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jdr
Dodge Dakota
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8/14/2003
12:00:15
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 Subject: motorcyle loading on tailgate!!!!!!!
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Hey guys, any of you have motorcycles that you may have loaded via a ramp on to your dakota's?
I have just purchased a three peice aluminum ramp and have two motorcycles which I intend on loading, only one at a time,they both wouldn't fit in the truck. I want to rest the ramp on the tailgate, but my concern is if the tailgate will handle the combined weight of myself and the motorcycle.
The heaviest total weight would be around 1040lbs, has anyone done it, and with what results?
I have a clubcab so I really want to leave the tailgate on if possible due to the wheelbase on both bikes are going to run real close to the end of the truck bed.
Let me know what anyone has found.
Thanks
jdr
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Snake
Dodge Dakota
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8/14/2003
13:46:46
|  RE: motorcyle loading on tailgate!!!!!!!
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Recommended maximum weight on the tailgate is 200 lbs. I've had 500+ on mine before and it tweaked it a little. I doubt it would stand up to 1000. Take it off or you'll be buying a new one.
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Peter
Dodge Dakota
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8/14/2003
14:41:15
|  RE: motorcyle loading on tailgate!!!!!!!
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I have to agree with Snake. I've loaded my honda cbr600 on my tailgate with no problems. But my bike is only 360 lbs. I wouldnt go over 500.
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TurboGuy
Dodge Dakota
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8/15/2003
01:54:27
|  RE: motorcyle loading on tailgate!!!!!!!
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Message:
Peter...get over yourself. No way your bike weighs 360lbs...unless there is no motor in it.
More like 450lbs. And dont quote magazine #s..they are bold faced lies.
Ive loaded 2 bikes... Harleys at that in the back of a club cab Dakota. An R/T even. Short distances (under 100miles) you'll be ok. On longer distances you'll need air shocks to level the load.
And Ive even had the rear wheels resting on the tailgate....and nary a problem. Just be sure to tie the front down correctly.
Why do you need to stand on the tailgate??
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jdr
Dodge Dakota
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8/15/2003
09:31:02
| RE: motorcyle loading on tailgate!!!!!!!
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Message:
Turbo guy,
I don't want to stand on the tailgate but, the ramp I have purchased alows you to ride the bike onto the truck, making the combined weight of the bike of 650-lbs and my weight 250-lbs around 900 lbs.
That is my wife's bike and my bike is a roadking classic which weighs approximately 760lbs wet, with my weight of 250-lbs making a combined weight of 1,010-lbs.
But if I new it would handle both of these situations I would probably want to jumb up & down on the tailgate just to celebrate.
jdr
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TurboGuy
Dodge Dakota
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8/16/2003
09:07:37
|  RE: motorcyle loading on tailgate!!!!!!!
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Message:
jdr, I wouldnt ride a bike into the bed...even if it was Rhino-lined. THis is where lots of folks end up screwing up their motorcycles. Id say 90% of the tipovers Ive seen are from improper loading.
THink about it..you've got 1000+lbs going up a ramp into a 6' bed..if you grab too much front brake the wheel is gonna slide and you'll lose traction. Or you could stall it on the ramp (seen that a bunch).
If anything you should walk the bike up with you on either side of it. The only time I ever ride a bike up is on a low center of gravity trailer.
My friend tried to be smart and ride his Harley bagger up a steeper landscape type ramp and endedup disconnecting the hitch from the trailer ball. Scratch the back of his new Ram Hemi all to hell.
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BayouK9
Dodge Dakota
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8/16/2003
15:07:02
| RE: motorcyle loading on tailgate!!!!!!!
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i've loaded my cbr900 many times, no problems. Thats a good 650lbs with me and the bike, and it fits all the way on the bed (real close to the edge)
~Crux
4.7 QC, h-brew intake, Headers, Exhaust, ho Cams, t-bars, flash, juice, heavy foot, big smile.
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Peter
Dodge Dakota
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8/16/2003
17:05:11
| RE: motorcyle loading on tailgate!!!!!!!
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Turbo Guy,
The only times that i've had my bike on my truck was after being shipped. That means that the bike is Stripped and has NO fluids. Anything else you'd like to add?
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TurboGuy
Dodge Dakota
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8/16/2003
18:59:05
| RE: motorcyle loading on tailgate!!!!!!!
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Message:
Yes Peter... I would like to add the fact that you're gay.
100lbs worth of fluids..eh?? Thats a good one.
1 Gallon of coolant = 6lbs
4 gallons of gas = 26lbs
4 quarts of oil = 8lbs
1 quart of fork oil = 2lbs
1 pint of brake fluid = 1/2lb
1 oz of chain lube = 1/2 oz
Thats less than 43lbs.
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yeforgotone
Dodge Dakota
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8/17/2003
10:10:56
| RE: motorcyle loading on tailgate!!!!!!!
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Message:
ya for got the 57 lbs. of piss in his head
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TurboGuy
Dodge Dakota
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8/17/2003
10:50:46
| RE: motorcyle loading on tailgate!!!!!!!
