Let’s be honest…I love a high-quality Tie-down, but why does it seem like my dirt bike tie-downs go missing?
Only later to find them cover in hay at my old man’s farm…
If you own a dirt bike you need to have high-quality tie-downs. That last thing you need is your dirt bike tipping over causing major damage to your bike or truck.
Being able to secure your dirt bike in the proper manner will not only help you sleep better at night it will allow you to jam out all the way to the motocross track without worrying about your dirt bike.
However…..
NOT ALL TIE-DOWNS ARE CREATED EQUAL.
There are MANY different types of tie-downs out there on the market.
One thing you need to make sure of is that you DO NOT over-tighten your straps. The goal is to keep your bike secure not bottom out your suspension.
If you tighten the tie-down straps too tight it causes lots of pressure on the oil seals and springs inside your fork. This can cause damage to your forks.
This is why I recommend not using RATCHET STYLE Tie-downs for dirt bikes. Ratchet tie-downs can really latch down the load and typically lead to over-tightening.
You DO NOT what to over-tighten the straps when hauling or transporting your dirt bike.
What matters is making sure you have the right angles to keep the dirt bike in place.
Think of it as a triangle. If the straps are at a good angle and the front tire of the dirt bike Is secure then you do not have to over-tighten the tie-downs to keep your dirt bike in place.
If your tie-downs are too close to the dirt bike you will notice that you have to tighten them WAY more than usual to keep the dirt bike from moving from side to side.
Proper angles are the key to success when using dirt bike tie-downs.
So, what types of tie-downs are there, and what tie-downs are the best for dirt biking?
Let’s start with what types of Tie downs are out there.
- Lashing Straps
- Cam Buckle Straps
- Ratchet Straps
- S-Hook
- Snap Hook
- Flat Hook
- J-Hook
Now the list above is what the different types of tie-downs are called.
Typically most of the dirt bike tie-downs you are going to use the cam buckle straps. These cam buckle tie dows will have hooks and some even have carabineers for the hook.
But here is the kicker the best type of cam buckle tie-downs come with something extra….only for dirt bikes and motorcycles.
Not all tie-downs are built right for securing dirt bikes.
Using tie-downs that just have a hook can cause damage to your handlebars. After a time the hook can scratch your the paint on your handlebars. With lots of dirt bike handlebars coming with black handlebars this, in my opinion, a big deal.
You do not want a bunch of scratches.
The other thing with using hook type of tie-downs as they do not sit completely flat on your handlebars. This risks the hooks slipping off the handlebars of the dirt bike we transporting.
SOFT LOOP DIRT BIKE TIE-DOWNS
In my opinion, there is ONLY 1 type of tie-downs for dirt bikes….
The tie-downs that come with a soft loop.
These soft loop tie-downs have an extra strap that will loop around and hook to another hook. This allows your dirt bike handlebars to not get abused. Soft loop tie-downs are flexible which means you have a nice safe contact with the dirt bike. This is the best way to secure your dirt bike.
Soft Loop Dirt Bike Tie-Downs Advantages:
- No Scratching your handlebars
- Most secure tie-downs for dirt bikes
- Handlebar mountable
- Fork mountable
- More versatile than standard tie-downs
Ok, so now that we know that soft loop cam buckle tie-downs are the best type of tie-downs to use for dirtbikes.
Who makes the VERY best dirt bike soft loop tie-downs?
BEST DIRT BIKE TIE-DOWNS IN THE WORLD
So far I haven’t been able to find a better tie-down for dirt biking then the tie-downs I mention below. These tie-downs come with a soft loop and a patented rotating carabiner hook….
YES, a rotating carabiner hook!
ProTaper Swivel-Hook/Carabiner/Soft Loop Tie Downs Black
These swivel hook carabiner soft loop tie-downs are the best dirt bike tie downs out there! The ProTaper tie-downs by far beat out the other soft hook dirt bike tie-down straps.
The patented swivel carabiner hook on the ProTaper Tie-downs is amazing.
- No more twisted straps.
- No more hooks coming loose
- Easy to just clip on….
- Thicker straps
- Great soft loop
A combination of all the things mentioned below makes the ProTaper Swivel-Hook/Carabiner/Soft Loop Tie-Downs the VERY BEST dirt bike tie-downs.
Personally I own quite a few pairs of these tie-downs and feel like every dirt biker needs a set.
