Yo!
My girlfriend and I are doing the Cornerspeed school at Virginia International Raceway in July, and I'd like to haul both bikes (MS4R and MT620).
Does anyone know whether both bikes will fit in the bed of an '06 Tacoma regular cab?
Thanks!! [beer]
You can get two in the back of a Ranger.
I've had a friends cbr600 and a R1 in the bed of my '99 toyota
Quote from: pompetta on June 06, 2008, 04:26:42 AM
Yo!
My girlfriend and I are doing the Cornerspeed school at Virginia International Raceway in July, and I'd like to haul both bikes (MS4R and MT620).
Does anyone know whether both bikes will fit in the bed of an '06 Tacoma regular cab?
Thanks!! [beer]
i was looking at mine last night and you might be able to do it. you're going to run into issues with the wheel wheel protrusions in the bed and a lack of proper tiedown points.
IF memory serves me right Zoom got 3 bikes into the back of a VW pickup... so you should be able to manage 2. If you've got any wheel chockes you can use/borrow/steal they make the joba ton easier.
Quote from: yuu on June 06, 2008, 06:02:21 AM
If you've got any wheel chockes you can use/borrow/steal they make the joba ton easier.
they're expensive, but i love my baxley sport chock. it fits perfectly into the indentation at the front of my bed and naturally "locks" into place.
This past weekend I loaded up my 848 and a 695 in the the back of my Taco. I used a pair of wheel chocks and they fit quite well. My Taco is an '08 double cab w/ the long bed so ymmv.
Quote from: bryant8 on June 06, 2008, 07:12:07 AM
This past weekend I loaded up my 848 and a 695 in the the back of my Taco. I used a pair of wheel chocks and they fit quite well. My Taco is an '08 double cab w/ the long bed so ymmv.
have they added front tie-down points or do you still only have the accessory rail cleats and the d-rings in the rear?
Quote from: derby on June 06, 2008, 06:23:23 AM
they're expensive, but i love my baxley sport chock. it fits perfectly into the indentation at the front of my bed and naturally "locks" into place.
I have two Baxley chocks.
Now I'm thinking of borrowing a trailer. By the time I get both bikes in, there won't be room for stands, ramp, tools, fuel, etc. Plus, as Derby noted the tie-downs are not situated for properly securing
two bikes. (I added two cleats in the front of the bed.)
So...can I use a ball attached to my fender, or should I purchase a hitch?
Quote from: bryant8 on June 06, 2008, 07:12:07 AM
This past weekend I loaded up my 848 and a 695 in the the back of my Taco. I used a pair of wheel chocks and they fit quite well. My Taco is an '08 double cab w/ the long bed so ymmv.
So, you didn't secure (ratchet strap) the bikes via the triple clamps?
They were secured with the wheel chocks in addition to the the cyclecynch/ratchet strap set up. It was a tight fit so any extra gear was stowed in a different vehicle.
Oh yeah, I did add 3 cleats to the front of the bed.
(http://gi272.photobucket.com/groups/jj195/1VOHC52Q39/7d20d20d.jpg)
You can't see the chock setup but I used the $40 ones from Harbor Freight. They worked pretty well
Quote from: pompetta on June 06, 2008, 07:26:05 AM
I have two Baxley chocks.
Now I'm thinking of borrowing a trailer. By the time I get both bikes in, there won't be room for stands, ramp, tools, fuel, etc. Plus, as Derby noted the tie-downs are not situated for properly securing two bikes. (I added two cleats in the front of the bed.)
So...can I use a ball attached to my fender, or should I purchase a hitch?
You do mean bumper, no?
And +11tyb on the Baxley chock
Quote from: bryant8 on June 06, 2008, 08:07:36 AM
Oh yeah, I did add 3 cleats to the front of the bed.
cleats (on the accessory rail) or d-rings (on the floor)?
D-rings on the floor I mean. [thumbsup]
Quote from: bozcorob on June 06, 2008, 08:27:06 AM
You do mean bumper, no?
And +11tyb on the Baxley chock
Oops!! Yup, I meant bumper.
