Harley in a truck with a 6.5' bed ??? Also a ramp?
#1
01-02-2007, 06:17 AM
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Harley in a truck with a 6.5' bed ??? Also a ramp?
Do you have a truck with a 6.5' bed? If so, have you put your Harley in back? The reason I am asking is we are looking at trucks right now. I measured our wide glide and it looks like if we get one with a 6.5' bed, the rear wheel will sit on the tailgate. I was wondering if this will be ok, or if it is too heavy and we shoud buy the truck with an 8' bed. The next bike we buy is going to be an Ultra, so we would need to be able to put it in therealso if we ever have to take it into the shop.My next question is what is a good ramp to use to get the bike up in the truck?
#2
01-02-2007, 06:38 AM
RE: Harley in a truck with a 6.5' bed ??? Also a ramp?
Well I have a Sportster and it was delievered to my house in the back of a Ranger. I've measured it and it'll fit in the back of my F-150 (6.5" bed) with the gate down. To be honest if you're looking at trucks, get something that'll haul it even if you put the bike on a trailer. I'm biased towards Fords for the shear amount of torque they can throw at pulling and carrying. My F-150 SuperCrew is a little bigger than most because of the bed but I can do more than most with it (I like my comfort and utility).
As for bike ramps, I've seen so many that I've lost track of what one to look at (ordering one for when I move back to the mainland). There's plenty of advertisements in American Iron and online that I've seen. I would suggest getting one that will slide off the actual bed and one that you have to set up. There's plenty of ramps that also fold out for an extended run so you don't have to work as hard at getting the bike (or other stuff) up into the bed.
If you do have to put the gate down (you probably will, even with an 8' bed), go ahead and look at getting a bed extender. With a 6.5" bed, you get about another foot with the gate down, the extender will keep everything else from blowing out the back. If you're not wanting a fixed structure in be back then get a net to strap it in when the gate is down. Both are not expensive and accomplish the same task.
Here's a link for you:
http://rampconnection.com/truck-ramps-main.shtml (the pic looks like it could help you visualize your bike/truck/ramp look). That website is just one I pulled up from googling "motorcycle ramps", there's plenty of others out there.
As for bike ramps, I've seen so many that I've lost track of what one to look at (ordering one for when I move back to the mainland). There's plenty of advertisements in American Iron and online that I've seen. I would suggest getting one that will slide off the actual bed and one that you have to set up. There's plenty of ramps that also fold out for an extended run so you don't have to work as hard at getting the bike (or other stuff) up into the bed.
If you do have to put the gate down (you probably will, even with an 8' bed), go ahead and look at getting a bed extender. With a 6.5" bed, you get about another foot with the gate down, the extender will keep everything else from blowing out the back. If you're not wanting a fixed structure in be back then get a net to strap it in when the gate is down. Both are not expensive and accomplish the same task.
Here's a link for you:
http://rampconnection.com/truck-ramps-main.shtml (the pic looks like it could help you visualize your bike/truck/ramp look). That website is just one I pulled up from googling "motorcycle ramps", there's plenty of others out there.
#3
01-02-2007, 07:20 AM
#4
01-02-2007, 09:23 AM
RE: Harley in a truck with a 6.5' bed ??? Also a ramp?
Man I just went thru that stuff. I had a little electrical prob on my bike, so I had to leave it and go get something to haul it with. I was lucky enough to be able to push it to a friends house.
So I go home and get my truck and utility trailer. I try to load the bike into the utility trailer, the trailer is a 6ft long type, but low to the ground and tilts. Everything was great except that the bike is around 7' between tires meeting surface. So I had to hang the rear tire over the end and put it in nuetral to haul it home.
I am now rebuilding the trailer for bikes. I couldnt imagine putting the bike in my truck bed cause it's so high off the ground. I know it would be nice not to have to haul a trailer though. I have a Dodge 1500 short bed and that booger must be 4' off the ground to the tailgait.
So I go home and get my truck and utility trailer. I try to load the bike into the utility trailer, the trailer is a 6ft long type, but low to the ground and tilts. Everything was great except that the bike is around 7' between tires meeting surface. So I had to hang the rear tire over the end and put it in nuetral to haul it home.
I am now rebuilding the trailer for bikes. I couldnt imagine putting the bike in my truck bed cause it's so high off the ground. I know it would be nice not to have to haul a trailer though. I have a Dodge 1500 short bed and that booger must be 4' off the ground to the tailgait.
#5
01-02-2007, 09:39 AM
Tourer
RE: Harley in a truck with a 6.5' bed ??? Also a ramp?
Yes!!! I have an F-150 w/6.5 bed and my FatBoy fits comfortably.
I did a quick write-up on this very subject over at F-150.com
You'll have to scroll down a few posts, but here's the link. http://www.f150online.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=245276Look for the red FB and F-150.
You should also consider the Condor wheel chock, they work great.
