Loading bikes in Truck, the old mans way!

[Cigar Mike]

I like to take the bikes with me when I take my travel out for a week or more at time. That used to mean loading up the DS bikes in the back of the truck. The 350# XR650L could be a chore when the 1ton Dodge truck is on flat ground. The tail gate is up pretty high. I was concerned that pushing the 470 NC or even using the motor might be a challenge. The CB500X weighs in at 430# and I hate to admit it but I was afraid if either one started to tip while I was stepping into the truck I might drop it.

I decided the old man way to do it would be to use a winch. I bought a ATV winch from HF and fabricated a mounting bracket to mount the winch to the bed of the truck. I tried it out today and it does work and is pretty simple. Being able to just concentrate on balancing the bike without having to use throttle or brake does make it easy.

The winch is remote controlled and is easy to use. I bought some rope and made two short rope slings to connect to the forks as a pulling point. I use a small battery set in an ammo box to connect to the winch. All the parts needed to connect the winch to the truck and operate the winch and are in the box as well.

We will going to Utah to see family soon and want to take the NC and CB this trip instead of the DS bikes.

This is what sits in the bed when not in use.



Winch bolts to those rails and battery in ammo box sits right behind it.


The snatch block connects on the eyebolts and then the cable can run back towards the back of the truck close to the centerline of where the bike is to be parked.


The box with battery, charger and controller.


Rope slings are attached here to winch bike into truck. I forget what the rope is made of exactly. But it is very soft and strong.


I do like riding the bike for multiday trips and camping in a tent is fine as well. But I like this and have been doing it for 45 years.

 

[bamamate]

Great idea!

Have a pic of the ramp?
Video of it in action would be cool..............

 

[Cigar Mike]

I will have to see if I can get someone to film it while we load. Cathy runs the remote while I try not to drop the bike. The bikes seem heavier three feet in the air on a eight inch ramp.

I use two steel ramps I bought from HF years ago. I place one ramp part way up the other ramp to reduce the slope. I have an idea to reduce the slope even more and will work on that tomorrow.

 

[bamamate]

Thanks. I have a 4x8 tilt bed trailer that I've loaded the NC in a couple of times. Kind of scary doing that since it is a seep angle and you have drive almost to the back of the trailer before it will flip down. Not sure what I'd do if the bike was broke or if I needed to load a second bike. Don't think I'd try a ramp into the bed of the truck on flat ground. Helped a guy load his Versys in a truck. He had a wide ATV ramp and we found a ditch he could back the truck into so the tailgate was almost even with the road. One thing he did that I thought was really a good idea, he tied a rope from the middle of the ramp to his trailer hitch so the ramp couldn't slide away from the truck. Said he had had that happen before. Also at the camping spot he drove the truck on top of the ramp so it couldn't be stolen.

 

[670cc]

Of course, on YouTube, there's plenty of entertaining examples of how NOT to load your bike.

Motorcycle and ATV LoadingUnloading Fail Compilation - YouTube[video=youtube;vLkVIWvf6I4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLkVIWvf6I4[/video]

 

[Cigar Mike]

Of course, on YouTube, there's plenty of entertaining examples of how NOT to load your bike.

Motorcycle and ATV LoadingUnloading Fail Compilation - YouTube[video=youtube;vLkVIWvf6I4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLkVIWvf6I4[/video]

That's funny, when it happens to someone else. I was concerned that would happen to me sooner or later. Don't really care with the dirt bikes. They have crashed much harder than that.

 

[Old Can Ride]

You would not believe how many times I have seen folks drive their motorcycle and ATV though the back window of their pickup over the years. Also, for some reason some folks just do not use the rear bumper ties, this will always lead to a mishap.

 

[Cigar Mike]

You would not believe how many times I have seen folks drive their motorcycle and ATV though the back window of their pickup over the years. Also, for some reason some folks just do not use the rear bumper ties, this will always lead to a mishap.

That's strange, I have never in my 45 years of riding dropped a bike loading it my trucks. And I have never tied a ramp to the truck. What I see most of the time is someone using the throttle and spitting the ramp out. I have always used people power to load and unload bikes. Like Dirty Harry says, "a man has to know his limitations".

 

[Fuzzy]

That's strange, I have never in my 45 years of riding dropped a bike loading it my trucks. And I have never tied a ramp to the truck. What I see most of the time is someone using the throttle and spitting the ramp out. I have always used people power to load and unload bikes. Like Dirty Harry says, "a man has to know his limitations".

Things happen. Tying the ramp is like wearing a helmet or using a seat belt. All a good idea.