how do i get my bike into a pickup??

[Anonymous]

hi everybody! sorry if this is the wrong forum for this question, i wasn't sure where it should go but ...

what's the best way to get my 1986 gs450 into my friend's standard-sized pickup truck? i'm assuming i'll need:

1. ramp
2. people
3. rope/cable of some sort?

i know where to get #2, but i don't know what kind of ramp or what kind of rope i need and where i can get either of those things ...

any advice at all would be very much appreciated!

[Anonymous]

A full length 2x12 works well but they are slippery if it's frosty out. If your bike is running you could also take your bike to a dealer or highway department yard and use their permanent ramps. Do not ride up the ramp. It's not that big of a deal if the back wheel falls of the ramp while pushing the bike but being on it when the bike falls is not good.

When I use a board I take a run at it and make sure I don't stop until my front wheel has made it into my van (remove mirrors and/or handle bars if putting it in a van). Show your friends where it is safe to push on your bike too. It boggles my mind when they start shoving on the tail light and blinkers.

I use 4 winch straps to hold my bike down as I rarely have help to compress the springs on my bike. I put one strap on each side of my handle bar near the centre of each side where it bends. Then a strap on each side of the frame close to the rear springs. The ties should be connected to the truck bed as low as possible so they they are pulling the bike downward. The springs need to be compressed so that the bike doesn't move around when stopping the truck. If you are handy with ropes they will also work. Yellow plastic rope is the worst stuff to use as it is hard to put a knot in it where you want to. Cotton rope is great stuff and I recommend it but it will rot out eventually. I use my centre stand when I tie my bike down but it will damage the bed of the truck.

Cheers, Steve

[Anonymous]

Perhaps finding a piece of ground with a small hump in it would make the angle of the ramp less steep

[KGB]

I never use the center or side stand once in the truck/trailer.
Put it in first gear.

Go to Home Depot/Lowes or any home type store and buy a set of tie downs.
You don't need to 16 foot long ones. It's a pain in the butt with too much
strap to tie off.
We move bikes constantly for the m/c classes here in Mass.
We use both a trailer, nice and low, and a van, not nice and low.
For the trailer and van we bought a fold up aluminum ramp.
We actually have 2 for the atv's.
Work great and about $100 each. Well worth it for us.
If you occasionally move your bike, do like Steve says, get a 2X12 LONG about 8-10 footer and gently push it up into where ever you need.
Be careful to put something behind the bottom of the board so it doesn't slip out.
It's good to have at least one other person with you.
One on each side for balance. Once the front tire is into the truck/trailer, use the front brake, one of you climb up, with the front brake still applied, and guide it into it's intended spot.
Look at the pictures from the New England ride.
Brion(bgk),Skip[ and I are getting Skip's GS1150 into Brion's truck.
No problem. Just take your time.

[HiSPL]

Most times you can back the truck into a ditch or an embankment. This will usually put the tailgate at ground level or not far from it...

Just be sure you don't get stuck in the ditch.

[Anonymous]

I use an aluminum ramp made specifically for this little task. It's worth it for me because we ride dirt and need to transport them every time we ride anyway. If you don't need a ramp full time, use a 2x10 as Steve recommended.

Tie downs are the preferred devices for securing your motorcycle.

One person pushes the bike up the ramp while the other waits in the truck. This works for the smaller bikes. You may need two pushing for larger bikes.

Or - if you are really brave - ride it in. We do that when we're tired.

[Anonymous]

thanks a lot for the quick replies guys!

yeah the bike doesn't run so riding it in isn't an option - and i only expect to do this once so i don't think i'll spring for the ramp.

2x12s seems to be the thing! plus the tie-downs...

thanks everyone!

[dpep]

This is one job I always hate. In Florida everything is flat--hard to find any elevation. And I usually don't have anyone else around when I'm loading and unloading. Over the years I have used various types of rails and ramps, store-bought and home-made. I currently have a lightweight aluminum folding ramp and a home made job that is two thicknesses of 1/2" plywood, 2 feet wide. That moment when the front wheel is just on the truck and the rest still on the ramp is the scariest. Any kind of trip or slip and it is disaster time.

