You need to move your motorcycle to another location, maybe to a motorcycle shop for repairs, the race track it is race day, or you might need a ride home. You decide to haul the bike to the chosen destination rather than ride, you need to load it safely into a truck or trailer. There are usually more ways than one to skin-a-cat the same goes for loading your motorcycle into a truck or trailer. If you are loading the bike for race day take your Leather Motorcycle Jacket and Leather Motorcycle Pants for max protection.
What Method Are You Going To Use?
What is meant here, are you going to use a loading ramp designed for loading bikes into the bed of a truck? Are you going to use an incline, like a short hill, a ditch, or even a loading dock? Opting for a ramp to load the bike into your truck, van or trailer. It is your choice based on what is readily available for you to use.
Equipment
How many times have you heard of someone getting injured when trying to load a motorcycle, once is too many. The first things to get together are the tools and equipment to safely load your bike into a truck, trailer, or whatever.
The Hauling Vehicle
If you are using a pickup truck it might work best to completely remove the tailgate so you won’t damage it and the loading process is safer. The lower to the ground the truck is the easier it is to load the bike, preferably a long box. Say a two-wheel drive or a 4X4 that is not lifted your choice.
You may want to use a van or a trailer designed to transport bikes with a weight rating that will get the job done. Note the wheel mount in front of pickup bed secured by ratchet straps.
The Loading Ramp
Note the loading ramp and the 4X6 to walk the bike up.
The ramp should be long enough to make loading the bike an easy process, too short you will have to lift and push harder. A long ramp that is arched makes it easier to load a bike and does not catch the low frame of touring or road bike. Make the ramp safe so it won’t shift under the weight of the bike, secure it with two ratchet straps from each side of the axle.
If the ramp is a narrow one just one ratchet strap will do. Just make sure the ramp is up to the job and can support the weight of the bike that is being loaded. One other thing, loading a bike into a truck or van may go smoother if you employ the help of a riding buddy, a friend, or someone to help.
Loading the Bike
Loading the bike is where things can go wrong and damage can occur, to you, your loading mate, the truck, or the bike, be safe and take your time. If you are loading on flat ground a long arched ramp will work best. One pushing the bike from the back, the other walking beside the bike so the front brake can be used to keep the bike from rolling back.
The bike can be walked into the truck with considerable ease. This method works for bike trailers and vans as well. If you have chosen to use a hill, an incline, or a ditch the bike can be rolled into the conveyance with little effort expended.
Making the Bike Secure Once Loaded
Note the straps front & rear of bike.
Before you load the bike there should be something to support the front wheel already in place. A tire stand works very well, you can construct something from 2X4s, or heavy plywood. Anything to set the front wheel in that will hold the bike steady during transportation.
Wheel stands work great for supporting the front wheel. Some people do not like drilling holes in their truck beds so you can use ratchet straps to hold the front wheel support in place. Use ratchet straps to secure the front of the bike to the truck bed and do the same at the rear of the bike.
Once loaded, haul the bike to its destination and don’t forget to bring your Men’s Textile Motorcycle Pants along with your Mesh Motorcycle Jacket. Take a ride on the web and look at all the steals and deals on Wicked Stock from apparel to gear to accessories.
Check us out on Instagram and like us on Facebook and let us know how the motorcycle haul went.
Add comment