Ducati Monster Forum

Found a truck tonight that I'm strongly considering.  2010 Tacoma with 6ft bed, 5spd manual, 4X4.   I'd like to use it for taking my monster to track days, but have to admit that I've never owned a truck and a motorcycle at the same time, so I've never loaded a bike into a truck bed.  Looking for any advice on this in general, advice on ramps to purchase and/or advice specific to this particular truck.

thanks!

truck should be fine. make sure whatever ramps you choose don't have too steep an incline to them, or you will bottom out the bike..

the ramp doesn't matter so much as long as its designed to be a motorcycle ramp (the 50$ harbor freight ones are just fine). just back up so that your rear wheels are in a valley (edge of the driveway is my favorite) so you don't have to step up so high.

I HIGHLY recommend a sport chock (http://www.baxleycompanies.com/Sportchock.html (http://www.baxleycompanies.com/Sportchock.html)) even if you don't want to bolt it down it makes securing the bike much easier. I use it, some good tie downs (not ratcheting ones) and a canyon dancer and I can load and unload in under 5 minutes.

Two "Arched" ramps. One to walk up, one for the bike. I use short tie down straps and fasten the ramps to a point
under the rear bumper. Some type of wheel chock in the bed for the front wheel. (Baxley, or similar)

 [thumbsup]

here ya go http://www.discountramps.com/motorcycle_ramp_page.htm (http://www.discountramps.com/motorcycle_ramp_page.htm)
oh and once you're going to load the bike keep going and don't stop.  I personally like the three piece ramps because you can take them down to two or just one for a dirt bike. 
DON'T DO THIS
Motorcycle loading fail / Black cafe cz (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDS3FAT8LW8#normal)

that never gets old...  [laugh]

This guys does it wrong too...  [roll]
Motorcycle load FAIL! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPu6YwitIRo#normal)

While it's not a good idea to have the bike running and feather the clutch to get the bike on the truck if you're not experienced, this guy does okay...
How To Load A Motorcycle Alone (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nElHAJqfrjA#normal)

I'd avoid the ramps at Lowes etc. They're more geared to atv's and lawn equipment and are more like ladders than ramps, It's easy for a foot to go through.

You want ramps you can actually walk on.

I use my ATV folding ramp which is wide enough for me to walk along side as I load.

I have the same truck 2011, haven't had to load a bike in it yet but they come with the adjustable locking tie downs which are nice and can be moved pretty much anywhere on the rails, and they have a couple hooks in the back mounted to the bed. Theres also storage compartments for your straps and stuff. Only thing I recommend for the truck is that make sure it's the SR5 model with the upgrades, the base model doesn't have intermittent wipers and other convenience stuff that you will regret later not having... they are great trucks though, no complaints so far!  [thumbsup]

This is how I do it. I have a second ramp to walk up alongside the bike though.

Works well.

I usually ride the bike up or worst-case let the bike's motor do the work.  A street bike is too heavy (for me) to push into my pickups (4x4s and sorta tall).  Mostly I use an enclosed trailer with a ramp door though.

i have a little 5'x8' open trailer that i use for hauling my bikes or whatever else.  it only cost me about 700 bucks.  cheaper than buying a whole new truck.  ;)

thanks for all the tips!  A trailer would be cheaper, but I want the little truck for other things as well.  Hauling the bike is just one.  I actually have a perfect spot just outside my garage that would almost put the bed of the truck level with my driveway... would be easy to load I think.  My concern then would be unloading/reloading once I got to the track.  I suppose I just need some practice doing it.  I happen to have a bunch of brand new ratcheting straps from my last truck, but someone mentioned not using the ratchet-type.  Why?

Dunno, I use them all the time and they work way better that the cam-lock straps I've tried

 [thumbsup]

I concur with previous statement.  Ramp needs to be wide enough so you can walk along side if you are pushing it or wide enough for both feet while riding it up.  The first time will scare you but after that it's a breeze.  A cheaper alternative may be buying a small utility trailer from craigslist if you have storage.  Or buy one of these http://www.sportutilitytrailers.com/LongChih/746TE-1TS76M.htm (http://www.sportutilitytrailers.com/LongChih/746TE-1TS76M.htm)  There are tons of mods you can do to this trailer and it's really nice.  Got mine for $500 but sold it when I bought a truck again.  Another option is one from Harbor Freight http://www.harborfreight.com/1195-lb-capacity-48-inch-x-96-inch-heavy-duty-foldable-utility-trailer-with-12-inch-wheels-90154.html (http://www.harborfreight.com/1195-lb-capacity-48-inch-x-96-inch-heavy-duty-foldable-utility-trailer-with-12-inch-wheels-90154.html)

There's usually someone at the track willing to help unload and load.

