I have this <LINK> tri-fold ramp and it works great for loading my WR250R into the truck. Do you think it would hold my S10? Although it is rated at 1500 pounds, it is an atv ramp. On an atv, that load would be distributed across at least two of the three sections. I'm thinking each section is designed for 500 pounds.
Ramp question
- Thread starter 78YZ
- Start date
Dogdaze
Well-Known Member
Perfectly fine, don't forget the weight is moving across the surface, not sitting in one position for a duration where metal fatigue may set in (highly unlikely).
I have the single fold version and it does fine. Mine is longer and I put a block of wood under the middle of the ramp when loading the big bike.
Dogdaze is right too, about not hitting it with any speed which would add a dynamic load to the pounds of static weight.
Dogdaze is right too, about not hitting it with any speed which would add a dynamic load to the pounds of static weight.
78YZ said:
You are right about the 500# rating per section. The owner manual warns of that. I bought a pair of folding steel ramps from Northern Tool a year ago. The closest ramp(s) on their website now is item #174890. Each ramp is rated for 600# for $149.00, and they look exactly like mine. BUT....I remember paying $179.00, and mine are rated for 1000# each. Either way, I use one ramp for me, and the other ramp for the bike. Works fine, even with the FJR. Be careful buying ramps, they can be deceiving with their ratings.
Totally agree on watching the load. That said, it's why I put a block of wood supporting the middle of the ramp. The shorter the length, the more a bridge can support.
markbxr400
New Member
The length is only 69" which may make a pretty steep ramp depending on the vehicle bed height. I use an 9' 3-section Black Widow ramp. 3 sections come apart easy and folds in half. They all easily fit in the back floorboard of my pickup. About $300, but sure is nice to have the added length. Also has closer rungs on the ramp, so both the wheels roll up smoother, but more importantly, when you put your feet down, you don't have to worry about stepping through a hole.
Edit: nevermind. I found it! 3 sections wide. 2 sections long. 10' long. Breaks down and stacks neatly!
Mark(bxr400)
You mind pointing to which Blackwidow ramp?
I haven't seen one in 3 sections anywhere.
Seen plenty of 2 section ramps out there. But when you want a looooong ramp (for loading the beast alone and a tall truck bed) 3 sections would sure make for lighter sections. I'm always looking for a better way to load. I just keep getting older and the bikes get heavier and the trucks get taller...........
I'm NOT in a hurry. So my solutions rarely require "fast".
About to pull the trigger on a Shark Kage ramp.
Mark(bxr400)
You mind pointing to which Blackwidow ramp?
I haven't seen one in 3 sections anywhere.
Seen plenty of 2 section ramps out there. But when you want a looooong ramp (for loading the beast alone and a tall truck bed) 3 sections would sure make for lighter sections. I'm always looking for a better way to load. I just keep getting older and the bikes get heavier and the trucks get taller...........
I'm NOT in a hurry. So my solutions rarely require "fast".
About to pull the trigger on a Shark Kage ramp.
markbxr400
New Member
I have this one in the 9' version. When I say 3 sections, I mean 3 pieces that connect together side by side. They each fold in half. Very sturdy, but light enough to handle.
http://www.discountramps.com/black-widow-motorcycle-ramp/p/BW-40-AMR/
http://www.discountramps.com/black-widow-motorcycle-ramp/p/BW-40-AMR/
rider33
New Member
I use to use ramps as well as standard trailers when needed to but I never felt good about getting a bike that high up off the ground.
Then several years ago I got one of these, a Tailer in a Bag:
https://www.stingertrailer.com/product/trailer-in-a-bag/
I takes the bike up maybe 6-8" and comes with a built in ramp which is a lot less nerve wracking. The other nice thing is it breaks down pretty quick and can easily be stored in the bed of a truck. That means you don't need to be towing an empty trailer around when the bike is not on it, a significant advantage if it's being dropped off or pick up several hundred miles away.
