Member Contributer sebring Posted March 15, 2008 Member Contributer Share Posted March 15, 2008 I bought a ramp, and would like to haul my VFR, and maybe even 2 bikes, in my Dodge Ram 1500 with short bed and factory bed liner. Bedliner is made of some kind of plastic or pvc, and has a corrogated bottom. Should I put plywood down in the bed of the truck to distribute the weight better? The tie down points for the Dodge are located on the side panels, up from the bottom about 5 inches. Should I put tie downs in the bed floor instead of using the factors side tie downs? If I decide to haul 2 motorcycles, should I put tie downs in the floor. Also, plan to buy 2 wheel chocks in case I carry both bikes. If I carry only 1 bike then I may have to put the chock in the middle. However, that would be getting into lots of holes in the bed of the truck. Any advice is appreciated. sebring Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 15, 2008 Share Posted March 15, 2008 I hauled by 6th Gen in the back of a '01 Nissan Frontier 2wd pickup-4 cyl. I would recommend using the factory tie downs, they are plenty strong, but I wouldn't know for two bikes. I used the forward bed as my chock. I also used a Bar Harness by Canyon Dancer: http://store.58cycle.com/product_p/203%20cdancer.htm With the Bar Harness, factory tiedowns and some wal-mart tie down straps I only had to tie down the front of the bike. I drove from Dover, Delaware to Rapid City, South Dakota and the set up worked just fine :thumbsup: I read somewhere when tying down the front, you want to compress the front shocks about half for transport. This allows the bike to retain it's stability (to bounce) without bouncing out of the tie downs. I don't recommend putting down plywood over the bedliner. Wood is very slick, and the bike could slide around during transport IF you don't bust your a$$ getting the thing up there. I made my own ramps (because I was cheap) out of 2x12s and I had to carpet them because there was no traction on the wood. Then again, this is just one man's account that worked for him :goofy: Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer billyjackjimbob Posted March 15, 2008 Member Contributer Share Posted March 15, 2008 Most important things about hauling in the bed of a pickup is to find a location that allows you to get the bed very low, like a loading dock and have a couple of friends or bystanders to help you. Riding up the ramp is tricky and I advise enough manpower to push into the bed. Also unloading, be very careful as it's easy to lock up the front wheel when you apply the breaks which can lead to bad things man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer johnmark101 Posted March 15, 2008 Member Contributer Share Posted March 15, 2008 Get a Baxley Sport Chock......well worth the money. The rear footpeg brackets make a good tie down point, in addition to using a bar harness such as a Canyon Dancer to secure the front. The factory tie down points will work well and will actually be better than tie down points in the floor of the bed. Careful loading and unloading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Mac Posted March 15, 2008 Member Contributer Share Posted March 15, 2008 Wheels on the bike go round, and round.....round and round...... Did I miss something? Mac Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer vfrcapn Posted March 15, 2008 Member Contributer Share Posted March 15, 2008 One thing I'll suggest is don't ride the bike up the ramp. If you stall, lose your balance, etc, and don't have a very wide ramp where you can get both feet down, the bike is going over, with you sitting on it. Walk the bike up a second ramp or some steps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer hondalover Posted March 15, 2008 Member Contributer Share Posted March 15, 2008 Two street bikes in the bed of a pick-up will be very tight. They will fit, but the angle of the tie-down will be a problem. A good rule of thumb, you want a 45 degree angle on your tie-down. The outside points, the ones that will keep the bikes from falling on each other, are going to be almost straight up-n-down. You might look into a cheap trailer if you plan on doing much loading. BTW, if your truck is a 4-wheel drive you'll need to find a hill or some pretty long ramps so you don't drag the bottom of the bike at the ramp crest (where the ramp meets the tailgate). I have to use 8 foot ramps my 3/4 ton 2wd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VFR4Lee Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 Bedliner is made of some kind of plastic or pvc, and has a corrogated bottom. My Toyota Tacoma has the same thing. No wood needed. I just put the front wheel against the front of the truck bed, and tie it down good. My trucks a bit small for 2 street bikes. :warranty: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 Wheels on the bike go round, and round.....round and round......Did I miss something? Mac My thoughts exactly :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer jeremy556 Posted March 16, 2008 Member Contributer Share Posted March 16, 2008 Also unloading, be very careful as it's easy to lock up the front wheel when you apply the breaks which can lead to bad things man. When unloading (with engine OFF) keep the bike in gear and use the clutch friction zone as a brake. This will allow you to have a "front" brake. For loading, get an extra ramp, milk crate, or cooler to use as a step. With the engine running, in 1st gear, use the clutch to power the bike up the ramp as you walk to the left side of the bike. This way the bike does all the hard work, and you just have to worry about keeping it upright. The first few times you do it, it can be scary, but it gets easier the more you do it. It helps to go quickly so you have less time to screw it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer sebring Posted March 16, 2008 Author Member Contributer Share Posted March 16, 2008 One thing I'll suggest is don't ride the bike up the ramp. If you stall, lose your balance, etc, and don't have a very wide ramp where you can get both feet down, the bike is going over, with you sitting on it. Walk the bike up a second ramp or some steps. The ram is a foldable type that folds out to about 4 feet in width. I wanted to make sure that I could get my feet down when backing to down. I watched a friend ride his Harley Road King onto his truck with a similar ramp, but I will be nervous as heck the first time I try it. thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer sebring Posted March 16, 2008 Author Member Contributer Share Posted March 16, 2008 Also unloading, be very careful as it's easy to lock up the front wheel when you apply the breaks which can lead to bad things man. When unloading (with engine OFF) keep