The tendency is to over tighten with ratchet type straps. You don't have to bottom the suspension. They'll be fine IMO.

Ratchet straps are fine, just more fiddly/annoying than straps designed for securing a bike.  I use the answer pro taper tie-downs and like them quite a lot.  Wide, strong, fast and have a built-in soft-tie type thing.  I had these securing the wife's monster when I brought it home from Baltimore and it didn't budge (and plenty of pot-holes in b-more and DC to test them).

http://www.amazon.com/Pro-Taper-Tiedowns-Black/dp/B002YMV6XM (http://www.amazon.com/Pro-Taper-Tiedowns-Black/dp/B002YMV6XM)

Pitbull makes a nice removable wheel chock made for sportbikes with big rotors. I really like mine. Also recommend basic Ancra straps and a Canyon Dancer harness.

i prefer the cam lock straps, partly for the reason DP mentioned...and a wheel chock (which I need to replace BTW....if anyone is wanting to get rid of one.)

I've got one of these mounted in the bed of my Dakota, it's fantastic:

(http://www.ccrsport.com/images/bedbuddy/ccr_sport_bed_buddy_action.bmp)

CCR Sport's Bed Buddy

Ancra tie downs

Diamondplate aluminum ramp from Industrial Metal Supply

http://www.bikelug.net/index.html (http://www.bikelug.net/index.html)

This is a cool item. A bike trailer that collapses and fits inside the trunk of a car. I want one.

I load bikes in the store van on a daily basis and never use ratchet straps only the cam lock type of strap plus a wheel chock like the baxley is a great help.
I see guys come into the store parking lot in vans and when they open the doors you can see that they've got ratchet straps on the front of the bike pulled down so hard that the front forks are bottoming out and occasionally there will be a blown seal thats why I personally don't like ratchet straps.

 [coffee]

good advice and valid warning about the ratchet straps.  What about this from pitbull: http://www.pit-bull.com/trailer-restraint.shtml (http://www.pit-bull.com/trailer-restraint.shtml)  ?

Those work great, but won't work in the bed of the Toyota. Your rear wheel will be partially on the tailgate.

True.  Good point.  It probably wouldn't be far enough onto the tailgate to mount this ON the tailgate, but far enough that it won't be mountable in the bed either. 

It might work now that I think about it, but would need to be mounted almost at the end of the bed. I have the Baxley under the front wheel, so that moves the bike back some. Without it (the Baxley) the pitbull may work. (?)

I've always been curious, how is compressing a fork within its normal range of travel is supposed to blow a seal???  They aren't air shocks.  The spring tension has nothing to do with the damping fluid.  I also don't see how it could do anything to weaken the springs since there should be no way to compress them past a yield point. 

As such, I am a huge fan of using ratcheting straps.  While I have never seen any damage due to overtightening a ratchet, I have seen plenty of camlock straps slip.  I've also seen an under tightened bike lose all strap tension when the truck hit a bump and the bike nearly fall over. 

I tighten the straps down enough so that the fork will not compress any more when I throw my weight into it.  That way, if I hit bump, it does nothing.  No problems or dropped bikes so far.

There is a volume of air contained in the forks, and it's pressure increases the further the forks are compressed.
So, leaving them compressed beyond the normal riding position does put more stress on the seals.

Leaving them reasonably compressed ( I.E. not more than 1/2 travel) for a couple hours, no big deal.
Leaving them nearly bottomed out for week while going cross-country, not so good......

The point of contention of ratchet straps is you can easily overdo it.
Camlock tiedowns, it's a *lot* harder to overdo it.

