I hope this is the right catagory.
For 20 years I have listened to Bike shop people, and general know it alls tell me that 4 tie down straps on a bike is kinda nerdy, you know " Over Kill ". Well, I've always been hardheaded. I have always worked jobs where one slip and you are hurt, dis-membered, or dead.
So, safety means everything to me, while I can still enjoy life.
This past week-end we went to the cabin on the lake, for my 62nd birthday and looked like Sanford and Son when we got all loaded up. I had 2 straps on the forks,I will not use a handle bar sleeve strap! And 2 straps on the rear foot peg brackets that were just snug, because the brackets will bend on the Hornet. We hit a speed bump without seeing it and bumped our head on the roof of the truck. I looked back at the bike and it really did a dance. It looked OK so we keep going and out on the Hwy at 70mph, it appeared to lean a tad. I found a place to pull over and nearly had a stroke! One strap on the fork had compressed so much the hooks came out of the eye bolt. The only thing holding it was the strap on the rear set.
I then put the hooks back on facing each other and wrapped them with duct tape so they couldn't come un hooked. If I had gone the macho man route with only 2 straps, my bike would be history and maybe someone elses car and family too. Please use at least 4 straps at all times, I always have and always will in the future.
Don't forget the duct tape.