looking for quality bungee net with big hooks.

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

For years I've had a bungee net on my 1200RT's rear rack.  It's finally time to replace it, as a couple of the bungee segments have snapped.  

 

I've bought a couple of replacements, but had to return them.  One had plastic hooks that were too small to grab the RT's fat molded-plastic rack elements, and the hooks couldn't be reshaped.  The other had metal hooks, but they were just way too small to ever work, even if I opened them up wide.

 

SO...can someone point me to a good product?  A bungee net, about 15" x 15", with big metal hooks?

[szurszewski]

Did you try this one? Looks like the hooks would be around an inch. How wide do they need to be?

 

https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/powertye-adjustable-cargo-net

[RogerC60]

I bought a 15"x15" bungee net at Harbor Freight. It came with impossibly large yet flimsy  hooks. I removed those and replaced them with some 2-1/2" carabiners that fit nicely into the bungee buddies I have attached to my panniers. So far it's working out great. The nice thing about having carabiners rather than hooks is that when I roll up the net and stuff it into one of my cases it doesn't get all tangled up in itself.

 

[Scarecrow]

I bought a net from Aerostitch many years ago and it is holding up very well.

https://www.aerostich.com/power-nets.html

 

The picture holding the helmet seems wrong though.  Use the narrow ends to hook on to the net itself and the "extra" piece can be used to tighten up the net by hooking it into another square to  take up slack.  I got the large, 24 inch, net.

 

I do like RogerC60's idea of using carabiners though.  I may try that out sometime.

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

10 hours ago, szurszewski said:

Did you try this one? Looks like the hooks would be around an inch. How wide do they need to be?

 

https://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/powertye-adjustable-cargo-net

 

Just checked my old net, and it looks like I've got the metal hooks opened up to about 1".  One of the nets I tried had plastic hooks like that, and they weren't wide enough.  It's likely those are the same hooks.  

 

5 hours ago, Scarecrow said:

The picture holding the helmet seems wrong though.  Use the narrow ends to hook on to the net itself and the "extra" piece can be used to tighten up the net by hooking it into another square to  take up slack.  

 

I think maybe that net has the same problem, i.e. the large end of the hook isn't large enough to really encompass the giant plastic rack elements.  On that GS rack though, it looks like the rack elements are open at the bottom, making it possible to just hook onto it with the skinny end of the net's plastic hooks.

 

One option that just occurred to me was to remove the nice big steel hooks from my old net and install them onto a new net.  This is the one I bought most recently.  The elastic elements are a bit on the thin side compared to my old net, but the package has two nets; I may just double them up into one double-stout net and install my old hooks.  I'll report back here if this works...

[Tri750]

I switched over to ROK straps years ago.

they last a very long time and are avail on Amazon , etc. 

Here are some videos  of them for those not familiar. 

And the co website. 

 

https://rokstraps.com/pages/videos

[szurszewski]

I think ROK Straps are great, but there is a lot to be said for the utility of a net. Maybe we can get ROK to make one? Maybe with the option of their loop attachment system instead of hook? I'd buy that and keep it in my saddle bag.

 

[elkroeger]

+1 for those nets from aerostich.  Top drawer.

 

I did eventually chuck the hooks and then replace them with the "S Biner" from nite-ize.  They're available in sizes up to 4.3".  Seems like you can usually find them at hardware stores like homedepot.

 

https://www.niteize.com/product/S-Biner-Stainless-Steel.asp

 

I guess i'm not really visualizing the problem you're having in attaching the hooks to the bike.  Most folks add some bungee buddies to rectify the lash point problem.  (There are better solutions out there though, and I wouldn't put those crappy plastic things on my bike....)

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

On 7/29/2019 at 8:38 AM, elkroeger said:

I guess i'm not really visualizing the problem you're having in attaching the hooks to the bike.

 

The problem is that with the RT's big molded plastic rack, you need big hooks to be able to actually grab it.  Here's some pics to show what's going on.  First, some hooks:

 

 

The hook on the left is part of a simple bungee cord.  The hook is molded plastic, and it's nice and big.  It's great, I keep a couple of these cords wrapped around the underside of the rack. 

 

The hook in the middle is on my old bungee net.  It's vinyl-coated steel, and it's big enough to grab my RT's rack, no problem.

 

The hook on the right is on the net I bought most recently.  It's too small to grab my RT's rack.

 

The bungee cord in action, with the hook nicely wrapped around the rack:

 

My old bungee net in action:

 

 

The new bungee net in action:

 

 

You can see the hook doesn't wrap around the grab bar/rack completely.  Given enough time and vibration, the tip of that hook will press through its rubber cap and start hacking the paint off of the rack.  

 

A similar problem exists underneath the rack, where those small hooks can't wrap around the main support posts just in front of the tail light.

 

 

Yesterday I took the hooks off of my old bungee net and transferred them to the new one.  So the problem is now solved.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[RTinNC]

Could you not simply run a black zip tie around the rack and hook the bungee on to it? 

