All Things Bikes and Tacos! (...and every vehicle imaginable)

Thanks to both of you for the feedback. I'll dig into finding something similar and trying it locally, never thought of that!

 

Used a standard garage bike rack, mounted to the front of bed. Easy to just roll rear bike tire into rack and close the tail gate. Holds three bikes upright vey solid.

 

Assembled and installed my new North Shore Racks NSR-4 hitch mount vertical 4 place bike rack today : )
Loaded up my Devinci Dixon MTB Bike and must say very happy with it so far.





Check out my build:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/the-slow-build-long-bed-overland-build.474928/

 

No pics, but spent two days on the road in my 3rd gen, rode 6 days in Utah and Nevada (Hurricane, St George, Gooseberry Mesa, Red Rock Canyon), with a little 4wd tossed in, to reach the Mesa. Best combination of bikes and Taco I've experienced yet!

 

BTW we did the above trip with the bikes in the bed, under the canopy and decided not to use the hitch rack we use for more loaded-down camping trips. Yes, it was a hassle to remove front wheels and crawl in the bed to access the fork mounts (the bikes have to go in facing forward, with the fork mounts at the tailgate end, there isn't room to fit in the bars under the slope and hinges of my Z Series shell) but I felt so much better with the bikes out of site of prying eyes, out of the torrential rain we had on the drive back in "sunny" California, and out of the mud and red dust on the access roads to the trail heads. We'll probably still use the hitch rack for local rides and if we carry more than two bikes (two in the bed, two on the rack) but I think I'm sold on keeping a canopy now. However, I'm thinking about switching to an AluCab or a Tradesman or ARE commercial shell to get a bit more room inside and allow the bikes to go in backwards for easy load and unload.

 

noticed a good number of tacoma's and T4Rs at a local race yesterday. I was really off my game didn't feel great slow and crashed hard towards the end of the race. I finished, dead last in class, but I lapped everyone on the couch. DLF>DNF>DNS.

 

it happens I'm 6'3" as well with long legs but I like a 21/Large frame with wide bars I test road a few 23s and they were just too stretched out for my riding style. You'll love the bike I sorely miss my Trek Wahoo, The X-cal number series replaced it, but someone decided they had to have it and took it along with a back pack leaf blower and my wifes commuter bike.

 

Damn that sucks!

Yea, I think I am going to go with a 21 frame instead after a few people said that the 23 seemed big for my height.

Hope to go order the bike either Wed or Thursday.

 

if you can try and demo it on the trails and not just around the parking lot. A lot changes once your actually riding the bike also a stem swap can make a huge difference in how the bike feels

 

Will do!

 

Because I am far too lazy to pedal.

Here's the hitch mount carrier which, while stable scared the crap out of me


So I swapped that out for a ramp, much better


And just because I can

 

"Didn't feel great". Yep, that's a good time to stay off a bike.

 

What was scary about the hitch mounted?

 

The thought that if the bike did fall from one side to the other it'd be laying on the highway. Also looking in the mirror you can see it bouncing around a little bit. As well as it covered up my turn signals and brake lights.

Honestly it was completely safe back there and I wouldn't try to deter anyone from getting one themselves, I just didn't feel comfortable with it.

EDIT: I also forgot to add, the DR650 I am currently riding is quite heavy. So with a tilt loader and tie strapping it down, it gets interesting with 1 person, where as riding the bike up the back on a ramp and setting the kickstand is much easier.

 

I too have a DR650. And it IS heavy ... I wouldn't want it hanging two feet off the back of my 3rd Gen, no matter how sturdy the rack was. On the other hand, I don't think I have the guts to ride it up a ramp into the bed, either, though I've never used a ramp as wide or long as yours.

 

At first I was a bit paranoid about trying to ride it into the back, but after doing it a couple times, it's really no different that some of the hills you ride up.

This is the ramp I use, I have the 8ft because I bought it locally used, but if I was buying new I'd get the 9ft just for comfort.

http://www.discountramps.com/black-widow-motorcycle-ramp/p/BW-40-AMR/

The ramp folds up nicely and I just strap it to the side of the bed when transporting.

 

I have DR650 as well, had it in the bed once with a help of a friend, but not ready to load it myself, maybe with atv ramps...

 

Upgraded this year to a Specialized Fuse Expert "6Fattie".
This color POPS in the sun!

Definitely looking forward to the warmer weather once I get it set up the way I like.

 

Easy with the right ramp.