Motorcycle carriers vs. in bed

For me, with a cap on the truck and a lighter dirt bike or dual sport, the hitch carrier is the way to go. I've been using the same carrier from Rage Powersports since 2004 without any issues. I have however upgraded with their newer designed anti-tilt device about 5 years ago after I saw the one my youngest son got with his new carrier. I also added brake lights with turn signals so there wouldn't be any problems seeing the ones on my truck. And because I'm now going on 68, I bought the longer ramp, which makes it so much easier to load either my dirt or smaller dual sport bike. Now with my KLR650 (aka the pig) it goes on my utility trailer. For piece of mind with that set up I added a backup camera inside the cap. It's on a switch so I can turn it on anytime I want to check how the bikes are riding.
Also, I stay away from cam lock straps and stick with ratchet straps.

Here's a few pictures showing what I'm talking about.

My KLX with 331cc big bore

My KDX220

Brake and turn signals right after install

Different ramp sizes

KLR on utility trailer

Rear view from cam

 

Can't believe this is even being discussed on a truck forum. All that space you have.

 

i built a carrier for my buddy a few years ago. he had a few out of the ordinary things going on that required it to be custom. wasn't hard to build though. probably about 8 hours of work.

he had a full sized spare on a swingout, so the carrier needed to extend a bit further than the off the shelf ones so the bike could clear the tire.

it's dual loading, so you can use a ramp like normal. ramp bolts to the carrier for transporting. but he also wanted it to be doable with minimal effort, so it has a detachable gantry with a 1500 lb winch. we spliced up some synthetic wing line into a custom length 4 legged sling, and now with the press of a button, the bike is lifted right up. into place.

lastly, because of the extended hitch, and the fact that hitch play sucks, we added a second hitch point that the rack plugs right into. zero slop and rocking while you drive, and a lot of extra support.

 

I like using a bike carrier so far with my setup. Rooftop tent on a bed rack, with a tonneau cover and other gear in the bed. Super easy to get the bike on and off, and a lot easier to take the carrier on and off than unload all of the other gear from the bed.