r]

As a former steel hauling flatbed truck driver, my advice is edge/strap protectors are key. Sometimes you cannot avoid having a strap laid around a blunt edge. Might not seem sharp to the touch, but when you get tension on the strap combined with vibration and bumps in the road it doesn't take long for that edge to cut the straps like PS2fixer said.

When I was hauling finish grade aluminum coils, the shipper provided us with thick felt pads about 6" wide by 12" long to go under our straps when tying down a skidded coil with the eye to the sky. These protect the straps as much as the material itself.

When I haul my wheelers on my open flatbed, simple cut up pieces of denim folded a couple times does the trick. Anywhere a strap lays on any kind of edge like a brake rotor when hooking the swingarm, etc... The strap doesn't even have to make a 90 deg turn as it goes around, just simply "leaning" on it with only a slight change on the angle of the strap is all it takes.

Sorry to go into such a lengthy post. But I see grossly improperly secured ATV's all the time and it is just surprising to me that some folks don't take the time to learn how to properly tie down their $9,000 4x4's. (not targeting you BigDawg) And if this post helps one or two people better understand what's going on and rethink their load securement habits, that would be great.

When mine are tied down, they don't move at all... period.

And I agree, cheap straps suck... as do cam buckle straps.. Ratchet straps only for me.

[6speedthumper]

As a former steel hauling flatbed truck driver, my advice is edge/strap protectors are key. Sometimes you cannot avoid having a strap laid around a blunt edge. Might not seem sharp to the touch, but when you get tension on the strap combined with vibration and bumps in the road it doesn't take long for that edge to cut the straps like PS2fixer said.

When I was hauling finish grade aluminum coils, the shipper provided us with thick felt pads about 6" wide by 12" long to go under our straps when tying down a skidded coil with the eye to the sky. These protect the straps as much as the material itself.

When I haul my wheelers on my open flatbed, simple cut up pieces of denim folded a couple times does the trick. Anywhere a strap lays on any kind of edge like a brake rotor when hooking the swingarm, etc... The strap doesn't even have to make a 90 deg turn as it goes around, just simply "leaning" on it with only a slight change on the angle of the strap is all it takes.

Sorry to go into such a lengthy post. But I see grossly improperly secured ATV's all the time and it is just surprising to me that some folks don't take the time to learn how to properly tie down their $9,000 4x4's. (not targeting you BigDawg) And if this post helps one or two people better understand what's going on and rethink their load securement habits, that would be great.

When mine are tied down, they don't move at all... period.

And I agree, cheap straps suck... as do cam buckle straps.. Ratchet straps only for me.


I'd the same. A lot of times I don't have anything to lay under a strap, so I use the end of the strap to put between the metal and strap. One thing I cannot stand is the excess length of strap that people don't tie up properly.

[jeswinehart]

I have got in the habit of running a rubber bungee strap from foot peg to foot peg up and over the seat as a preventive on anything I trailer.

[BiGDawG]

that's a good idea i'll have to take a old pair of jeans and cut them up and keep them with my straps, yea i always try to do something with the access strap then feed the end back into the ratcheting part to keep them from flapping in the wind. last thing you want is for 1 to wrap around the tire or axle and cause a bad accident

[ps2fixer]

Since we are talking about proper loading and tie down methods, I figured I'd throw this out too. Always load a trailer with the heaviest objects to the very front, this extra important if you are hulling something long. Tongue weight will keep the trailer tracking smooth behind your truck. If you have lack of tongue weight, the trailer will weave back and forth and is not fun to discover at 40+ mph.

This looks like a pretty good writeup on the subject: http://auto.howstuffworks.com/auto-parts/towing/towing-capacity/information/tongue-weight.htm

[Thorpe]

http://www.amazon.com/Four-Wheeler-Trailer-Wheel-Chock/dp/B003GDHMK4

And more straps! Dumped my cr250 over in the trailer once at about 60mph... But was super lucky it stayed on till I got it shut down and only lost a brake lever!

[BiGDawG]

might have to pick 1 of them up till i build the walls

so i finally got around to checking out the 3 wheeler today. front breaks no longer work that might be what was leaking out that we though was oil handle is bent but still works, clutch side is fine just have to re adjust every thing to where it was comfortable to grab again. and the top of the shocks there's some air valves the 1 on the break side broke.. how can i fix it? also i'm gonna need to rebuild the shocks, they needed it before this but are way worse now anyone have a write up on that?

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s282/MARK2153/IMG_20140927_174555_zps375ed22d.jpg
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s282/MARK2153/IMG_20140927_174609_zps81c5e841.jpg
http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s282/MARK2153/IMG_20140927_174632_zps1ce0a60a.jpg

[ps2fixer]

Sucks about the fork valve stem getting broken. You either need to replace the bolt, or cut off the valve stem and weld another on. Biggest thing is finding someone willing to weld AL.

I checked http://www.partzilla.com/parts/search/Honda/ATV/1987/ATC200X+A/FRONT+FORK/parts.html

That part is long gone from honda, but I wonder if #13 would work to replace it, if you don't need charge the forks (air pressure).

Also, the oil you saw was probably the fork oil, which would make it ride like crap in the front end.

[Red Rider]

...the top of the shocks there's some air valves the 1 on the break side broke.. how can i fix it?To fix it, remove the fork cap, drill out the cap to the appropriate size, and install a metal valve stem. When fixed, it won't look identical to left fork cap, but it will function the same & get you back on the trails again for less than $5.

[BiGDawG]

yea they needed rebuilt anyway they where starting to leak oil from the seals.

a guy of fb told me i could use this
http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NzY4WDEwMjQ=/z/TogAAOxy9X5TbV-Z/$_35.JPG

but i found a 85 350x roller (no rear plastics, motor, headlight, tank shrouds) on craigslist near me the guy is asking 250 trying to sell something so i can go offer him 200 then use the front end off it rim's and maybe the rear shock if it will fit on the 200x. or just try to find a motor for it i've always wanted a 350x

[RubberSalt]

I never user straps. I don't like them. We use rope and a trucker's knot. These will only come undone when you untie them or the rope breaks. As you pull tension on the rope, the knots get tighter. I also use the suspension as a point for constant tension.

I've had machines rock back and forth and the rope loose tension, but never come off the machine.

This picture is almost identical to the knot. Step 3 is modified for easy removal. Instead of having the last bit of rope pulled through, i double it back and pull a loop through. This serves for easy removing of the knot. A quick snap of the rope will undo the entire knot.

http://www.paddling.net/sameboat/Images/knottruck.gif