Moto-Gate Tie-Downs

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Tested: Moto-Gate Tie-Downs
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Vital Review

Review and photos by Andre Barbosa

Many people do not pay much attention to tie-downs. After all, securing a bike to a vehicle seems like a pretty simple job. I felt the same way, until many years ago I had my bike fall from a trailer. Luckily, I was driving slowly at the time, but the repair bill still amounted to new radiators, handlebars, grips, brake lever, and radiator shrouds. As you can imagine, I started paying very close attention to tie-downs after that incident.

Product Highlights:


  • Each strap features a carabiner (a metal loop with a spring-loaded gatehook) on one end and a hook-and-loop handlebar strap on the other.
  • Custom “MG" logo.
  • Spring-loaded cam lock is weather resistant and very secure.
  • MSRP $32.95

First Impressions:

When I first received the Moto-Gate tie downs, I was immediately impressed by its build quality, as all the materials look and feel top-notch. The hook-and-loop handlebar strap, combined with a carabiner hook on the other end, ensure peace of mind when securing your bike to a vehicle.

The hook-and-loop strap easily handles oversize handlebars, which were a problem with old-school tie-downs. I run Fasst Flexx handlebars on one of my bikes, which can be a challenge with other tie-downs, but were easy to secure with the Moto-Gate product.

On the Way to the Track:

Attaching the carabiner hook to a vehicle is a quick and easy task. Personally, I valued the feeling of knowing that the tie-down wouldn’t come unhooked on its own, as the carabiner is spring-loaded and locks solidly once in place. As a nice additional feature, there is rubber covering in the section where the hook attaches to the anchor in your vehicle, thus protecting the mounting point from any unneeded wear.

The carabiner’s inability to swivel could be considered the weak point in this otherwise great product. This requires more attention when attaching the tie-downs, otherwise the straps can be twisted, something I always try to avoid when transporting bikes. Although not a big issue for me, the carabiner hook could also benefit from being slightly bigger. I was able to attach the Moto-Gate tie-downs to my pickup truck without much of a problem, but the bigger hooks seen in other products certainly make the task easier.

Long-Term Durability:

The strap material feels robust, being thicker than some competitors, and giving the impression that these tie-downs will withstand years of tough service. It’s worth pointing out that some other tie-downs have straps that are wider, but not as thick as Moto-Gate’s. However, that does not seem to make a difference in performance or durability, and seems to be more of a matter of personal preference.

The Last Word:

Overall, this is a solid product that impressed me with its features and high build quality, while being competitively priced at $32.95. The lack of swiveling hooks was somewhat of a let-down, but was offset by all the positive features that Moto-Gate packed into these tie-downs.

Check out MotoGate.com for more information or to check out their other products.

VitalMX rating: 3.5 stars

About the Test Rider:

Andre Barbosa is a part-time photographer / videographer, part-time film student, and full-time motocross enthusiast. He started as a mechanical engineer, because of his love for all things motorcycle related, but switched to the banking industry after getting his MBA. He currently lives in Irvine, and can be found riding the local SoCal tracks a couple of times a week. Although he regularly raced Districts 6 and 34 when he lived in NYC, currently his friends call him a professional practice rider.

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Specifications

Product
Moto-Gate Tie-Downs
Type
 
Construction
 
Miscellaneous
 
Price
$32.95
More Info
 
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