"Nice Rack!" Motorcycle Tie Down System

       Upon conclusion of my "Motoloader" tailgate project, (see November 2013 blog), I immediately began thinking of additional ways to make transporting our motorcycles even easier and more secure. If you have ever transported a motorcycle in the back of a pickup, you know a big problem is that the front tire wants to constantly turn to one side or the other. This in turn reduces tension on the tie-down straps and that could lead to your motorcycle falling over in or out of your truck! Another problem when trying to tie down two bikes is not having a secure, convenient anchor point in the middle of the bed to attach the tie-downs to. This forces you to fish the straps over or through the front wheel of the opposite bike to get the strap attached to the loop on the side of the bed.

      There are several commercial solutions out there on the market but of course, none are exactly what I wanted in either form or function. So....... naturally my only option was to build one myself, the way I wanted it. I did get some ideas from the commercially available options and incorporated some of them into my design.

      Without further ado, I present my latest creation, the "Nice Rack!" Motorcycle Tie Down System. This, combined with my Motoloader tailgate, will complete my  "Totally Integrated Transport System" (hereon referred to as "T.I.T.S.") for hauling motorcycles. Unless, that is, I can figure out how to get them to load and unload themselves!

      The Criteria:

1. It must bolt to the inner sides of the bed, not on top of the side rails.
2. Minimal drilling required for installation.
3. Easy installation and removal.
4. Must have a chock to prevent wheel from turning side to side.
5. Chock must be adjustable for different tire widths.
6. Center tie down attachment point.

      I had materials left over from my Motoloader project so it was just a matter of cutting, bending, grinding, and welding it all together!

Let's get started!!

Note; If you click on a picture, it will open them up in a gallery view where you can see the larger versions.
     

Here are the pieces I fabricated. The small  plates are threaded and will go inside of the front stake pocket in the bed of the truck.

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Welded and painted

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I included some nice, sturdy tie down attachment loops on the side plates.

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Installed in truck. Note convenient tie-down loop in the center of the rack.

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Flush with the top sides of the bed.

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Bolts to the truck with 4 3/8" x 1" grade 8 bolts. I used 2 existing holes so I only had to drill two holes in the bed.

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Chock to hold the front wheel (still need to build 1 or 2 more). Once the bike is loaded, the long carriage bolt is passed through the front wheel and the knob tightened to clamp down on the tire.

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The pictures below are with the bike loaded and tied down. The "Nice Rack" holds the front tire so securely you don't even need to hold the bike up while attaching the tie-downs. Additionally, you only have to put a little tension on the tie-downs to stabilize the bike and that is easier on the fork seals and springs!

Loading our bikes and tying them down is so much easier now. I have to say (and I'm sure none of the guys will argue) everything is better with T.I.T.S.!