Not so much on which model, but a) whether I am smoking the funny reefer, and b) if not, what bed size (6.6' or 8')? I am thinking of buying a pickup, not really set on brand or model yet, but I'm thinking of it as an easierway to transport the bike, especially on trips to the in-laws as a means of escape - trailers could work, but we typically go to Long Island, where parkways come in handy, but you can'tdrive on with a trailer (not sure about a bike in the back either, but..). Bike is an '07 Ultra, I've been reading a bunch of posts on experiences loading and unloading, and got a couple of questions...

1. Will a 6.6 foot bed with the gate down equal the 8ft+ that seems to be needed to hold the bike? How much room is there for 'give' just in case something shifts. I would just go for the 8' bed, but with the wife & kid I need a 4-door cab, plus an 8 ft bed is a big truck...

2. Is the ramp method of loading the bike really as bad as some posts I have read suggest they are? I have hills by me that I should be able to cut the angle down, but my destination may or may not - assuming flat suburbia road, how bad is getting the bike up the ramp?

3. Has anyone tried or used those motorized lifts from Rampage or another one (can;t remember the name) - they go for like $3k, are they worth it, or just a pain to install and taking up a bunch of space?

Thanks,

Sean

 

I recently bought a 2007 Silverado Classic 8' bed work truck and also was looking into ramping the bike in. My dad has an 05 V-Rod and the only way to get it in the back of the truck is with a 9' arched ramp. $324.00 for the ramp and still another $130.00 for an automatic chock for each bike. I have an 06 flhti and plan on going to both Laconia and Daytona next year and I'm going to opt for a trailer to fit both bikes. I've got a friend back in NH who has the same arched ramp and trying to get a dresser out of the back near Weirs Beach is "fun" as he put it. I've loaded many lighter streetbikes and dirt bikes into a pickup but backing a 780 lb dresser is a bit much for me. Plus with the trailer I'll have added space to put things and a much lower ramp to unload from. I do most of my long rides without a trailer so far but working second shift and riding 14-16hrs in one trip is quite an undertaking. Hope this helps ya out. I've seen a couple people with the automatic loaders but that's too much money for me which can be spent on other more worthwhile things since you still have to load that into your bed and then unload it when you want to use the bed for something else.

Scott

 

You can fit a bike in a regular sized box if you do not need to put the tailgate up. harleys get shipped on an 8' long crate. a decker will not fit inside the 8' crate if the tour pac is installed in place but it will fit over top of a closed tailgate. I have seen some of the motorized bike ramps and they seem to work really slick. if you are going to uses a foldable ramp make sure you get a wide one so that there is enough room to be able to put your feet down if you have to and then they are fine as well. One other trick is if you get a 4x4 and there is a small ditch near by. back the truck into it and then it helps to make the truck bed not as high as on level ground.

 

have you ever trailered your Roadglide? I may be looking at trailering mine to Daytona for the 1st time this Biketoberfest (not sure yet I may still ride). Just wondering what tie-down points to use on the front end since I normally wrap softies around the handebars, but the fairing is in the way on the glide. Thinking I'll secure to the engine guard by the fairing bracket, and maybe another strap on the front forks down low for extra measure.

 

i've got an 05 f150 crew cab, unfortunately the 04-05 f150's only had 5.5' boxes, but 06-up have a 6.5' option... the 6.5' option i don't believe would fit in my standard depth garage without the bumper touching the front wall... if garage keeping is a concern the f150 is a good choice, if you don't care, get the biggest box you can... you'll never regret having extra space... fortunately for me the 5.5' bed has been adequate for my needs... the crew cab portion is the only part I cared about as I also had 3 young kids to worry about (all three in car seats i might add)... the chevy/gmc and ford were the only two that had adequate crew cabs when i bought in 05 model year, now dodge has the mega cab which would work also... also hear they have a small bore cumming diesel on track for the half ton trucks as well... rumored to bring in 25mpg on the hwy and 21city, impressive numbers considering the hemi only pulls about 14 city in real world driving (my brothers numbers)...

as for loading a bike... personally, i see it as a risk worth not taking... i'd rather get a fold up kendon trailer and store it in the garage than bother with loading it in the truck... imho, get whatever truck you want and pop for a fold up trailer for bike transportation... might be a bit more coin, but imho, its the safest route to take... just my .02

 

Have been loading/unloading my Evo chopper, 8' tip to tip, for years now on a F150 ext cab/6.6' bed. If your rear wheel sits on the tailgate like mine, the gate is going to bend from the bike bouncing. The gate is not ridgid and moves up and down no matter how I cinch the bike down. I see you've read the loading posts, I'll just say if the bike is running, its kind of like a aircraft carrier landing going up, unloading requires good balance, line it up and let it go. If you have to push it on, get as much help as you can, don't think its a 1 man task. I have gone to the extent of diggin holes for the rear wheels to get a good angle for the ramp. All that said, pick up an 8' lowboy trailer, a lot less hassle.

 

i use a 14 foot lawn mower single axel trailer. with the big wide ramp on back that folds down.
so eazy !!
just ride bike on, cinch her down and go.
weet

 

Don't get a pickup. The bed heights are usually dangerously high to load/unload, your load is always available to any punk wanting bling and theives will follow you on vacation. Check out the Dodge Sprint (actually it's a Mercedes-Benz) diesel. Different ceiling heights and interiors available. Also the VW Eurovan has the highest door opening and lowest deck height compared to any US made van. VW is now offering in Europe, maybe here next year, a model specifically designed for hauling bikes. If you do get a regular truck, buy the electric loading roll back You can load/unload with ease by yourself without fear of dropping or ripping a new ******* when she tilts.[:@] These will also offer multiple locking locations for security and offer stronger anchoring than regular tie down strings. And get some sort of cover that will make the load look like a lump of coal. Overnight hotel stops will be safer.

 

Like FLFOOL said, I agree. I've seen so many people drop there bike riding up or down a truck ramp, it's not easy to do so take that into consideration before you decide.

 

As far as tie down placement using the fairing bracket works fine engine gaurds. I also use a couple more tie downs and attach behind passeger floor boards to keep bike from moving under acceleration. The last thing I do is check bike again after driving for a short distance. Much as I don't like to trailer wifes health makes it much more enjoyable upon arrival of area we plan to tour.