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Trailering 2010 R1200RT

Lawrence_D

New member
I will need to trailer my 2010 RT to the dealer for a repair and want to make sure I don't damage it in the process. I've heard not to use "canyon dancer" bar straps as the main front tie down mode since this can damage the bars and/or the heated grips. What's left? The front fork? I'm a bit concerned that the angle of the strap to the trailer tie down point will be too shallow to sufficiently secure the bike without removing plastic to expose more fork.

Any help out there?

Thanks!
 
Use a set of soft-ties around the lower edge of forks right above the cross brace on the Telelever. Then use your regular tiedowns from soft-tie loop to trailer.
Just be careful of routing around brake lines and sensor wire. The bike will ride on the suspension, wheel will not move.
It works on the RT w/out removing any plastic.
 
tie around the fork legs, above the cross brace (where the telelever connects to. You can tie it tight, without compressing the suspension.
 
I have trailered my RT and GS for about 3500 miles using the tie downs around the forks, no damage whatsoever.

photo-2.jpg
 
Lawrence,

Check your owners manual. For the '09 RT...
 

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Use a set of soft-ties around the lower edge of forks right above the cross brace on the Telelever. Then use your regular tiedowns from soft-tie loop to trailer.
Just be careful of routing around brake lines and sensor wire. The bike will ride on the suspension, wheel will not move.
It works on the RT w/out removing any plastic.

1+
 
Lawrence,

Check your owners manual. For the '09 RT...

Like BMW has never given erroneous advice in their manuals.

Follow the advice of others and secure the front wheel, I also tie down the rear wheel, the bike will ride on it's suspension, the wheels won't move. I just towed my new to me 1150 R from Greenville, SC using this method. bike didn't move at all. I did have to loop through the telelever at the ball joint because the batwing front fender wouldn't allow access to the fork brace without potential damage to the plastic.

R1150R002.jpg
 
Use a set of soft-ties around the lower edge of forks right above the cross brace on the Telelever. Then use your regular tiedowns from soft-tie loop to trailer.
Just be careful of routing around brake lines and sensor wire. The bike will ride on the suspension, wheel will not move.
It works on the RT w/out removing any plastic.

+1
 
Lawrence,

Check your owners manual. For the '09 RT...

Looking at that, the straps drop down behind the fairing and thru the telever...your tie down points would seem to be right by the wheel without pulling the lower fairing off the bike. Not a very spread out set-up.
Seems fine in a crated bike in small space. Still would not tie anything to cast aluminum bars...but that's me.
 
Like BMW has never given erroneous advice in their manuals.

Give me a break!

BMW's owners manual instructions also specify to compress the suspension as much as possible.

Anybody with any inkling knows you don't want a moving load.
 
The rass roots BMW folks have a great set of instructions online that can help you with that. Take a look at http://www.grassrootsbmw.com/uploads/Tiedown2.pdf

I always find it simply hilarious when this document is quoted as it shows a BMW Multi-Trailer WITHOUT the motorcycle wheel chock.

Plus, the method illustrated obviously does not compress the motorcycle's forks as specified by BMW.

I previously noted the R1200RT owners manual specifications that this occur--here are the actual similar instructions from the Multi-trailer handbook:

Compress the springs on the front and rear wheels of the motorcycle when you lash it. This will move the centre of gravity of the motorcycle downwards and reduce the amount of swinging by the motorcycle during the journey

DO NOT refer to the "rass roots" (sic) document.
 
Looking at that, the straps drop down behind the fairing and thru the telever...your tie down points would seem to be right by the wheel without pulling the lower fairing off the bike. Not a very spread out set-up.
Seems fine in a crated bike in small space. Still would not tie anything to cast aluminum bars...but that's me.

++1 - Never under and circumstances put the tie downs on the handle bars. Disaster waiting to happen!
 
++1 - Never under and circumstances put the tie downs on the handle bars. Disaster waiting to happen!

BMW specifies that the R1200RT be tied down in front at the locations where the handlebars are bolted to the top clamp.

If you refer to tying to the ends of the handlebars, i.e. where the grips are, you're correct. Otherwise, not. Unclear.
 
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