There's significant quality differences on camlock tiedowns, the thin webbing of the cheaper ones make 'em more prone to slip or break.
I've been using Ancra tiedowns for 30+ years without a failure.

forks are not designed to remain compressed for large amounts of time. once compressed to any degree they will have to dampen anytime you hit a bump in the road. a bit of compression is necessary but I find that ratcheting tie downs alo have the uncanny ability to look just a biiiit to loose...right up until metals starts bending/breaking. They just make it way to easy to over do it.  Camlock tie downs have a much harder time over compressing or bending anything and ive never had one slip on me.


loading/unloading a bike isnt rocket science, you dont need to feather the clutch or get a 50ft running start.
just walk the bike up the ramp (have a buddy push if you cant make it on your own, make sure he knows not  to try and balance the bike thats on you).  put it in a chock and put on a canyon dancer. attach the camlocks so that the loose ends are pointing back at you.  Now you can sit on the bike and rock it side to side with your hips while you pull the straps tight.  get off and shove the bike around, if the bed moves more than the bike then your good to go, just tie off the loose ends so they dont flap and cant slip.

if you are going up and you realize that you dont have the juice to get it all the way in in one move apply the front brake and calmly back the bike back down and try again.

I have a Tacoma and load my bike by running it up the ramp in neutral.  I only use one ramp, but I also use my toolbox to step up into the bed.  I haven't dropped my bike off the ramp (yet), but I did learn a couple things that made the process much less dramatic:

• Do all your pushing before you get to the ramp; once you hit the ramp, just guide it and let momentum carry the bike up
• If you don't make it all the way up on momentum, back up and try again.  Trying to muscle it up never worked out for me.

I like the one ramp method, because I don't have a trailer, and I like to keep the equipment list as small as possible!

Well, I got the truck yesterday morning and ordered some D-Rings for the bed and a ramp and a canyon dancer today.  Spent more on a ramp that I would have liked, but it'll be a good one.  Wide enough for me to ride up nice and slow. 

(http://www.dgmphotography.net/forumpost/March2011/Tacoma1.png)

My thoughts:

-do a search. The ramp topic has been done. In fact the Tacoma / ramp topic has been done.
-Per my professional, 30 plus years in the biz suspension guru..compress 'em. Does nothing to them
-Careful with the canyon dancer on clip-ons, known to break stuff
-Please tell me you are kidding with your plan to ride the bike into the truck. Get a friend, back truck up to a curb, push it in 

 [thumbsup]

if it's wide enough to ride it up, it's wide enough to walk it up.

I am an engineer and work for a company that makes tie downs and ramps.  The ratchet straps or over-center buckles are the best, they will not loosen.  Cambuckles can loosen up, from vibration and especially when the webbing gets wet.  I would use at least 1.25" straps.  Bouncing and shock loads are higher than you would think.  Don't buy the cheapest thing you can find.  You get what you pay for.

I've always used ratchet no matter what.  I feel safer and have less worry.  I hate the canyon dancer straps because it goes over your tank/neck frame and causes rubbing.  I'm very OCD but that's my input. 

I'm not a fan of canyon dancer straps either, I've seen broken clip-ons, rub marks on tanks and with some of the latest bikes you have to be very careful as the handle bars are rubber mounted (ie hypermotard, multistrada).

Last year I took my hypermotard to Mugello for the motogp and then on to Misano for WDW in the back of my van with four cam lock straps and had no problems at all with nearly 3000 miles in total for the trip and I use the  same straps as the bikes arrive at the dealers on thier pallets from the factory.

 [coffee]

I also don't like canyon dancers.  I loop straps through the lower triple - very secure that way and the forks/triple are more than strong enough.

As for compressing the forks, it has never in my experience, caused a seal issue.  I'd guess that it might squeeze some oil out if you already have shot seals.  Not anything worth worrying about imho.  If it really bothers you and you need to strap a bike down fit some  MX-style speed bleeders and release the air pressure after strapping the bike down.

Good cam buckle straps don't loosen.  I hauled a bike in my pickup from VA to Baja and back last summer with no troubles.  Cheap/poorly made ones will loosen.  Ratchet straps are slower to use and more fiddly.  Also the ratchet bit is a bit bulky and is more likely to damage the bike if its routed too close to the bodywork.

I do ride the bike into my trucks and trailer except for when putting a bike in my truck when the camper top is on  :P ).  Maybe its due to years of off road riding and and some wanna-be BC-style MTB stuff in a misspent youth, but riding up, even my narrow (~6" wide I'd guess) ramp doesn't bother me.  Not much room for error, so don't screw it up  [moto]

Well, I got my ramp and loaded my bike in the back last night just to try it out.  I'm pleased to say I was able to do my first load and unload by myself w/out any major problems.   Loading was great, but when unloading I was particularly unhappy with the slick floor in the bed of these trucks.  It's difficult to move the bike in the bed w/out slipping. What do people do about this in these Tacomas? I've always had sprayed-in liner on all my previous trucks w/out the composite bed. My other question also deals with the comp bed. I have a Pit Bull front wheel chock that I'd like to place in the front of the bed, but a little unsure about bolting it to the composite floor. Wondering if I should bolt it to a piece of plywood in front of the wheel wells or something else instead?  Maybe not even use it in there?   thanks. 

