Loading ST in truck bed?

What equipment have members found best for loading ST in truck bed?

Loading dock.

Fork lift..lol

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I transported ST to and from Florida in pickup. I used loading ramps at equipment sales and rental locations. Most bike shops have ramps.

We have a Condor wheel chock that mounts to the truck bed, and use a pair of 8' curved aluminum ramps to load the bike (one for me to walk up on the left side, one for the bike.) A spotter on the right side, and someone pushing from behind if possible. (The KLR and the XR1200 only require two people, but the ST is a bit more unwieldy.) Backing up to a curb, or locating the truck downslope on a sloping drive helps, by reducing the vertical travel required. There's plenty of room to stow the ramps on either side of the loaded bike. I use tie-down straps front and rear, although you probably only need the front ones. (Belt & suspenders mentality...)

When I bought my 2012, my son and I drove up from Beaverton (Oregon) and picked it up with his truck. There were four of us (Thanks ToddC) to load it up using a ramp. (be sure the ramp is secure, they will slip out from under the bike).

We used the loading/unloading dock at the Hillsboro Honda Dealership, to unload it.

Hauling the 2012 back to Oregon

Got nothing to add, other than be careful, it sounds real scary and pulled backs are never fun.
Good luck.
Upt'North.

As Roginoz says, used curved ramps or you will high center at the end of the tailgate. You need two people at a minimum, and three or four is better. Loading docks are great if you can find one you can get the bike up on.

I used to work at a dealership and have loaded hundreds of bikes and ATVs. We always had a spotter or two for larger bikes.


Rayjoe

I use one of the wide triple-fold aluminum ramps like the ATV guys use. This gives me footing to slowly walk the bike up or down the ramp. Harbor Freight sells them. Make sure the ramp is rated for the weight of the bike + rider.

Never had a problem loading or unloading, even solo. You'll want to position the truck so that the rear wheels are lower than the front, to lessen the ramp angle. Otherwise, as previously stated, you'll definitely catch the center stand on the top of the ramp/end of the tailgate.

Also, don't use the handlebars when anchoring the ST to the truck.

The loading dock (think behind grocery store) it the best.
However, the dual folding ramps work well if you have two or three people (one steering, one pushing/guiding, and one spotting).
Make sure you take take a tie down strap and secure whatever ramp you use to the bumper or trainer hitch of the vehicle to prevent the ramp from being pulled off the truck if you stop forward movement or apply the brakes!
A chock in the bed bolted down to a 3/4 inch flat sheet of plywood helps too.
While canyon dancers work OK, they may damage your tupperware, soft loops also can damage the front fender when used near the triple tree.
Remove your tip over covers and simply attach the tie downs to these, then loop one around the rear wheel and then to the rear anchor points.
Igofar

Thx everyone. Some really good feedback. Learning as I go. I did find some ramps at www.discountramps.com. If possible I would rather take my bike with me in a truck than a trailer. Not sure it will fit with the tailgate up. May have to resituate the bike once loaded. Any thoughts?

I'm guessing this isn't going to be a regular thing, so why not just go rent an open trailer from U-Haul? Much easier to manage getting the bike in/out, very cheap, less chance of problems.

edit: oops, posted this after reading page 1, didn't see your reply on page 2 about wanting to avoid a trailer if possible. I've trailered mine once, seemed a lot easier than getting it into the bed of a pickup.

gblack4156 said:

Not sure it will fit with the tailgate up. May have to resituate the bike once loaded. Any thoughts?

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Unless you've got a big-a** truck with an 8-foot bed, the tailgate will almost certainly have to remain down. No problem. Should be no need to resituate the bike; I've never done it. Make sure the front wheel is fully inserted into a chock or fully forward touching against the front of the bed. Tie it down securely with ratcheting straps. Secure the ramp with bungee cords, and you're good to go. I've transported several different bikes in various small pickups over the years, tailgate down, sometimes for hundreds of miles, with nary a problem.

Backing the truck into an appropriate ditch works well. No ramp needed.

Do a search on Youtube for loading ramp incidents so you can see what can go wrong and then you know what equipment and/or scenarios to avoid. There are hundreds of videos of people dropping their bikes.

http://cruiserlift.com/cruiserramp.html

I've had one of these in the back of my long wheel base pickup for 10 years. It can handle a ST1300. It was delivered on a pallet. Install required drilling 4 bolt holes in the bed of the truck and running a wire from the battery to the winch. Operation has been flawless. You need to be on level/even ground when loading/unloading.

A dry ditch and a piece of 3/4 plywood. If you do not have any help make sure your ramp is wide enough for your feet. So if you for some reason stop going on or coming off, there is a place to put your feet down. A painful tip over could occur. I try to use a trailer with heavier bikes. You want to make your ramp as flat as possible when loading. With a pickup that is hard to do.

catcher said:

Backing the truck into an appropriate ditch works well. No ramp needed.

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+1, it helps to have a 8' 2x12 or other type of ramp for those ditches that are not quite deep enough, and another set of hands. My ST fits in the bed of my 1998 Dodge Dakota just fine with the tailgate down. Four low, sturdy tie down points too. I suggest a front wheel chock of some sort to avoid lateral movement while underway. I just mounted a cheap HF one to a piece of marine plywood for this purpose.

Drop tail trailer - much better, plus you can use it to haul other stuff. I rarely use my pickup bed to haul bikes anymore.

Posted somewhere here is a picture of an ST angled in a pickup bed with the tailgate closed. I would guess that after loading, two guys horsed the bike around to fit. Perhaps spraying a soap solution on the bed to help ease sliding the wheels would make life easier. Rinse afterward with plain water.