Motorcycle on a Ferry - HowToQuickGuide - Boarding

For those of you fellow Bikers, who want to feel more comfortable on your first ferry trip.
1. Always follow Ferry Crew guidelines and instructions.
2. Always wear a helmet while boarding (even if you were waiting on hot tarmac for couple of hours with direct sun) :-)
3. Place your motorcycle exactly where Ferry Crew will show you.
4. Leave it in 1st gear and on a side stand (central stand is less stable - believe it or not) :-)
5. Use straps provided to fasten your motorcycle (not all Ferries have these nice soft foams, so be prepared and have something to prevent hurting your seat) Sometimes there may also be special blockers provided to put under your wheels if instructed or expecting rough weather at Sea.
6. Always help you neighbor if in need :-)
7. Do not activate alarm in your motorcycle - Ferry movement may trigger it.
8. Get everything you need for a journey - you won't be able to access car deck (motorcycle) until arrival.
On short routes - small ferries - do not leave your bike unattended, especially in rough weather conditions (sea state) - physics of the waves can be tricky :-)

[@skinnyrides]

A very important point when tying down the bike is to use the ratchet end of the strapping on the sidestand side of the bike. If you use it on the opposite side then as you tighten the ratchet the bike will have a tendency to lift the weight off the sidestand which if done too much could have the side stand flicking up = bike falls over!

[@bili6885]

Thank you for this video am nervous in messing up. Hopefully this will come in handy.

[@fkb9490]

The ratchet should be on the side of the side stand. Otherwise you will pull the bike over when you tighten the ratchet.

[@rideandpeace]

Thank you for sharing great and exactly the information I need.😊🙏

[@patrickwatters7555]

Always be careful inside the decks are slick. Especially when wet, always leave your bike in gear, turn your alarm off

[@WolfyFam]

Good vid pal

[@donovan123123]

planning a long ride next summer, with at least one ferry ride. Haven't seen any videos of loading cruisers, only adventure bikes, hoping my street glide stays put

[@reggriffiths5769]

A few points here. I've never tied the bike down myself, for the simple reason that should the bike topple during the crossing, your insurance is unlikely to cover you, whereas if the deckhands do it, the onus is on the Ferry company! That's been my experience on Stena and Irish Ferries.
On the French crossings, DFDS have an awful (damned dangerous) means of securing your bike. They use what I call an upturned bicyle mudguard attached to the bulkhead, with a wedge-shaped riser liting the front wheel off the deck to literally drop into the slot. You are expected to ride up that riser, which rises to several inches off the deck, so if you should miss the slot (very easy to do so, as you can't see it) you are off, with the bike on top of you, because your feet can't reach the ground. If it goes into the slot, you need to be careful dismounting for the same reason! Most of my pals tend to get off and push the bike up, which to me is doubly dangerous. Whatever method one uses, it's not simple, as you are off-balance. For best results, it takes two!
Getting the bike down again often requires two people to pull it out of the slot, because it has to be jerked out and needs the brake applied
Three things are essential: long legs, strong arms, and good balance. The fourth thing is better...a mate to assist, because the deckhands won't!
Best advice: don't use DFDS!!

[@jotel7862]

Good to know!👍