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[Dan_Lockwood]

Well I finally got my Biker Bar installed yesterday.



I just purchase one more used Biker Bar and plan on installing it next weekend.  That way I can haul both my '09 CVO SERG and my '76 FLH Shovelhead.  I may be able to tweak one of the clamp bars to work with my Honda Helix as well.  When we do winter or summer extended, I would only take the CVO and the Honda, not the FLH.  Although I will be taking both to Sturgis next summer just for some added fun.

Right now if I can get the second Biker Bar installed, I plan on parking both into the toy hauler and storing them over the winter in the toy hauler's garage.  A little Stabil and pull the batteries and I'm good to go.

Have a great week!

[rodrocket]

I have built my own toy hauler & during construction I added a couple of plates that I have tapped threads into

The floor is 19mm Formply & all I did was countersink the bolts into it

I use a condor bike rack and when its in the trailer it is secured with the 4 countersunk bolts when the bike rack it out I simply screw the countersunk bolts back into the floor and you would not even know that they were there unless you went looking for them

[BigLew]

Hey Dan when I installed mine (2 different ones and 3 locations) one drilled and mounted took them by my buddy's machine shop and wielded  metal from the bracket support from the bar to a metal cross member. Mine will not tear through the floor if you turn it upside down. Great product, great customer service!

BigLew

[Dan_Lockwood]

Well guys, just bought one more yesterday for the other side of the garage floor.

They're both the newer ones with the twin lever toe releases.  One side of my first one is a bit dry and seems to catch when opening and kind of locking up.  I think I'll take it apart and put some grease under the plates to the locking mechanisms move a bit more freely.

I'll be mounting the second one with another two angle iron cross braces the same as the first.  It was a real hassle getting all the holes drilled correctly to match the angle iron predrilled holes, but ended up looking good on the inside of the garage.

I'm going to park my two Harleys in them and take the RV back out to the storage lot for the winter.  Great timing.  Too bad I'm not off on Thursday as it will probably be close to 70 here that day.  In the 40's for the weekend, that sucks...

Any thoughts on the way to adjust the main slot mounts?

I see the original Biker Bar has straight slots that the clamp bar slides into.  The newer version has the same starting slots, but the last inch of the slot takes a dip downward about 1/4" to add more preload on the suspension.

Should I have the slot mounts set up so with me on the bike it's a straight in, or should I have to bounce down just a bit to start the clamp bar into the slots?  With the curve downward I'm thinking I can be more aligned rather than having to bounce down to align.

Thoughts?

[Dan_Lockwood]

This is what I started with for under the garage floor.  You can see the angle iron is full width to span between the outside "I" beams and the center laminated garage floor steel channel assembly.



Here are the two ends prior to drilling it in place.





Here we go, dual Biker Bars all set up and ready for the bikes.



The carriage bolts have been upgraded to 3/8"-16 grade 5.  That should be more than enough to hold it in place in case of a rollover... well maybe not a rollover, but a good stiff pothole or a panic stop etc...

I've got room to mount my '09 SERG a bit more forward on the frame and the '76 FLH a bit more rearward.  That way the handlebars will not interfere with each other.  Just have to figure out which to load first...

A guy on the Keystone forum has used Biker Bars for many years, first on a trailer and then his toy hauler.  He currently uses two in his toy hauler, one for his '09 CVO Ultra and one for his wife's Tri-Glide.  He's had no issues whatsoever and is very pleased with the way they've worked for them.

I hope to have many years of use from the two I've installed.  I bought them both used for $200 plus shipping and they're both in great shape.

I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving!

[JCZ]

Hey Dan when I installed mine (2 different ones and 3 locations) one drilled and mounted took them by my buddy's machine shop and wielded  metal from the bracket support from the bar to a metal cross member. Mine will not tear through the floor if you turn it upside down. Great product, great customer service!

BigLew

Lew there was a photo posted on fb awhile back.  The toyhauler was in an accident and rolled over (completly upside down).  The bike was not touched but it was hanging upside down.