Then several years ago I got one of these, a Tailer in a Bag:
https://www.stingertrailer.com/product/trailer-in-a-bag/
I takes the bike up maybe 6-8" and comes with a built in ramp which is a lot less nerve wracking. The other nice thing is it breaks down pretty quick and can easily be stored in the bed of a truck. That means you don't need to be towing an empty trailer around when the bike is not on it, a significant advantage if it's being dropped off or pick up several hundred miles away.
Defekticon
Active Member
+1 to this reply. I have one of the cyclegear ramps, and it's too steep to load the S10 by myself. I also have an F250 with airbags, I let the air out of the bags and use a ditch to load the bike. I would rather have a longer set of ramps like the ones mentioned by Mark.markbxr400 said:
I just don't have a good alternative to carrying the bike(s) in the bed of the truck when the BWOW is in tow. (BestWesternOnWheels)
And since I'm switching to a 4wd Cummins that sits even higher than my friendly F150's, I'm definitely researching a better ramp than I've used the last few years.
All these links are a big help.
I still am leaning towards a Sharke that actually stays connected to the truck when not in use.
It is beefy enough to hold Big Pigs, and long enough to travel\load alone.
I actually won't bolt it to the truck itself though. I'll attach it to the subfloor I use that has my wheel chocks mounted, as well. I just slide the whole "rig" into the truck bed when I head out. It allows me to leave the truck bed oem when I'm not traveling with bikes.
Good thread.
And since I'm switching to a 4wd Cummins that sits even higher than my friendly F150's, I'm definitely researching a better ramp than I've used the last few years.
All these links are a big help.
I still am leaning towards a Sharke that actually stays connected to the truck when not in use.
It is beefy enough to hold Big Pigs, and long enough to travel\load alone.
I actually won't bolt it to the truck itself though. I'll attach it to the subfloor I use that has my wheel chocks mounted, as well. I just slide the whole "rig" into the truck bed when I head out. It allows me to leave the truck bed oem when I'm not traveling with bikes.
Good thread.
markbxr400
New Member
I had looked at the Shark Cage as well, but I only have a 5-1/2' bed on my F150 SCrew and didn't believe I could get my bike in and then be able to also carry the ramp. Looks like a great ramp, though.snakebitten said:
Mark, you may actually be right!
But I'm willing to find out for myself.
I'm fairly optimistic because I can use a substrate to actually lengthen the bed a bit if I only need a few more inches to accommodate the Shark cage.
With my F150, I had the 5.5' bed as well.
With the tailgate down, you gain the extra length you need for the Tenere (and my brothers Vstrom)
As I stated earlier, I take a sheet of plywood and mount the chocks to it. Then slide the plywood into the bed.
Since the sheet is much longer than the bed and extends over the tailgate, it helps strengthen the tailgate.
I even cut it to length allowing it to extend a few inches beyond the tailgate. That allows me to drill holes through the plywood overhang to line up with holes in the ramp lip.
I insert lockpins into the holes so the ramp doesn't slip off while riding up it.
I use the same holes\pins for storing the ramp while traveling.
Hoping I can just start over with the Dodge 2500 and possibly come up with a bed\ramp rig that works with the Shark Cage.
The loooooong ramp will be a luxury for me.
Here is the previous setup. And yea, that poor little half ton needed airbags for those 2 pigs and our wives in the back seat.
By the way, ALL of this effort was the fault of eemsreno. He cost me $airline tickets, airbags, and 3 more weeks of vacation.
(long story, but I'll never be able to thank him enough!)
But I'm willing to find out for myself.
I'm fairly optimistic because I can use a substrate to actually lengthen the bed a bit if I only need a few more inches to accommodate the Shark cage.
With my F150, I had the 5.5' bed as well.
With the tailgate down, you gain the extra length you need for the Tenere (and my brothers Vstrom)
As I stated earlier, I take a sheet of plywood and mount the chocks to it. Then slide the plywood into the bed.
Since the sheet is much longer than the bed and extends over the tailgate, it helps strengthen the tailgate.
