Loading a motorcycle into a truck is a delicate dance best performed with two people. Start by getting the bed/tailgate as low as possible?here the back of the truck is facing an incline and we?ve positioned the back wheels in a drainage culvert. Photos by Mark Tuttle.
The best way to get a motorcycle from here to there is to ride it, but that?s not always possible. Breakdowns, flat tires or cross-country moves mean hauling the bike in a truck or on a trailer to get it where it needs to be. But while that might seem the safest way for a motorcycle to go anywhere, danger lurks?in sloppy tie-downs, poorly secured anchors and the ever-popular loading ramp endo. Here, then, are some tips for loading, hauling or shipping your motorcycle and having it show up at its destination still in one large, shiny piece. Make sure the ramp is secured to the truck somehow (e.g., use a tie-down) and position a sturdy step of the right height (the Haulmaster work stand shown is from Harbor Freight) where the loader can easily step up into the bed as the bike moves up the ramp.
Pickups, vans and trailers should first be positioned to make loading as easy as possible. Back up to the curb, drop a pickup?s tailgate past horizontal or maneuver the rear of the trailer so the angle from the driveway on up is as shallow as possible; the goal is to arrange the various elements so you can roll the bike along a nearly flat ramp rather than pushing it up a sharply inclined one. Not only does this require ...