Loading bike in pickup truck

[mjfink420]

Had to load the S1000XR into a truck for the first time this weekend (flat tire, so new it still has the nibs on it... Yeah, that hurts, we'll see if Michelin helps out).

I know there are a bunch of opinions on this, but I tried what seems to be the "most preferred" method (walking the bike up with the engine running in 1st gear) and I must say, it was a STRUGGLE. The XR is crazy tall already, trying to walk it up, keep an eye on where it is on the ramp, where I am on the ramp and the height of the truck, man.. I got it in, but nearly dropped it at least twice, including once the tweaked my wrist enough that it still hurts.

Anyway, seems common knowledge here may not be right, at least not for these taller bikes going into taller trucks (F450).

New plan, I got another set of ramps and plan to use 3 or 4 of them together (giving me either a 36" or 48" total width) and riding the bike in. I have my worries about the new plan too, but I just can't see how walking it in is supposed to work with such a high bike (and truck).

Wondering if anyone else has been down this path and has any advice to offer? My ramps are 90" long and arched, so, especially on the XR, can't imagine I'll have clearance issues. Of course, try to use a hill or some other way to make the angle less severe. But it seems that every guide I can find says "Don't ride it in".

Any opinions/guidance others can offer on this?

 

[kbasa]

I have an aluminum ramp and a milk crate. I always tie the ramp to the truck with a tie down and don't like to load by myself anymore.

Get a helper and get them to push ONLY, while you manage the bike by holding the bars. It's imperative that the pusher ONLY PUSHES or you'll get into a back and forth wrestling match trying to hold it up.

Best solution? A U-Haul motorcycle trailer. Seriously. It's like $15 a day and your life will be way, way better the whole way around. You can load it by yourself if you put the tie downs where you can reach them.

 

[DavidR8]

There's no way on earth I would try and load more than a bicycle into an F450. It's just too tall.
@kbasa is 100% right; rent (or buy if your need is frequent) a trailer.

 

[CaptCF]

Agree with the others.. I have a 5x10 open flatbed with permanently mounted (well bolted anyway) wheel chocks and the whole tailgate drops down into a ramp so the ramp is 5' wide. That coupled with it being much lower to the ground than a pickup bed makes it relatively easy to manage even solo. That said, I still get somebody to spot me if somebody is around, but that's only prob 30% of the time. I helped a guy load an Africa Twin into an F350 once using Home Depot aluminum ramps and it was scary AF even with 2-3 people.

 

[kbasa]

Agree with the others.. I have a 5x10 open flatbed with permanently mounted (well bolted anyway) wheel chocks and the whole tailgate drops down into a ramp so the ramp is 5' wide. That coupled with it being much lower to the ground than a pickup bed makes it relatively easy to manage even solo. That said, I still get somebody to spot me if somebody is around, but that's only prob 30% of the time. I helped a guy load an Africa Twin into an F350 once using Home Depot aluminum ramps and it was scary AF even with 2-3 people.

My thoughts changed when I went to pick my buddy up after he hit a deer. I have a 2000 F150, which for some unknown reason came equipped with "4 wheel drive ride height". We had four people trying to load that thing and I thought for sure it was going to fall on me and kill me.

That's the last time I put a bike in my truck. I might for an emergency like that, but otherwise, it's gonna be a trailer, and not one of those rail things.

 

[mikegalbicka]

You could buy one of these used like I did and never have to worry about it again.

 

[kbasa]

That's gotta make dump runs of yard stuff a pain in the butt.

I've seen those and they're pretty amazing.

 

[PGlaves]

This is what we have now!

 

[GTRider]

Pickup trucks have about outgrown their usefulness as MC transport save for lightweight dirt bikes. Loading a street bike into the bed of my ‘88 Toyota 2WD was relatively easy and unfrightening, but even the ‘Yotas have gotten too tall for comfort, so the trailer advice is spot on. I use a 2-bike Aluma with a full-width ramp and loading/unloading is a breeze, even working solo.