the bike in gear and use the clutch friction zone as a brake. This will allow you to have a "front" brake. For loading, get an extra ramp, milk crate, or cooler to use as a step. With the engine running, in 1st gear, use the clutch to power the bike up the ramp as you walk to the left side of the bike. This way the bike does all the hard work, and you just have to worry about keeping it upright. The first few times you do it, it can be scary, but it gets easier the more you do it. It helps to go quickly so you have less time to screw it up. That sounds like good advice. I will have my son with me so I think we can pull that off. We are getting geared up to go to Barber for the AMA races in April. He actually wants to ride his Blackbird, and I want to haul my VFR, but I can see it now...Sunday when we have to return home it will be pouring down rain, and we'll have to figure a way to get his Bird in the truck with mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 another happy customer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer johnmark101 Posted March 16, 2008 Member Contributer Share Posted March 16, 2008 As someone already mentioned, park your truck where the ground behind it is higher than where the rear wheels are parked. I park my Tacoma in the street, just off the end of the driveway so that the rear tires are in the gutter. I secure my ramp by using a tie down strap anchored to the rear bumper. Put the Baxley Sport Chock against the back of the bed and ride right in. Riding it in is a bit scary the first few times, but I have no problem with it now. Loaded up Loaded up and heading home Anymore, if I am headed somewhere with the VFR, I will be riding it. Only the CBR will see the back of my truck for track days or trips to the Smokies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer sebring Posted March 17, 2008 Author Member Contributer Share Posted March 17, 2008 I also used a Bar Harness by Canyon Dancer: Good luck! Canyon Dancer ordered! Thanks for the tip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer BonusVFR Posted March 17, 2008 Member Contributer Share Posted March 17, 2008 Use the truck for my VFR instead of a trailer which I also have..........works great! Load mine in the driveway with truck wheels in the gutter and a ramp on the slope of the driveway. I use Canyon Dancers as well with my PVC grip protectors. Used to use a chock but no longer as I find stability just fine without them. With two bikes I use a trailer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 19, 2008 Share Posted March 19, 2008 Personally I would not advise riding a bike into a truck..I can't count on both hands and feet how many times I have seen this go wrong at the track... http://youtube.com/watch?v=UkQYYBOrRNk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer The mailman Posted March 19, 2008 Member Contributer Share Posted March 19, 2008 I just got a Harbor Freight catalog in the mailbox today.....They have their wheel chocks on sale for $32.99 right now. Their photo in the add shows a CBR in the chock on a trailer. I would think you wouldn't need one though if you are just putting one bike in your truck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris71mach1 Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 when i throw my viffer in the back of my truck, there are a specific set of rules that MUST be followed before ill roll the truck an INCH with my bike in the back.... (1) this rule reads more powerful than even god's commandments themselves....nobody, but NOBODY, is to strap my vfr down in the back of my truck. i made that mistake once, and it bit me pretty bad. at least this way, if anything happens, i have nobody to blame but myself. (2) BOTH ends of the bike are to be secured. ford was nice enough to put 4 of those anchor thingys in the bed of my truck, and you best believe im going to use them all. (3) first tie-down strap goes on the back. loop from the bed-anchor on one side, through the subframe, through the wheel, and through the subframe on the other side, looping around the passenger footpeg mounts as I go. I generally use those come-along type straps, and tighten it down until the suspension starts to dip down. (4) for the front end, I've had to change things up a bit....before, when i had a damaged upper and no lowers, i'd just use one strap to anchor the bike down, but that seems to now jack with my bodywork that i kinda dont want messed up. my solution has been to alter the anchor method and use two straps for the front end. they each go around the triple tree, and to the OPPOSITE side of the bike (like from the left side of the triple down to the anchor point on the right side of the bed, and vise versa). this ensures that there is as little movement as possible during transport. again, tighten these down just to the point that the suspension will start to dip (but obviously not so much so that the suspension bottoms out or anything). (5) this is optional, but ill generally bring the kickstand up during transit. some people feel safer having it down just in case, and yet others feel fit to actually bring the bike up on the center stand for transport (tho im not a fan of that cause i like my front wheel up against the front of the bed, and bringing the bike up on the centerstand causes the bike to come back a few inches) everybody has their own way of doing this, but since i have a ton of tow straps and an 8 foot bed, this is what i've found works best for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LDSRIDER Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 I just got a Harbor Freight catalog in the mailbox today.....They have their wheel chocks on sale for $32.99 right now. Their photo in the add shows a CBR in the chock on a trailer. I would think you wouldn't need one though if you are just putting one bike in your truck. biggest thing is you dont want your front wheel to turn while in transport. A wheel chock helps this to not happen. I would use one..... but why would I transport a perfectly good motorcycle instead of ride it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Stéphane Posted August 9, 2008 Member Contributer Share Posted August 9, 2008 Your truck is bigger than mine (06 Nissan Frontier) so there will be no issues. Tie-downs in the fron and your good to go. I've had my VFR in the back every week for the past 3 weeks (warranty being done on the Frontier, so I loaded the bike and dropped the truck at the shop), and I'm about to give clinic on how to load a VFr inside a pick up. I used 2 ramps: one for the bike and I follow on the other one - feeding the throttle loading, holding the front brakes getting it off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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