6ft Truck Bed

[Mikey]

Will the Valk fit in a 6ft truck bed? I'm looking to buy a new truck (fullsize) and i'm wondering what i need to get.

[T-Bird]

I hauled my Interstate in the back of a 2004 f150 with a 6.5 bed. Rear wheel was on the tailgate, with a room leftover.

[Red Diamond]

Will the Valk fit in a 6ft truck bed? I'm looking to buy a new truck (fullsize) and i'm wondering what i need to get.

Mine will fit in an 8' bed with the tail gate closed. Correct me if I'm wrong, but if you let the tail gate down on a 6.5 bed it will work while the rear tire rest on the tail gate. Those cables on the tail gate will support it with ease.

[Ratdog]

Will the Valk fit in a 6ft truck bed? I'm looking to buy a new truck (fullsize) and i'm wondering what i need to get.

Mine will fit in an 8' bed with the tail gate closed. Correct me if I'm wrong, but if you let the tail gate down on a 6.5 bed it will work while the rear tire rest on the tail gate. Those cables on the tail gate will support it with ease.

If it were my truck... I'd have it on a piece of plywood to help spread the load from off the tailgate.  If it were my Valk... it wouldn't be riding... it'd be ridden.   

[Joe Hummer]

Get whatever truck you want and buy a small trailer capable of holding the Valk.  That way, you don't have to worry about where to unload the bike from the truck bed.  You don't think about it now...but backing the bike off the truck bed will make you suck your seat up faster than any number of deer scares.  My trailer is 5ft wide by 7ft long. 

Joe

[RLD]

WARNING! Driving a Valkyrie across a superduty tailgate WILL dent it. Don't ask.  I now always place plywood down first to spread the weight. I've actually built an adaptor that goes into my hideaway gooseneck ball that carries all the weight in the box and not on the tailgate of my 7' box. Buy folding, arched, aluminum ramps and you can load and unload all day, anywhere. My job and lifestyle necessitate hauling weekly if I want to ride all week.

[RLD]

Also, small trailers mean your bike is down in the debris field from your truck tires. Do you really want your nice bike on the little tires going round way faster than your big truck tires, think Potholes, etc?  Your milage will also suffer compared to hauling in the back of your truck. Just my 2 cents of course.

[fudgie]

It should not be hauled in the back of a truck!  Buy the truck that will fit your needs, not the Valks. If you need a truck to haul stuff, etc then get it. If you 'might' haul the Valk years down the road then your getting it for the wrong reasons. Now if you plan on hauling the valk places quite a bit then thats a good reason to. I would get a bigger bed. Or even look at a trailer. It would be a bitch to get it in and out. Get it for what you will use it for and not might use it for. This is from a truck guy. I've never owned a car and never will.

[Chrisj CMA]

WARNING! Driving a Valkyrie across a superduty tailgate WILL dent it. Don't ask.  I now always place plywood down first to spread the weight. I've actually built an adaptor that goes into my hideaway gooseneck ball that carries all the weight in the box and not on the tailgate of my 7' box. Buy folding, arched, aluminum ramps and you can load and unload all day, anywhere. My job and lifestyle necessitate hauling weekly if I want to ride all week.

I second that plywood thing....I do the same, I even put a knobby rubber mat on the plywood so the front tire has traction for the roll down hill....if the front tire slides in the bed, its hard to stop the the whole bike from going faster down the ramp than you want it to

[Chrisj CMA]

In this picture you can see where the footprint of the rear wheel of a standard rests in a fullsize Ford short bed (6.5') You can also see the rubber matt and plywood devise I use to spread the lad on the tailgate and give traction for the roll down.

[John Schmidt]

For the price you can't go wrong, that's at least $1000 under the cost of new. And you wouldn't have to worry about loading/offloading. Set it up for quick removal for when you're not traveling. Just something to consider.
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For Sale

Posted on: 01/28/10
Item: RAMPAGE BIKE LIFT LIKE NEW
Price: $1500. OBO
Location: eastlake weir, FL, US
Email: sealskiner@nospamcomcast.net
Link: http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff293/sealskiner/100_1304.jpg
Note: Link will open in new window.

Description
this has been used for two vacations it is in great shape i bought it new for taking my valkyrie. you can get all the info at www.rampage.com i have the manual. this must be picked up. take the nospam out of email

[Joe Hummer]

this has been used for two vacations it is in great shape i bought it new for taking my valkyrie. you can get all the info at www.rampage.com i have the manual. this must be picked up. take the nospam out of email

I REALLY don't think you got the link right...



I don't think she is going to lift the bike into the truck...she might break a nail.

Joe

[Gangman036]

Whoa!!!!!! You use things on that link to un-load yer Valk. Thats gonna take some doing !!!

