California Scientific

Straps, Bungee Cords and Nets

Helen Two Wheels straps - $20 / pr.

Make your own Luggage Straps

Straps like these have been popular with cross-country riders for years. These are more secure than bungees, they're always the right length, and they won't scratch up your paint.

Bike & detail photo by Mike W.

I bought two Coghlan's Utility Straps, 10 ft. long pn 7610. $2.30 ea at K-Mart, etc. I got them at the local independent grocery store, which has a decent camping section. I also used four sliders, about 25 cents each at a sporting goods store, or many fabric stores.

I cut the 10' straps 20" from the end with the no-slip buckle. Don't forget to burn the cut ends - I used my gas stove, as usual. I then used sliders to make a loop in each 20" piece. Each loop includes a half twist.

Then I made loops in the remaining pieces, which are just over 7' long. All the loops have a half twist, and all the loops are about 7" long. I like to pull the loose end out of the slider so that there's about 2" of webbing sticking out, then I turn that back over the slider and put it over the front edge and through the back edge. There are now two layers of webbing going through the front edge of the slider, and three layers going through the back edge. When assembled like this, the slider is almost completely immobile. See detail above.

To use them, you hook a buckle somewhere, hook a strap somewhere else, loop over, around, through, then wind up at the no-slip buckle. Total cost for two straps: $6. Or, you can get equivalent straps from Helen2Wheels, two for $20.

Alternatively, you can buy flat or tube webbing at a good sporting goods or fabric store, and also buy some D-rings and a couple extra sliders. Mike prefers tubular webbing for its extra strength and non-slip features; I prefer flat webbing 'cause it packs smaller and it's easier to handle.

Black Heavy-Duty 10mm Bungee Cords.
Two 24" Long cords with center ring and 4 hooks, $1.99
Single 12" Long with 2 hooks, $0.79
Single 18" Long with 2 hooks, $0.89
Single 24" Long with 2 hooks, $0.99

Bungee Nets. $4.69 Black, red, or blue.

3 bungee nets, 2 saddlebag + 1 trunk, $15

Make your own Bungee Hook Points:

Required: 30 inches of 1" nylon webbing, two snap hooks, two 1" sliders. Available at a good sporting goods store, about $5.

1. Use the two sliders to attach the two snap hooks to the webbing. The snap hooks should have the same orientation.
2. Move the sliders so that there's about 18" between the two snap hooks, and the sliders are about ½" from the snap hooks.
3. Use the excess webbing to loop over / under each slider, like you're fastening your helmet, then through the snap hook attach point. The excess webbing makes for a bit of padding between the seat and the hook.
4. Remove your passenger seat. Place your webbing device on the rear fender under the passenger seat. There's a couple of molded-in plastic bumps on the fender which are just about 1" apart. These will hold the webbing in place while you put your passenger seat back on the bike.
5. Bungee hooks or cord or rope or whatever can now be run through the snap hooks. Since they are snap hooks, not D-rings, you can run cord through them without having a free end.

Idea by Chet Brisco.

Bungee Buddys, four for $10. Let you secure extra cargo to your motorcycle. Stainless Steel Nut, Washer, and Stud with plastic loop, seals tight, doesn't leak.

Stainless Steel Strap Eyes, about $2 ea at K-Mart or any marine store.

Velcro Get-a-Grip double sided velcro tape with hooks on one side and carpet on the other. $7 for a nine foot roll of ¾" wide tape at Office Depot. You cut this into sections, and use them to hold things together. For example, I roll up my ski pants in a tight bundle and use two pieces of this to hold them in a roll. I also keep a few bungees folded in half and secured with a couple inches of this stuff in my tank bag. This stuff makes packing a lot easier.

Velcro One Wrap double sided velcro tape with hooks on one side and carpet on the other. $8 for twelve 18" long ¾" wide pieces; or for fifteen 12" long ¾" wide pieces; or for twenty 8" long ¾" wide pieces at The Tape Works. This is pretty much the same stuff as the Get-a-Grip above, but pre-cut into standard lengths.

Make your own internal luggage straps:

Required: 20' of 1/8" bungee cord, available at a good sporting goods store, about $6.
16 hooks. I bought 8 small 10" bungee cords and cut the hooks off. About $5 at K-Mart.
Tie a loose knot in one end of the bungee cord. Run the cord through one hook's strain relief, then diagonally to the next hook. At each hook, fold the cord, push the fold through the hook's strain relief, and loop it over the hook. Next, vertically to the next hook, then diagonal, then vertical. Run the cord through the last hook, this is the same hook as you started with. Adjust the cord until it is taught everywhere, then tie the two ends together and cut off the excess cord. Repeat three more times for four luggage straps. About ten minutes work.

Or, buy them from UK Honda. $44. Per side.

Make your own internal luggage straps:

Required: eight 10" bungee cords, Four nylon O-rings, Four nylon hooks with sleeve. About $10 total at a camping store.
Take one bungee cord, pass it through the O-ring, center the O-ring on the bungee and tie a simple knot. Repeat with three more bungee cords. Take one bungee cord, fold it in half. Feed the looped end of the bungee cord through the sleeve of the hook; insert the loop firmly into the female end of the hook; with a pair of pliers, compress the plastic sleeve onto the hook to lock it in place. Repeat with the other three bungee cords. Photos and idea by Tim Yip.