Tie Down Cleats - Will it hold a motorcycle

I was wondering if the tie down cleats will hold a 450 lb sportbike with out breaking or damaging the rails? I now the weight limit is 400 lbs per cleat so it should hold. Just wondering if anyone has done this and their experience was?

 

I've done it twice on my R6 with no problems at all. However, I decided to get extra D-Rings and used the bed bolts to hold the D-Rings in place. That feels way more secure than the cleat rails. I still use the rails for a little bit of support, but not as the main part of the tie down. HTH. And welcome to TW!!

 

actually each cleat is only rated at 220lbs each. i believe it says it right on the cleat if you wanna make sure.

 

yep...what he said.

You can also toss a wheel chock in there (like baxleys or harbor freight version). Then all your straps are doing is stabilizing things without having to be pulled so tight and stressing your cleats.

I would not trust the cleats by themselves, no real reason, just a gut feeling.

Check out my gallery, I have a few shots of how I haul my VFR.

 

It's a good idea to use soft tie extensions on the cleats, wrapping them around the cleat at the rail. That moves the leverage in to the rail and away from the outer edge of the cleats, so there's much less stress on the thin wall aluminum rails that the cleats fasten to.

 

I wouldn't trust the cleats. I put D-rings in the front of the bed and use those and the ones already in the rear of the bed to tie in my bike. Those cleats are only rated for like 200# STRAIGHT OUT, not being pulled at an angle. People have tied motorcycles in with using the cleats but I don't trust 'em. http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/motorcycles/120955-loading-motorcycle-dcsb-pics.html Right, wrong or indifferent, here's I tie mine in.

 

they held great from me.. when i moved from orlando to ri i tied my 04 cbr600RR and my old 440 standup jet ski down with the cleats and it held fine.. 1300 miles straight though and no problems what so ever

 

I move a lot of motorcycles in my Tacoma. I would not use the cleats for a big street bike. For dirt bikes I put two cleats in the front each on a different rail (one on the front one on the side rail next to each other to get the corner support.) For the big bikes I took out the front bed bolts with a 17mm Torx and put the bolt back in through a D ring to use as the front hooks. If you don't want to do all that put the bike in backwards close the tail gate and use the rear D rings already in the truck bed. It's not the cleats or railing but the actual bed top railing that can twist upward when transporting a big bike.