[Earl in Pensacola]

I've seen too many "accidents" while loading or unloadilng bikes in or out of truck beds,.  Even with several helpers, it easy to lose it and it will break your heart and well as your walet.  I bit the bullet and bought a 4'X10" with a high front grating to stop any trash,  2' side rails and a high HD grated tailgate.  The HD tailgate grating also gives the frt. tire something hold on to when backing out.  It has 15" wheels and trailers steady at any speed.  It costs me 2 mpg at 65 mph and I'm pulling with a 4.0 V6!  The real beauty of this set up is that I "ride" it into the trailer, into a wheel chock, kill it, get off and secure it by myself !  It's just as easy to get on it and ease it back out.  Remember the taller the tail gate is, the less the angle up into and back out of the trailer.  In-fact, this Saturday I'll be loading the 'ol gal up for a trip to Crestview for some help installing a new rear rotor.  AND, of course the trailer has helped earn it's keep by helping a good many people move a lot of "stuff" too, which helps justify the purchase. 

[fstsix]

I've seen too many "accidents" while loading or unloadilng bikes in or out of truck beds,.  Even with several helpers, it easy to lose it and it will break your heart and well as your walet.  I bit the bullet and bought a 4'X10" with a high front grating to stop any trash,  2' side rails and a high HD grated tailgate.  The HD tailgate grating also gives the frt. tire something hold on to when backing out.  It has 15" wheels and trailers steady at any speed.  It costs me 2 mpg at 65 mph and I'm pulling with a 4.0 V6!  The real beauty of this set up is that I "ride" it into the trailer, into a wheel chock, kill it, get off and secure it by myself !  It's just as easy to get on it and ease it back out.  Remember the taller the tail gate is, the less the angle up into and back out of the trailer.  In-fact, this Saturday I'll be loading the 'ol gal up for a trip to Crestview for some help installing a new rear rotor.  AND, of course the trailer has helped earn it's keep by helping a good many people move a lot of "stuff" too, which helps justify the purchase. 

Do you have a picture or link to see this, been looking for a small trailer TIA.

[acat]

I have hauled my valk for 1000's  of miles in the back of my truck. I put it in on a diagonal. I use a knock down cherry picker ($180) to load it. knock down the picker and put it in the truck. 5 min.

[RLD]

Picture

[Wildman]

I rarely haul my Valk.
I have a Big Tex 5' X 10' open utility trailer 2 foot high side walls, just 900 lb. capacity with an 4 foot full width expanded (can't think of the right Term) steel ramp. It lets the air go thru
I load and unload the bike by myself with ease.
The wheel track of the trailer matches my Suburban so you don't have to wory about added trailer width. The rear view vision is great. And it rolls on 15" rims
For long distance in bad weather I'd want it to be inside.
For the money it's hard to beat.

It's usually a sad day when the bike is in the trailer.
only 3 times since 2002
To the dealer for warranty replacement of the pinion cup and alternator. Just 1 week before (not after) the 3 year time limit ran out.

Once for a flat rear Avon Cobra, almost complete loss of control when debeaded it took me into the on coming lane (lucky the truck in that lane was a good distance a way, and the driver was looking at me like you have to be ceritfiably insane.

Once just last year for a failed U-joint.

[Gryphon Rider]

I have hauled my Tourer in my 1980 GMC half ton several times.  The box is full length (8 ft.) and the tailgate shows no signs of damage from loading it with my ramp on the edge.  Because my home-made wheel chock is in the centre of the front of the bed, the rear fender sticks out a little (1 or 2 inches) too far to close the tailgate.  I always find terrain for loading/unloading that puts the truck's front wheels higher than the rear, and I use a car ramp on the ground for me to walk on beside the bike.  Because the truck is 2WD I can often arrange for the 8 foot bike ramp to be almost level.  With this setup I have loaded and unloaded alone.

[sheets]

Scoot is 8 feet and a few inches long, stem to stern.  As mentioned, the higher the bed and steeper the angle of the ramp the higher the rating on the pucker factor, or Richter scale, depending on the end result.  I went with a 9' long trailer with a 4' long ramp.  Ride up - ride down - no sweat.  (Doesn't bottom out at the hinge point (... breaking the sidestand spring connector bolt) either). (don't tie it down with scoot on side stand).  Yrmv,   

[fudgie]

I have hauled my Tourer in my 1980 GMC half ton several times.  The box is full length (8 ft.) and the tailgate shows no signs of damage from loading it with my ramp on the edge.  Because my home-made wheel chock is in the centre of the front of the bed, the rear fender sticks out a little (1 or 2 inches) too far to close the tailgate.  I always find terrain for loading/unloading that puts the truck's front wheels higher than the rear, and I use a car ramp on the ground for me to walk on beside the bike.  Because the truck is 2WD I can often arrange for the 8 foot bike ramp to be almost level.  With this setup I have loaded and unloaded alone.

Thats when trucks had real tailgates and tail gate straps. Now they are flimsy and use cables. 

[Madmike]

of interest if not already addressed...

http://trucks.about.com/od/truckrecalls/qt/latch_recall.htm