I fit 2 SBKs in a Tundra but they wouldn't fit in a Tacoma. The SBK and the Monster pictured above, fit because of the difference in handle bar height.
Quote from: pompetta on June 06, 2008, 07:26:05 AM
I have two Baxley chocks.
Now I'm thinking of borrowing a trailer. By the time I get both bikes in, there won't be room for stands, ramp, tools, fuel, etc. Plus, as Derby noted the tie-downs are not situated for properly securing two bikes. (I added two cleats in the front of the bed.)
So...can I use a ball attached to my fender, or should I purchase a hitch?
depends on the weight of the trailer and the rating of the bumper....
all the pertinent info should be right on the bumper near the hitch area and on the tongue of the trailer.
Quote from: ducpainter on June 06, 2008, 10:08:37 AM
depends on the weight of the trailer and the rating of the bumper....
all the pertinent info should be right on the bumper near the hitch area and on the tongue of the trailer.
3500 LBS MAX GROSS
TRAILER WT 500LBS MAX
TONGUE LOAD BUMPER
CAPACITY ONLY
That is what is written on my Tacoma bumper: four lines as typed. What does this mean... I can pull 500lbs. with my bumper? Wouldn't it be easier to write: "Bumper capacity 500lbs"?
Nineteen years of school and I'm so easily confused. [roll]
3500lbs trailer and contents, with a max 500lbs tongue weight.
Quote from: derby on June 06, 2008, 11:23:47 AM
3500lbs trailer and contents, with a max 500lbs tongue weight.
Cool!! Then all I need is a ball rather than a hitch!
Thanks everyone!!
Quote from: pompetta on June 06, 2008, 11:35:38 AM
Cool!! Then all I need is a ball rather than a hitch!
Thanks everyone!!
Yep, for a MC trailer & 2 bikes, using the bumper should be fine. Don't forget about wiring harness for brake and turn signals!
Depending on the height of the truck (4x4 or 2wd), the trailer may have a front to back slope to it since most trailers are designed with using a draw hitch, thus the trailer tongue will be lower than a typical truck bumper. The slope isn't a big deal though if you have someone helping.
mitt
Quote from: mitt on June 06, 2008, 11:40:58 AM
Yep, for a MC trailer & 2 bikes, using the bumper should be fine. Don't forget about wiring harness for brake and turn signals!
Depending on the height of the truck (4x4 or 2wd), the trailer may have a front to back slope to it since most trailers are designed with using a draw hitch, thus the trailer tongue will be lower than a typical truck bumper. The slope isn't a big deal though if you have someone helping.
mitt
This is what i think of whenever i hear of using the bumper to tow.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTQpUuEym-8
Hehehe. I'm sure its not the same case as what's being discussed here.
I thought theTacoma and a Frontier were very similar in bed width and length.
I've had two bikes in the back of my truck lots of times, both SBK and monster. (I have a shortbed Frontier)
Quote from: bobspapa on June 06, 2008, 12:04:37 PM
I thought theTacoma and a Frontier were very similar in bed width and length.
I've had two bikes in the back of my truck lots of times, both SBK and monster. (I have a shortbed Frontier)
From the responses I can fit two bikes in the bed, but not the other items too (ramp, fuel, tools, stands, etc.).
Quote from: bobspapa on June 06, 2008, 12:04:37 PM
I thought theTacoma and a Frontier were very similar in bed width and length.
I've had two bikes in the back of my truck lots of times, both SBK and monster. (I have a shortbed Frontier)
i think your wheel wells protrude less into the bed area.
also, other than the accessory rail cleats, tacomas don't come with forward tie down points. you can put d-rings in the floor, but they don't come stock.
Quote from: derby on June 06, 2008, 12:09:37 PM
i think your wheel wells protrude less into the bed area.
also, other than the accessory rail cleats, tacomas don't come with forward tie down points. you can put d-rings in the floor, but they don't come stock.
Yeah, only d-rings at the rear of the bed. I did put two up front though.
