Simplification is Guiding my Motorcycle Carrier Redesign

OK... Carrying Two Cruisers on a Truck and Fifth Wheel setup might not be what others think of when the word simplification is mentioned... but then... I've always had a mite peculiar perspective when it comes to a lot of things...

So... on my Motorcycle Carrier redesign... I think this makes it number three? :o)

... I'm scrapping the "Dovetail" idea... and going with just a ramp... that will run up onto the right side of the truck bed... with a Wheel Dock motorcycle chock set in place on the road side... just behind the cab; and I'll stay with my gooseneck type hitch...

... with the hitch moved to a position just behind the axle... rather than the standard position... just in front. This is necessary to give enough swing room, for clearance for turning. It would be a really bad day... should the trailer run into the bike... as many folks run the trailer into the cab itself, when they hook up fifth wheel trailers on short bed trucks... OOPS!

The possibility is big, that I'll also need to add a Firestone airbag suspension system to the truck, to level things back out proper... but that's been kind of expected... and I'll wait to see how things shake out, to see if it's needed. Airbag suspension can be added any time.

Now... about that ramp...

A ramp length calculator I found figures that I need a 10.2 foot motorcycle ramp, to yield the attack angle necessary to clear my low ground clearance Yamaha Cruiser, over the edge of the bed... and NOT high center.

OK...

My problem with that is dollars! or rather... the lack of dollars in my wallet... The price of those extra long motorcycle ramps... with sufficient quality... and the shippin' to get one here... is shoving hard on $600 and more...

So... being the genuine, unadulterated, Redneck, do-it-yourself sort... and my son-in-law having a welder... next week... we're gonna burn together the steel tubing to create a cowboy engineered and built, 12' ramp, in four bolt together sections... to run that Raider up onto my tall flatbed Dodge!

Yeah... 12 foot... if a straight 10 foot motorcycle ramp would do... a longer ramp, with a bit of a curve built in may even allow me to ride the bike up... and allow me to NOT have to install a winch... saving a few more dollars...

... and dollar wise... unless my cipherin' is way off... the cost for building my own bike ramp... is gonna be about 1/3 of a factory built... maybe a little more... but still... if it keeps a few hundred in my pocket... that's a big deal just now! :o)

So... check back... and see how many trips to the emergency room it takes Josh an' me to get the ramp built! :o) ... and... there are a couple pages on my Alaska ride in the works for the main site... just not enough of me to go 'round and get all the my list of chores done as quick as I'd like.

Grab Your Handles and Ride!
Brian

Return to the Home page of Motorcycle Touring on Freedom Road
Visit our sister site goin' RV Boondocking

Share your stories and opinions;
*Tell us Which you think is the... The Best Touring Motorcycle
*Share...  Your Personal Motorcycle Philosophy with us!
*Tell us about your...  Great Motorcycle Roads

Makin' Some Progress on a Re-design of the Motorcycle Carrier

The idea I've come up with is... in this case... Bigger is Better! :o)

Took a long two up ride, well for her it was! Up through Rocky Mountain National Park... Splitting the wind on a beautiful day, herself decided she wants to give "Riding Her Own" some more time to develop.

Bottom line? I'll carry both bikes... on a One Ton dragging a fiver. :o)

What I've come up with... that remains in Early Draft is that the V Star will continue to ride on it's carrier on the fiver... and the Raider will ride cross bed, behind the cab. I've thought of this way before... and just didn't do it.

Well... this decision is made... the Raider goes behind the cab... To get her up there and deal with the clearance issue at the break over point, I'll fabricate a "Dove Tail" section that will attach and extend 2' from the side of the truck. This will be built to split the difference between the flat bed and the angle of the 8' motorcycle ramp that will attach to it... and should allow the bike's low clearance to clear the edge of the bed as she's pulled up.

... and that is Pulled Up. The idea of riding up... and across the bed... into the new Wheel Dock chock... and NOT missing it :o) is not really working for me... so I'll put in a light winch to pull the bike up slow and easy!

All this requires moving the gooseneck hitch on the truck back to give sufficient turning radius... and likely a lil' suspension boost... though the total weight is under cargo capacity... uh... really! :o)

Gotta get this done pretty quick too... we need to leave! Wanted to pull out the 6th of Sept. Looks like a week later at least... But...

If I've got both Bikes along... It's worth the wait!

Grab Your Handles and Ride!
Brian

Return to the Home page of Motorcycle Touring on Freedom Road
Visit our sister site goin' RV Boondocking

Share your stories and opinions;
*Tell us Which you think is the... The Best Touring Motorcycle
*Share...  Your Personal Motorcycle Philosophy with us!
*Tell us about your...  Great Motorcycle Roads