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Message:
Actually ye... I also forgot the 100ccs of SEMEN Peter ingests on a daily basis.
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Peter
Dodge Dakota
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8/17/2003
12:41:20
| RE: motorcyle loading on tailgate!!!!!!!
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Message:
Turbo Guy that was uncalled for. Reread what I wrote.
I also said stripped, which is were you get the other pounds. No fairings, fairing brackets, chain assembly, seats, mirrors, rear fender, slip on, passenger rear assembly.
The bike is broken down like this because its cheaper and easier to ship and crate up. The bike is shipped in two smaller tighter crates and saves about $100. Theres also no wait time because its actually shipped, not put on a trailer like they do cars and fully prepped bikes.
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some_guy
Dodge Dakota
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8/18/2003
16:37:37
| RE: motorcyle loading on tailgate!!!!!!!
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Message:
If you own 2 bikes with long wheelbases, they're
probably road bikes, right? Not dirtbikes that
you need to carry up bad roads & trails, right?
I'd never play around with trying to load any
sort of big machinery into a short box,
regardless of your loading system. Too much
chance of hurting yourself or damaging
something. At best, you'll work yourself to
death if you have to load it a lot. If I had a
long-box (8 foot), I might build a wood loading
ramp having a top landing about 6 foot square,
about the same height as the truck bed. At the
other end, build a nice long skid-proof ramp.
At the truck end, either make a recess in the
ramp with carpeting in it for the gate to fit to
take some load off the support cables/straps, or
let the gate drop loose and put your alu ramps
level across the space between the floor of the
bed and top of the wood ramp. I think most
people get into trouble with ramps because
they're trying to push something up them; ifthey
were level it would be a lot easier.
Otherwise, it would be best to get a 7x16
low-floor trailer with single 3500-pound axle
and electric brakes, and integral rear loading
ramp. It would be a lot easier to load (just
ride up), you could use the truck box for other
additional stuff, the trailer would be
supporting the main load instead of the truck
suspension, and you could keep the bikes
on the trailer to instantly hitch up and go
whenever you wanted. U could also use the
trailer for a thousand other things too.
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TimWilson
Dodge Dakota
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8/20/2003
12:37:33
| RE: motorcyle loading on tailgate!!!!!!!
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Message:
bump
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Dear Snake
Dodge Dakota
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8/20/2003
13:06:39
| RE: motorcyle loading on tailgate!!!!!!!
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Message:
The maximum rated capacity fo the tailgate is 200 lbs? Where is this posted? That is pathetic. Although you did state you've had 500+ lbs on urs, if they are really rated @ 200 lbs they need to add some support or somthing.
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Snake
Dodge Dakota
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8/20/2003
16:06:30
| RE: motorcyle loading on tailgate!!!!!!!
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Message:
I read it in the manual. As I said, I had 500 lbs on it but the gate was tweaked ever-so-slightly so it was definitely overloaded. I agree with the reinforcement, though I think it's less an issue of tailgate strength as it is the pure mechanics of holding it in position. With any pickup, the bracing bars/cables are just not at an ideal leverage point.
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Wombat
Dodge Dakota
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8/20/2003
17:33:56
| RE: motorcyle loading on tailgate!!!!!!!
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Message:
I use my '99 Dakota to haul my MX bike. IMHO, the Dakota is incapable of safely carrying two bikes in its bed, because the hooks for the tie-down straps are low and are too narrow. When you try to tie two bikes down, it is very difficult to get them both stable.
When two bikes are loaded, the front wheels are not centered. Rather, they are towards the sides of the bed. The mounts for the tie down straps are rather narrow, so the bikes can't be tied down stably.
They do make a product that is a steel bar that mounts to the front of the bed that cures this problem. It has eye hooks and built in wheel chocks. I think it is called a "Bed Buddy", as ridiculous as that name is.
Finally, the tailgate can easily handle more than 200 pounds, as I'm going about 205, and the bike (a Honda CR250) weighs about 230.
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jdr
Dodge Dakota
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8/22/2003
23:43:19
| RE: motorcyle loading on tailgate!!!!!!!
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Message:
Hey guys,
Do any of you actually comprehend anything at all, if you read my first post and look at your responses, 90% of you go off in completely different directions.
I love Turbo Guys question about why do I want to stand on the tailgate, his reading comprehension must be that of around a third grade level.
The fagget comments only tell someone is very insecure, wonder who that might be?
I think the best response I received is in the general board where a guy with a sense of humor responds. He wasn't trying to be serious, where the rest of you were, only you guys I found amusing, and you weren't even trying to be.
By the way prior to my first post, I e-mailed Chrysler/Daimler in regards to the spec's on the tailgate and they had none, and of course to avoid any lawsuits, they recommended that I not try what I was going to do. I would like to know where Snake got his information on the 200lbs spec, I know alot of people who love to conjure up stories of their own, but proof is in the pudding, cough it up Snake, where did you get your info the "enquirer"?
Anyway I have resolved the problem, no thanks to you jokers.
jdr
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