(http://www.dgmphotography.net/forumpost/April2011/truckbike.png)

I haven't owened a compisite-bed taco, but in my old one the bed was pretty flimsy (and rusty...) sheet metal.  I didn't want the wheel chocks permanantly in the bed either.  I cut out a 8x4 sheet of 3/4" marine grade plywood to fit down into the bed and dropped it in.  Worked great and didn't' go anywhere. When not needed it lifted out and I put it against a wall in the garage. It outlasted the truck  :)

I've got the same truck and use this ramp:

(http://www.tituspowersports.com/images/104553d.jpg)

I can do it myself, but i won't try it in the rain, the bed is too slippery as you mentioned.

you push your monster up that skinny ramp by yourself?  w/or w/out using the clutch?   Do you use some sort of step up? 

You could get a rubber bed mat.

http://www.truckchamp.com/bed-mats/subcategory/plain-rubber-bed-mats/make/toyota (http://www.truckchamp.com/bed-mats/subcategory/plain-rubber-bed-mats/make/toyota)

http://www.truckcustomizers.com/products/protecta-truck-bed-mats.html (http://www.truckcustomizers.com/products/protecta-truck-bed-mats.html)

I was actually just looking at those bed mats from Truck Champs.  Probably a good idea.  Still not sure about the chock though.  Maybe I don't even need a front chock in there. 

If you went with a Baxley chock, you can just sit it in the bed.

http://www.baxleycompanies.com/Sportchock.html (http://www.baxleycompanies.com/Sportchock.html)

yeah, it's not as hard as it might appear.  no clutch, that step in the middle is the key, as it allows me to rest it halfway up.  then i get up on the bed and pull it up.  of course if you have another person available then by all means, but it's doable by yourself. 

+1 to the Baxley, it rocks.

I'm headed out today to buy myself a little truck too!  Nothing like a taco, just an older ranger.  I no longer have a SUV to tow the utility trailer around, and hence have no way to tow the bike anywhere if I need to.

Trucks seem like they would be pretty useful to have around the house anyway.

So, did you get a new truck yesterday?

The bike will be fine without the chock.

The chock will also put the rear wheel further out on the tailgate.

Yep. I have used a rubber bed mat in all three of my Tacoma's, even the ones that had a spray in liner. Keeps things from sliding around. The Toyota ones fit perfect and even have Tacoma stamped in them.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/05-06-07-08-09-10-TACOMA-GENUINE-FACTORY-BED-MAT-LG-BED-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem3362c604a2QQitemZ220700476578QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories#ht_976wt_939 (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/05-06-07-08-09-10-TACOMA-GENUINE-FACTORY-BED-MAT-LG-BED-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem3362c604a2QQitemZ220700476578QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories#ht_976wt_939)

Also, a bed extender is a good idea if you want to haul gear with the bike.

  I had my truck bed LineX sprayed, which is very rough, and holds my bike perfectly without the need of a tire chock. I also bought a very sturdy folding, curved, ramp set at Costco for $100. Also, the new style canyon dancer straps work great.

I've always put the bike in my truck diagonaly, front wheel in left front corner of the bed.  Tie downs from the top triple to the right front and left rear tie down points in the bed.  If I'm expecting a really rough road, I'll throw one tie down through the passenger grab handles and under the seat to secure the ass end, but usually don't need it.

Sell it and get a Nissan Frontier  ;D

which ramp did you end up with?
I have a 3-piece Black Widow that i really like.

i use a baxley sport chock in the bed of my tacoma and it actually "fits" in the recess at the front of the bed. no need to secure it.

I also ended up with the Black Widow 3 piece ramp.  I got the shorter of the 2.  Have one of the new Canyon Dancers, a bunch of ratchet and also cam style straps and I think I'm ready to go.  I mounted the pit bull front chock to a piece of plywood that I sprayed with bed liner in the front of the bed and have a rubber toyota bed mat on the way.  Also put 4 D-Rings in the floor of the bed to tie down to. 

Um sounds well thought out. Might get a set of ramps for my hemi ram, gotta have em for hauling it if it ever needs service and I cant be driven.