hauling motorcycle

anyone haul their Harley touring in their 6.5 foot bed?

already have the DG tailgate supports and the heavy duty harbor freight wheel chock
still looking for the ramp locally...

want to get my bike to Florida

If you go to harbor freight (they are in NJ), you can pick up:
https://www.harborfreight.com/1200-...-convertible-aluminum-loading-ramp-60333.html

You usually can find a 20+% coupon online (all you need is a copy of the ad/coupon to get the discount in store).


I went with these from amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07427LL9H/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1


EDIT: I do NOT put my bike in the bed of my truck. It is too high, requires too much work to get it up there, and the bed isn't long enough for my liking.

Before you buy a ramp, consider picking up a 4x8 or larger utility trailer. I just sold mine for $600 on Facebook. You can find them used in good shape from $400-$600. They are low to the ground and can have built in ramps. I actually bought mine new for about $900 from Franklin trailers in NJ (when I lived in nj).

I had to go bigger, my Honda VTX 1300 is 8.5 feet long, so it couldn't fit in my 4x8 trailer. I picked up a used 6x12 heavy duty trailer with brakes for $900.

Why on earth would you put a perfectly good touring bike in the back of a pickup truck, if it ain't broken?

Scottly said:

Why on earth would you put a perfectly good touring bike in the back of a pickup truck, if it ain't broken?

Click to expand...

One reason... It's 23 degrees (before wind chill) up here today.

Do what JPT did. trailer. I have ramped dirt bikes and Atv's not too bad. don't want to drop that Harley and hurt yourself. My motor cycle mechanic neighbor gets bike's in all the time for repairs falling off ramps.

wgreggking said:

Do what JPT did. trailer. I have ramped dirt bikes and Atv's not too bad. don't want to drop that Harley and hurt yourself. My motor cycle mechanic neighbor gets bike's in all the time for repairs falling off ramps.

Click to expand...

Yeah, it is a big problem... From ramps sliding off the tailgate to bikes tilting over and falling off the ramp.

When I do put bikes in beds (never my bike, never my truck), I usually back the truck up to either a loading dock, or some other area where a ramp isn't needed.

I actually can back my truck up to my front steps (there is a flat part even with my grass, and ride onto the bed without a ramp. But when I get where I'm going, I would have to get the bike off.


OP: Now is the perfect time to pick up a utility trailer. There are a lot of contractors/landscapers that have been out of work for winter, and are looking to move things. My new to me 6x12 was one of these, he needed money, and winter is the slow season. I got it right between Christmas and New Years Day... He was desperate to move it, and I was happy to take it!

Once spring/summer comes, trailers will be harder to find and/or more expensive (just like motorcycles).

I sold this for $600 (I took the motorcycle chock off prior to sale). I bought it new from Franklin Trailers in 2007 for $900 and sold it in 2019 for $600. It has a metal floor, but I added the wood deck on top (pressure treated plywood).



I bought this trailer for $900:

Ramsportrocks said:

anyone haul their Harley touring in their 6.5 foot bed?

already have the DG tailgate supports and the heavy duty harbor freight wheel chock
still looking for the ramp locally...

want to get my bike to Florida

Click to expand...

You should probably check on a few of the Motorcycle forums. Make sure you can walk the bike up it and it's not too inclined. Maybe even shrink wrap the bike to keep more of the road salt and debris from attaching to it. Doesn't take much to start rusting steel.

JPT said:

I actually can back my truck up to my front steps (there is a flat part even with my grass, and ride onto the bed without a ramp. But when I get where I'm going, I would have to get the bike off.

Click to expand...

To add to this, down here where you are going (Florida) there are drainage ditches everywhere, and they are all dry this time of year. Back into one side, drive up the other and vice-versa. Us locals do this all the time. Also, our roads usually have a pretty steep crown, so that helps with ramp angles if you back across the road.

Scottly said:

Why on earth would you put a perfectly good touring bike in the back of a pickup truck, if it ain't broken?

Click to expand...

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Why+trailer+a+touring+motorcycle?

load97 said:

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Why+trailer+a+touring+motorcycle?

Click to expand...

I couldn't get my MC in the bed of ne thing, LOL, Tongue in cheek, got Big *** Honda Trike, 2300 lbs. Have to use trailer if I am going long distance but still need 4 wheels. I usually borrow friend's trike trailer, he has big Harley Trike..

I am of the opinion, always better to use trailer for big *** bikes. Now, lil dirt rides and such, different story. But this is just me.....

Back in my younger, stronger days I didnt have a trailer and transported my '01 CBR929 and later my '04 RC51 to and from the track in my Dodge Dakota. I had a set of folding ramps that I was able to walk the bike up. Now, after getting back into bikes in 2017, there's no way Id do that again. I bought a 6x10 enclosed trailer that gets pulled by my Ram. Plenty of room for 2 bikes if I want, plus all my gear. Took it down to The Gap last year along with Grattan in MI...not to mention numerous trips to my home track of Mid Ohio. The cost of the trailer was definitely worth it to me.

I really wanted to get to FL this year, but thats not gonna happen. Maybe next year.

