I have a passion for motorcycle touring. Since watching the Ken Burn's series, "The National Parks: America's Best Idea", I have caught the touring bug even more to see as many National Parks as possible while riding my Harley in the USA. Living in China and then India for a few years and now back in the States full time, I am touring and camping 3 to 4 times a year.
I like to produce specific videos that focus on #whyiride , #motocamping , #harleydavidson #motovlog #nationalpark living and riding in #china & #india along with other great topics associated with riding motorcycles. Roxanne is my riding companion and loves the rides as much as I do and would never dream of allowing me to ride alone. Sharing the journey with Roxy has added a whole new dimension to this passion we have both embraced. Hope those of you who subscribe and watch are also inspired to live your passion.
Michigan here. Just bought a 12 -foot set of these. They are not here yet but plan on Black Hills trip 3 weeks from now, after kids go back to school and campgrounds have spots. Normally I would just ride it but I'm bringing my dog so it's easier to use the bathroom, go into a grocery store etc. if he can hang out in the truck for a few minutes. I have a Silverado as well, wondering how did the bike travel back there the way you had it secured? I hope I can angle it a bit more from a tad higher up and back on the frame. Everyone has their own way of doing it, I just have PTSD from hooking up dirt bikes and like you said, "I have too much invested in that bike" to not be as careful as I can be. Nice video and tips.
The biggest problem is trying to shift the bike after you ride it in straight. It is sooooo heavy. We just hauled the bike from Utah to GA and it rode extremely well in the back of the truck.
Clem thanks so much. Great video and very thorough explanation. I followed your video and did the same setup fror my '22 Ultra Limited. Just completed mounting the Pittsburgh (Harbor Freight) motorcycle wheel chock and cut my 2x4 to 58.5” to fit wall-to-wall in my ’22 F-150. I used ¼” 1.5” long lag bolt screws to attach the chock to the 2x4. My Black Widow 10’ ramp gets here tomorrow. I'm not one to reailer mine but it's a nice option to have. Can’t wait to try it out. Thanks again, Ride safe.
Jerry, I just used my setup this past month to take my bike from Utah to Georgia and all went well. Check out this video for a couple of shots of the bike and the truck. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-R_vEZBOA_g0.htmlsi=xa7_JeSqXF4cFjx-
Stuart, I have had many questions on this post that are similar to yours. I understand your concern. I am pasting one of my responses here and hope this describes how I look at the load on the cables but it is really a personal choice and I am only describing my situation and I am not advocating you do anything you are uncomfortable with. Thanks for commenting! PREVIOUS REPLY POST - "Guy, I understand your concern and I would never advocate anyone go a route they do not feel comfortable with. I know that the 3/16” steel cable on my Chevy tailgate has a breaking strength of 4,200 lbs and times (2 cables) theoretically has 8,400 LB breaking strength. Now with that said, the “working load” is calculated with a safety factor of (5) so the working load limit divides down to 840 LB for each cable.The Working load is the force the cable or lifting device a piece of equipment is subject to in an everyday working environment. My motorcycle back wheel (axle) is almost directly over the hinge line of the tailgate when riding and is subject to ramp load extremely infrequently. I understand the steel tailgate could be subject to deformation if a constant cycling load is exerted out of the edge of the tailgate. OK, I see a lot of eyes are rolling :) Enough of a Structural Engineer’s rambling… Ultimately, I am comfortable with the rare occasion I load either of my bikes in the pickup bed with this method. There is such a large safety factory dividing the breaking strength by 5 and the fact that I am exerting about equal load between two of these cables, I am comfortable. Again, this is just the call I have made and would not recommend anyone do anything they are not comfortable with. I hope you subscribe to the Channel and I hope I have not bored you to 😭. 😀 thanks for the question 🙋"
Bill, Welcome aboard! Glad you watched and found it useful if not entertaining. Lots of content out there that you may be interested in. PLEASE SHARE THIS WITH YOUR FRIENDS WHO MIGHT HAVE A SIMILAR INTEREST.
Mark, I built a plywood false floor that fits around my bike. It gives me about 8” of clearance underneath. 2 pieces go under and one pieces lays flat on the plywood next to the bike.
I'm 63, had an ultra, lowers were worthless, heated grips.....if you wear gloves are worthless, cruise control or something is valuable, highway pegs.....ultra didn't have I have Kawasaki Versys 1000 as tour bike, heated grips standard still worthless, got a good Corbin seat no backrest, don't need it..... don't try riding all day on stock seat, Corbin seat all day easy ride.......corbin seat has heat, now thats a luxury It has tiny windshield with hole in the middle so bugs can easily find their way thru to smack you in the face because wearing half shell with windshield. When it rains hold my legs in, from knees down good, thigh gets soaked, highway pegs a must have, but kinda expensive to get something made for this bike Turning WideGlide into tourer, got a 1200 iron for short cruisin, no windshield......thinking about it, but I keep it at speed limit and wear full face I've been thru stock seat, to newer version 2 piece stock seat, both really nice for rider.....not so much for wife, so got Harley Signature seat with backrest...... I'm mixed on backrest, but longest ever done is 3hrs out rest 3hrs back Got forward controls, highway pegs, setup to put heels on mini boards toes on highway pegs Got a taillight that has blinkers so going to remove turn signals and be able to put as big a bags as I want...... luggage rack and huge bag for just me Kawasaki has cruise standard, sooo much easier to operate than Ultra, and it is nice.....WG has throttle lock that actually works and is good for dropping right arm........another good device is cramp buster, allows you to relax fingers and just rest hand on throttle You don't need a giant bike to be comfortable on long haul And like another poster pointed out, guy has backrest and trailers his touring bike around Edit don't want no communication, don't want wife to hear my thoughts on that girl walking down the street
Great thing about motorcycles or actually anything else in this country, “to each his own…”! We all ride for different reasons … ride on my friend and thanks for watching!