I agree about not riding your bike up the ramp (particularly good advice if you are putting it in a van). I used to ride up into my pickup, but one day I forgot to safety and and the ramp slid off onto the ground just a millisecond after my back tire made the tail gate. I looked back, saw that ramp flat on the ground, and I haven't ridden up since.

Be sure to safety your ramp by connecting a chain or rope from the underside of the ramp near the top to the bumper or trailer hitch of the truck.

I have been toying with the idea of using an wench setup. They have ones at Harbor Freight for $60-80 that will do the job. A lot of details details have to be worked out. Has anyone ever tried something like that?

[dwarf8]

Small guy with old '76 Chevy van.
I use a 2X10, 8 feet long.
I attached 2 right angle brackets at the end, just small "L" shapped pieces but they hold it from slipping back 'cause they go over the top of the bumper and that makes the board floor level in the van.
2 people is great!
One for power, one to drive.
Remember your brakes still work and can save your neck if the dreaded "back roll" starts.

[mdole]

We made a ramp with a couple of pieces of 2 X 8 and then cross-braced them so that one of the braces makes a stop against the tailgate. The length you need will be determined by your bed height. Painting the top of the 2 X 8s with marine non-skid helps a lot in wet weather.

My brother has a wooden wheel chair ramp that is great for loading.

When I lived in an apartment in Los Alamos we had a concrete retaining wall just off of the parking lot that was just about the perfect height to back up to and then ride the bike across the lawn and load.


If you in a hurry you can always find a bid speed bump. Park you truck about 25 feet down the road and hit the speed bump at about seventy and if you aim is good end up in the truck, possibly a little too deep in the cab but anyway in the truck.

With the trials bikes you just pop up the front wheel then load the rear shock, blip the throttle while unweighting the rear suspension and you?re in the truck.

Mike

[Gary Lich]

[quote="KGB"]I never use the center or side stand once in the truck/trailer.
Put it in first gear.quote]

Why don't you use the side stand ??? (I have hauled many-a-bike in the back of a pick-up with the front wheel firmly against the left corner front of the bed turned all the to the left, side stand down and ratchet tie downs on four corners with no problems)

[Anonymous]

The reason for not using the stand is that is will keep the forks from fully bottoming and can cause the bike to break loose if you hit a large bump. I never use the stand, either.

If you can find one cheap, there is no better vehicle (short of a purpose-built enclosed bike trailer) than an old Step Van (bread truck). I have a little 8ft bed 1/2 ton one of these (ice-cream truck without windows). There is no tailgate, the bed is closer to the ground than a pickup and the doors open wide enough to get the handlebars in with no sweat. It is tall enough to stand up and walk around inside without stooping over and you can enter through the side door and walk completely around the bike.

Since you can't wedge the front wheel against anything, like in a pickup, I have made a wheel stop similar to one found on a dirt bike trailer that bolts to the floor. I have eyebolts in the floor for the tie-downs both front and rear. The bike is totally enclosed and can be locked up completely. Just a thought for those of you with several bikes.

You can usually pick up a smaller old Step Van for under $1000, which is less than a trailer. It is also self propelled and is the perfect moving van, camper, storage shed...etc... I have had a pickup, a pickup with topper (most useless thing on the face of the earth next to an SUV), a standard cargo van, and other similar cargo vehicles. This is the most useful vehicle I have ever owned. When it finally dies, I will use it as a storage shed. The only thing I would like more is a bigger one, 12-16ft bed.

[Morgan]

Rather than actually ride the bike up the ramp, I fire the bike up, pop it into gear, and walk it up standing beside it. The thing you really have to watch for is that the rear wheel will try to spit the ramp out behind it just as it gets to the top. 8O Really scary when it does let go, trust me.

-Morgan

[argonsagas]

I have been toying with the idea of using an wench setup.

Don, I could not agree more.

Admittedly, I have had some difficulty in obtaining the requisite number of wenches who have the necessary perspective, but the rewards of success must surely be worthy of the effort.

[Giblet]

Speed bump?

The steps down to the sidewalk in front of my house are only about 6 or 7 inches lower than my tail gate which allows me to use my car ramp to roll into the bed. I ride GS1100GK in when loading that way but not on taller ramps. However, the speed bump sounds interesting. Since the GK weighs about 650-700 lbs, should the truck be parked fyrther away from the speed bump? (Lord help me if I ever do actually get it airborn!) :roll: