Hey guys I am getting ready to buy my 1st truck ('05 Colorado base) and I had a few questions about motorcycle transportation. About a month ago I got a flat on my bike, and the tow service guy that came out had some really sweet stuff on his truck, he had a clamp for the rear tire and a sliding ramp that extended from the tail gate, but where can you find this stuff? I tried searching and came up empty handed. Also what kind of straps would you guys reccomend?

The other dilemna is that the trucks bed is only 72.8" long and bike is around 80" long. this would mean that i would have to go tailgate down with the bike in there, will this be safe with it strapped in? Thanks for the help guys!

 

I just transported a bike for the first time myself yesterday. That extendable ramp would be nice, but for strapping it down, I just picked up 4 900lb ratcheting tie-downs. 2 got looped around and strapped to the top of the triple tree. And the other 2 were strapped around where the rearsets attached to the bike. Really simple and very effective. Did this in 2 vehicles yesterday, picked up the bike in a truck (had to leave the tailgate down, no big deal) and then transported it into a Ford E-250 van, and didnt have a problem with shifting at all. I guess just make sure to load the front forks when you are strapping it down and tightening it for the last time, so theres no chance of it moving because of the shock movement.

 

It should be a piece of cake getting a bike in the back of a Colorado. Get a nice long ramp (foldable would be nice), 4 tow straps (2 for front, 2 for rear), and a canyon dancer (http://www.canyondancer.com/). If you have the cheese, you can opt for a foldable ramp that doubles as a tailgate extender. The bike itself should be okay w/ the tailgate down, but it's the gear (ramp, toolbox, etc.) that you don't want sliding out. My friend was looking into getting the same truck, and from what I remember, the tailgate can lock partially down.

 

what could i make a ramp out of for temporary use until i get a real ramp?

 

go to like a home depot or somethign like that and they should have ramp kits....you buy a piece of wood and then the kit comes with the ramp ledge (So it's flush on the bed) and all the mounting hardware. That's what I got but I forget where I picked it up. I used to use that board for my dirt bikes and it works great for a street bike now.

Also, remember to put your bike in gear when you strap it down for just that little bit extra security.


Hope that helped.

 

That canyon dancer looks like an awesome idea, that way theres alot less chance of having the strapping rub against the tops of your fairings.

 

Don't ride up the ramp, it's scary as ****

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by RebornGSR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Don't ride up the ramp, it's scary as **** </TD></TR></TABLE>

Dont drop your bike off the ramp when backing it off either. And/or dont let the ramps slip off the tailgate with the bike on it.

 

I would recommend purchasing a Sport Chock from Baxley. If you do a google-search, you should be able to find it. This is the place I purchased my chock from:

http://piratesk12site.net/Chock.htm

The basics of the Sport Chock is you ride up onto it, and it "locks" the front wheel in place. It makes it MUCH easier to tie the bike down while using the chock. Is it absolutely necessary? Not really, but it helps a lot, especially if you have to secure the bike by yourself.

 

that is kinda like what the tow guy had, except his was bolted down and worked more like a vice to clamp the front wheel

 

The Sport Chock can be bolted into the bed of your truck. I never bolted mine down, and it's worked just fine.

$200+ is a lot for a chock, but I justify the purchase because:

1) it saves parking space in my garage (the bike can stand straight up, instead of leaning in a direction)

2) my race bike does not have a kickstand, so I can utilize this at the track (just roll on and hop off)

3) it makes it easier to load and secure a bike on a trailer by myself

 

two things to add if you plan on transporting often.

1) When you load the bike it is important to load up the front end, but only a little! You could definitely blow fork seals with a few 1000lb ratchet straps and a little too much enthusiasm.

2) Invest in the $5 for the handlebar straps from any dealer. Basically they are little straps you wrap around your bars, then you can strap the big ratchet guys onto those, it'll save your fairings/triple from damage from the big honkin hooks.

 

Yeah, +1 on being careful with ratchet tiedowns. You could go too far. I use the non-ratchet ones (forgot the term...cam-type?) and have never had a problem.

 

Yikes, so fully compressing the front forks could lead to damage? Could it be caused by just compressing them, or do you have to compress + go that extra little bit before damage is done?

 

You don't want to overcompress your forks. My method is to tighten as much as I need until the bike doesn't easily rock back and forth (without moving the whole trailer). It's worked just fine so far.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by jlacoy82 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Yikes, so fully compressing the front forks could lead to damage? </TD></TR></TABLE>

Yes.

I usually compress maybe halfway and it should be enough, just push the bike from side to side a little and make sure it's secure.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by marmaladeboy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I would recommend purchasing a Sport Chock from Baxley.

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Yup. I have one. It's very nice. And yes, you can bolt it to the bed, then unbolt it when you get to the track so you can use it in the pits. I haven't been to the track yet but it's awefully handy when you wanna use a rear stand and you've already got your bike upright in the chock.

BTW, most people use CanyonDancers on the bars and Ancra tie downs. Oh, and if you're gonna strap your bike on the bed of your truck, be sure to get a 2x4 across the width of your bed and wedge it behind your cab, where the bike's front tire will be. Because when you ratchet your tie downs, the tension will bend the bed where the tire pushes up against the bed wall. It'll actually bend the thick rail on top. No problem if you've got chocks bolted in.