Carrying a bike on your Ranger

[TheTopher]

So I'm hoping to be buying a motorcycle this weekend and I was hoping you guys could give me some tips on how to best load and secure the bike into my Ranger.

It's gonna be about a 50 mile trip home and the speed limit most of the way is 65.

Thanks!

 

[mn_smokeater]

its pretty easy actually just need two people to be safe.

just get your tailgate down then use a ramp and get the bike up to the bed and center it with the front tire up to the headgate. hook up ratchet straps to the bike on both sides and cinch them tight, you can hook em to the bars or the forks.

to get it out just reverse the procedure.

oh and Protip?

take your helmet off the bars before you go.

 

[straycat]

I can get my dirt bikes in the bed by myself. They are light. Street bikes...no way!!! lol What are you getting? Make sure you have a ramp (good one) and you need to get tie ratchet straps that will hold the bike in place. Cinch it down good and tight. Use your bed tie down mounts that you should have i the bed. That is how I do it. Don't go hauling ass and drive to fast in corners, Bro!!!! Good luck.

 

[TheTopher]

That was my first thought, one of my major concerns was the ramp sliding around in the back and damaging the wheels while driving

 

[mn_smokeater]

get rubberized undercoating and coat the ramp parts that may hit

 

[Musick17]

whatcha gotta do is.... put your ramp on your tailgate.... back up about 20-30 feet. hold clutch. hammer throttle. dump clutch. Simple as that! Then Itll be wedged into your back window and you wont have to worry about it going anywhere


But really, what everyone else said is the best way. If you have someone helping you have them sit on the bike once its where its gonna stay, so when your sinching down your straps you can have them bounce on the bars and compress the front suspension. That way not only are your straps tight, but the suspension is continualy putting tension on the straps. Done it a million times!

Only ever had a problem when I was about 14 and put my dirtbike on a trailer and thought "shoooooot, I only need one strap." ....... first corner I took it slid sideways under the strap. I dont recommend it

 

[Musick17]

Oh, and If its an actual motorcycle that your gonna be afraid to scratch or something, be sure to take som rags or something to put under the ratchet strap hooks where you mount them on the bars.

 

[Snoranger]

That was my first thought, one of my major concerns was the ramp sliding around in the back and damaging the wheels while driving

Secure the ramp. You should never have an unsecured object in the bed. (Do you want it coming through the back window in a during a panic stop?) That will stop it from sliding around and damaging the wheels.

 

[TheTopher]

You guys are making it sound like I only need to strap down the front. I need the back strapped in too, don't I?

 

[Mahgongo]

Or go to Uhaul and rent a motorcycle trailer. Local trip about $50. Than you dont have to worry about ramps and the worry of falling over.

 

[TheTopher]

Secure the ramp. You should never have an unsecured object in the bed. (Do you want it coming through the back window in a during a panic stop?) That will stop it from sliding around and damaging the wheels.

I knew that part. I was thinking more about how I'd go about securing it, but I think i've got an idea

 

[Sunk]

If you strap the front on each side, that back will be fine. I've done it that way many times. Depending on the size of the bike you may need to stick the front tire in a corner and the rear tire in the opposite corner to close the tailgate.

 

[Mahgongo]

You guys are making it sound like I only need to strap down the front. I need the back strapped in too, don't I?

You will want to use 2 tiedowns one on each side of the bike. If you cinch them equally the bike will stand up straight not on the side stand. Get good quality tiedowns otherwise under strain they could break then your bike falls over and you mess it and your bedrails up. As long as it is tight against headgate and tight you shouldnt need to tie down the back. On a long trip stop every so often and check the straps

 

[fastpakr]

I've never carried one straight down the bed. Assuming they're short enough (and a lot of street bikes are), you can put the front wheel in one corner and the back diagonally opposite, then close the gate. Strap it securely and you're all set.

 

[Musick17]

Did you ever say if this was a dirtbike? scooter? harley? crotch rocket?

It just kinda depends. Something really expensive, ide be going to uhaul. dont wanna chance it.

Dirtbike? eh, throw it in the bed, two straps on the front, one on each side and your good.

scooter? meh, I drove 3 hours and picked two up and they were both in the back of my truck. Took the mirrors off and put the straps in those holes.

There are tons of ways to do it. It just depends on the bike configuration, the size of the bike, the size of your truck, do you have a trailer available to use? all kinds of stuff.