Hauling bikes comes up from time to time and if you don't have or want to buy a trailer, this is your safest bet. I myself like having a trailer.

 

I routinely haul my bikes for the 3,200 mike trip to visit my son in Vegas and ride down to Laughlin River Run.

You negative nannies do know that there are wide, long heavy duty ramps specifically for riding bikes onto truck beds don't you? Just look in the back of any motorcycle magazine and look at the adds.

The U-Tube video's are the moron's using improvised ramps and or clueless how to do it correctly and safely.

In addition to the proper ramp, I took a 4X8 3/4 inch sheet of plywood and secured a wheel chock to it and 6 strap attachment points for the tie downs.

The platform is essentially a trailer bed without wheels and axle. It is secured to the truck bed. It stays set up. It I ever need to retrieve my bike from a breakdown, I just call my wife and she'll drive the truck out. It has a 12V wench to pull the bike onto the truck if needed. l value being self sufficient.

I have hauled the XR11200 and the Vrod but not the RGC yet. But if the tail gate won't close just remove it.

 

You negative nannies do know that there are wide, long heavy duty ramps specifically for riding bikes onto truck beds don't you? Just look in the back of any motorcycle magazine and look at the adds.

The U-Tube video's are the moron's using improvised ramps and or clueless how to do it correctly and safely.

Really, I agree, I didn't see any fails when using a good ramp. It looks easy. Though I'm sure it requires a bit of finesse.
And why all the suggestions to use a trailer, I already got one that I sleep, cook, eat, shower and poop in, among other things, when I done riding for the day. Thats the whole purpose of getting the bike in the truck bed so I can take everything down the road together. I know I could just spend a large chunk of change and buy a toy hauler but my trailer is a HiLo I like it and it's already paid for. I'd like to be able to use the trailer because I can't afford restaurants & motels and I'm totally over sleeping on the ground in a tent. Did that last year at Sturgis and I want to take it easy on the ol' bod this year. So I just need to know if a RG actually a RG Ultra will fit in a Dodge Ram 2500 8" bed with the tail gate closed. I know I can leave the TG off but would like to use it if I can.

 

An 8 foot bed should be no problem. Just setting things up correctly so loading the bike is done safely and the bike is secure.
First, you don't want to put 800 lbs on the tailgate. The cable may hold but the tail gate itself can buckle with the weigh concentrated on the center. I used a 2X8 plank for the bike to sit on and it extended out to the edge of the tailgate with the ramp resting on the plank rather than the tailgate.
Second, a front wheel chauk can be made from lumber. Use a peice of plywood as your base so when the front wheel is captured the bike won't fall over when you get it into the bed of the truck.
Third, your ramp has to be secured to the truck so it doesn't shoot out from under the bike while you are driving up it.
Fourth, the ramp has to be strong enough to support the bike as well as a place for your feet to walk the bike up under power. You don't ride the bike up the ramp.



This may look pretty hokey but it's secure. The center ramp supports the bike while the two outboard ramps are so I can walk the bike up. Notice how they are secured to the plank in the truck so nothing moves while the bike is being loaded or unloaded. The plank in the bed of the truck has the wide strip of friction tape applied to it for unloading the bike. I use the front brake to control the backup speed and wood is to slippery. Once the bike is in the Ford Ranger it can stand by itself in the front wheel brace while I tie it down with straps.

This next picture is the front wheel chauk. Only used wood and bolts. In this application the chauk was bolted to the bed of the truck. My later version was the same rig only mounted on a sheet of plywood that I could just throw in the bed of the truck. Doesn't have to be secured because the weight of the bike and the straps keep it in place.



Here you can see the 2x8 plank, reinforced with 2x4s on each side. It extends out to the edge of the tailgate. In an 8 foot bed, you could probably just leave the tailgate off and and the rear wheel would actually be in the bed of the truck while the rear fender extends a little beyond the end of the bed.



I had put this together when I went to Arizona in 2010 on a job assignment. A regular wide ramp would not fit in the truck along with the tools and my personal luggage I needed for the six months I was out there.

 

If you have problems and can't close the tailgate. Take it off and strap it flat in the bed by the bike.

I have also strapped mine to the front of the bed before putting the bike in the bed.

This is easy on all GM and Ford trucks (your luck may vary with Toyota and Nissan's).

 

Last weekend my Roadglide just electrically died at my daughter's house. It was easily fixed once I got home. I loaded it into the back of my Dodge pickup with out too much problem. Fortunately there was a short retaining wall by their driveway to help loading. It was a ****** to wrestle up the hill where the wall was. Once in the truck I could easily tie it down. If I were to haul it again I would get some rachetting straps to tie it down, but being an Eagle scout I was able to tie it with a regular rope. Bottom line is yes it fits in a truck easily, but you have to leave the tailgate down. Diagonally? I do not think I could have wrestled it sideways once up there.

 

With all of this rolling equipment, neither you nor a friend, have a 10 foot tape measure? Gently put the front wheel or a tail pipe against a wall or a garage door and measure to the farthest point on the other end of the scooter. No ramp, no high blood pressure etc. Murphy says that if the measurement is very close, it won't fit. Does your owner's manual give an overall length? I'll bet a dealer could measure the inside length of a shipping box.

 

Yeah! The first time I went in hot and bounced off the back of the bed--good times for all!

 

Just be careful man. There have been so many reports of limited success when folks try to do what you are attempting. Consider renting a trailer on the cheap. I wish you well.

 

learned some things here - thanks