I did a quick write-up on this very subject over at F-150.com
You'll have to scroll down a few posts, but here's the link. http://www.f150online.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=245276Look for the red FB and F-150.
You should also consider the Condor wheel chock, they work great.
#6
01-02-2007, 10:05 AM
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RE: Harley in a truck with a 6.5' bed ??? Also a ramp?
ORIGINAL: Twohulabears
Do you have a truck with a 6.5' bed? If so, have you put your Harley in back? The reason I am asking is we are looking at trucks right now. I measured our wide glide and it looks like if we get one with a 6.5' bed, the rear wheel will sit on the tailgate. I was wondering if this will be ok, or if it is too heavy and we shoud buy the truck with an 8' bed. The next bike we buy is going to be an Ultra, so we would need to be able to put it in therealso if we ever have to take it into the shop.My next question is what is a good ramp to use to get the bike up in the truck?
Do you have a truck with a 6.5' bed? If so, have you put your Harley in back? The reason I am asking is we are looking at trucks right now. I measured our wide glide and it looks like if we get one with a 6.5' bed, the rear wheel will sit on the tailgate. I was wondering if this will be ok, or if it is too heavy and we shoud buy the truck with an 8' bed. The next bike we buy is going to be an Ultra, so we would need to be able to put it in therealso if we ever have to take it into the shop.My next question is what is a good ramp to use to get the bike up in the truck?
I use the http://www.rampconnection.com/motorcycleramps1.shtmlBig Boy 10' ramps.
Ride it up in and coast it off. Also have a wheel stop installed in the front of the bed. Piece of cake!!!
#7
01-02-2007, 10:20 AM
RE: Harley in a truck with a 6.5' bed ??? Also a ramp?
You may not be considering a smallt trailer but it's the directionI would point you having hauled large bikes in long & short pickup beds. The ease of loading/unloading out of a low trailer is so much easier and any size truck can pull one. Ultra's are a handful to push into a truck and riding one up is no picnic either.
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#8
01-02-2007, 10:25 AM
Road Warrior
RE: Harley in a truck with a 6.5' bed ??? Also a ramp?
I hauled a '07 Street Bob in our short bed Chevy, tailgate down. http://discountramps.com/motorcycle_ramp_page.htm I have the Black Widow.
#9
01-02-2007, 10:55 AM
May our Moderator Rest in Peace
RE: Harley in a truck with a 6.5' bed ??? Also a ramp?
I tried to put my 07 Custom in my 6' Ranger's bed, and it fit. But the down side is that it is so damn long the rear tire was sitting on the tailgate.
That's not a good thing as the gates cables cannotbetrusted to hold that kind of a load at all. I accidentally dropped the gate a couple of years ago and both of the the cables snapped on me. They looked fine on the outside, but under the rubberized covering they had corroded from road salt and water. So you can't trust them to hold anything as heavy as even a light weight sportster. One decent bump and they could let go. I'm notsure what might happen then, but I am sure I don't want to find out.
The other thing that bothered me was that theweight of the bike was bending the inner pannel of the gate.
I am in the market for a new truck now, my poor old 01 Ranger has over 296,000mi on it and the wife is worried its going to die in the middle of nowhere on me.But it will be another shortbed (6') Ranger unless I can get a really good deal onan F-150 with a V8, and I willhaul my bike in it. But before I do in ANY truck I need a better ramp, a piece of steel or diamond plate to screw on the gate, and a pair of flat steel bars to replace the cables while the bike is in the truck.
I didn't realize that the rear tire was going to sit on the bed because I forgot to measure the distance from the front of the bikes front wheel. I screwed up by measuring only the distance between thecontact patches.
Only advise I would give you is get a really long ramp, build for bike's, not ATV's. it will reduce the break over angle at the top. Make sure its wide enough to put your feet down, its amazing how spooky it is to ride up a ramp at very slow speeds when you can't put your feet on anything for balance. And get a pair of flat steel bars (Home Depot or Lowes for under $10) to replace the cables while your loading,unloading. Even if the bike doesn't stay on the gate like mine its still putting a hell of a loading on the cables while its going up or down the ramp and over it. If you need a reason to do it, just call itcheap insurance.
That's not a good thing as the gates cables cannotbetrusted to hold that kind of a load at all. I accidentally dropped the gate a couple of years ago and both of the the cables snapped on me. They looked fine on the outside, but under the rubberized covering they had corroded from road salt and water. So you can't trust them to hold anything as heavy as even a light weight sportster. One decent bump and they could let go. I'm notsure what might happen then, but I am sure I don't want to find out.
The other thing that bothered me was that theweight of the bike was bending the inner pannel of the gate.
