I will be moving from Ohio to Arizona for Gradaute school. I am planning to put my Magna in the back of my Ford ranger. I am going to buy a top to keep it buy in case of rain. I want to ask if anyone has any advice for taking such a long haul. I am planning to get a chock and would like any advice anyone has for bolting the chock to my truck.
Thanks in advance.
Quote from: Ingramml on June 21, 2011, 02:40:13 PM
I will be moving from Ohio to Arizona for Gradaute school. I am planning to put my Magna in the back of my Ford ranger. I am going to buy a top to keep it buy in case of rain. I want to ask if anyone has any advice for taking such a long haul. I am planning to get a chock and would like any advice anyone has for bolting the chock to my truck.
I have moved Magnas in pickup beds two ways:
1) centered in the bed, parallel to the long dimension of the bed, pointed forward toward the cab.
2) On a diagonal, with the wheel turned, the front tire in the front left corner, and the rear against the right edge -- almost to the right rear corner.
Both of them work, and there are relative advantages to both mounts. The longest haul was about 530 miles, using method 2. Both were with 3rd gen bikes.
Advantage of 1 is that you can load the bike with only yourself, a good ramp (I used the "tri-folding" ramp from Harbor Freight), and a high curb or steep drop that you can back up to (to reduce the angle of the ramp). Disadvantage is that, on a SWB truck, you cannot put the tailgate up. I think maybe it is illegal in Texas to drive that way, but no one ever stopped me. I created four "chocks" consisting of 2x4 boards in the shape of a capital "I" (with short bars across each end). I placed these between the inside of the truck bed and the tires. (Takes four of them, measure carefully.) No need to drill holes in the bed.
Advantage of 2 is that it can be managed with no chocks -- just four ratcheting tiedowns. You will need help, mainly to pick up the back of the bike and move it to the right against the truck bed. Put the kickstand down and lock the fork before tightening the ratchets. Same ramp and terrain requirements as 1. No chocks required, as the walls of the truck bed hold things in place. You will also need help to unload. Bikes arrived undamaged in both cases.
Check the tiedowns for security and tightness every time you stop for anything -- gas, restroom, meals, whatever, no matter how you put the bike in the truck bed.
Measure both the bike and truck bed before you start. Good luck.
Ratchet straps are absolutely the way to go. However, there may be times when you don't have enough, can't find one, or need to tie down something that requires more scope than you have with your straps. If you only learn one knot in you're life, it should be a bowline. If you learn two, the second one need to be a truckers hitch. The purchasing loop used in this technique will let you untie it and reuse (not ruin) the rope.
(http://www.guywheatley.com/photos/TrckerHitch.jpg) (http://www.animatedknots.com/truckers/index.php)
Also, concerning method no 2 Lawrence mentions above, if you're a fairly big fella and You've got a place to get a grip, (such as a rack) you can lift with your legs and move that back end your self.
I always ratchet the front end down and take most of the compression out of the front forks. Otherwise, the bike will bounce around, especially when you hit your brakes. I've read a lot of discussion about whether or not this is good for the bike, but I figure it less damaging than throwing it out of the back of the truck. Maybe other with more knowledge will weigh in on that subject.
Quote from: guywheatley on June 22, 2011, 08:28:40 AM
...Also, concerning method no 2 Lawrence mentions above, if you're a fairly big fella and You've got a place to get a grip, (such as a rack) you can lift with your legs and move that back end your self.
On the other hand, if you are a wimpy weakling like me, you could use some help...
All I do is center the bike in the truck bed, put down two ratchet type tie downs to the front forks and tighten it down to each side of the front truck tie downs and that's it. Never had an issue and the bike never moves!
Quote from: lragan on June 22, 2011, 01:33:52 PM
Quote from: guywheatley on June 22, 2011, 08:28:40 AM
...Also, concerning method no 2 Lawrence mentions above, if you're a fairly big fella and You've got a place to get a grip, (such as a rack) you can lift with your legs and move that back end your self.