I don't have a place to keep a trailer and im not going to rent one just to have it parked for who knows how long every time I want to take a trip..

why not ride it.?? this always cracks me up as the guys that make these statements are usually in a warmer climate
to start off and traveling a couple hundred miles as opposed to 1100 miles one way

today it is currently 29° and snowing from here to VA with 3-4" and ice on top of that.. many times it has been beautiful
for the trip down only to have heavy snow and ice for the trip back so why take chances..

I will use one of the purpose built ramps from discount ramps or similar

https://www.discountramps.com/motorcycle_ramps/p/MF-12038/

that is designed for loading and unloading bikes by one person
so getting it in and out wont be a problem and my main question was to those that have done it
as I was curious what I can expect from the handling

Don't try ramps or spend the money so many things can go wrong. Just go to YouTube and search. You will see a lot of damaged motorcycles.
I took a motorcycle to Florida for my daughter in November. Rode it to a dealer less than a mile away. Every dealer has a hydraulic lift to put in a truck bed. No charge. You can ride right onto the platform. Then they put it to the height of your truck and you roll it right in.
I strapped the bike with ratchet straps and drove to Florida. My daughter had a HD dealer less than a mile from her. Drove there after I picked her up and reversed the operation. No charge. No ramp, no strain, no risk of dropping the bike.

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

Ramsportrocks said:

I will use one of the purpose built ramps from discount ramps or similar

https://www.discountramps.com/motorcycle_ramps/p/MF-12038/

that is designed for loading and unloading bikes by one person
so getting it in and out wont be a problem and my main question was to those that have done it
as I was curious what I can expect from the handling

Click to expand...

Those are really nice ramps. I suggest walking the bike up the ramp (you can have it running and use the clutch to feather it up while you walk on the clutch side).

Make sure you strap the ramp to your bumper/hitch so it doesn't move as you load/unload. This is one of the biggest mistakes, that people forget, that causes all the accidents. The ramp will want to slide off the lip of the tailgate as weight transfers.

During your trip, be sure to strap that ramp down well so it doesn't make contact with your bike as you make the trip.

I know you already have the chock, this is for the benefit of anyone else who searches this thread in the future:

I am not a fan of leaving a bike on the side stand during transport, the stand can fail (either push through the floor, or actually bend). I suggest getting a motorcycle chock stand (Harbor freight has 2, I have the more expensive one):
https://www.harborfreight.com/1800-lb-capacity-motorcycle-standwheel-chock-61670.html

Having a chock prevents you from having to over compress the forks. You don't have to attach the chock to the bed of the truck, just be sure to strap the bike down once on the chock. Also, be sure to strap the rear to prevent it walking left or right. You only need it to put a little tension each way so it prevents side movement.

You will likely (as you expected with the heavy duty tailgate straps) have the rear wheel on the tailgate. This is fine, but some people like to place heavy plywood to spread the load back onto the bed (I'm not sure it is necessary).

Once you have it properly loaded, you will feel that you have added weight in the bed, but other than that, it will drive normally.

I have aftermarket projector light housings with HIDs, which I have aimed right below the average drives eyes. When I have a heavy trailer (lots of tongue weight) or extra weight in the bed, my headlights point up to where they annoy on coming traffic. If the trip is long, and you have the same issue, it may be beneficial to adjust the lights fully loaded for the trip.

waross63 said:

Don't try ramps or spend the money so many things can go wrong. Just go to YouTube and search. You will see a lot of damaged motorcycles.
I took a motorcycle to Florida for my daughter in November. Rode it to a dealer less than a mile away. Every dealer has a hydraulic lift to put in a truck bed. No charge. You can ride right onto the platform. Then they put it to the height of your truck and you roll it right in.
I strapped the bike with ratchet straps and drove to Florida. My daughter had a HD dealer less than a mile from her. Drove there after I picked her up and reversed the operation. No charge. No ramp, no strain, no risk of dropping the bike.

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

Click to expand...

It can be safely done. Especially with the ramps the OP selected. The ramp is 10' long when extended. It just is important to not attempt to ride up the ramp, and to properly strap the ramp to the vehicle so it doesn't move.

But I agree, if you can get a dealer to help you load/unload it, it is a far better solution.

I wouldn't put it in a high bed either. If you wouldn't get further use out of a trailer investment, pay a company to do it. $400-600 ought to get it from NJ to FL, and it would be insured as well.

Edit: Never heard of the dealer thing. If that's an option available, absolutely that's the way to go, even if they'd charge you $20 or something.

vweaver said:

Edit: Never heard of the dealer thing. If that's an option available, absolutely that's the way to go, even if they'd charge you $20 or something.

Click to expand...

A lot of dealers have loading docks. If they don't, they usually have platforms and forklifts (they need the forklift to move bike crates around).

But up here in NY/NJ I'm not sure if they would want to help you load for liability reasons.

FWIW, Uhaul rents motorcycle trailers, and they work well.

Scottly said:

FWIW, Uhaul rents motorcycle trailers, and they work well.

Click to expand...

They do not do one way with their motorcycle trailers. So, you are stuck paying for the trailer until you return.

They do have one way trailers, but if you need to go two ways (2 rentals), you will find that it costs almost as much as buying a used trailer.

I looked into it since my old trailer was too small for my new bike. I have a summer trip planned, it was going to cost me $450 the cheapest route (2 rentals, one down, and one back up). At that price, I bought a used trailer (in my picture earlier in this thread), and sold my too small trailer.