I have a 2011 FLHX that i usually ride to wherever i am going to work next on a contract last year was in Winslow AZ went home to PA for thunder in the valley them went to Montana to work up near glacier nay'l park. Now i am in Ft defiance AZ but was under the impression lotsa snow and very cold so drove instead (dummy me). So i am stuck til april without the sc00t. I have decided never again no bike so am thinking about a pickup to haul it when outlook is iffy in winter time. So my question is how big a pickup do i need for hauling a street glide will it fit in a chevy s10 or do i need something bigger.
I have a full size gmc 8ft bed. My road Kind took up most of my bed straight in. Did not want the front fender to hit the bed so moves it back a few inches.
I would not want to put it in a smaller truck, but thats just me.
A little off topic but amusing. I recently saw a high end RV towing a pickup that had an HD dresser in the truck bed. Now that guy knows how to travel.
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Michael Psycle
1992 Harley Davidson FXR
You want a fullsize pickup 1/2 ton or better with a 8' bed to be comfortable in any road condition's. Hell it would be a perfect load for winter driving ya know..
I am thinking it would be too much weight for the S10.
An f150 should be enough.
rkc
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"enjoy every sandwich" - W Zevon
2001 FLHR (carb) w 95" 26g cam and a head job.
Corbin Classic Solo
V&H Big Shot Duals w "Quiet" Baffles
16" Wild 1 chubby's
TWR stabilizer
I think a better solution (because it's the one I use) is any truck that will tow 1.5 ton with a simple drop ramp, single axle 5'x10' open trailer. Less drama involved loading and unloading. I'll use it this spring for example to ride the Candadian Rockies, towing from mid-MO to SD.
I would have to agree with the trailer idea. A street glide is 95in (almost 8 ft long) and weights almost 800 lbs stock. You dont want the bike sitting on your tailgate so you would at least need a long bed (8ft). Then you would have to worry about getting it off of a truck that is probably about 3ft off the ground. Trying to do that yourself with an 800 pound bike will be a chore in itself. So that being said. I bought a 5x10 trailer and mounted a wheel chock (from Harbor Freight) and mounted it to the trailer. That would be the cheaper way to go. Or I just sold my enclosed 5x10 trailer that would work even better.
X2 on the trailer idea. I have enough trouble loading my sport bike (half the weight of the HD) on a pickup truck bed.
You want a trailer...plus you can get away with a smaller, more fuel efficient pickup-truck that way.
Personally, I drive an F150 and won't go back to a Ranger size truck again...a bit too small for my overall needs - you may be different.
Also, call me jealous that you had to work up near Glacier National. My wife and I love Glacier and intend on going back this year...this will make trip #3.
__________________ 2011 Harley Street Glide - Vivid Black - Freedom 6" Ultra Shield, HD Sundowner Seat
The weight of bike probably isnt more than the load capacity of the S10, but its too much weight for the end of the bed even if the tailgate was capable of supporting it. I sometimes load my roadglide in the back of my standard bed 1/2 ton siverado, and yes its probably not a good idea having the rear tire on the tailgate. So far it has not been a problem and I dont have to abide by the 55 vehicle /trailer speed limit in Cali. A trailer makes for safer unloading and would be ok if you dont want to buy another vehicle but towing a trailer on snowy icy roads can be sketchy. if you go with a trailer ,remember that when you chain up your truck you will have to chain one wheel on the trailer as well. if money were no object I would suggest a 1/2 ton 4wd with an 8ft bed and buy one of those long wide curved loading ramps.
I have a 2007 Toyota Tundra 4X4 with a 6 1/2 bed. I've loaded my 09 Street Glide in the back, as well as a few other bikes, on numerous occasions. It's really no big deal as long as you have the right equipment.
The only down side to using a short bed pickup is you can't close the tailgate. The rear wheel of my Street Glide (when loaded) rests directly on the space between the gate and the bed, so yes, there is a little bit of weight on the gate. What you do is put a 2X2 piece of 3/4 plywood under the wheel. This helps transfer a good portion of the weight to the bed.
I would say i've logged somewhere around 3k miles with big bikes in the back of this truck without a problem. Anyone wanting more advice on equipment shoot me a PM.
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Current bikes in the stable:
2009 Street Glide
- 107ci, stage III heads, D&D Fatcat exhaust, Andrews 54 cam, TTS, 108hp 122tq
2003 Heritage Softail Classic
- 95ci, stage III heads, RB LSR exhaust, S&S 510 cams, 100hp 102tq
If you go the truck route, opt for the 2wd version. Nothing scarier than riding a big bagger into the back of a 4wd truck. Put mine in the back of my 2006 Dodge 2500 4wd and putting it in wasn't too bad, but coming out scared the .... out of me! Never again, now I just ride or leave it at home.
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'12 Candy Colbalt Twilight Blue FLTRXSE
Spend the bucks and get a RAMPAGE motorcycle powered loader lift. It will take care of the rear wheel on the tail gate
A buddy of mine replaced the tail gate cables with turnbuckles, I guess one of those cables broke once when he was loading the bike
Ken
thats Scary, didnt think of it till now but there is way more stress on the tailgate while loading than transporting. the weight of the bike plus the rider on the outside edge of the tailgate. best to take the tailgate off if you can. it just takes a minute on newer trucks
How big a pickup
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