And to think, back in my 18yr-old days I used to ride full-dress Harleys up a 2x12 wood ramp into the back of customer pickup trucks. WTH were we thinking back then??

Best,
DeVern

 

[mikegalbicka]

That's gotta make dump runs of yard stuff a pain in the butt.

I've seen those and they're pretty amazing.

Only takes about an hour to secure the lift in the bed so most of the time the bed is empty and available for loads. Lift gets loaded when we travel or for an emergency haul.

 

[mjfink420]

Thanks guys, at least I'm not alone. I hate the height on the 450, it's ridiculous, there's no reason for it to be that high; it honestly makes it hard to couple correctly to a 5th wheel or gooseneck trailer, which is, laughably, the REASON people buy F450's. Genius. Totally form over function.

I do have a large(ish) landscape trailer with a full width ramp. It's just really big (20ft long) and I use it only to run around town, so I don't have a ton of confidence in the tires/bearings/etc. I've never had any issue with it, but I don't maintain that trailer like I do my other "long haul" trailers that I tear down every year or so to do the bearings/brakes/etc. Would be child's play to load into that, it's only a foot or two off the ground, so maybe that's what I'll do for the first day? In the future, I anticipate I'll pull our RV to the track, but I don't really want to get into all that for my first time there.

Incidentally, toy hauler RVs have the same problem. The ramp is super steep. It's full width, so you're not going to fall off it, but I've had a few "that was not safe" moment trying to load the bike into the "garage" of the toy hauler. I actually laid friction tape (kind of like sandpaper) in the area where I ride up the back deck, that made life a lot better; the stock coating is just slippery, REALLY slippery when it's wet, I've almost fallen down it a few times just walking it.

What do you guys think of this video? He makes it look pretty easy with a full width ramp. If I combine my ramps, I can get 36", which is plenty to get a foot down while going up. I was trying to load the XR with just 2 ramps, walking up with the bike was impossible (no room) and riding up, if I didn't make it, I couldn't get a foot down (the bike was in the way). It seems with a taller truck, riding up is the way to go, but I totally understand why others wouldn't do it, shoot, that's what has me here, my worry about doing it!

The good news, if I do decide to do the "ride up", it'll be the Tuono 660, not the XR. That bike is so much smaller and lower it'll be a lot less to try to deal with. Still thinking it through, but appreciate the responses and glad to know I'm not alone in the "this doesn't seem like a great idea" for loading into the bed of a pickup.

 

[omega man]

What do you guys think of this video? He makes it look pretty easy with a full width ramp. If I combine my ramps, I can get 36", which is plenty to get a foot down while going up. I was trying to load the XR with just 2 ramps, walking up with the bike was impossible (no room) and riding up, if I didn't make it, I couldn't get a foot down (the bike was in the way). It seems with a taller truck, riding up is the way to go, but I totally understand why others wouldn't do it, shoot, that's what has me here, my worry about doing it!

The good news, if I do decide to do the "ride up", it'll be the Tuono 660, not the XR. That bike is so much smaller and lower it'll be a lot less to try to deal with. Still thinking it through, but appreciate the responses and glad to know I'm not alone in the "this doesn't seem like a great idea" for loading into the bed of a pickup.

From your Track Day thread-

Gearing up for first track day..

At the track days I've done (including a few at CMP), while there were usually a few with overactive egos, the vast majority of guys and gals were there just having fun on their bikes and working on skills. I found most happy to help, give advice or just plain chat. Enjoy your time on the track...

forums.bmwmoa.org

I have made a number pf purchases from Discount Ramps including the "Long and Wide" punched (for grip) ramp.

OM

 

[classicvw]

No, not gonna try that again. Even if you bring along enough muscle to push it up there, how do you keep your feet planted on either the ground or the ramps, and still maintain control over the front brake. How do you reach it? And do your friends also come with you to unload it when you get to your destination? Like others said, rent a low height trailer. The Kendon I bought years ago used for $1400 has been a dream to load, haul, and unload a bike. I can do it by myself. Best purchase ever.