I am in the market for a new truck now, my poor old 01 Ranger has over 296,000mi on it and the wife is worried its going to die in the middle of nowhere on me.But it will be another shortbed (6') Ranger unless I can get a really good deal onan F-150 with a V8, and I willhaul my bike in it. But before I do in ANY truck I need a better ramp, a piece of steel or diamond plate to screw on the gate, and a pair of flat steel bars to replace the cables while the bike is in the truck.
I didn't realize that the rear tire was going to sit on the bed because I forgot to measure the distance from the front of the bikes front wheel. I screwed up by measuring only the distance between thecontact patches.
Only advise I would give you is get a really long ramp, build for bike's, not ATV's. it will reduce the break over angle at the top. Make sure its wide enough to put your feet down, its amazing how spooky it is to ride up a ramp at very slow speeds when you can't put your feet on anything for balance. And get a pair of flat steel bars (Home Depot or Lowes for under $10) to replace the cables while your loading,unloading. Even if the bike doesn't stay on the gate like mine its still putting a hell of a loading on the cables while its going up or down the ramp and over it. If you need a reason to do it, just call itcheap insurance.
#10
01-02-2007, 11:05 AM
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RE: Harley in a truck with a 6.5' bed ??? Also a ramp?
ORIGINAL: Citoriplus
I tried to put my 07 Custom in my 6' Ranger's bed, and it fit. But the down side is that it is so damn long the rear tire was sitting on the tailgate.
That's not a good thing as the gates cables cannotbetrusted to hold that kind of a load at all. I accidentally dropped the gate a couple of years ago and both of the the cables snapped on me. They looked fine on the outside, but under the rubberized covering they had corroded from road salt and water. So you can't trust them to hold anything as heavy as even a light weight sportster. One decent bump and they could let go. I'm notsure what might happen then, but I am sure I don't want to find out.
The other thing that bothered me was that theweight of the bike was bending the inner pannel of the gate.
I am in the market for a new truck now, my poor old 01 Ranger has over 296,000mi on it and the wife is worried its going to die in the middle of nowhere on me.But it will be another shortbed (6') Ranger unless I can get a really good deal onan F-150 with a V8, and I willhaul my bike in it. But before I do in ANY truck I need a better ramp, a piece of steel or diamond plate to screw on the gate, and a pair of flat steel bars to replace the cables while the bike is in the truck.
I didn't realize that the rear tire was going to sit on the bed because I forgot to measure the distance from the front of the bikes front wheel. I screwed up by measuring only the distance between thecontact patches.
Only advise I would give you is get a really long ramp, build for bike's, not ATV's. it will reduce the break over angle at the top. Make sure its wide enough to put your feet down, its amazing how spooky it is to ride up a ramp at very slow speeds when you can't put your feet on anything for balance. And get a pair of flat steel bars (Home Depot or Lowes for under $10) to replace the cables while your loading,unloading. Even if the bike doesn't stay on the gate like mine its still putting a hell of a loading on the cables while its going up or down the ramp and over it. If you need a reason to do it, just call itcheap insurance.
I tried to put my 07 Custom in my 6' Ranger's bed, and it fit. But the down side is that it is so damn long the rear tire was sitting on the tailgate.
That's not a good thing as the gates cables cannotbetrusted to hold that kind of a load at all. I accidentally dropped the gate a couple of years ago and both of the the cables snapped on me. They looked fine on the outside, but under the rubberized covering they had corroded from road salt and water. So you can't trust them to hold anything as heavy as even a light weight sportster. One decent bump and they could let go. I'm notsure what might happen then, but I am sure I don't want to find out.
The other thing that bothered me was that theweight of the bike was bending the inner pannel of the gate.
I am in the market for a new truck now, my poor old 01 Ranger has over 296,000mi on it and the wife is worried its going to die in the middle of nowhere on me.But it will be another shortbed (6') Ranger unless I can get a really good deal onan F-150 with a V8, and I willhaul my bike in it. But before I do in ANY truck I need a better ramp, a piece of steel or diamond plate to screw on the gate, and a pair of flat steel bars to replace the cables while the bike is in the truck.
I didn't realize that the rear tire was going to sit on the bed because I forgot to measure the distance from the front of the bikes front wheel. I screwed up by measuring only the distance between thecontact patches.
Only advise I would give you is get a really long ramp, build for bike's, not ATV's. it will reduce the break over angle at the top. Make sure its wide enough to put your feet down, its amazing how spooky it is to ride up a ramp at very slow speeds when you can't put your feet on anything for balance. And get a pair of flat steel bars (Home Depot or Lowes for under $10) to replace the cables while your loading,unloading. Even if the bike doesn't stay on the gate like mine its still putting a hell of a loading on the cables while its going up or down the ramp and over it. If you need a reason to do it, just call itcheap insurance.
I'm so much happier with the fullsize. I can do what I need to do. I get 19-20 mpg highway with a 5.4 liter, heavy duty towing transmission, and 4 wheel drive.
Look hard at the fullsize before you hand over your money.