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Visionary
Posts: 1436
| The Vision is shipped to the dealer in a crate tied down using two "I" bolts, one installed in each of the front tip over guards (under). The dealers generally toss these, but if you need to have your bike towed in you'll need them to strap it down to the flatbed. We won't even mention if you want to trailer your bike.
So you might want to pick up a pair of these bolts from your dealer and carry them on the bike just in case.
The question becomes where to keep them so they aren't rattling around in your saddlebags or trunk. My solution was to install them back in the tip overs. They can be installed & positioned so as to not be noticed unless you are really looking. I've been riding with mine set up like this for 3 weeks now and they haven't scraped or wiggled lose.
Regardless of how you store them, get a set from your dealer just in case....... T |
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Tourer
Posts: 404
San Antonio, TX United States | Are you aware of the proper way to tie down the front of the bike? If you look up through where the forks go up, you will notice a loop that is cast into the mainframe. This is the proper size to slip the tie down hooks into. If it was not for going to one of the Vision Test rides last year, i would not have known with out striking up a conversation with the Victory Demo people and designers that were on site. You can use the eyes on the tip over protection, but do not use them alone. Make sure you use the loop that is cast into the main frame up near the steering head.
I work at a dealership and have uncrated my share of vision's Even the dealership i work at did not know the loop was cast into the steering head for this very purpose. I also make sure i wrap the eyes from the tip over protection in plastic and put them in the saddle bag and take a minute with the customer to make sure he knows how to tie the bike down properly.
Edited by dwhite28 2008-07-24 11:39 PM
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Visionary
Posts: 1290
Ruskin, Fl | The dealer left them on my bike after it went in for its first service. They must use them to secure the bike on the lift for service. I'm glad I have them. I'll be putting it on the M/C jack for the first time tomorrow for my 2500 oil change. I plan to use the eye bolts to secure it to the jack.
3500 miles so far.
Edited by cw1115 2008-07-25 12:10 AM
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Cruiser
Posts: 136
CALGARY ALBERTA | I placed mine in the zippered manual. Then placed it in a helmut bag under the tour pack where the CD player would go.
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Tourer
Posts: 404
San Antonio, TX United States | Again, we never use the eyes when securing the bike to the lift. We use the Victory designed tie-down point for a solid and secure hold on the bike. There are a total of five straps on the bike when in a shipping crate. The eyelets on the tip over protection are strapped in the following way. If you are setting on the bike, the left eyelet would have a strap run through the eye and then traveling to your right and being secured to the crate then of course the right eyelet would be done in the same manner with the strap going through and crossing over the other strap to the left side of the crate. Just enough tension is applied to stabilize the bike from shifting from side to side while in the shipping crate. One strap is installed on the swing arm and pulled tightly down. Another strap is run through the loop that is cast into the frame near the steering head and pulled down tightly to compress the forks and remove the chance of bounce. Again, the eyes are a great thing to use for stability, but do not soley rely on those eyes for a tie-down point. The eye itself is heavy enough as long as it is being pulled on in a straight line. If you have a Vision Service Manual, refer to page 1.16 for proper tie down. I still supply the eye to the customer even though Victory makes a note in the uncrating instructions to discard the eyelets after uncrating the bike. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 174
Edmonton, AB | As I posted in an earlier thread I had the misfortune of suffering a broken brake line while on a recent road trip through BC.  Arranged for a tow-truck via the VRA roadside assistance. When we put the bike on the flat bed tow truck we used 6 straps. Two from the tie down point under the headlight, two from the rear tip-overs and two from the eye-bolts installed in the front tip overs. The bike was very secure and none of the straps were anywhere near the painted bodywork.
I was happy to have the eyebolts in the bike that day so they could be used for just such an emergency. Nobody likes to even think about the possibility of having to put their bike on a tow-truck but based on my recent experience I would certainly recommend that everyone should carry these eyebolts in their bike...just in case. |
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Tourer
Posts: 562
SC, Bluffton | Newfie - 2008-07-25 3:22 AM
Arranged for a tow-truck via the VRA roadside assistance. When we put the bike on the flat bed tow truck we used 6 straps.
