Eurotunnel - tie-down??

[Deleted account W]

OK this is how to test this.

Take one of these....

Attach it to the bike, at a centre point as high as possible between the two wheels.

Then pull the bike untill you get to the point where its about to over balance. Read the amount of force and compare it.

Anyone want to try?

 

[Taipan]

LOL, with my luck its normally my bike that falls whatever stand I've used!

More stuff from arguing Engineers over this subject, if anyones still awake! .


"Ah Grasshopper - you too have been oversimplifying the physics involved -
try taking into account the CG point over that triangle and weight outside
of the said triangles, especially bad on a bike with a side stand that is
TOO SHORT !!!

A center stand parked on a level surface will apply almost all the force
straight down into the ground. True Ma - I would still worry about the
errant child trying to climb aboard and be Micky Doohan... But at rest, this
is a more stable platform.

When a side stand is short enough to put allot of the force outside of the
base of the triangle, you no longer have a stable triangled base... And your
bike could possible fall (not that this can be achieved by using a
centerstand on a vastly non-level surface too...)

Note too the areas of pressure (best simplified by looking at the CG of the
bike.) A center stand will apply force through the two feet of the
centerstand - which in general has more surface area than the one foot on
the sidestand (which again from the angles and the CG point, will probably
have more force applied through it"

 

[Deleted account 240901001]

..add loaded panniers, tank bag and top box and then see what happens..... having watched my ZZR11 topple gracefully OVER its sidestand as I walked away to pay for the petrol I'd just put in... just 'cause I was too idle to heave the bugger onto the centre stand......

 

[John Armstrong]

Topple "over" the side stand, that must have been a sight. Will petrol stations now have "beware low flying ZZR11" signs now?

Centre v side, what seem seem to forget is that with the centre stand the bike can fall either left or right, with the side stand it can oinly go one way.

 

[Deleted account 240901001]

I think the new sign actually read " Beware of crying motorcyclists".....

 

[Manni]

Manni,
You take yor bike once a month?
Are there any deals to be had?
The best I can get June 9th to 19th at a reasonable hour, is £118.

Mike.

Mike,

The only way to get cheaper tickets is to *lie*. You'd have to buy two round trip tickets for a "daytrip", and use only the way out (and discard the return). I'm assuming you're leaving from the UK.
Book the "real" way out from the UK website: on the 9th, it's £19 if you leave after 6pm (I usually take the 6:33pm). Just book any return that day before midnight. It's the late afternoon fare (valid Mon-sat).
Then book the "real" return from the French Website: on the 19th, it's €25,50 if you leave Calais before 10am. Again, book any return before midnight that day. It's the week-end day excursion fare (valid only sat-sun).

That means a round trip for around 35£! I don't know if you call these reasonnable hours, but that's how I do it every month...

They NEVER check whether you use the return ticket. But please don't tell anyone, I wouldn't want to have to pay the full price in a near future... I couldn't afford it! The only thing to remember is 1°) to give the right booking reference for each trip and 2°) not to look surprised when they give you a return ticket for the same day...

Now have a beer to my health (or a pastis in France) and save some serious money... But remember: don't tell anyone...

 

[Taipan]

Manni,
You take yor bike once a month?
Are there any deals to be had?
The best I can get June 9th to 19th at a reasonable hour, is £118.

Mike.

Where abouts in France do you want to go? If you want to go down to Dieppe way (from Newhaven), Tbreaks.com were doing it for £50!

 

[The Other PaulG]

sounds better than the ferry anyhow. Don't like the idea of the bike falling over.

At the risk of diverting the conversation away from the fascinating sidestand/centrestand COG thing.... I have to stand up for the ferries. The ferries I've used have all had loads of floor-mounted tie-down points, and a few wall-mounted ones too if you feel you need them.

So, if you take a couple of decent straps with you (rather than use the dirty 'orrible ropes that the deckhands throw your way) then there's no reason why you can't lash 'er down good and proper.

Get SWMBO to sit on the back whilst you lash down over the seat and you'll find the suspension holds the bike nice and tight.
l
Oh, and on a ferry, use the SIDE stand..!

Paul G
(the other)

 

[(RIP) Boxertools]

Taipan,
I was planing to use the tunnel.


Manni,
Thanks for that.
I had thought about going down to Canterbury with the bike in my van, and getting a mate who lives there to drive us over & pick us up on 2 day returns. Total £78, a saving of £40, but then I thought it would be too much hastle (loading, unloading, kit on & off, diesel etc).
Maybe it would be worth it if it was 2 bikes in a van.

When you say "book on the french web site", do you book that while you are there or before you go?
If you are able to book when you are there, then you can be more flexible with return dates & times.
Do you have a link to the french site?

Thanks for your help.

Mike.

 

[Wreford Miles]

You buy a GS so when it falls over you just pick it up... I've done center and side stand and side stand is best because I reckon it could role forward of the CS.

So I say front wheel into the righthand side and on the SS and also park it real close to a sports bike and watch them worry for the whole trip

 

[riverking]

FWIW we used to deliver up to 60 scooters/bikes a day when I did the hire stuff, very rapid tying down was required - less than 2 minutes per unit into the van & secured.
The side / center stand is less of an issue than the 'pole vault' effect - i.e. when a sudden jolt or large oscillation makes the bike / stand go 'over center'.
Best solution we found was to preload the rear suspension with the tie down so that the bike was strapped to the deck against rear spring and could not therefore 'pole vault' the center stand.
All I can say is that in thousands of pick ups we never dropped one or (more likely in our case) - had them knock into each other (6 in a line about 6" apart).

 

[judge]

A riveting debate, almost as good as the original sidestand or mainstand thread.

But at least with the ferry it has some merit as you leave your bike on the car deck for the duration of the journey and your fate (or that of your bike is in the hands of King Neptune).

With the Eurotunnel you ain't going nowhere. On the occasions I've gone Eurotunnel I've parked on sidestand and 'nursed' the bike at the only critical points i.e. leaving the platform>tunnel entrance and tunnel exit>platform arrival.

The rest of the time I make myself comfortable sitting on the floor*









*outside of falling range of the bikes

 

[Manni]

Manni,

When you say "book on the french web site", do you book that while you are there or before you go?
If you are able to book when you are there, then you can be more flexible with return dates & times.
Do you have a link to the french site?

Thanks for your help.

Mike. [/B]

Here is the French website: http://www3.eurotunnel.com/frcmain

The beauty with these one day trips is that you can book until the day before! So it's really flexible (I never had problems getting a ticket, I would just be cautious during holidays/summer).
These tickets are not refundable, but they are changeable for a £10 fee I think.

I like to book as soon as I'm sure about the next date, so I usually book one leg at a time (and forget the concept of "round trip", I don't know where I live anymore really)... Just remember that for the way back (from France), the cheapest prices are only on sat & sun before 10am.

In any case, you can book each way from anywhere (how can they know where you are when you use a web browser?). You'll just need to be able to print the confirmation (maybe the reference is enough, I'm not sure).

Just do what's most convenient for you.
Good luck!