Motorcycle ramp

[Fire-medic]

What about paint-on bedliner like Rhino-coat or whaatever it's called? That stuff dries w/a rough texture & it's designed for metal, though it's a painted metal pickup bed.

Thats a good idea. I had thought about contact paper, but didnt know if it would stick.

 

[Traumahawk]

What about paint-on bedliner like Rhino-coat or whaatever it's called? That stuff dries w/a rough texture & it's designed for metal, though it's a painted metal pickup bed.

Now thats an idea....I wonder how it is if it gets slightly damp? I will have to check it out.

Ive worked around the anti-skid paint (helidecks, walkways, etc) and it doesnt matter.....your not slipping....just dont fall on it.

The anti-skid paint is HIGH, but the additive is pretty cheap, depending on what you get.

 

[Redbone]

Now thats an idea....I wonder how it is if it gets slightly damp? I will have to check it out.

Ive worked around the anti-skid paint (helidecks, walkways, etc) and it doesnt matter.....your not slipping....just dont fall on it.

The anti-skid paint is HIGH, but the additive is pretty cheap, depending on what you get.

Yeah that stuff will take a layer of skin even if you brush against it. I installed my swingarm, wheels and a engine on it which I used HD cardboard or moving blankets to lay/ sit on while doing the work.

 

[Zeus36]

I have trailered behind and hauled my bike with a pickup. Always better to haul it than trailer it. (speed limits, backing up, parking, security) For the ramp I'd recommend using PIT pins if you don't mind drilling into your tailgate. Ratchet straps just for insurance to keep the ramp in place.

I picked up a Harbor Freight 2500 pound winch with a key fob remote for my trailer, so I can sit on the bike and ride it up or back it down using the winch. Soft nylon cinch straps to the fork tubes allow for a center pull and help lock it to the wheel chock. (the battery sits over the trailer's fender) I'm looking to do the same thing by mounting another winch in the bed of the truck. I use a 10 foot aluminum channel for truck loading/unloading and a high curb/sidewalk.

 

[caseyjones955]

+1 on ATV winch and strap. I made one for my Oddyssey and used an extension cord and magnetic switch made from an old tag light, worked awesome, dirt cheap way to control the winch from on the ground behind the truck. Odyssey only has rear brakes and could not ride it in w/o whacking the front of the bed.

I was thinking about a guide that would unfold and place much like a staircase railing along one side of the ramp to give something to tie a safety teather to in case you do loose your footing and slip the bike would be saved from going over too. A mild steel track or rail with a light chain loop to follow it up. I have seen so many guys drop cruisers on the ground its tear jerking, even with help.

Ive never done more to create it because I have never put a street bike on a truck or trailor but a complete system for loadin/unloading solo would be a marketable thing from what I have seen.

 

[Traumahawk]

Well if you think about it, with the winch and strap, it really doesnt matter if its slick so the bike wont slip back.

 

[caseyjones955]

The hope is to prevent it from toppling sideways off the ramp, this is what I have seen most often. Once it starts to get out of shape it looks real tough save. I thought anything to keep the bike from going over the side would be handy.

 

[Traumahawk]

The hope is to prevent it from toppling sideways off the ramp, this is what I have seen most often. Once it starts to get out of shape it looks real tough save. I thought anything to keep the bike from going over the side would be handy.

Well I can see sitting on the bike with your legs down to stabilize the bike, and have the winch pull you up.

 

[VMAXXIMUM]

The bed liner idea is great. I swear by the stuff. It's extremely non slip even when wet. I've used it in every truck I've owned and it's super durable. The body shop that I go to uses it for all kinds of applications. They regularly use it on boat decks for it's slip resistance.

 

[caseyjones955]

With a good wide ramp and lower deck height it might not be to bad. The largest bike Ive ever solo loaded/unloaded was a CR500. Im going from all the baggers and road kings Ive seen dropped off the ramps during Sturgis. They make it look pretty tricky.

 

[Zeus36]

There is a company in Albuquerque that coats motorcycle tanks, fenders, and lower fork legs with thick bed liner in any color you want. I saw some examples at the New Mexico state fair and it looked sweet. No waxing, no chipping, no scratches, no decals. This was a few years before HD came out with the "Denim" look. Rhino lining on a ramp would make for a decent non-skid coating.

 

[Traumahawk]

Edited for content

 

[Zeus36]

Here is the video. I'm guessing it's the 12 footer in the clip?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkamekxMsk0

 

[Zeus36]

Might want to look into a set of these:

http://www.discountramps.com/tailgate-support/p/TAILGATE-SUPPORT/

 

[Traumahawk]

Edited for content

 

[Traumahawk]

It dawned on me that I never did post a follow-up on these. They worked beautifully. No issues at all. I do have bigger rachet straps that I used, but later on, the smaller ones seemed to work better. The ones that are rated for 600 LBS per strap. I had 4 on the front, and 1 across the rear. Here is the bike when I pulled up to the house.

 

[jfeagins]

Luv those solid steel tie rods for the lowered tailgate. Beats the heck out of relying on the OEM cable straps to hold up to the added weight when loading/unloading.

 

[Traumahawk]

Yep, those were incredible, and I would recommend them to ANYONE hauling something. For added security (I THINK the were 59.00) well worth the money.

 

[Fire-medic]

The wide ramps make a perilous task much safer. The struts save your tailgate from a loading failure, which could easily snap your leg like a twig if the bike fell onto you.

My GMC owner's manual says the cables are only rated for 200 lbs. Not much. I use a t-bracket in my receiver hitch which supports the end of the tailgate, and I have a piece of aluminum extrusion to lengthen the load area, and when I use that, the t-bracket extends outward to support the aluminum piece's outside edge. The only thing that is an issue is that if you have a flat, you would have to unload the bike to access the release cable for the underbed spare. If I'm just using the extension around town I gamble and leave the spare where it is. If I'm going on a trip, with the extension and bike, I offload the underbed spare tire/wheel and lock it into the bed. The extension piece came from a handicap ramp I bought for easing entry in/out of the house for my elderly in-laws, unfortunately, they're dead now. They fled Communism, a very sad story, but lived in the USA nearly 50 years, they lived to be 98 and 99. They were small business owners, she was a tailor, and he owned a commercial landscaping business. My wife always had the most beautiful clothes, and their family home looked like a tropical garden, lots of fruit trees and tropicals.