I know money doesn't grow on trees, but it just amazes me that towing services don't have a
$250 Condor bike chock (or any other brand) when picking up bikes. According to thier videos
One chock & 2 straps would be enough? ( I have 3 Condors, but they are only used in the garage)
Thank you for the tip on the tie downs. I might try some bolts out of the scrap can to get a
size, and then find some corresponding strong eye-bolts that size.
Herb
Edited by g1nomad 2008-07-25 9:40 AM
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Visionary
Posts: 3006
San Antonio, TX | My "I" Bolts were discarded by the dealer that my dealer received the Vision from. I sure would like a set and will talk to my dealer and see if he has a pair. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 72
Eden Prairie, MN | dwhite28 - 2008-07-24 11:40 PM
Again, we never use the eyes when securing the bike to the lift. We use the Victory designed tie-down point for a solid and secure hold on the bike. There are a total of five straps on the bike when in a shipping crate. The eyelets on the tip over protection are strapped in the following way. If you are setting on the bike, the left eyelet would have a strap run through the eye and then traveling to your right and being secured to the crate then of course the right eyelet would be done in the same manner with the strap going through and crossing over the other strap to the left side of the crate. Just enough tension is applied to stabilize the bike from shifting from side to side while in the shipping crate. One strap is installed on the swing arm and pulled tightly down. Another strap is run through the loop that is cast into the frame near the steering head and pulled down tightly to compress the forks and remove the chance of bounce. Again, the eyes are a great thing to use for stability, but do not soley rely on those eyes for a tie-down point. The eye itself is heavy enough as long as it is being pulled on in a straight line. If you have a Vision Service Manual, refer to page 1.16 for proper tie down. I still supply the eye to the customer even though Victory makes a note in the uncrating instructions to discard the eyelets after uncrating the bike.
Excellent advice dwhite,
I generally like to follow what engineering recommends. I believe the main issue with eye bolts is they are designed only for pulling in the direction in line with the threaded shaft. They are actually very weak when pulled at an angle. The caution is, although they may come in handy for stabilty, they should only be used to stabilize the bike while we proberly tie it down. But we should never expect them to hold the bike for servicing and especially Trailering. Thanks for the clarification. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 174
Edmonton, AB | g1nomad - 2008-07-25 7:32 AM
I might try some bolts out of the scrap can to get a
size, and then find some corresponding strong eye-bolts that size.
Herb
Herb, you could try going back to the dealer and asking them for a set of the eye-bolts that were used when they shipped the bike from the factory. They may still have some of them in the shop from a recently uncrated Vision. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 725
Reno County, KS | Why would they take them off? From my experience with chain rigging, there would 2 reasons I would never use the eye bolts for tie down anchors (three if you consider the angle of tension). With the bike being somewhat top heavy (not bad compaired to others but there is still mass above the wheels, so it WILL be top heavy), the natural tendency for the bike is to want to lean the opposite direction the trailer sways towards. Thinking about turning a corner with a trailer: Which direction would the bike fall if it were not strapped down? The opposite side straps are then tensioned the hardest. Now imagine taking the straps from the top of the bike and placing them down at the bottom. How much more stress do you think they have to endure to fight the loss of leverage due to the angle of the tension? Its just like engineering a radio tower. Is it going to be more stable with with the anchoring cables attached at the bottom or the top of the tower? I'd naturally want to place the anchoring cable as high as possible for maximum leverage and stability. The second problem is really just carried forward from the first: With all that extra force created because the tie-downs are anchored low and the bike wanting to lean the opposite direction of sway, the tip-over force is much more likely to overcome the wheels grip (pure friction) on the trailer. You would essentially be giving the tip-over force more leverage to overcome the wheel friction by strapping lower. Something I have to remind myself when I ride or when I trailer a bike. There is plenty of tread on the tires but the only thing keeping them from sliding is the point of contact. That contact area is only as large as; say, a credit card at any given time. Anyway, just some thoughts.
Edited by bigwill5150 2008-07-25 2:30 PM
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Cruiser
Posts: 235
Evergreen, CO | bigwill -
You must be an engineer.......It sounds so logical to me what you wrote.....Thanks for the info, and if it keeps one of our members safe due to your input, this great forum has once again come to the rescue!! |
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