Haul on a trailer or pickup?

[giantkiller]

Yah I figured I've taken about 55lbs of the 86 1350 89 about 20lbs. When I pushed them both up into the truck I realized what a big difference 35lbs makes. 86 felt like a dirt bike, compared to the 89.

[jscgdunn]

I have hauled fjs many times in the back of a pickup.  My ramp is a 2X10 with 2X4s nailed vertically on each side, eight feet long.  On the end of the ramp which rest on the truck I have cut the 2X4s at angle otherwise the bike fouls on the lower fairing.  I remove the tailgate and set the ramp on the top of the bumper so there is a smooth transition into the bed of the truck.  It takes two committed guys (better with 3!)  to get the Fj up the ramp using the front brake for control. Putting the truck in downhill position to the bike or shallow ditch helps a bunch.  Stick the front wheel in the front corner of the box...works a bit like a chock.

A bike trailer would be much better....

Jeff

[Dan Filetti]

Truck is the easy(ier) way to go if you already own  truck.  Cycle Gear has a nice 1500 lb rated, curved & hinged ramp for ~$80.  I paid about 2x for the same thing. 
Riding into a 4x4 truck bed?  Are you nutty^***  Get help & push in, then tie off.  Same with exiting the truck, get assistance to help on the curb side to stop the FJ from going over center, and pulling you with it!

^***The bed/tail gate of my 4x4 is about 4 ft high.  I'd NEVER ride any bike into there!

Ed

Yup, get help, 2-3 other guys....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLkVIWvf6I4

[the fan]

I do both....

Both have thier challenges,

Loading the bike in the truck by yourself can get challenging, but then again backing and storing a trailer can be a pain as well.

I have an older F-150 2wd and load/unload bikes into it several times a year by myself. After doing it a few times its not a big deal, but then again my bikes are lighter than an FJ... and I spent 20 years racing offroad so got plenty practice.

I do try to get an advantage when loading /unloading like others mentioned above. At home I have a slope next to my driveway that makes loading a snap. When I het to my destination I try to find the same but as long as I plan ahead its not a big deal getting the bike out of the truck.

I use the trailer (14' single axle enclosed) when hauling more than one bike or a large amount of gear (trackdays). I have also used the trailer as a "tin tent" at several rallies when money or accommodations were a little short. I would use it more, but the hassles with traffic, parking, and otherwise dealing with a trail are seldom worth it to me. I also do not like not being able to see my bike, especially after driving down a rough road or crossing RR tracks. I always worry if it fell over or not, no matter how securely it is strapped in.

[anson45]

In the 70's I had a '67 Dodge van and a plywood ramp. In the '90's I had a '92 Dodge Ram 50 (by Mitsubishi) with a different plywood ramp, 24" by however long. The Ram 50 was so low that I was able to load the XVZ1200 by myself, with proper use of terrain. I still have the ramp, but no pickup. In this century I bought a used "trailer in a Bag" at a very good price. In the summer it's in the back of my '03 Vue, which is my "motorcycle rescue vehicle". My wife likes it. If I need rescuing she just drives my car. My first choice would be a van, but it's not practical for me at this time. Second choice is the trailer. I can trailer to WV then store the trailer in the back of my car while I'm riding around Pocahontas County. Which I'm thinking of doing this June with the 650 on the trailer. It and I are too old to ride that far and enjoy it. I rode the XVZ1200 there last year.
Anson

[Dan Filetti]

Trailer it.  Tractor Supply offers a 6X10 for like $1,300.  I know from personal experience that it'll haul three bikes, plus it's useful for all sorts of other things.



Cheers,

Dan

[FJ1100mjk]

Something's wrong with this picture. 

Oh, there's no FJ in it!

[Dan Filetti]

Oh, there's no FJ in it!

The point has been made previously that there's no way that I could have shoe-horned three FJ's onto that trailer, hell I suspect adding even one FJ would limit trailer capacity to just two bikes. 

[~JM~]

I have not read all the replies in this thread, but I say trailer. I can load & off-load an FJ on a trailer by myself. I would not try loading or off-loading an FJ into the back of a tall truck by myself, unless I could back up to an embankment or loading dock. The FJ is somewhat of a top heavy, tip over candidate by itself to begin with.

Depending upon your state of residence, you may not have to register your trailer if it is under a certain size. I would look at a flat bed trailer with stake pockets so you could use side-boards on the trailer to haul brush, dirt, etc, & then remove them for bike hauling. Having a "side-board" mounted up front will protect your bike from road grime & rock chips.

Owning a small trailer is very convenient & handy.

[Sabre093]

I have a Chev S10 low to the ground and this past summer i hauled a few,the 87 is a parts bike and 88 was for Weirzy

[FeralRdr]

A lot of good info here.  I will just reiterate that you really don't want to try loading the bike by yourself into the back of a 4x4 pickup bed.  Though you might be able to do it no problem, you have a high risk of something going wrong.  For example, the bike might tip to the right beyond the point of no return and barrel roll off the ramp.  The front fender might hit the top rail of the truck's bed and shatter, while the rear fender cap might land on some nice soft grass and only suffer a small hairline crack (if your lucky).  If your luck continues to hold, the bike might continue to roll onto it's tires thus limiting further damage. 



On a side note, ABS cement works very well fixing shattered front fenders, and electrical tape can provide a certain artistic flair.

[Mark Olson]

You need a minimum of two people to load in a truck, trailer can be done solo .

Trailers are handy for other things but can be a pain to store if space is limited .  You can always rent a trailer if needed or borrow from your buddy who never uses his anymore.

When I vacation with my wife , we will take the truck with the fj in the back .. trailer at a hotel /motel kinda sucks with the scumbags trying to steal it.
I bet I am not the only one who pushed the fj inside motel room for the night.

[Bminder]

My other bike is longer and in the pickup the back tire would be just on to the tail gate, and I'd hate to have the tailgate bend over time...

[ADHD Perfected]

As simi_ed mentioned..... Never ride your bike into the bed of a truck......You will end up on youtube.

https://youtu.be/XRvuuCzckJU


I have a SUV, so if I don't ride to my destination, my only option is a trailer. I have a Harbor Freight folding 1200lb capacity trailer. I have over 6000 miles of hauling my FJ to both the West coast and the East coast. 1600 miles of that had 2 FJ's on the trailer. Storage is real easy once folded and stood on end.

Loaded in Florida, ready to head to Kansas.



Donner Pass, California headed to Utah.



I have the Harbor Freight silver wheel chocks.

Fred

Ahhh so thats where u hook straps on a FJ. The guy that I bought it from hooked it on the grips I did the same when I hauled it to the repair shop now rising sun stickers will be covering the ugly rub through  .

[~JM~]

This is a real handy contraption for clearing the fairing with your tie down straps: http://www.amazon.com/CANYON-DANCER-HARNESS-MOTORCYCLE-32505/dp/B00851UX7Q/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1426292748&sr=8-7&keywords=motorcycle+handlebar+tie+down