Tips & Tricks: How to Properly Load a Motorcycle Into a Ute

There are important things to consider to make loading a lot easier which can also save you some damage. What works and what does not depends largely on the equipment you use and the way you approach the job.

When going for a ride, how do you load your motorcycle? Do you do it on your own or do you call a mate’s help? We’ve seen folks ride their bikes up the ramp and people simply lift a small bike into a ute, without a ramp. There are even some people who prefer to load alone while others need five folks to get it done.

So, what’s the best way to do it?

We always go for the safest and surefire way. There are many choices and options for every type of ramps in transporting your motorcycle, but between straight or arched ramp, we recommend the latter. Arched or curved ramps like the Heeve Aluminium Curved Folding Motorcycle Ramp breaks one sharp angle to multiple smaller angles and eases the transition over the threshold.

When it comes to length, choosing the longest ramp makes the loading angle less steep. Your choice of ramps may also depend on the type of bike you have.  You can get away with a steep ramp if your bike has good ground clearance.

Other nice-to-have features include secure connection points from the ramp to the truck end, ridges for traction, and construction that minimizes confidence-killing flex.

If you’re the confident guy who wants to ride your bike up the ramp, go for a super-wide ramp. If you don’t, you’ll lose your momentum and have nowhere for your feet to land to bear the weight of the bike. It’s also important to get someone spotting on you while doing the job. One person should secure the bike placement while the other person will be responsible for applying power to the machine. It will make the task easier and lessens the stress, fatigue, and frustration.

However, if you’re a solo loader, it’s best to use your own muscles not the bike’s power to keep you from the danger of slipping, clutch throttle and damaging properties or bystanders. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Finally, secure everything. Make sure that once you’ve loaded your bike, it is properly secured. Use chocks to help keep your bike’s wheel straight and in place. If you’re a frequent rider, a permanently installed chock is best but a solid temporary mount can be a good alternative. You should also use reliable and heavy-duty ratchet tie-downs. It does not loosen on its own compared to ordinary buckle straps.  

Now that you’ve got everything perfectly figured out, it will be a breeze loading your bike up the ute next time. Remember that there’s always a proper method of doing anything. However, for the proper tools, our ramp experts are always here to help with as much information and assistance possible. Just contact us and we’ll be glad to assist you.