On the other hand, if you are a wimpy weakling like me, you could use some help...
I seem to recall you and a couple of other fellas picking up a good sized trailer trailer and moving it at MM6 (I think that was it.) when my bike quite on the Talimena run. (http://www.senocular.com/smilies/muscle.gif)
Quote from: guywheatley on July 03, 2011, 02:13:27 AM
Quote from: lragan on June 22, 2011, 01:33:52 PM
Quote from: guywheatley on June 22, 2011, 08:28:40 AM
...Also, concerning method no 2 Lawrence mentions above, if you're a fairly big fella and You've got a place to get a grip, (such as a rack) you can lift with your legs and move that back end your self.
On the other hand, if you are a wimpy weakling like me, you could use some help...
I seem to recall you and a couple of other fellas picking up a good sized trailer trailer and moving it at MM6 (I think that was it.) when my bike quite on the Talimena run. (http://www.senocular.com/smilies/muscle.gif)
Well, yeah, but the other guys did all the work --- I just grunted real loud. 8) 8)
I hauled my 94 from the east coast (1200 Miles) and my 95 from Michigan (200Miles)
Both times I used the same 2010 shortbed pickup with the contact patch of the rear wheel right in the edge between the rear of the bed and the front of the tailgate. I also had a sheet of 3/4 plywood in the bed.
Four ratchets and checked it whenever we stopped. Never had to tighten anything... Not even when we were rear ended by some goof in Bennington Vermont (Truck was 4 days old)
Only thing I'll add to Iragan's comments are, I was always told NOT to leave the kickstand down... If you tie down agains it, it will bend.
Quote from: arbadacarba on July 03, 2011, 03:21:44 PM
I hauled my 94 from the east coast (1200 Miles) and my 95 from Michigan (200Miles)
Both times I used the same 2010 shortbed pickup with the contact patch of the rear wheel right in the edge between the rear of the bed and the front of the tailgate. I also had a sheet of 3/4 plywood in the bed.
Four ratchets and checked it whenever we stopped. Never had to tighten anything... Not even when we were rear ended by some goof in Bennington Vermont (Truck was 4 days old)
Only thing I'll add to Iragan's comments are, I was always told NOT to leave the kickstand down... If you tie down agains it, it will bend.
I just got back from a trip up to the upper Part of Maine. I loaded my bike into the back of my pickup with a 6 foot bed. When I pulled the wratchet straps tight. I started off on the right rear then to the left. I only pulled them down tight enough to start pulling the rear end down. Then I moved to the front I started on the right front then the left. I worked both sides so they were even and as tight as I could get them. I rechecked all the straps to make certain they were all sinched down. When I arrived I started at the right front then the left and moved to th rear in the same patern. The kick stand was down the whole trip and did not have a problem with it.
Quote from: arbadacarba on July 03, 2011, 03:21:44 PM
I hauled my 94 from the east coast (1200 Miles) and my 95 from Michigan (200Miles)
Both times I used the same 2010 shortbed pickup with the contact patch of the rear wheel right in the edge between the rear of the bed and the front of the tailgate. I also had a sheet of 3/4 plywood in the bed.
Four ratchets and checked it whenever we stopped. Never had to tighten anything... Not even when we were rear ended by some goof in Bennington Vermont (Truck was 4 days old)
Only thing I'll add to Iragan's comments are, I was always told NOT to leave the kickstand down... If you tie down agains it, it will bend.
I've always been told to put the kickstand up too. Otherwise the impact from all the bumps is not being cushioned by the suspension, it's transferring all that impact to your frame. Let it ride on the suspension, ratchet the forks down about half way, ratchet down the back about the same and you're on your way. I've trailered my V65 about 6500 miles cross country on multiple trips this way, 2500 miles with the V45 in the back of a Uhaul, and trailered my new ZRX1200 500 miles same way. Never had an issue.
I have heard if you ratchet the forks down too much you can blow a seal, I usually go half way down or so...