Best methods for transporting bike

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I'm in the military, and when I PCS from duty station to duty station, I'm bringing that FJR with me. So what's a good, cost-effective method of bringing it with me from base to base. I understand a trailer would be a safe way to tow it behind my Ford Ranger, but I dont want to spend so much $$$ on a trailer that I'm literally going to use once every few years.

What options do I have?

Alexi

 
I'm in the military, and when I PCS from duty station to duty station, I'm bringing that FJR with me. So what's a good, cost-effective method of bringing it with me from base to base. I understand a trailer would be a safe way to tow it behind my Ford Ranger, but I dont want to spend so much $$$ on a trailer that I'm literally going to use once every few years.
What options do I have?

Alexi
There are several companies that will ship it door to door. This one gives am AMA discount: Federal Companies I have used these folks. They delivered when they said, no issues. They are good. Cost will depend on how and weight. If you are not an AMA member, it might be worth the $39 to join just for this discount.

Where are you transferring to?

 
I'm in the military, and when I PCS from duty station to duty station, I'm bringing that FJR with me. So what's a good, cost-effective method of bringing it with me from base to base. I understand a trailer would be a safe way to tow it behind my Ford Ranger, but I dont want to spend so much $$$ on a trailer that I'm literally going to use once every few years.
What options do I have?

Alexi

Rent a Uhaul bike trailer...easy peasy

did that when I bought my Feejer in Jacksonville and hauled her to Miami for shipping to Germany... :yahoo:

 
Those uhaul trailers (according to their website) are for local rental only. At least the motorcycle trailer is. I'm going from TX to GA. Right now, the plan is to drive my truck to GA on some time off before PCSing and have my wife-to-be drive behind me in her car. I'll drop the truck off at a friend's house in GA, and ride back to TX with the wifey. At that point I'll clear the post, and ride my FJR to GA with her driving behind me for the final move.

I'm wondering if there's a simpler, more cost effective way of moving all the trucks instead of the car juggling I'm planning on. Thanks for the tips. This site is great BTW. TONS of great info and awesome responses/ideas whenever I have a question.

Alexi

 
I understand a trailer would be a safe way to tow it behind my Ford Ranger, but I dont want to spend so much $$$ on a trailer that I'm literally going to use once every few years.What options do I have?
I've used U-Haul trailers (both m/c and alu box) and they're just fine. The newer alu box trailers are beautifully done and the kind of trailer you wish you owned.

Having said that, I have owned my own factory-made m/c trailer for about 30 years -- they keep well -- and it's ready to go if, for some reason?, I need to put a bike on a trailer.

IOW, buying a trailer isn't a bad option -- there will most-likely be a ready buyer, too, if you want to sell it.

 
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One of our members posted a trailer for sale that he built and it was very well done. Look for nofreeride here on the forum.

 
i've used a uhaul trailer before...and then I used a 1ton Dodge Ram diesel..a more fitting transporter than a trailer :)

for me it would all depend on the cost. How much in fuel/food/hotel will it cost to do what you're thinking versus a one-way uhaul trailer?

 
I think I have it figured out!!! Woo hoo!!!

The post above that FJRay posted to look at this awesome used trailer (which is awesome BTW, just too far for me to get it), and by charismaticmegafauna on how I could probably find a ready buyer, I figured out what my plan will be. I'll just go on craigslist and search the nearby towns for used motorcycle trailers. Killeen, Austin, Dallas, San Antonio TX areas. Buy a used trailer for somewhere between 600 - 800 dollars (trying to find the best $$$ - quality ratio I can find), and use it to bring the bike to GA. When I get to GA, I'll relist it on craigslist or other sites (hint hint hint). So I will have basically "rented" a trailer to move my bike for whatever the difference was (if any) between buying and selling. I don't NEED the money, so if it takes a while to sell, no big deal.

Glad I got the necessary pokes and prods in that direction. Thanks guys.

Alexi

 
Man. After looking at craigslist, I'm not really liking the look of the trailers for the money. So if I trailer, I'll build a bare bones one from harbor freight.