i don't think i'll ever give into the back rests and tour packs and the ugly crash bar foot rests i like my bikes stripped down and raw i don't wanna feel like im driving a car that's why i have a bike
I like to travel light, wake up in the morning, have a bite to eat, get packed up and gone in less than an hour, on to my next destination, no wasted time on material things like campers, bbqs and b.s. The sooner i can leave in the morning, the more i can experience in the day.
I actually loved wasting 20 min of my life watching this. Very relaxing. Great job bro. I just got a black widow lift snd I’ll be doing this to it as well. Ty. Now a new subscriber.
Ty, welcome aboard the Clem & Roxie train. I am working on new content now and hope to have it out soon. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment! I have the Black Widow ramps as my bike is actually in the back of my pickup now. Check out the video I did on the black widow ramps.
Thanks Steve for reading and commenting, yes; many folks think we are crazy for even riding a motorcycle but when done safely and properly there is a thrill that can’t be matched any other way!
Stuart, just beware, the only problem I had is when I had a DOT 4 brake fluid drip down when flushing my hydraulic clutch mater cylinder and it ate right through my abrasive surface. I am repairing it now with a patch area of new tape. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Great video Clem, I’m camp from little boy on. Today (I'm 62), I just camp with little more comfort, as for 10 years, now with: chair, table and one ticker mattress, but with stuff that have Alway small volume & Lightweight. I cook every day fresh (if possible). Camp ground or wild camp give my one certain freedom, and you meet mos time, a lot of nice people😉
I camped as well when I was younger but the equipment was so much less technical back then. You are right that lightweight is the key on a motorcycle. Almost everything we take is backpacking equipment! Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment!
Actually they are plenty wide as they consist of 3 pieces to make up the width. I plan to use them next week to take my bike on a long trip and feel confident using them. Thanks for asking!
Roll on truck bed liner would probably work well, too. I just bought a used one, in great condition, and you got me to thinking about improving mine now.
There are a ton of useful improvements you can make to the lift and again that many shown on RU-vid that are a waste of time and money. Believe me, I have made mistakes too!
I think I have seen a similar concerns within the comments for the video where I replied with the various working loads for the cables and the riding position of my back tire within the bed of the pickup. Sorry, I am a structural engineer and I tend to drone on, too much technical stuff, suffice it to say, I am good with the application and the truck/tailgate/cable combination I have. Everyone should be comfortable within their own setup for sure. Your comment is absolutely a good comment and well taken my friend!
I recently had some DOT 4 brake fluid drip on the surface of my lift and it basically ruined my abrasive surface after my tire rode over the affected area. Oil and dirt are easy to clean but beware of some chemicals. Luckily my painted surfaces of the bike were protected from the spill.
Jason, my garage/shop is now over-stuffed with woodworking equipment, project lumber and two Harleys. I understand what you are going through and I am planing to add on a 3rd door garage space. I am sure it will fill up too but something has to give…
Yes, I ride from Ogden to East Canyon and back down the other side… I love the ride. Between RVs, sports cars, bicycles and motorcycles, it can be a crap shoot. Oh well, we all have a right to take advantage of the beautiful rides regardless of our sport… I will keep looking for new places!
Clem - I really appreciated your video and your ideas are exactly what I am doing to my lift. Recently I changed my oil and filter and it was somewhat difficult getting the Street Glide Special without assistance onto the work table. The tape installation will go a long way to improve getting the bike onto the table. Excellent work thanks!
Thanks for the comment. I have recently found that the surface is not totally bullet proof. Oils and general dirt can be washed off with a bucket of dish soap and water and the use of a bathroom style scrub brush… no problem. But I had a DOT 4 leak down on the surface when I was flushing the hydraulic clutch line and after pulling the bike off the lift and sliding the front tire on the surface, the tape disintegrated. Luckily none got on the bike or I would be talking about my ruined paint. I plan to remove and replace a portion of the tape again.
I don’t think I have seen the 8 ton cylinder. I have seen the 12 ton and I thought that was the smallest. Is there a link you have to the 8 ton? I recently got a compressor in my shop and was planing to do the same. Hey, thanks for watching my content and taking the time to comment. Hope you subscribe.
Here is the description and part number: PITTSBURGH 8 Ton Long Ram Air/Hydraulic Jack - Item 58816. Have to buy it before I can open it and get the measurements to see if it is, “plug & play”, or will require modifications. 👍
@@iPossum 58816 might have too long of a displacement at 24” minimum. I have seen mostly the 12 Ton in other videos. PITTSBURGH 12 Ton Air/Hydraulic Bottle Jack 59425.
