Hey all
I will soon be hauling my new sporty back home in a truck bed. I have never done this can anyone please give me some tips on do's and dont's. Also I would like to know where the best tie of points are when inside of the truck bed. I have hauled my previous moto ina trailer but have not experience with hauling ina truck bed. Please help so my sporty comes home in great condition.

Thanks
Matt

 

If your truck doesn't have tie-down eyes in the bed you can find something at autozone to do the job, get the straps there too, the kind with the ratchet. I backed my truck into a ditch that let the tailgate hit the ground and we pushed the bike in there and strapped it down from the handlebars. It was about 220 miles home and it worked out just fine. Don't bottom your forks completely out so it'll have a little suspension left for the ruff spots in the road and letter rip

 

Having raced dirtbikes since I was younger, I have always had some kind of motorcycle in the back of my pickup. This is easy and uses common sense. Positioning of the bike in the pick up: You want your front tire in the center of the bed up against the cab. If you have a short bed, and want to close the tailgait, you can position it 6 or so inches off to one side, while keeping the front tire in line with the length of the truck you can then swing the back end to the far rear corner and will most likly be able to close your tailgait. When using tie downs, like anything the cheaper, the lower the quality. If you purchased your bike from a dealer they should give you a set for free. Get tie downs either ratchet or pull style with soft ties so you do not scar up your handle bars. You can also place a rag underneath the tiedown on your bars. Attatch the other ends to the two front corners of the bed. Do not compress your front suspension all the way for that is hard on your forks, so give some room for movement. Last but not least make sure you tie a knot right behind your tie downs locking mechanism just for good measure, and tie the remaining end to the tight portion of your strap so it doesnt whip around a hit or scuff up your bike when driving down the highway.

Have fun with your new bike!

 

Put a board in front of your front wheel or you will smash your bed wall into the back of the cab.

 

Tips:

Do:

1. Have another licensed driver ride with you to pick up your bike.
2. Give said driver a 5 minute head start in your truck going back home.
3. See if you can catch up with the truck and drive the bike into the truck bed.

Don't:

Catch up with the truck until you get home.


Sorry, I know that's absolutely zero help. I just couldn't resist being a bit of a smarta$$ this morning.

 

Be carefull loading. If you can find a nice hill to back up to you can eliminate using a steep ramp and pull it right into the bed

 

I put mine in the bed of the Mega cab all the time. Big problem is the height of the bed deck coupled with only six and 1/2 inches ground clearance. Means I need a 8.5 foot ramp which is an odd number. I back the truck into the drainage ditch in front of the house and use a homemade 2x6 ramp to get it on.

I bought a 5x8 tilt Utility trailer. Its ok for moving the bike back and forth to the dealer for service when I cant arrange a ride, I had to buy an 10 inch drop ball mount and I dont think I would use it on long hauls.

 

I just hauled mine from Columbus to Savannah using a '06 Tundra. We used the HD here in Columbus to ramp it up and I highly recommend using a level platform versus a ramp. Unless you can get a long ramp with a gradual incline, its going to suck getting it up and in the right position. Have at least two tiedowns that can handle 500lbs each. Like everyone said, put it in the center with the tire against the front of the bed. If you cinch it down properly the bike one go forward at all. No need to pull the tailgate up unless you've got an 8' bed.

After its on and center (no need to turn the body one way or another) just have someone push down the forks and start ratcheting. Switch from side to side until the forks can't go anymore and you're done. If you have extra straps you can tie down the back but its not necessary.

Unloading is the same as loading... just try to get a high platform to put it on then move it to the streets. We didn't have one at my unloading site and ended up using a rather short and steep ramp. We almost lost it a few times but got it down once we cleared the bolts on the ramp and had to lift the front tire off the bed of the truck and be quick to guide the bike down the ramp.

Now the ride back... that's another story. 240 miles in 4 hours 30 minutes on a Sporty...

 

I have seen people strap the bike down while on the jiffy stand, don't do that!! Make sure the bike is upright and even when strapping it down.

 

Little early to be drinking isn't it Sporty????

I have found placing fron tire agains bed box with plenty of tension is the way to go(not full bore.. maybe 1 /2 shock absorbsion). Then strap rear to just "stabilize". If ya don't drive like Mario(though I am sure ya wanna get home and ride the scooter), ya should be just fine...

If you are picking it up from a dealer.. I am sure they will give ya a hand.