Heavy Motorcycle Loading
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Cross-Country
Joined: Nov 2010
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Heavy Motorcycle Loading
I am going to haul my motorcycle with me when we head south for the winter. I am going to load it in the back of my 2017 F-350. I will be towing the truck behind our motor home. The motorcycle weighs about 900 pounds. Here at home I will be loading the motorcycle using a ramp and the truck backed up to a steep driveway so that the loading angle is not very steep. Down in Arizona I will be using a loading dock. My question is can anyone give me an idea as to what kind of load the tailgate can withstand. The two things I am concerned about is will I bend the tailgate and can the cables handle the load. I can buy the aftermarket tailgate supports from DG Manufacturing to take some load off the cables but I still am concerned about bending the tailgate. Can anyone share some personnel experience doing this. Thanks
Laughing Gas
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 973
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From: Adirondacks
I am not an engineer, and i dont know the truck tailgate load limit, but I think loading your motorcycle will not harm the truck tailgate because you will never have all the motorcycle weight on the tailgate, just one wheel at a time. I have loaded many ATVs and snowmobiles onto truck beds, only up to maybe 700 pounds, and my longer track sleds extend out past the tailgate, but that's not the whole weight of the sled, and I have never seen any tailgate damage. Even a heavy load of treated 6x6s extending onto the truck tailgate does no harm because the tailgate does not carry all the weight.
More Turbo
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 534
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From: Park County, CO
You're gonna put around 600lbs (900+200)/2+some rear bias because of the bike angle, on a small contact patch in the middle of the tail gate. I don't know the limit but bending it a bit is possible. A piece of plywood on the tail gate will distribute the load and lower the risk considerably.
Make sure and tie the ramps to the receiver hitch using straps. You don't want the rear tire to push the ramps backwards instead of the bike forward.
Make sure and tie the ramps to the receiver hitch using straps. You don't want the rear tire to push the ramps backwards instead of the bike forward.
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Cross-Country
Joined: Nov 2010
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niterbreeze thanks for you response. When you said 700 pounds would that include your weight also. Your situation is a little different than mine since a quad has four wheels and spreads the load out. I am no light weight and I have to ride the bike into the bed. When that rear wheel hits the tailgate and I'm sitting on the bike I'm guessing the load on the rear tire could be 700 pounds and the contact area of the tire is maybe 4 or 5 square inches. Maybe I need to put down a thick piece of plywood to help distribute the load.
Rather Be Rid'n!
Joined: Nov 2023
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From: SE Massachusetts
Logistics Pro
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 4,411
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From: Central KY
I do not know the capacity of the Super Duty tailgate, but I would expect it to be greater than a Jeep Gladiator tailgate and I personally saw an engineer talk about the Jeep tailgate being rated for 1,200 lbs. of load.
Now, the important thing to remember is that static load and "shock" load are two different things. If the weight starts bouncing while driving down the road that's a whole new game.
Now, the important thing to remember is that static load and "shock" load are two different things. If the weight starts bouncing while driving down the road that's a whole new game.
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Laughing Gas
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 973
Likes: 452
From: Adirondacks
Good point, 700 pounds would be max machine weight, not including me (185lbs).
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Cross-Country
Joined: Nov 2010
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Rather Be Rid'n!
Joined: Nov 2023
Posts: 448
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From: SE Massachusetts
Now back to your regularly scheduled programing, how to help the OP!
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Feb 2021
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From: East TN
FWIW I have loaded my Honda Rubicon 500 ATV into my previous 2015 F-150 and my current F-350. It weighs a tad over 600 lbs. I put the ramps on the tailgate and drive up and down all week while hunting across multiple properties. The F-150 was a Super Crew with the 5.5' bed so the back wheels of the ATV rode on the tailgate for thousands of miles, on road and off road. I've never had an issue. My buddy has a 2018 F-250 and a Kawasaki Brute Force 750 ATV and he does the same thing and also has not had an issue.
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