Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

I need help, i bought a ute not long ago so i can cart my bike around if i have to, i had a couple of goes getting it on and off, my first attempt i just rode it up a plank of wood but that nearly ended in tears, half way up, the plank decided it was going to slide off so there were arms and legs going everywhere trying to stay on.. so now ive had to find someone else to help me, question is can it be done with just one person on and off if so how do people do it, wat do you use??

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http://www.whipps.com.au/Products/Ramps.html" target="_blank

I can't do it but I think it is mainly coz I am short. My Hubby can by himself very easily with his race bikes and hooonda - struggles a little with the fat 7 and needs an extra push.

He uses one of the ramps (above links) - it has a lip on it so it wont slide off the ute, and just walks it up by standing beside it (like in the pics).

I am pretty sure we got our ramp for Supercheap or somewhere like that and it wasn't that expensive, then it just folds up and he slots it in the back of the ute/trailer.

If you have a high ute like a Hilux I don't think you have a chance in hell in getting it up there. But I could be wrong.

Part the ute in the middle of the road and put the loading ramp against the curb stone. Push bike off curb onto rapm and up onto ute. Any one waiting to drive past can wait a few moments

One thing I have found; if you've just washed the bike and it has wet tyres, it does great burn outs on the wodden loading ramp

photomike666 wrote:Part the ute in the middle of the road and put the loading ramp against the curb stone. Push bike off curb onto rapm and up onto ute. Any one waiting to drive past can wait a few moments

One thing I have found; if you've just washed the bike and it has wet tyres, it does great burn outs on the wodden loading ramp

Do you ride it up or walk beside it??? Are you able to get it down by yourself??

Mate, I've seen so many youtube videos of bikes going arse over tit that I built a ramp that's wide enough to walk up comfortably beside the bike. The materials were about $200, and it's a PITA to transport around, it's heavy but it's safe as houses. It's made of two 8 foot lengths of hardwood (6" x 1") with a deck of 7 ply. I cut the ends of the hardwood to sit on the deck, and the top of the deck is a separate piece that drops between the runners. The guys who've seen it at a trackday will attest to the fact the it's huge!

I have two ramps, I walk up one and put the bike in first and ride the clutch so the bike powers itself up. Usually the automatic choke is on so I dont need to give it revs. I can take it nice and steady. Coming down I leave it in first with the engine off and ride the clutch again to slow it down, I found if you use the front brake it just locks up and slides.

ozten wrote:

photomike666 wrote:Part the ute in the middle of the road and put the loading ramp against the curb stone. Push bike off curb onto rapm and up onto ute. Any one waiting to drive past can wait a few moments

One thing I have found; if you've just washed the bike and it has wet tyres, it does great burn outs on the wodden loading ramp

Do you ride it up or walk beside it??? Are you able to get it down by yourself??

I purchased two large planks for about $30 and walk it up the the engine on. Have loaded myself and unloaded myself. I've had a couple of close calls and think it's way better to have help.

Oh and I made my ramps out of 3mm alum checker plate and folded 75mm sides on them so that they wheels cannot go off the edge, so loading by myself is a piece of cake

thanx for all the help i think i will just be grabbing someone to give me a hand wenever i can until i can get a better ramp sorted, i just dont wanna risk hurting my baby..

if your driveway's on a downhill (to the road) slope, then good.. it doesnt have to be steep.. and just park your ute at the bottom, back wheels up against the start of the driveway in the kerb/gutter, and just roll your bike onto the ute, doing it by yourself is easy. its getting it off that you might need a hand with, more so if the driveway is actually really steep.

Stop being a poof and ride the fucker up!!!

The higher the deck of the ute, the longer the ramp needs to be. I've loaded 1000's of bikes onto and off trays and never had a mishap. You need to get a run up so that the front wheel makes it onto the tray and hold the front brake on. Lean into the bike as counter balance then step up on to the tray and keep pushing. Unloading is the same, run the rear wheel down the ramp until the front wheel is just about on the ramp, step down and use the front brake to control velocity. DON'T lock the front brake on as it's going down the ramp as it has a tendency to pull the ramp off the edge and make a hell of a mess of the bike and your eardrums! Only time I had difficulty getting one on was loading a Vulcan Drifter and the bloody thing bottomed out on the engine casing and levered the back wheel into the air. Had to ride that one up FAST to clear the tray edge and make it on to the ute! Riding them up is usually a last resort as if it does get stuck, by the time your feet hit the ground the bike is already on its sde and coming down on top of you! If you get someone to help push, make sure you tell them to just push, not try to stand the bike upright as most try to do, it makes it very difficult to control where the bike is going