Alexi

 
Man. After looking at craigslist, I'm not really liking the look of the trailers for the money. So if I trailer, I'll build a bare bones one from harbor freight.
Alexi


no no no................buy a ramp.......load it into your Ranger.............add a few tie down straps and your set!!!

 
I bought a trailer from Sam's Club. It is a SnowBear brand. One of these:

M6000SR(web).jpg


Except mine has a landscape type drop-down ramp like this one:

NL6000NG(web).jpg


It only cost me $550. I have also seen them at Home Depot and Lowes but like in the picture above and not with the landscape ramp. You could always just use a 2x12" as a ramp with one of those.

I put a chock in it and it's perfect for hauling bikes in. I originally had it setup with two chocks for hauling dirtbikes, but when I sold of those I moved the chock to the middle.

 
Or, since we were talking of Harbor Freight, how about this one here:

92174.gif


Clicky

Slap a wheel chock in it and Bob's your uncle!!

 
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Man. After looking at craigslist, I'm not really liking the look of the trailers for the money. So if I trailer, I'll build a bare bones one from harbor freight.
Alexi

I bought a Harbor freight trailer several years ago, just for hauling bikes. I didn't want to spend a fortune for something that would likely only get used a few days a year. I also had to figure out what the hell to do with a trailer all those other days of the year that it wasn't being used. So I bought THIS FOLDING TRAILER. It has a decent weight capacity...not enough to haul TWO FJRs, but two less stout bikes or one FJR with ease. It has 12" wheels instead of the weenie 8 inchers, so handles the highway well enough, and I'm one of those people that thinks speed limits are just friendly suggestions. I added a plywood deck and Pop-Chock hardware in three locations, so I can haul one bike in the center, or two bikes side by side. Using the Pop-Chocks means I don't have to unbolt wheel chocks from the deck to be able to fold and store it. It sits up against a wall in my garage and most people who are in there don't even realize there's a trailer there at all. So it hardly takes up any space when not in use. I can set it up and be ready to roll in about 15 minutes. I already had a loading ramp, so I can just throw that in the back of my truck, or strap it to the trailer.

Since 4' x 8' really doesn't give you enough width to securley tie down two bikes side by side, I bolted a pretty stout piece of angle iron across the front of the trailer that sticks out a foot on each side of the deck and added eye-bolts at the ends and in the middle. It doesn't stick out any farther than the wheels and fenders, so it doesn't increase the overall width of the trailer. I hauled my R1 and a ZX-12 side by side (1000 lbs combined) down to Deal's Gap and back with it...about 750 miles round trip with nary an issue. It also hauled my 800 pound (!) VTX1800 to Tampa and back which was 2k miles round trip, also with no problems.

I caught the trailer on sale and I think my total investment is just a tick under 500 bucks including plywood, hardware, pop-chocks, and a spare tire. I've loaned it to friends to haul their bikes as well and it hasn't let anybody down yet. I can say with confidence that I've gotten my money's worth out of it. And since it stores indoors instead of out, it still looks pretty new in spite of the thousands of miles it's traveled. I could be wrong, but it seems to me like it would fit your bill really well for all the same reasons it fits mine.

Or, since we were talking of Harbor Freight, how about this one here:
92174.gif
Problem with that one is depending on how high your trailer hitch is, sometimes the angle of the drop-gate is steep enough that you drag your exhaust or lower fairing as you go over the high spot...not pretty.

Just my $.02

 
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I'm active duty, too.

Main recommendation is DO NOT let TMO / Moving company move your bike. I've seen / heard way too many horror stories. And it seems you're not leaning that way anyway...

I had 3 bikes to move our last PCS (FJR, H-D, and a CB360). I bought an Anderson 6x12 open trailer /w ramp. Held all 3 bikes /w ease. I dropped about $1200 on it. You can get a desent set up for much less if you're only moving 1 bike, as mentioned above.

I'd try a dry run /w loading it in the ranger; get a full width ramp and find a loading dock / ditch to lessen the angle of the ramp / truck. There's a bunch of FJR fella's in / around Atlanta, so I'm sure you'd be able to get help unloading it.

Good Luck,

Wayne

 
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