Hauling your FJR

[frayne]

I'm in the market for a different vehicle and thinking seriously about buying a Nissan Frontier King Cab pick-up truck. Just curious if anyone here ever hauls their FJR or other bikes in the bed of a pick-up, and if so, how do you load and unload it ? Appreciate any and all replies or suggestions.

 

[Ignacio]

I've hauled 3 times in a Chevy full-size and know DougC hauls in a Dakota.

It hauls fine if you strap it right. I have a Canyon Dancer for the handlebars and straps down to the low-points in the cab bed, ran a strap looped around the front wheel so it wouldn't twist under load, and a strap looped around the rear wheel with those points. Tailgate down because it's longer than a regular bed. And the latest was a 2,000 mile drive from St. Louis to Washington with no problems.

Loading and unloading was a mish-mash. One time I found a nice bank at a hotel that the tailgate drove right up to. My driveway is sloped some so I used a 2x8 that I reinfored with some 2x4 to bridge the 4 foot gap. Another time I drove to my local snowmobile dealer and let me use their nice aluminum ramp.

It takes two to do it.

 

[dougc]

I'm in the market for a different vehicle and thinking seriously about buying a Nissan Frontier King Cab pick-up truck. Just curious if anyone here ever hauls their FJR or other bikes in the bed of a pick-up, and if so, how do you load and unload it ? Appreciate any and all replies or suggestions.

I've hauled my FJR in the bed of a '99 extended cab Dakota twice to and from the IBR. Denver in '05 and St. Louis this year. I have to leave the tailgate down for it to fit. Six tie downs, a bed buddy, and a ready ramp work for me. Two tie downs to a canyon dancer, pulling forward, and four to the passeger peg brackets, two pulling to the front and two to the rear. The ready ramp is used for loading/unloading and as a bed extender when not in use as a ramp. The bed buddy bolts to the front of the bed and has tie down loops and notches for the front tire. It takes three people, at least, to load and unload.

I also use it regularly to haul 1-3 dirt bikes.

dougc

 

[farkelschnark]

I hauled my Truimph in the bed of a double-cab Tacoma. The bed was only five feet, so the bike was out to the end of the tailgate. Hauling it was no big deal, loading and unloading it sucked. I've since bought a trailer, so I've never had to haul the FJR on a truck.

MP

 

[3dogs]

I haul my FJR almost every week teaching Total Control classes. I use a Canyon Dancer up front, nothing at the rear (I only have to travle 30 miles to teach the class). I also use Condor wheel chock and Ramp Master folding ramps (10' long, I use 3 -- large one in the center and ride the bike up into the pick up bed). I did manage to wipe out my tail gate as the weight of the FJR sort-a caved in the tail gate a little. I now use a 3/4" plywood board to keep the tail gate from getting worse.

 

[markjenn]

The general tradeoff is that bikes ride great in a pickup (good suspenson and excellent tiedown points with good/stable geometry), but they're damn tough to load and unload unless you have good ramps. While you can run a small 235-lb dirt bike up a 2x6 with a milk crate to stand on, doing something like this with a 650-lb road bike is a way to dump your bike and spend some quality time in the local ER. Buy GOOD/WIDE dedicated metal ramps, not scrap lumber.

Trailering is much easier to load/unload, but the bike doesn't ride as nice and gas mileage suffers. But I love the flexibilty of a car/SUV with a trailer - unhook the thing and I'm back to having an everyday vehicle without any compromises for the trailering mission. I'd never own a pickup just to haul a bike around.

- Mark

 

[Charlie]

If you decide you want to try hauling on a pick up, I have a 3 ramp set that folds. I think they are about 110" when folded out. The center ramp is wider than the two side ramps. They were developed for Harleys. The bike can be ridden on and off by using the side ramps for your feet. I loaded and unloaded my FJR a couple of times by my self. After that I opted for a trailer.

I live in Marietta,GA if you are interested in buying them. You can contact me at my email address. Trailers are easier, but more expensive. The ramps are a low cost way to start out.

 

[FJRay]

Gunny on the trailer idea. I scared the shit out of myself loading and unloading the truck so I got a nice trailer with a full width ramp and low to the ground. It really relives the pucker factor and the trailer is usefull for other chores.

 

[CODan]

cyclecinch.com - much better than canyon dancer

I carried my zzr1200 (almost as big as fjr) in the back of my tacoma double cab without problem.

