Bonneville America Forums Forums Off Topic Discussion Forums Lounge how to tie bike in pickup?

I got my ramps and they work just fine. but I Have never had my bike in a pickup before. and i was wondering what is the best way to secure it back there for the long haul to Ga.?
http://www.bonnevilleamerica.com/photopo...t=1&cat=500

Plenty of ratchet straps

Why not ride it? Not sure if your bed is long enough to fit straight. Crank down two straps from you handlebars and two from the swing arm to keep it true. Make sure you have it between a rut in the bed to secure the front tire. Also make sure the front tire is pushed against the bed. the tiedowns in the front will keep it verical and the back ones will keep the rear end from moving around.

Compress the front shocks about halfway. Strap from both sides of top of fork to front of bed. A Chevy S 10 will fit a Speedmaster with the tailgate down*. Believe it or not, these two front straps will offer 99.9% of what you need to secure the bike, but another two straps on the back of the bike are a good idea. I suggest transport in nuetral, so slight movements aren't pounding on the driveline, but either way is probably fine.

*Find a way to make the tailgate stay secured. Most are designed to come off the vehicle.

As above you only need two straps ratchet until the front springs compress about 1/2. I put one on each side of the rear shocks and tighten down just a bit to stop hopping on the rear. Is the back being tied down needed? No, I am just anal about that stuff.

Are you sure that is a big enough truck?

Hey does anyone in the NH area have a ramp I can borrow or a trailer? I want to drop the speedy off at second wind and am currently not getting along with my neighbor that has a ramp(really long story).

Oh and x3 on the 2 on the forks and one round back.

Does the bike have to be vertical or should it be on the kickstand?

Upright, not on the stand.

If you take a couple of appropriately sized blocks of wood run perpendicular to the frame on either side of the oil filter, you can lock the bike to the bed with the rear straps.

The idea of all this is so the bike does not move at all. What Phil is saying is that if you ratchet it down onto wood blocks, it basically becomes hard mounted to the truck and becomes one with it, relative movement between the bike and truck is bad. I could go into chaos theory with masses mounted on springs but I'll save it

Thanks everyone I had a pretty good idea how to do it but now I know. I have an 8 foot bed so closing the tailgate won't be a problem. Thanks again see you in Ga. WOO HOO!

Slap a tape measure on it, bet it's longer than 8'

Dont be suprised if your bike jumps out of the truck like cat would jump out of water. It is a Triumph (doesnt belong in trucks or on trailers).

Soren

I BOUGHT AN F150 WITH AN 8FT BED SO MY AMERICA WOULD FIT IN IT EXACTLY , I BOUGHT FOUR STRAPS AT WALMART I THINK WITH AN EIGHT HUNDRED POUND LOADING EACH I ALWAYS USE THE FOUR STRAPS NO POINT USING TWO DOLLAR STRAPS FOR $$$$$ BIKE! I USUALLY PUT IT ON THE STAND UNTIL I TENSION THE STRAPS . I HAVE DRIVEN FROM GEORGIA TO NORTH CAROLINA AND FROM NORTH CAROLINA TO ELPASO TX AND YOU WOULDNT EVEN KNOW THE BIKE WAS THERE .AS FAR AS THE RAMPS GO,ALTHOUGH ITS A BIT LATE FOR YOU I BOUGHT ADAPTORS AT HOME DEPOT FOR TWENTYFIVE DOLLARS AND MADE MY OWN WITH TWO EIGHT FT PLANKS FAR BETTER AND FAR CHEAPER MOST RAMPS DO NOT HAVE A GOOD ENOUGH WEIGHT RATING AND FOR THAT MATTER ARENT USUSALLY THAT LONG.

Post deleted by Grump

Don't hook the straps on the handlebars. The handlebars can loosen up.

Gerry

Hey Kenny, I went to a honda dealer (cause it was close) and picked up some little figure 8 loops. You can loop them around the upper fork shroud and then hook the strap into that, so as to not park up the bars or shrouds with the hooks.

Also, be sure to use a ratchet strap to connect the ramp to the truck bumper, that way it won't slip off the gate during loading.

You can use ropes. Driver's hitch gives you the leverage with it's pulley loop to cinch her down as tight as you want. Learned it from my canoeing days. Those ratcheting thangs me.

Leave the kickstand down even though the bike is strapped
straight upright, so when you loosen the straps to take the bike off loosen the right side first and let it ease down on the kickstand.

You need to tie the bike down front and rear, high and low. If you just tie it down low on the frame, it will fall over. If you just tie it down high on the frame, the wheels will migrate out from under and it will fall over. If you just tie it down at one end or in the middle, it will turn as sideways as possible and be bloody buggar all to get out of the truck.

NEVER leave the kickstand down when trailering a bike!!!!!!!!!!! if something happens and that stand is down and it breaks off, you got nothin, no way to stand the bike up. trust me, i learned the hard way. if that bike is straped down, it should be standing straight up (not leaning) stap it from the fork brace and strap the rear down from the frame. lock the front wheel straight into something to keep it that way,(i use 2 2+4's bolted to the floor, 1 on each side of tire) otherwise the front will turn and then your straps will loosen (you dont want that) and you are set to go. you can leave the kickstand down to strap the bike first from that side, then strap the other side, when its straight up and down, put the stand back up and its down tight enough. see you in Ga.