How to Build a Motorcycle Ramp
Get the old iron-horse up and into your truck without a haggling. Learn to build a simple ramp that will allow you to load your motorcycle into the truck quickly. Even better, take the ramp with you! Two simple 2x12 boards can be made into a motorcycle ramp easily, without much cost to you. Just load your bike up the ramp, and then slide the ramp up and into the truck with the rest of your gear. It is really that simple. You’ll be prepared to load your bike without it slipping off the board. After you build the first board, the second one is a piece of cake!
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Things You'll Need
- Drill
- Electric screwdriver/drill
- Aluminum plates (2)
- 2x12 boards (or other length)
- Metal Joist (optional)
Instructions
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Build a very convenient motorcycle ramp
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1
Line up your 2x12 boards parallel to each other. Turn the smoother side face up. Ensure the boards have good vertical grain (the grain must run along the length, and not the width, of the boards). Mark with a pencil the word “UP” on each board.
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2
Measure about a quarter of the length of your aluminum plates. Mark the length with a pencil. Draw a line to divide the smaller portion of each aluminum plate from the larger portion.
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3
Bend the aluminum plates along the marked line on each.
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4
Drill two holes through each aluminum plate on the shorter side of the marked line. The holes should be slightly near the corners of the wood.
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5
Flip each 2x12 board over to expose its underside. Lay the aluminum plates on the 2x12 board so that the L-shape fits snug against the board. Drive two screws through the aluminum holes and burry them into the wood. The “UP” side of the wood should not be penetrated. Do not use long screws.
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6
Bend the long portion of the aluminum plate away from the wood. You will now have an upside down L-shape facing away from the board. The end facing away is where you will latch onto the bed of your truck. As an alternative, you may wish to attach a metal joist to your 2x12 and then bend the aluminum over it.
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7
Flip the boards over to expose the “UP” side of each. Attach adhesive non-stick pads to the 2x12 boards on the opposite side, same end, as the aluminum plates. These are also called cargo pads. The cargo pads will be attached to the upside of the ramp so that your motorcycle can roll up it without slipping off one of the boards. Cargo pads are critical for traction.
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