I even cut it to length allowing it to extend a few inches beyond the tailgate. That allows me to drill holes through the plywood overhang to line up with holes in the ramp lip.
I insert lockpins into the holes so the ramp doesn't slip off while riding up it.
I use the same holes\pins for storing the ramp while traveling.
Hoping I can just start over with the Dodge 2500 and possibly come up with a bed\ramp rig that works with the Shark Cage.
The loooooong ramp will be a luxury for me.
Here is the previous setup. And yea, that poor little half ton needed airbags for those 2 pigs and our wives in the back seat.
By the way, ALL of this effort was the fault of eemsreno. He cost me $airline tickets, airbags, and 3 more weeks of vacation.
(long story, but I'll never be able to thank him enough!)
jmcgilroy
Member
or...you could actually just ride your motorcycle to where ever your headed....
Don't know where I'm heading. Don't know how long I'm gonna be gone.
Sleeping in a tent for weeks\months was fine when I was a young man.
That macho-man inside of me is long gone.
AND, I'm wanting more than 1 weapon at hand! I'm not afraid to drop TBDBITW in a stream crossing. But the KTM featherweight might be a safer choice if I'm all alone.
Sleeping in a tent for weeks\months was fine when I was a young man.
That macho-man inside of me is long gone.
AND, I'm wanting more than 1 weapon at hand! I'm not afraid to drop TBDBITW in a stream crossing. But the KTM featherweight might be a safer choice if I'm all alone.
markbxr400
New Member
Nice setup! And you're right about the tailgate, I normally ride to where I'm going, but my son wanted to do a trip with me and had no vacation, so I hauled my bike in the back of my F150 from the Alabama gulf coast to Michigan, picked up his bike and then drove to Knoxville. My son flow to Knoxville, we spent the weekend riding the Tail of the Dragon, Cherohala, Mindbenders and Moonshiner, then I hauled his bike back to Alabama where we had them over the Christmas holidays. Dented the heck out of my tailgate! But it works.snakebitten said:Mark, you may actually be right!
But I'm willing to find out for myself.
I'm fairly optimistic because I can use a substrate to actually lengthen the bed a bit if I only need a few more inches to accommodate the Shark cage.
With my F150, I had the 5.5' bed as well.
With the tailgate down, you gain the extra length you need for the Tenere (and my brothers Vstrom)
As I stated earlier, I take a sheet of plywood and mount the chocks to it. Then slide the plywood into the bed.
Since the sheet is much longer than the bed and extends over the tailgate, it helps strengthen the tailgate.
I even cut it to length allowing it to extend a few inches beyond the tailgate. That allows me to drill holes through the plywood overhang to line up with holes in the ramp lip.
I insert lockpins into the holes so the ramp doesn't slip off while riding up it.
I use the same holes\pins for storing the ramp while traveling.
Hoping I can just start over with the Dodge 2500 and possibly come up with a bed\ramp rig that works with the Shark Cage.
The loooooong ramp will be a luxury for me.
Here is the previous setup. And yea, that poor little half ton needed airbags for those 2 pigs and our wives in the back seat.
By the way, ALL of this effort was the fault of eemsreno. He cost me $airline tickets, airbags, and 3 more weeks of vacation.
(long story, but I'll never be able to thank him enough!)
Defekticon
Active Member
Now I'm looking for a better solution too. I have a 6.5 foot bed on the Super Duty, and I can't quite close the tailtage on the S10 or the EXC. This looks awesome, solves the problem of storage when I've got more than one bike in the bed, AND it's longer than any other ramp I've seen at 100 inches.
https://www.amazon.com/ReadyRamp-I-Beam-Full-Sized-Extender-Black/dp/B00BB0TGS0/ref=pd_sbs_263_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=31MW5NN6GZMA7H4E3BCF
EDIT... Just saw the shark cage.... I think that's where I'll end up going. Great product, very reasonable price too for what it is, and it's wide enough to walk the bike off/ride on.
https://www.amazon.com/ReadyRamp-I-Beam-Full-Sized-Extender-Black/dp/B00BB0TGS0/ref=pd_sbs_263_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=31MW5NN6GZMA7H4E3BCF
EDIT... Just saw the shark cage.... I think that's where I'll end up going. Great product, very reasonable price too for what it is, and it's wide enough to walk the bike off/ride on.
