[Guest]

i've got a '97 f150 that was pulled out of retirement over the weekend after being parked in the garage for 8 monthes. the question is, during the week, when i am at my auxilliary residence (company buy-out, 90 minute commute, bla bla bla...at least i still have a job) i don't have my bike. the suitcase tends not to strap too well to a 749s.
anyways...to get to the point...i'm tired of this great weather, and me being stuck in the car for the week. the house is in the sticks, more or less, and all my neighbors are fat and old. anyone do a one man load job of bike into back of full size pick-up? what ramp do you use? am i stuck getting a trailer, or selling the house :roll:

 

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Re: one man loading (gtoast)

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by gtoast »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> anyone do a one man load job of bike into back of full size pick-up? what ramp do you use? </TD></TR></TABLE>

I do it... and I'm a gimp. I use a 10' 2x12 glue-lam for the bike (very strong) and I walk up a regular 2x12 that I put right beside the glue-lam. Both have ramp ends on them with the little pins to make sure they don't slip off the tail-gate.

It can be kinda spooky... but it works. I'm loading into a big-ass 4x4.

 

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Re: one man loading (gtoast)

I do this all the time, no sweat. I'm 5'8", so the step up to the tailgate is a big one.
The trick is to have something to step on, so you have a step between the tailgate and the ground. The wider and stiffer, the better. I use a large plastic storage bin,the kind with the two "book-style" flaps on top. They are a nice, stiff plastic and mine is full of stuff so the top doesn't flex when I step on it.
I use a long, wide, arched aluminum ramp that is attached to the truck so it can't slip back and come off the tailgate. Set it slightly offset to the bed so you have room to step in the bed with the bike.
Fire the bike up, warm it up. Standing next to the bike, drop it in first and slip the clutch as you walk with the bike, up the ramp and into the truck. If you do it in one smooth, continus motion, you pass through the scary spots quickly. It also helps to have your tie downs laid out and ready so you can sit on the bike in the bed and hook them up. Position the tie downs so you can pull them down from the seat of the bike.

To unload it, I like to leave it in gear (egine off) and control the rate of desecent with the clutch. It's a tad easier than relying on the front brake.

Good luck!

 

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Re: one man loading (Chuckles)

Chuckles, you are a brave man to use the bikes power to load it. I've saw a guy completely loose it trying to do that. I'll push mine up.

Burned Toast.

The step is good, the extra ramp to walk up is good too. Some driveway's have a slight decline to them, mine does especially where it meets the level road. To somewhat reduce the height of the truck bed and the angle of the ramp, I park in the road, backed up to the driveway, it makes loading a snap. I just have to watch out for the crazy Detroit drivers!

 

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Re: one man loading (Capt. Home Slice)

i'm a little hesitant to power it up for fear of loosing it. i've got none too fond a memory of loading up my first bike (81 honda cx500) with that method and almost putting it through the rear glass.

the drive is pretty flat. i was thinking about walking it up onto the deck, gets me about 1/2 way up, and loading her from there. only problem is that with the 40 yo, rotting, non-solid deck i'd be taking a risk...shes been down enough.

 

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Re: one man loading (gtoast)

Next, I will suggest the catipult method then!

 

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Re: one man loading (Capt. Home Slice)

This is by far the best method I've seen:

http://gprime.net/video.php/howtoparkadirtbike

 

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Re: one man loading (Kennedy)

no f-n way that's real!! that guy is crazy!

 

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Re: one man loading (JonHsiung)

I have a van and I also walk my bike up a ramp using the engine - it comes down to good throttle control and clutch control..... But if you screw up it becomes good front brake control!

I use 2 ramps - one for the bike and one for me to walk up....

 

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Re: one man loading (hank)

Heck.. Anyone can do the old jump the bike into the truck routine.
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. Once....

