After learning how to drive, it’s also important that you learn how to transport a dirt bike because it allows you to bring your motorcycle from your house to the trails/tracks and vice versa.
Whether you’re doing it with a car or any other vehicle, it’s not exactly hard to haul a dirt bike, as long as you follow the proper procedure to keep your ride safe and stable.
We listed the things you need to prepare and the possible ways to transport your motorcycle in this article. If you want to know more, scroll down!
Table of Contents
Ways to Transport a Dirt Bike
The good thing about dirt bike transportation is that you can choose the method that works best for you. The most common way is to transport your dirt bike in a truck.
But how do you load such a huge object without a truck? In this case, you can either use your dirt bike rack or a carrier or a trailer. In addition, you may prefer to install a dirt bike transport system instead.
What to Prepare
Basically, you only need two things for successful dirt bike transportation in a carrier, trailer, or pick-up truck:
- Straps
- Ramp
- Stand to set your feet on
Detailed Steps to Transport a Dirt Bike
Step 1: Loading the dirt bike
Whether you opt to use a carrier, trailer, or pick-up truck in hauling a dirt bike, you need to learn the right technique.
Dirt bike rack
You can purchase a rack or a hitch-mounted dirt bike carrier to secure your vehicle.
First, make sure the dirt bike mount for a car is installed properly by connecting the mount to the car through the receiver tube.
Once everything is in order, load your dirt bike by pushing it onto the rack or by picking and carrying each wheel up to the rack. It’s easy to do because the rack is usually not too high from the ground.
In a pick-up truck
When loading a dirt bike in a truck, place a ramp at the center of the truck bed edge and a stand on the side.
This way, you can walk the bike onto the truck without having to jump onto the towing vehicle.
However, if you have no ramp, you can still do the task. You just need more effort to carry or lift the dirt bike.
On a trailer
You can choose between an open trailer or an enclosed trailer, each with its own pros and cons. In this blog, we’ll discuss how you can load a dirt bike onto an open trailer, as it’s the most common due to being more affordable than its counterpart.
Similar to the truck method, all you have to do is push the bike up a ramp and onto the trailer. Position the front wheel forward to avoid putting too much pressure on the trailer rear or tongue.
Step 2: Tying down the dirt bike
To ensure your dirt bike is secure during transport, it’s important to tie it down to your vehicle.
Dirt bike rack
To tie down a dirt bike on a carrier or rack, secure your outside strap to the carrier and loop it over the bike’s handlebar. Do the same for the other strap to keep the bike in place.
For more security, you can loop another strap around your rear wheel to keep it from moving during transport. Do the same to the front wheel for peace of mind.
Another alternative is to get turnbuckles to secure your dirt bike mount for a car. You can watch this video for more guidance!
In a pick-up truck
Once your dirt bike is loaded, make sure to put it in a diagonal position if you’re not using a wheel chock. The reason is that it allows the tailgate to close and reduces pressure on the front forks.
If the position is already in order, you can now work on strapping your dirt bike. With your pre-attached straps on the front and back of the truck bed, loop the back strap around your right handlebar. Then put the other strap from the front over your left handlebar.
On a trailer
Just like the two methods above, you also need straps, four to be exact, to strap down a dirt bike on a trailer.
First, you should have pre-hooked ratchet straps at the front (2 straps) and rear end (2 straps) of your trailer. Loop the front straps on both sides to your handle bars, and the rear straps should be used to tie down each side of the dirt bike’s rear frame.
For more stability, you may also tie down your front wheel using cam straps, especially if you don’t have a wheel chock.
Tip: If you’re loading 3 dirt bikes, ensure there’s enough space between them when you tie them down. To do this, load the third dirt bike in the middle. The first and second dirt bikes should have their front wheel turned inwards for more space and stability.
Step 3: Recheck the straps
To ensure your dirt bike won’t move aggressively in the car rack, trailer, or truck, check the tension of your straps. If your dirt bike wobbles when you try to shake it, you need to tighten the lines.
Use velcro to secure the loose ends of the fastening strips, or make several loops and pull them to shorten the slack.
Step 4: Transporting the dirt bike
After securing your dirt bike on your rack, truck bed, or trailer, it’s time to transport it to the tracks or trails or back to your home. Here are some tips to keep in mind when doing so:
- When transporting your dirt bike with a car rack or carrier, you need to make sure that the vehicles next to you can still see your car lights for safety or legal reasons.
- You need to care for your fork suspensions to avoid blowouts during transport. Adding a fork saver will help greatly in minimizing fork compression during the ride.
- Never put your dirt bike on its side during transport because it may drain or mess up the fluid inside it. It may also cause damage, unlike when your dirt bike is positioned upright, because you have the wheels and the suspension to absorb the compression and shock.
Conclusion
Learning how to transport a dirt bike is essential if you’re a rider because more often than not, you need to bring your ride to the tracks or trails and back to your home.
Whether you prefer to haul your motorcycle in a high-mounted carrier, trailer, or pick-up truck, the discussions above taught you how to strap and transport a dirt bike in your chosen vehicle.
If you need more guidance, just refer back to this article. Keep safe!
