Motorcycles in Pickup Truck Beds

Don't know if anyone has mentioned this, but it's also a good idea to use some string or extra strap to tie the front brake firmly on after the bike is loaded and secured.

PLEASE get some help like at least one spotter to help you load the bike into the truck even with a double wide ramp. If it tips, not only will you fall off, but the bike could fall on you which could kill you. BE CAREFUL especially if you are uncomfortable with this. If you are really scared just rent a U-haul motorcycle trailer -- incredibly easy to use and tow.

Now what good is the brake going to do? If the bike is loose enough that the straps can't hold it, the front brake isn't going to do anything.

I also don't understand the need for a chock. Just leave the bike on the side stand. Hook up the left strap with some slack in it, then sinch down on the right strap. The bike will stand up off the side stand on it's own, and once you get used to your bike you can leave just the right amount of slack in the left strap so the bike will stand perfectly strait up.

Certainly not necessary. But I've hauled a lot of bikes (dirt, street, race) in the back of my truck and have tried all of the various techniques described in this thread and know their advantages and disadvantages.

I've also seen the failure modes of the various options and I can tell you that a chock (or equivalent blocking device, like the "Bed Buddy", attached to the front of the truck bed where the wheels contact the bed wall) eliminates most of them. It completely prevents the front wheel from turning regardless of how rough the road is. It allows you to use less down force on the tie downs. It greatly simplifies the tie down process, particularly if you are working alone. Doubly so if you are loading more than one bike.

Doesn't take up much room. Makes life simpler. Eliminates most of the problems associated with other options. If your bed is long enough that losing a couple of inches up front isn't an issue, there really is no down side to using one that I can think of (except for the cost of the chock.)

I totally agree. Keeping the front wheel locked in position is key to the bike's stability. It also keeps you from bending the front of the bed.

Like i stated earlier in this thread; i've had two wrecks with the bike in the truck. W/O the chock the bike fell over. With the chock it never moved.

probably stating the obvious...

remember to put your sidestand up. You might wind up nothing happening or a dent in the bed to breaking the bike.

I put the bikes in kitty corner, front wheel lodged in the corner. Same principal without drilling holes. Mind you I typically am only hauling dirt bikes not faired street bikes.

yeah, I put the stand up, but really once the bike has been synched down, the side stand is an inch or more above the bed anyhow.

The real trick is to remember to put it back down before relieving the tension in the tie downs.

I've only got 4 anchors in the bed, one in each corner. Sticking the wheel in the corner would seem like it'd cause issues with strapping the bike down. With the wheel square to the bed and tie downs running from the triple trees to the anchor points, I really don't see how the wheel could turn. It's not just the pressure of the wheel against the bed that's keeping the wheel from turning, but also the straps, they'd have to be loose for the wheel to turn.

Guys, have you looked at Moto-Cinch? http://www.dualsportarmory.com/product_details.php?category_id=120&item_id=534
It is far superior to tie downs and will not scratch your bike up. When you are done you just release the Cinch and there is a small button on the floor where it attaches. We can carry 8 bikes in our trailer using these and no wheel chocks to trip over.

Looks great! I like the idea, especially when you haul allot!

It's hard to tell what the Moto-Cinch really does. Got any better pics?

Here is a video of how it works.

http://www.cinchitdown.com/how_it_works

I have used straps and rope and chocks and all the other stuff. I really believe that this is the best way to transport a bike. No more suspension saver between the fender and the wheel, no more soft loops. Just hook the pegs into the Cinchs and secure them, they wont come loose. We have not found a dual sport bike that will not fit into the cup...of course we have not tried them all so I am sure there is one out there.

Of course we would prefer you visit our site to order....but throwing these guys a bone wont kill us.

I've just driven from Oregon to Alaska with a 2010 Triumph Tiger in the bed of a Dodge Ram 2500 short-bed pickup. I wanted to make sure there were no problems before posting any advice.

The truck bed is 6 1/4 feet long. The bike is 83" long, meaning the tailgate would not have cleared by about 8 inches. I did not, however, want to leave the tailgate down for 3000 miles.

So, using 10th-grade math, I figured that the bed of the truck was 96" diagonally.

Here was what I did, and I'm glad to say it worked:

I used a Condor wheel chock. I puzzled over how I would mount it, since I did not want to drill the truck bed or use plywood. The other problem was that most wheel chocks are very wide in front because they are made to be put against a flat wall, such as the front of a truck bed.

The Condor people told me to buy their trailer only chock, but instead of mounting it to the truck bed, I got "boomerangs," or the Scooter Chock Floor Adaptor kit. This is supposedly for mopeds, but it works for full size bikes, and the mounting holes match up to the regular Condor Trailer Only chock. Then, you mount both boomerangs facing backwards, at which point you have something made to go into a corner.



Then, I used lots of tie downs. Four would have done it. I used seven. (It was a long trip, and tying down is trickier when you're not working with square angles.) I think cams are best for most everything, and I really do think Ancra tiedowns are worth the money, although I did use inexpensive rachet tie downs at some points that were not particularly stressful to the suspension. I did not use any tie downs on the handlebars. My aftermarket Thunderbike crash bars from New Zealand were excellent tie down points. Remember to retighten tie downs, especially during rain, since water stretches them.

On the truck I used the four stock corner cleats in the bed of my Dodge, plus stake pocket strong points, which are not very expensive.

ford sport trac beds are tiny

i regularly (like at least twice a week) haul 1-3 bikes in my shortbed pickup. i have a 7.5' arched ramp, and a bedrack ( http://www.discountramps.com/motorcycle-tie-down-rack.htm )

don't waste your money on the center extension. i just use a cinder block.

the bedrack is the best investement. makes life so much easier. no more snaking tie downs through wheels. i use the lower triple tree as a strap point. much better than on the bars.

i've got a trailer, but it's usually easier to just load the truck.

Wow -- I would have lost that bet. Can't believe that it is possible to fit THREE bikes in one of those little trucks.

I think about doing this all the time, since I started this thread.

Yet I haven't done it yet.

And I sold the truck.

A 119 post thread on how to tie a motorcycle down in the bed of a truck...:huh

wrong ! 120

2 bikes in a 24 year old toyota pickup works fine. three would mean putting one in backwards, but it's doable. 4 would mean hanging the front wheels over the side of the bed and take a while to do.

more than 4 means you're going to the scrap dealer with them, and they're stacked higher than the sun ;-)