Regardless, my Taco is the 4-cylinder version, so maximum towing capacity is 3500 lbs. which equals the capacity of the bumper. Even with the trailer, I'll probably only be around half capacity.
I would never use a bumper to pull any trailer, no matter whats stamped into that bumper. Just go get a hitch installed and be on the safe side. That being said, you should be able to fit two bikes in the bed. I have in the past with a regular bed. You can fit three dirtbikes (they can rub a bit). You could fit two SBKS (or other bikes with similar handlebar height) simply by putting one in backwards. Lastly, if you are in CA you can only tow a trailer in the right two lanes, so fitting bikes in the bed becomes a bit more important if you want to use the carpool lane.
Quote from: hbliam on June 06, 2008, 12:20:00 PM
I would never use a bumper to pull any trailer, no matter whats stamped into that bumper. Just go get a hitch installed and be on the safe side. That being said, you should be able to fit two bikes in the bed. I have in the past with a regular bed. You can fit three dirtbikes (they can rub a bit). You could fit two SBKS (or other bikes with similar handlebar height) simply by putting one in backwards. Lastly, if you are in CA you can only tow a trailer in the right two lanes, so fitting bikes in the bed becomes a bit more important if you want to use the carpool lane.
Hmmm...is this a concensus, or have many of you towed bikes using the bumper instead of a hitch?
Quote from: pompetta on June 06, 2008, 02:08:49 PM
Hmmm...is this a concensus, or have many of you towed bikes using the bumper instead of a hitch?
I have used a bumper mounted ball a lot of times, on a 1/2 ton chevy, a ford explorer, and a ford ranger, for way more than the rated capacity, and never had a problem.
I am not familar with the tacoma bumpers, so use your own judgment, but a 2 place moto trailer is going to be like 500lbs max, plus another 800 in bikes, so you are only going to less than 30% of the rated load.
I would use the bumper. Did you read my ? above - do you have a wiring harness for the lights? On newer vehicles, it is not a straight forward question - my Nissan required a special harness and relays under the dash that cost about 75$.
mitt
Quote from: mitt on June 06, 2008, 08:14:17 PM
I have used a bumper mounted ball a lot of times, on a 1/2 ton chevy, a ford explorer, and a ford ranger, for way more than the rated capacity, and never had a problem.
I am not familar with the tacoma bumpers, so use your own judgment, but a 2 place moto trailer is going to be like 500lbs max, plus another 800 in bikes, so you are only going to less than 30% of the rated load.
I would use the bumper. Did you read my ? above - do you have a wiring harness for the lights? On newer vehicles, it is not a straight forward question - my Nissan required a special harness and relays under the dash that cost about 75$.
mitt
Yes, thanks mitt I read everyones posts. I found a website that has a harness specifically for my truck.
Quote from: pompetta on June 06, 2008, 02:08:49 PM
Hmmm...is this a concensus, or have many of you towed bikes using the bumper instead of a hitch?
"can you" and "have you" vs "should you"
it all depends on how much you value the cargo.
IfI was moving a couch and fridge I'd use the bumper. If I was hauling 10-20k worth of bikes I think I'd go down to my local Uhaul and have a hitch installed that will allow the trailer to sit level and know itll be fine for the trip.
'05 M620
and a
'99 SprintST
into a
'99 Tacoma Extended Cab...
it looks impossible...
it looks impossible...
but they fit!
just tried it [thumbsup]
Quote from: DuCaTiNi on June 07, 2008, 09:50:58 AM
it looks impossible...
but they fit!
just tried it [thumbsup]
The trick is having two bikes with different height handle bars.
You could go halfway.
Get a hitch installed. Get a hitch hauler. Put one bike in bed (thus leaving room for assorted other needed items), put other bike on hauler. You can now use the carpool lane, won't be imitied to the slower speed limits required for trailers, and probably have an overall easier time driving, especially if you're not used to maneuvering a trailer.
Quote from: silentbob on June 07, 2008, 01:39:15 PM
The trick is having two bikes with different height handle bars.
yeah that
PLUS removing one bar end mirror [thumbsup]