Great video and instructions. I have one small suggestion; I noticed when you jacked up the lift and put the security bar in you didn't remove the pressure from the bottle jack placing the weight on the bar. Doing this will prolong the life of the jack and should keep it from failing when it is in storage with a bike on it.
You absolutely correct. I typically relieve the pressure on the jack by using the bar as mechanical stop. Thanks for the reminder and thanks for commenting and hope you subscribe.
Thinking about doing the same to my lift. I’m currently upgrading to an air lift system so I don’t have to jack it up with the foot pedal. I saw another apply the grip tape and after it was applied they used a heat gun to cause the grip tape to fully adhere to the checker plate.
Like another rider commented riding motorcycles reminds me of riding my horse when I was young but on another level…additionally, as a combat vet riding my motorcycles (Harley Road Glide/BMW R1250 GSA) is wind therapy….just makes me feel good! Unfortunately my wife doesn’t ride with me so often times I ‘m riding alone, wished I had company to share this great experience.
Shep, thank for sharing your thoughts on our passion for riding. I have to Harley’s but I have been looking at GSA’s and test riding for the past couple of years. I just haven’t pulled the trigger to get one. Roxy, loves to ride with me and she is not keen on riding the GSA. She has been spoiled with the passenger’s riding comfort on our Ultra Limited.
Just found your channel…looking forward to learning more about you all…I live in Iowa, retired USMC MGySgt…Looking to take my Harley back to the black hills as well to ride those great roads too. Considering a ramp to ride the bike into the back of my F250. How do you carry them in the back of the truck when your bike is loaded so they don’t come in contact with your bike? I have a ‘22 Road Glide CVO that I really don’t want anything touching:) Was going to go with a trailer but trailering something is such a PITA if not absolutely necessary.
Shep, thanks for the questions. I use ratchet straps to tie them up against the inside of the bed sidewalls. I have added a couple of Eyebolts in the front and back of each side wall. The ramps sit on top of the wheel wells and then strap in. I understand that if the ratchet straps come loose, the ramps would fall against your bike while driving down the road. Today is Memorial Day 2024, we used the ramps to take the bike to Rushmore camping area this time in 2023 and all went well. Checkout a couple of videos I posted on that trip.
Sorry Jayhawks, I just retired from the most demanding job I have ever had and now have time to do what I love. Sorry for the delays. I am working on several video topics and will drop something soon!
Thanks WW, you are correct, I did use my heat gun in a later 1-year update video on the lift as I removed and replaced some damaged Nonskid. Thanks for watching and giving tips. Really appreciated!
You will love it if you have never been there. It truly is a motorcycle bucket list area to ride. You will have to go back many times to ride all the roads. If you have already been there, then you know what I am talking about. Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment my friend!
Midas, checkout starting at 1:32 of this follow-up video HF Motorcycle Lift - 1 YEAR LATER- ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-sB2wlqx3ilw.html
Randall, checkout starting at 1:32 of this follow-up video HF Motorcycle Lift - 1 YEAR LATER- ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-sB2wlqx3ilw.html
Great video. I like that setup. I do have a question when the middle ramp pulled back on your truck is there slack, when u insert the rods into the ramp that's let the ramp move back
Yes, take a look at time 3:20 into the video and you can see about how much play there is between the rod and the pipe sections it goes through. Thanks for watching and asking good questions.
Just a note for regarding storage of this lift, it can be stored in the vertical position. When collapsed and tipped up on the end with the wheels and bottle jack (the heavy side down) it will end up flush on the end and stand securely against the wall. To say it another way, if you lift the front of the lift (where the front tire sets) when its collapsed, it will stay collapsed as you lift it up, then stack it against the wall. Secure it for safety but it will set securely like this.
Great tip. I will have to check this out. I know the lift is extremely heavy and I can experiment with making it more portable. My garage is getting quite dense with all of the tools and my expansion into furniture building.
Hi from Fort McMurray Alberta 🇨🇦. Thanks for the review. I have been contemplating getting these ramps for my bikes. Wasn’t sure how they’d stand up. But seeing how confident you are with your heavy bikes I’m sure they’ll handle my Heritage and Fatboy just fine. I’m looking at the 10’ as well. Hoping that they are long enough so my bike doesn’t bottom out. My truck is a F450 so even at stock height it’s pretty high. Fingers crossed. I also like your idea with the wheel chock on the 2x4. Normally I just snug the tire up against the truck bed. But I like your way better. I’m gonna try that myself. Thanks again for the review.
Derek, glad the video answered some of your questions about the ramps. Thanks for the comment and taking the time to watch our content. I think you will appreciate the ramps if you decide to buy them. What I have learned is you can’t go at loading your bike “half-hearted”. You have to do all the right things in preparation for the best angle available, tie-down the straps properly and then commit when ride up. If you find that Amazon is your best option, please use my link at no additional cost. If you find a better purchase option, please take it as these are not a cheap purchase. Take care and “ride on!”
