On the ferry

[2up]

Done it loadsa times with the Harley but not with the Burg yet.
Normally the bike goes on the sidestand (no centre stand) and they throw a strap over the seat with a cushion pad under and put it in 1st gear. Is the Burg best on side or centre stand and will the seat take the pressure of a strap over it, or is the strap better over the tunnel?

[pikey]

yes side stand the same seat should be OK take an old towel to lay over seat and body as straps are usually riffy.Ive never had them strap the tunnel

[pikey]

With centre stand it wont compress suspension to take the bounce out I think thats the theory plus 3 points of contact .If it goes foward on centre stand it will fall over as well its happened to me when trailering a bike .We go chunnel if theres not a lot of price difference on short crossings quicker on and off and no tying down

[Waldorf]

I use the side-stand; sometimes, especially if the deck's wet, it's near-impossible to rock the bike forwards as the centre-stand slips on the metal deck.
I came over last year in April in a genuine gale - we had to wait off-shore while the older ferries were escorted into Dover by tugs - and my Silverwing was as secure on arrival as it had been when I first strapped it down.

I take an old towel to cover the seat as the straps are sometimes wet and rather dirty.

The two newest P&O ferries tend to be dryer than the older ones; be warned that if you are on either of the 'Spirits' there's a very steep ramp on the boat up to the deck where bikes travel. It was a bit daunting/scarey at first but easily negotiated with care.
Also, if you're parked at the back you will have to do a U-turn to get to the top of the ramp. That's a bit scarey, too, if the deck's wet.
The bike spaces at the front are enclosed so stay mostly dry.

[MrGrumpy]

When I went to the Isle of Man on the ferry with the Tmax, they tie your bike down for you - they noticed it being a scooter but were very concerned until they saw it had a sidestand! They clearly didn't like to use the centrestand on the ferry. I think that bikes are actually rather more stable on the sidestand and 2 wheels rather than 1 wheel and a narrow centrestand....and don't forget a gust of wind blew my baby-burger clean off its centre stand last week!

[2up]

Thanks all for the info. I've done about 15 or 20 crossings with the Harley, always on the sidestand. When I've been on extended touring trips with a Transit and caravan and the bike in the back of the van, I've always strapped it on the sidestand with 1 strap around the fork leg pulling it forward and 1 strap around the rear shock pulling it backwards. Did 1000's of miles like that.

I was more concerned with the Burg about the strap pulling the seat out of alignment seeing as they are not bolted down but if you say it's ok, that's good enough. Not booked anything yet so it might not happen but I was thinking of a few days around Honfleur.