Advice for long distance motorcyle haul.

Newb here looking for some advice...I have a 2015 AC V6 4x4 6-speed...first truck I've ever owned. Loooooovin' it! Anyway...

I'm going to be picking up a motorcycle that my friend is buying from another friend. The bike is a BMW F650Dakar (~430lbs). The trip back with the bike will be about 500kms on the highway (120km/hr), and I will be hauling the bike in bed of the truck.

I've hauled my bike (Suzuki DR650 ~ 380lbs) once in the bed of my truck, and it went really well, but it was only for a short distance. I built a custom wheel chock that holds the bike upright by the front wheel and uses 6 racket straps (4 to secure the bike to the truck and 2 to secure the wheel chock to the truck). This setup was borderline overkill and phenomenally rigid, and that's why I want to use it to pick up this bike (why take any chances?).

The one time I hauled my DR650, the rear tire patch was sitting at the extreme end of the bed (almost into the space between the tailgate and end of the bed), and so I had to drive home with the tailgate down. As it turns out, the two bikes have the same wheelbase (according to Google), which means the BMW's rear tire will also be at the extreme end of the bed.

So now my questions:

1) Is it okay to drive that long of a distance with the tailgate down? I have the "pipe clamp anti theft mod" on the removable side of the tailgate if that makes any difference.
2) Will the tailgate flop around and get damaged? Should I try to strap it up (half closed against the tire), or strap it down (in the fully open position) to the hitch?
3) should I forgo my solid setup and just put the bike in diagonally instead (hopefully with the tailgate closed)?
4) Anyone have any other suggestions or things I should look out for? And before anyone suggests it, I'm not using a hitch rack (this bike is a heavy pig) and I don't want to use a trailer.

Thanks for any advice!

 

Tailgate will be fine in a down position. It will not flop around, as long as you arent launching off jumps.

 

Tailgate down is fine, if you can fit it with the tailgate up I always prefer to do that, but I always go overkill on long road trips just so I dont have to worry about it. I've hauled 1500 mile road trips with dirtbikes and different types of motorcycles. With a heavier bike like that just tie it down overkill and dont worry about it the whole trip.

 

tailgate should be fine in the down position. strapping it up might bend the tailgate if pressed against the tire (we have weak tailgates for some reason).

 

4)I would add heavy duty tie downs (6 total).
There are lots of guys on here crying due to bending their gate. Add gate support.
Lock gate as mentioned and bike.
1) yes
2) no
3) no

 

I would cut a piece of plywood the width of the bed, and length to the end of the tailgate (down position). This will distribute the weight and prevent the tailgate from bending due to the weight. Use good tie downs. On the way to pick it up, shut the tailgate and lay the plywood on it (aerodynamic like). You'll be all set.

 

Will the entire bike fit if you put the bike in the bed diagonally? If not, Black Taco suggested a good way to evenly distribute the weight. I'd try to find some way to keep the tailgate from "flopping around" while in the down position because it's expensive to replace if anything on it gets damaged.

An ounce of prevention...

 

OP, you'll be fine. I used to bring my bike with me 120 miles between San Diego and Orange county about once a month. Triumph Sprint ST 1050, 500+lbs. WIth the front tire up against the cab, the back tire would be about dead center on the tail gate. This was before I read about the tail gate woes, but I never bent anything. I would do as suggested and throw a plank across it just to be safe (If i was still doing it). If anything, I'd say put some wood behind your wheel chock so that the tire is sitting somewhat on the tail gate (with wood across to distribute the weight) and strap that bitch down. Then your tailgate wont be going anywhere. Its heavy enough anyways that as suggested above, unless you are jumping your truck or going over giant bumps, leaving it down isn't going to break anything. I've left it down before on accident and nothing happened, just realized it was down when I went over a speed bump to fast and heard it pop up and bang back down.

 

Subbed! I will be hauling my bike (2014 Yamaha FZ-09) from VA to Tail of the Dragon in Robbinsville, NC. A total of 850 miles or 9 hour drive. I plan on buying a front wheel chock and some extra tie downs. I want to be able to close my tailgate, so I will be investigating the diagonal option, although I will have some other camping items to haul also. Im sure the Taco can handle it.

I havent even tried loading my bike into the bed yet. I think I should try that first with the chock, and then look into other options.

 

If you've never loaded a street bike into the back of a truck I suggest you checkout YouTube first. There's a gaggle of videos showing what NOT to do....200 lb dirt bikes are simple compared to the lower-clearance 500 lb street bikes.

 

Thanks for all the advice folks, this has been immensely helpful!

 

First: My experience, we routinely buy and sell bikes, atv, etc. Have done this for decades and several businesses.
The Tacoma Tailgate is very weak, should be reinforced ( many threads on here about that), not going to get into that here.

To answer your questions:

1, Yes
2, No, it will be fine down
3, No, use the chock, if it secured properly
4. You will be fine, in fact I have hauled BMW, F series bikes, on a Tacoma before

But think about reinforcing at some time before you bend the tailgate. It will seem fine, until the dreadful day you bend it. I've had people on this forum, debate me on this ( some only hauled their lawn mower), trust me I have seen it.

oldracer

 

I also purchased a motorcycle wheel chock from Harbor Freight which worked out well. If you have time, I would pick one up. It's pretty sturdy and the price is reasonable ($59.99 + 20% off if you can find a coupon).

 

I've got the poor mans version...made it myself. Only fits 3.00 wide tires, but sturdy as heck though.

 

You nailed it!

 

Technically he sxrewed it....

 

Nice!

 

Looking at your second pic: Those 2 eye bolts; are they screwed in or do you have nuts on the bottom?

Why do you have them so close to the wheel? They should serve no purpose there.

Our experience is to get them out further than the handlebars, are wide. And also you want to have your tie-downs forward of the handlebars. Thus to pull down, to load your front suspension, and to have them wider to keep the bike stable, left to right.

We only used 2 tie downs ever, in conjunction with a handlebar harness (handlebar strap), I don't have a pic of that strap.

We only pulled forward into the chock. And also left and right forward. Two (2) straps. just 2 Straps ever, Harley, dirtbike, GSXR, whatever. The handle bar harness, handlebar straps are always needed on a bike with a fairing.

If you pull forward as we do, don't ever put straps to the back pulling to the rear. That just looseness the setting of the front wheel in the chock.

OK: CAUTION: BUT one Caveat on some BMW's

If you have a BMW with telelever/paralever/duo/lever, front suspension don't do the above or any way pull the front of the bike down by the handlebars. I'm not getting into that here, doesn't apply to your F series.

oldracer

 

Let me add:

The pic of the Harbor Freight chock assembly is pretty good, could be better but pretty good.

Notice the two (2) hold-down eyelets. The are not close to the wheel; they have them at the furthest distance away at the ends of the front bar.
To Get that left and right pull.



To make it better, your eye-lets should be a bit forward of the front bar on that. To get some front pull. At least 6 inches but about 10"-12" would be great. Now that runs into a problem on the Tacoma. You don't have enough bed length to put the eyelets forward of your bar. I a trailer you would have more room

You want some front pull to pull the bike wheel, into the chock, or put some pressure on the chock

oldracer

 

This.

$29 Canyon Dancer 37205 Blue Original Bar-Harness, 32"

http://www.amazon.com/Canyon-Dancer...&qid=1458524868&sr=8-2&keywords=canyon+dancer