CA law for bed extender?

[TrexMex]

Dunno if this is supposed to go in this Forum, but....

I'm supposed to pick up a bike in Irvine, CA on Saturday (Honda Shadow ACE) and dunno if the thing will fit in my bed with the tailgate up. Thing is, I don't know what the CA law is regarding carrying a secured (ratcheting hook straps in 4 points) bike on your truck bed, tailgate down and no bed extender....

Anyone??

 

[Will]

I don't think there are any such laws to worry about.

 

[Roadkill]

Considering we transport tons (literally, LOL) of machinery and goods on an open deck and they are held down with just straps or chains the DOT cannot do anything. As long as the AWLL of the straps is more than the weight of the bike you'll be fine. Use 2" straps though, those little 1" things make me nervous. Tie everything up nice and neat and don't give any cop a reason to look twice or pull you over.

You'll be fine.

 

[ES894x4]

guaranteed there will be some many bros driving around with there bikes in the back you wont have to worry

 

[calypso93]

I saw only one incident where someone was warned about a tailgate down. Something to do with "extending beyond the normal body lines". Nothing that a Home Depot red flag couldn't cure. I carry my 10 foot rowboat in a short bed, gate down, ratcheted in. Two plastic flags on the transom and I'm Ok with PENNDOT. They said so.

 

[Will]

It's 4' beyond for the red flag though, I believe. I don't think the motorcycle will stick out that far.

 

[Ranger Kip]

just put a red flag between your cheeks and wave it at a cop if he pulls you over.

 

[TrexMex]

It's 4' beyond for the red flag though, I believe. I don't think the motorcycle will stick out that far.

I hauled the bike this weekend, and yeah I saw a lot of ppl with 2 or even 3 dirt bikes on the truck bed (big-ass F250s and a fugly Titan ) but they had a big bed and in my case the bike stuck out by merely a foot or 2 between the muffler and the rear fender but it didn't stick out of the tailgate. As Roadkill suggested I used four 2" ratcheting straps and squeezed the bike's suspension all the way down so it became one with the truck . BTW, nice bike I hauled... '03 Honda Shadow with 4000 miles on it, the guy got it for 3 grand with all the gear in the package.... lucky bastrd ...

Noticed two things... one guy was kind enough to let me know he almost rear-ends me because my brake lights were gone ... took the closest exit and waddayaknow, an Oreilly's showed up right in front of me. It turned our to be a shorted wire so a wire crimper and a couple of contortionist's moves later I was back on the road. Then when driving up the mountain at I-8 I noticed a very disturbing lack of power where I had to go all the the way down to 3rd gear @ 3000 RPMs.... Maybe the engine is running out of juice after 170 000 miles? No pinging at all, though....

Anyways, this just left me thinking if it is time to start my tear-down, re-build project I've been postponing for the past couple of years....

 

[TomB1269]

It's 4' beyond for the red flag though, I believe.

It maybe in some states, but I have always followed the 2 foot rule. Anything that protrudes more then 2 feet past the rear bumper should be light or flagged. That's the reason the receiver racks do not require lights they are not "designed" to stick out over 2 feet past the bumper. And if you notice it is the same with bike racks and ski racks. None stick more than 2 feet out when installed in the proper size hitch receiver.
I however am rather particular. I always flag anything hanging out of my truck and whenever the tailgate is down. For the reason that if some dim-wit is on a phone maybe the flag will catch his attention, and if nothing else the person looks like a true idiot to the cop doing the accident report........

 

[adsm08]

I wouldn't have worried about it anyway, if you have mexico plates the CHiPs can throw all the tickets they want at you, good luck making any of them stick.

 

[strvger]

i can remember when the police were more concerned with HOW your were driving than WHAT you were driving. and iirc, seems like crime rates were much lower then too. yeah, those were the good ole' days.