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

16 hours ago, RTinNC said:

Could you not simply run a black zip tie around the rack and hook the bungee on to it? 

 

I know there's some pretty big zip ties available, and they're great for securing electrical wiring and such...but there's something very "rat bike" about using zip ties to secure cargo.  

[tallman]

Soft ties. Like those used for bike tie down to trailer.

Loop around rack, hooks thru loops.

Remove as needed or not.

[Charles Elms]

Next time you are at Home Depot, take a look at their bungee cords.  I think they have the large hooks. Or maybe Walmart.  I've seen them recently.

[RTinNC]

8 hours ago, Joe Frickin' Friday said:

 

I know there's some pretty big zip ties available, and they're great for securing electrical wiring and such...but there's something very "rat bike" about using zip ties to secure cargo.  

 

You may have misunderstood what I was suggesting.   You could wrap a cable tie around the luggage rack and then hook your bungee onto the cable tie in lieu of attaching the bungee hook to the rack directly. 

 

Also these sites may help you find what you need 

 

https://www.strapworks.com/default.asp

 

https://www.hookandcord.com/BUNGEE_CORDS

[elkroeger]

here's a lash point that I mounted on my scoot.  I could see a pair of them mounted on either side of the rack.  You might have to drill and tap some holes, if that rack is solid aluminum.

 

https://www.seattlefabrics.com/Stainless-Steel-Strap-Loop_p_371.html

 

Or on the other hand, you could perhaps just drill a well placed hole in the rack and put the end of the bungee hook directly in it.  Done well, you wouldn't be ruining the bike.

[Rinkydink]

On 8/4/2019 at 1:03 PM, RTinNC said:

Could you not simply run a black zip tie around the rack and hook the bungee on to it? 

Love me some zip ties. Used a LOT of them at work. (telecommunications) Their use continued on outside plant but were banned inside central offices due to the razor sharp end left when you cut the excess off after placement. If you don’t file that down it will cut you pretty nicely and no matter where you place that end your hand somehow seems to find it. 

 

 

[elkroeger]

If you take your pliers and grab that zip tie end, so it sticks straight out the end of the pliers.  Choke up tight to the bindy bit, and rotate your pliers (on the long axis).  That tie end will pop off after a couple turns and leave no sharp edges.  An electrician taught me that.

[RTinNC]

Any size hook will work and you can use any color or strength cable tie you prefer. 

[John177]

I can recommend this luggage net to you: https://www.motorcycleparts-hornig.com/BMW-F-650-CS-GS-ST-Dakar/Accessories-Paint-protection/Luggage-Net.html

[AZgman]

Rok Straps or carabiners instead of open hooks wins every time. After dragging a bag off the back of my bike at 70 mph made possible by a couple of bungees that let go, bungees are no bueno in my book!

[John Ranalletta]

Mitch, if you haven't bought net, I'll send you this one, gratis.  It once belonged to Ed of Shovelhead fame.

 

That's a 15" ruler.  Net appears to stretch 2x relaxed size. PM address and I'll get it in the post.

 

 

[Lowndes]

These work very well, too:  https://www.twistedthrottle.com/bungie-buddies   $10/set of 4.

 

They provide a much longer and wider tie-down base than the luggage rack or handles and that keeps the load more stable.  Plus, it's a "safety tie" for the  side case, too.

 

 

Rinkydink said:

Love me some zip ties. Used a LOT of them at work. (telecommunications) Their use continued on outside plant but were banned inside central offices due to the razor sharp end left when you cut the excess off after placement. If you don’t file that down it will cut you pretty nicely and no matter where you place that end your hand somehow seems to find it. 

 

A hot screwdriver, soldering gun, or cig lighter will give you a nice rounded knob on the cut end of a cut tie, too.  It's an Old Indian trick.

 

[Lowndes]

Mitch,

 

If you haven't found a suitable cargo net yet, here is one I've been using for three years and shows no signs of wear or age yet, knock on wood.  Heavy duty, with big, coated steel kooks, and well made.  

 

https://www.amazon.com/PowerTye-EXTREME-Premium-Elastic-Rubber-Tipped/dp/B07C9R2SCQ/ref=pd_day0_hl_263_8?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07C9R2SCQ&pd_rd_r=4fd99713-7c61-4085-9b4f-922207b3b7d4&pd_rd_w=uwEEL&pd_rd_wg=tUQtg&pf_rd_p=cd872437-0036-44da-b76a-718df210c36e&pf_rd_r=745QHF7T1ZNNCYB7NSG1&psc=1&refRID=745QHF7T1ZNNCYB7NSG1

 

I totally agree on the utility of a cargo net for securing all kinds of stuff.  I have a smaller 'net, too, but with smaller plastic hooks that just don't work as well as the big metal hooks.

 

When I first saw your posting I went back to my "orders" and it said "out of stock".  I guess its back now.  Just saw it.

 

Safe rides!!