How to Load Motorcycles on a Flatbed Truck

Sometimes you just have to haul your motorcycle.

It is against every motorcyclist's creed, but eventually a time comes where you must load your motorcycle onto a flatbed or a trailer so you can haul it home or to a garage. Using the correct process will ensure your bike does not end up on its side or on the road behind you while you are driving. The use of high-quality ratchet straps will help ensure your bike stays where you want.

Things You'll Need

• Wheel chuck (optional)
• 1 or 2 assistants
• 4-ratchet straps

Instructions

1. Pitch the bed of the truck upward into the loading position.

2. Push the bike up onto the flatbed. Use a second person to help you hold the bike upright as you pitch the flatbed down into the driving position using a remote adjustor or by using a third person to lower the bed using the controls mounted to the truck.

3. Place the front tire of the motorcycle into a wheel chuck or push the bike to the front of the bed so the front tire rests against the front fence of the bed.

4. Place the motorcycle on the kickstand. For added safety, have a second person sit on the bike while you strap it down.

5. Place a ratchet strap around the left fork of the bike and hook the other end of the ratchet strap into a tie-down location on the bed of the truck. Ratchet the strap until you remove the slack from the strap. Repeat this process with the other side of the front fork.

6. Place a ratchet strap around the left rear frame of the bike and hook the other end of the ratchet strap into a tie-down location on the bed of the truck. Ratchet the strap until you remove the slack from the strap. Repeat this process with the other side of the rear frame.

7. Tighten each strap slightly until the bike is firmly in the upright position and cannot move in a forward, rear or side-to-side motion.

Tips & Warnings

• After driving five miles, stop and check the straps for tightness. Make any adjustments necessary to keep the bike firmly secured to the flatbed. Check the straps every 50 miles thereafter.