Front tire in my dirt bike rack, rear tire tied down with a strap wrapped around it, canyon dancer once (never again)

Try to load unload to a higher spot. I unload to a spot a the local college where I could back up to a dirt mount.

No problems.

In a trailer there is much more risk of thrown gravel scratching the paint I guess

 

[dbvolfan]

A co-worker of mine came in with a grin a mile wide today. He took me outside to see a brand spankin new Goldwing in the bed of his F150. He picked it up during lunch today. It fit fine but he had a condor pit stop mounted up front and enough straps cinched down on that puppy to keep it upright in a Cat 5 hurricane...ok, maybe a Cat 4.

Now what I really would have liked to have seen was how he got it out of there! Loading it was easy off the dock at the bike shop. Me, I'll stick with the trailer and a Bike Pro chock.

 

[jestal]

You might consider a piece of 2x6 across the front of the bed to rest the front tire against. I have seen the front of the bed of two different pickups kinked pretty badly by jamming a motorcyle against it. One happened during loading the bike and the other during transit. The wood beam across the front wall of the bed will spread out the load and prevent damage to the bed and it can also double as a chock of sorts if you attach some blocks to it to straddle the tire. Two "legs" will hold it the appropriate distance off the floor of the truck so that the tire hits it square and it doesn't fall out during transit.

Always keep in mind that you cannot have too many tiedowns when trailering or hauling in a pickup.

If your tiedowns have open hooks you might want to duct tape the hooks or put a rubber band made of inner tube over them to close them off. A heavy bike can sway a bit when hauling. That will depress the suspension a little and loosen the tiedowns on the slack side. IF the hook is open it can just fall off and release the bike to fall the other way. Don't ask how I know this.

 

[Fencer]

I win, Hands down.

I have a Chevy 3500 crewcab with a liftgate. I drive onto my ramp, push a button, drive into the bed. Can do it by myself. Reverse for unloading

 

[DucatiSSsp]

I win, Hands down.
I have a Chevy 3500 crewcab with a liftgate. I drive onto my ramp, push a button, drive into the bed. Can do it by myself. Reverse for unloading

Fencer....You cheatin' Mofo!! :angry: How much was the lift-gate?

 

[Fencer]

I win, Hands down.
I have a Chevy 3500 crewcab with a liftgate. I drive onto my ramp, push a button, drive into the bed. Can do it by myself. Reverse for unloading

Fencer....You cheatin' Mofo!! :angry: How much was the lift-gate?

$2,300

 

[Checkswrecks]

Full size Chevy, just watch that the belly fairing where the board meets the truck bed. Also, don't pre-load the suspension like a dirt bike. It'll work most of the time, but you'll occasionally end up with bent bars, a bent sub-frame in the rear, or other damage. The right way was explained in an article at https://www.mad-ducati.com/ - click on ARTICLES and then Bike Tie Down for Transport.

Bob

 

[JR'SFJR]

I occasionally use ramps and a winch with a nylon strap around the front forks. I have a small winch with a long remote control mounted on a 2 x 8 in the front of the box(keeps the front wheel from bending the box). The 2 x 8, with the winch, slides in the box slots. When the trip is done, just slide it out and store it.

I know it sounds like it could bend the front forks, but the bike rolls easy. It puts alot less pressure on the forks then hard braking. I know trailers are easier, but I already have a truck and don't feel like having a trailer around. I've only done this on a trip to the Smokies with my wife. She would ride in the Smokies, but not from FL, so we trucked a BMW north. I haven't tried this with the FJR.

 

[GalaxyBlue]

Here is my FJR in the back of my Titan Crew Cab... I believe that the bed size is the same as the Frontier King Cab.

Mine has a 5 1/2 foot bed, And as you can see the wheel rests partly on the tailgate.

The Utilitrac system Nissan has kicks ass for the different amounts of tie down points.

Enjoy!

 

[Remmos]

I've hauled my 03 in the back of my silverado long bed. Was a real pain to get in and out without proper ramps. Been considering something like this https://www.discountramps.com/black-widow-m...cycle-ramps.htm. Don't really want a trailer to register/maintain/store.

Jeff

 

[timk]

I have the arched 10' aluminum ramps. very easy to load/unload. Black Widows, that's them. I don't use them much anymore, as I bought a Fun Mover motorhome with a hyd lift on the back(sort of like the renta center lifts).