 

[mjfink420]

From your Track Day thread-

Gearing up for first track day..

At the track days I've done (including a few at CMP), while there were usually a few with overactive egos, the vast majority of guys and gals were there just having fun on their bikes and working on skills. I found most happy to help, give advice or just plain chat. Enjoy your time on the track...

forums.bmwmoa.org

I have made a number pf purchases from Discount Ramps including the "Long and Wide" punched (for grip) ramp.

OM

I have 4 ramps (12" each, 8ft long), so I could make a ramp that's the entire width of the truck. I really don't want to, the ramps are big and I really think 3 is plenty to ride up, go up the center with a full 12" ramp on either side for my feet. But I really feel that riding up would be better control than trying to push it up or control the bike off to the side walking next to it. IDK why that's the recommended method (I've never loaded anything like that before) but it does seem that most say "don't ride up".

. Even if you bring along enough muscle to push it up there, how do you keep your feet planted on either the ground or the ramps, and still maintain control over the front brake.

Are you talking about truck loading in general or walking next to the bike when unloading? Unloading I have a lot less concern, just roll back until the front wheel hits the ramp, then let it come down. Much more concerned about loading, that's where I've seen things go sideways before and where I really struggled with the XR. When I got it home, I just put the ramps out, sat on the bike, and let it roll down them, didn't feel sketchy at all because gravity is working in your favor.

I won't be bringing enough muscle, it'll be solo load/unload. Maybe I can get some help at the track, but I'm not counting on it.

One thing I did notice, when people do the "walk up" method with 2 ramps, they put the 2nd ramp further away from the bike. That's a good idea, it would have been much easier to control if I was further away/had more leverage. But, overall, not a huge fan of walking up those ramps, it's kind of sketch even without a motorcycle, IMHO.

 

[CaptCF]

Do you have a hill or anything nearby that you can use to reduce the angle? I have done that a few times when the terrain supported it (sloped driveway, grassy knoll, etc.). Just point the front of the truck down the grade and use the angle of the terrain to your advantage.

 

[mjfink420]

Do you have a hill or anything nearby that you can use to reduce the angle? I have done that a few times when the terrain supported it (sloped driveway, grassy knoll, etc.). Just point the front of the truck down the grade and use the angle of the terrain to your advantage.

At home, yes, I have a good place that can reduce the load angle a bit. At the track, probably not, it's pretty flat in the pit/parking area. Maybe there's a good spot to do it, sure they'll know when I get there, but I figure I have to be ready to load on the flat in case there's no area that would help me reduce the angle.

 

[CaptCF]

At home, yes, I have a good place that can reduce the load angle a bit. At the track, probably not, it's pretty flat in the pit/parking area. Maybe there's a good spot to do it, sure they'll know when I get there, but I figure I have to be ready to load on the flat in case there's no area that would help me reduce the angle.

That might work out ok. At home is prob where you will be alone. I've always found track folks to be pretty willing to lend a hand so I can't imagine you won't be able to scare up a couple of loading assistants.

 

[bluehole]

I have tried both the ride on and walk beside method with my Oilheads/Airheads. The walk beside method works for me. I find an uncomfortable moment at about 11:14 of this video when I struggle to maintain sure footed contact with the ground. That being said, I can understand why riding up might be preferable. Do what works for you. As I get older I think I will be renting a Uhaul motorcycle trailer in the future. By the way, with drum brakes on an Airhead the index finger on the brake thing does not work.

 

[lee]

Only takes about an hour to secure the lift in the bed so most of the time the bed is empty and available for loads. Lift gets loaded when we travel or for an emergency haul.

How much does it weigh? Is it aluminum or steel?

 

[lee]

This is what we have now!
View attachment 98098

The nice thing about those is the low floor, plus it's aerodynamic shape does not cut gas mileage as much as other enclosed trailers.