 

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Re: one man loading (Old Fart)

what ...are we all nervous about the guy (whether old or not) next door to help out? Granted some "communities are communities" but damn. I'm starting to feel like i'm in a world that requires a card to get in

as the new Duc guy here..so flame on brothers

 

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Re: one man loading (throttlehead)

Personally, I prefer NOT to have someone "help" me load my bike, especially someone who doesn't know what they're doing!

Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the gesture. But there's a significant reason I don't want someone helping:

When you're pushing a bike, even in a straight line, the bike leans toward you a little. When people come over to try to help you, they naturally want to stand the bike straight up, because from their angle - behind the bike - it looks correct to them. But for the owner pushing from the side, it feels like the bike is falling AWAY from you, which is the most disconcerting feeling there is!

It's really hard to explain it to them in the heat of the moment, and I'd rather just do it myself.

Like Chuck and others above, I use the ol' engine running/clutching it up the ramp method, but I really wouldn't recommend just doing this the first time! I've been doing this for years, and it works great (I love watching people shaking their heads afterward

). But it takes practice, and you have to ease into it, like just easing it up onto a cement block a few times to get the "feel" for it.

Regardless of which method you use, definitely try to get the back wheels of the truck into a low point, like a gutter or shallow ditch. And the driveway technique mentioned above is great, too. If you don't have two ramps, a step of some sort next to the ramp is a must (I use a plastic step stool, but you can use a milk crate, storage bin, toolbox, etc.)

 

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Re: one man loading (AZ Scott)

Hey guy, feel free to ask for random help (unless your on some random street

) Being in a place of riders add track day yahoos and racers......it won't matter. None of the over controlling stories about anything will help you....only the guy you say "hey" to and your bike is safe.....its not a nuclear bomb... and if that;s where you are in your safety for you and your bike...back away! with laugh of course

 

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Re: one man loading (hank)

I'm with hank on this one. I also use two ramps. I load mine up in a full size f150. I do make sure that both ramps are secured to the truck and then for extra measures, I secure the two ramps together also. I too, walk mine. I wouldn't try to use the power up method,,,,just one more problem thrown into the equation.

But I still am taking a risk by doing it myself. But you got to do, what you got to do.

 

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Re: one man loading (blkhalo996)

I used to un-hook my tailgate and link in a couple sections of chain so that the gate becomes part of the ramp. then pin the ramp to the back of the gate so it won't disconnect.

Also if you go by a place where they extrude aluminum for stairs you can usually find a section of tread that hasn't been cut yet and that makes a great ramp as long as it's wide enough for the tire.

You could also bobcat out a pit to back into, and leave the bike ground level.

 

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Re: one man loading (Just Riding Along)

i'm a gonna try 'er tonight. jason, have a couple of clutch levers waiting for me...

 

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Re: one man loading (gtoast)

A guy I used to ride track days with would ride (yes, ride) his Buell racebike into the back of his big-a$$ F250. It was a hell of a sight to see. I always offered to help him, but apparently he really liked doing it himself! I kept waiting for him to go crashing through his rear window but it never happened. He must have had it down to a science...

 

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Re: one man loading (blueSS)

What about one of those ramps that bolt on to your trailer hitch? It mounts sideways, and a ramp folds down, and you can walk it up right on the ground.

Larry

 

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Re: one man loading (Tron)

i never want to do that again...2 8' planks lashed together, and secured to the hitch, 2' deck rise, what a pain to set up.
it was remarkably easy to load, actually, despite my usual half-assed way of setting up. due to the geometry of the house, and the layout of the deck i had very little room to maneuver the bike, make-shift ramp, and truck. by accident, during this ordeal, i managed to take out a 4ft chunk of my deck with the tailgate. that thing is a bus.
and i wasn't even drinking. time to get a real ramp...and maybe some friends

 

[Guest]

Re: one man loading (gtoast)

I got ramps from cycle gear....they have wire straps that attach to where the chains hook-up on the hitch...they are light and they are convex so the bottom of the bike doesn't drag....they are the side-by-side kind...about $140 bucks...

or....

If doing this freaks you out...find a used M/C trailer