Those two plates mounted under the floor are 4"x5"......if they rip through your 3/4" floor you've got a whole lot bigger problems.   

Being a full time RVer for the past 2 1/2 years I've literally been ocean to ocean two and a half times (San Diego to Key West and back then to Colorado then back to Sacramento) and I've been over several of the highest passes in Colorado......the bike is safe using the B & W Biker Bar.  I don't even carry straps anymore.

[Dan_Lockwood]

Well here they are all nestled in place and ready to take up the winter, or at least most of it anyway.

They went right in other than the '76 FLH is so low that the Biker Bar clamp bar was dragging on the aluminum edge guard on the floor.

I had forgotten to load the washer/dryer combo before the bikes, so I had to remove the CVO to load the combo.  On the way back in I had issues getting the CVO aligned and the left side of the clamp bar seemed to always be just less than fully engaged in the latch.  I tried to move it forward just a bit on the frame, but still a bit of an issue.  So I had to skinny the bike a bit crooked to get it to latch into place solidly. 

I'll have to see what I can do in the spring to get it right.  I think I might put a couple heavy cable ties on the frame tubes to I know where to slide the clamp bar in place so I have it aligned correctly.  Because you only slide it under and raise it up to catch the opposite lower frame rail, getting it perpendicular to the frame seems a bit less than consistent.  But they're in solid, so good for now.

Also if you have them off like I did, the latch thinks it's locked, but the two front levers are not up all the way and there's a gap on the front side of the clamp bar as it's not fully seated in the latch.  When this happens you CANNOT just click down the levers with your foot.  I had to use a dead blow to get them to snap to the unlatched position.  Again I'll rethink this in the spring.







The FLH was tight without any wobbling or rattles.  The CVO was a bit noisy when latched so I took the side plates on the latch down one more 1/4" adjustment and that seemed to take care of the noise and looseness.  This could also "maybe" be my latching issues, it bit TOO low or tight.

Any thoughts?

[JCZ]

It doesn't take very many times of attaching the bar to the bike frame before you'll know exactly where it goes and make sure it's not a bit crooked one side to the other.

[BigLew]

Dan my RG is the same as yours and I just took the blower off of it. Those bikes sat an inch lower anyway. So that is most likely a good idea. I'll see what it fits like when we finish with the fatty front tire set up. I agree with your set up process. Because of the position of the fairing and Handle bars I load the RG last! Happy travels.

BigLew

[Dan_Lockwood]

Well it finally happened... I brought home my new to my '98 Honda Helix 250cc scooter.



It now has 610 miles on it and needs a few items as it's sat so long things have gone a bit south.  The gas tank has rusted quite a bit and "should" be replaced, but it does not actually leak... yet!  So I may just remove the tank and do a good outside cleaning and repaint after I do a good inside cleaning and coat with POR-15 gas tank sealer.  I've used POR-15 tank sealer a few times and have had nothing but great luck with it.  It needs a fuel pump, new drive belt, clutches serviced, fluids changed, new tires and just a good going over here and there.  I've had all the body off and it's like brand new underneath.





My main posting is this, after just a quick cable tie to raise the left side return water line to the radiator up front, by Touring Biker Bar clamp fits like it was designed to fit it.  The main frame is the same tube size as the Harley touring and the width is within its clamping range.  The top of the bar when I'm sitting on the bike is 5.5" and that's well within the main floor clamping adjustments.  So with or without the Harley aboard, the Honda Helix will be!

Isn't it grand when a plan just falls into place???

This little scooter can hit 70 mph and it may be the bike Linda finally gets back onto after her crash and burn on the Harley Buell during rider training 8 years ago.  The local training place says that IF she were to take the course from them, she could use the Honda as her training bike AND get full credit for a M endorsement for her license.  The scooter is FUN to ride and quite snappy to boot.

Just thought I would give you all a bit of humor for a Sunday. 

Take care all and stay healthy!