How do you carry your bike?

[azoomm]

Originally Posted by Quick281

How do you get the bike in and out of the truck? That seems to be the challenging part to me.

Home Depot.

There is a yellow hard plastic ramp that will expand to 8 feet. It's arched, so your bike won't bottom out on it. Get a small bench to put next to it, then it's an easy transition from ground, bench, truck bed for you. Best part - they are $60.

In the back of the truck, I use my sport chock. That way, I can load the bike and tie it down without another human to hold the bike. I also don't have to worry about compressing the forks too far and blowing a seal.

[Mr Lefty]

the other thing you can do it rent a Uhaul. the one I'm renting to go from AK to Mississippi is 6x8 enclosed and it's $550 or so. it'll probably be what my bike gets put in when I get to Knoxville to pick it up... then again I may just have to ride it

if your gonna get a truck... I'd get a extra cab. more room to keep things out of the weather and readly available durring your trip.

I wouldn't try turning the bike diaganal. with a sport bike it's usually more trouble that it's worth... just get one of those bed extenders that folds into a ramp.

AND GET A RAMP... don't go with the ditch idea... trust me... proper ditches are hard to find when ya need them... and when ya do find one that'll work... it's either someones yard... or there's no way to get the bike back on the road. ramps aren't that expensive.
once you get one I sudgest installing grip tape... it'll make life easier.

how much stuff do you have? that'll help determine what kinda truck you need.

[Quick281]

So far I am open to options but I am leaning hard against a 99 to 01/02 7.3 Ford Powerstroke.

The price ranges are about right and the mileage can be very reasonable for the life of a diesel. Options like trans, interior color cloth/leather, and exterior color aren't important to me. I could deal with all of them but I looking around for extended cabs and 4 door version. My thoughts are that the bigger the cab the more room I have to keep stuff dry/warm on cold/rainy days. 4x4 is assumed and one bonus of the diesels is they all have block heaters installed from the factory.

The gas is a going to be more expensive but the mileage is slightly better and I would assume expenses to be less assuming I am wise in my purchase. I have a couple Ford resources which will allow me to research VIN#s and do OASIS reports to see what repair work has been done.

So far it looks like a sport chock, a canyon dancer will be options. The extended tailgate is a great idea. I have used them before and really like them.

[t-homo]

Great choice. My dad has a 99 F-250 with the 7.3 Powerstroke. Its got 250,000 miles and he just had to take it in for the first time. 4x4 in the front end was having some problems, but that's fairly normal. I think he gets like 16-17 mpg highway running at 70-75. I've been trying for a couple years now to get him to sell me that truck and get a new one, but he wont part with it.

[Mr Lefty]

even with a sport chock... I'd still have it strapped down with ratchet straps and a canyon dancer... just my they're cheap insurance IMO.

damn... go'n with a BIG truck... ok... well if you're going that big, personally... I'd go with the 4 door.

I'd look into Light Force lights... they're what I have on the front of my truck... and the nice thing about them is they have covers that you can swap out for different conditions... amber for fog, clear, blue for snow (never used these) red for.... fuck I don't know... but they have'm.... and all the covers are advertised as unbreakable. which is nice when a big ass rock comes fly'n your way.

I'd say about 70% of the Semi's up here use Lightforce if that says anything.

[Quick281]

Originally Posted by t-rock

Great choice. My dad has a 99 F-250 with the 7.3 Powerstroke. Its got 250,000 miles and he just had to take it in for the first time. 4x4 in the front end was having some problems, but that's fairly normal. I think he gets like 16-17 mpg highway running at 70-75. I've been trying for a couple years now to get him to sell me that truck and get a new one, but he wont part with it.

Thanks. From what I looked up I definitely wanted the 7.3 over the early 6.0s.

99 to 01 are early in the generation and are at the right price where I could afford one but still find one with reasonable mileage. Once you start getting up to 03 and up the trucks go up quickly in price or are way beat down in order for me to afford them.

Now is a great time to be buying so even if I end up going through a dealership I know I can talk them down or get some things thrown in with the truck.

By taking the truck I obviously won't be doing my long trip to keywest. So instead of a 12k mile trip at 40 mpg, I will do a 6k mile trip at 18-20 mpg. Comes out about even and I don't have to worry about weather or being heated stuff for the bike. Also won't need to worry about all the extra maintenance and instead of having to carry limited things I can carry everything I own.

As far as what I own: 1 large computer, 1 motorcycle, shit ton of clothing (mostly tshirts),snowboard, paintball gun, stereo, 1 dog ( not coming to Alaska right away), shot glasses, and some camping gear.

Considering I still plan to be on the road for around 6 weeks, the extra cab space will be essential in storing my stuff.

Edit: Thanks for the advice Ebbs. I have been looking into some rust free trucks around here in the south and so far it seems like a lot of them have added on various lights and stuff light that but I will definitely look into what you brought up. I love your Yoda. I bought a run down little Mazda truck last year and I loved that thing but it would have exploded on first haul of anything. I am going to look into some Toyotas just to be fair. Always liked them and they are reliable as you can ask for.

I am trying to avoid buying new/newer since in my current state of life I could have a wild hair to get up and live in Australia and would then want to sell my belongings. I would rather lose a couple of grand over the years of owning a truck than buying a brand new truck and losing a ton more on depreciation.

[buzzcutt2]

Going a little older...I had the '89 7.3L F250 IDI, actually handed it over to my old man just recently with 318,000 miles on it. Only issue I ever had was tranny early on - it was the first year of the E4OD. They say that the '95 7.3 was the year to have, apparently they ran the strongest.

[Quick281]

Originally Posted by buzzcutt2

Going a little older...I had the '89 7.3L F250 IDI, actually handed it over to my old man just recently with 318,000 miles on it. Only issue I ever had was tranny early on - it was the first year of the E4OD. They say that the '95 7.3 was the year to have, apparently they ran the strongest.

To be honest, I haven't looked before 99 and so I should probably do that as well.

I know they put forged slugs in the 7.3 up to 01 and then after that it depends. Forged goodies are going to be a bonus for when I feel like cranking up the boost.

[Cutty72]

Originally Posted by buzzcutt2

Going a little older...I had the '89 7.3L F250 IDI, actually handed it over to my old man just recently with 318,000 miles on it. Only issue I ever had was tranny early on - it was the first year of the E4OD. They say that the '95 7.3 was the year to have, apparently they ran the strongest.

94 was the first year of the turbo'd 7.3. We've owned 93 NA's and a 94 Turbo, as well as a 00 and a 02 7.3 turbo.
The 93 NA was a pooch.. power, yes, but NO get up and go. ~16 mpg
The 94 runs like a raped ape, with the 5 speed manual will burn tires in second, sometimes 3rd. ~ 19 mpg, when not burning tires off it.
00 and 02 are both good ~ 16 mpg driven hard, ~21 mpg when driven "efficently" and 65 mph or so.
All of these had the manual tranny.
The auto tranny in anything before 97 are junk. Plan on replacing it if you buy those years.

A power chip will also help mileage a great deal.

The 6.0's are junk, less reliability. More HP out of less L = not long lasting.
Mileage is similar to slightly lower than that of the 7.3

New 6.4 twin turbo... Can pull anything you put behind it... at 8 mpg.
Will drive forever empty, getting 8 mpg...

As for the bed, any length you get (6.5' or 8') will fit your bike nicely. If you don't add a tonneau cover or tool box in the front you should be able to close the tailgate.

[Digifox]

Puch it to the front of the truck
Hold it up right
put a ratchet strap on either the bars of works(between the triple)
and tighen them up.


How we do it, and never had a bike fall.