Update:
So after going back and forth a bit, and with the number one criteria being "would if you are all alone with nobody to spot you", I settled on the Shark Cage ramp.
The biggest positive is it's WIDE and very robust. The negatives are 1. It's heavy and 2.It's designed to be dedicated to your truck.
Technically, obstacle #1 is overcome by obstacle #2 since the weight won't matter if you aren't required to carry it or disassemble it. But I have more than 1 truck and would prefer not to dedicate it, nor drill holes in my tailgate for permanent install.
My solution is just a hybrid of my previous solution seen earlier in this thread. I first slide a sheet of 3/4" plywood into the bed of the truck. This has several advantages. I don't have to fasten my chocks to the truck itself. (no drilling the bed) It adds substantially to supporting the tailgate for weight bearing. And finally, I can mount the Shark Kage ramp to the plywood instead of the actual tailgate, so the ramp "belongs" to the plywood, not any specific truck.
I tested it with my old Cummins because it's higher and should be the toughest condition I'll face. Since my Tenere was still in surgery, I used another fat pig for riding up the ramp (and down) hitting a chock. (SCR weighs 550lbs, although much shorter, thus easier)
It's barely a challenge! I mean, you still should "commit" to experience a smooth and elegant loading, but the ramp is solid as rock and nothing feels dodgy. Lol
Now I can take a couple of bikes on my zero-itinerary run away from home trips. The Beast & the Orange heroin, most likely. Ride whatever the old-bones call for.
Ramp stored on truck. (short bed 2003 Dodge 2500)
And since the tailgate is down, I extended the trailer tongue 4' for zero chance of conflict. Not as easy to handle the tinyhouse by hand now, but pulls even better and far easier to back-steer her into a hole. Plus it has a natural "porch now for tools, riding gear, generator....... I love what you guys than can weld are capable of. Yaw make dreams come true.
Much differentiation than previous limitations
So after going back and forth a bit, and with the number one criteria being "would if you are all alone with nobody to spot you", I settled on the Shark Cage ramp.
The biggest positive is it's WIDE and very robust. The negatives are 1. It's heavy and 2.It's designed to be dedicated to your truck.
Technically, obstacle #1 is overcome by obstacle #2 since the weight won't matter if you aren't required to carry it or disassemble it. But I have more than 1 truck and would prefer not to dedicate it, nor drill holes in my tailgate for permanent install.
My solution is just a hybrid of my previous solution seen earlier in this thread. I first slide a sheet of 3/4" plywood into the bed of the truck. This has several advantages. I don't have to fasten my chocks to the truck itself. (no drilling the bed) It adds substantially to supporting the tailgate for weight bearing. And finally, I can mount the Shark Kage ramp to the plywood instead of the actual tailgate, so the ramp "belongs" to the plywood, not any specific truck.
I tested it with my old Cummins because it's higher and should be the toughest condition I'll face. Since my Tenere was still in surgery, I used another fat pig for riding up the ramp (and down) hitting a chock. (SCR weighs 550lbs, although much shorter, thus easier)
It's barely a challenge! I mean, you still should "commit" to experience a smooth and elegant loading, but the ramp is solid as rock and nothing feels dodgy. Lol
Now I can take a couple of bikes on my zero-itinerary run away from home trips. The Beast & the Orange heroin, most likely. Ride whatever the old-bones call for.
Ramp stored on truck. (short bed 2003 Dodge 2500)
And since the tailgate is down, I extended the trailer tongue 4' for zero chance of conflict. Not as easy to handle the tinyhouse by hand now, but pulls even better and far easier to back-steer her into a hole. Plus it has a natural "porch now for tools, riding gear, generator....... I love what you guys than can weld are capable of. Yaw make dreams come true.
Much differentiation than previous limitations