ST bed extender long enough for motorcycles?

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David Crockett

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Ft. Rucker, AL
The movers boxxed-up all of my household goods today for the big move back to the states. My Ducati went with everything else. I haven't actually seen my new ST, since i ordered it from over here and is being delivered in the US, and have only seen one or two on my base in passing. I was wondering if anyone has successfully gotten a motorcycle in the back of their ST using the bed-extender?



I own a '01 Ducati Monster S4 Senna. It isn't a terribly large bike...about 6 or 6.5 feet long (maybe 7). I think with the right bike ramp, the ST would be great for hauling a bike, since it has the tie down points on the bed already. I'll have to take my bike to Atlanta (nearest Ducati dealership) to get the American spec speedometer installed. Hoping to avoid using a trailer.



DD
 
Just a guess here, but I looked up your bike online (nice!)... it has a wheelbase of about 57". Add in the radius of the front and back wheels and I think you're gonna come up just shy of the mark. You can probably get away with putting it in the back without the bed extender (just using tiedowns)... but again, just a guess.
 
Davey - just leave the extender off and allow the radius of the tire to hang out the back. The contact patch should be firmly on the tailgate. Tie it down well, as if you wouldn't ALWAYS tie a Duck down well.





BTW, when ou bring i to ATL let me know and I will let you ride my Katana if I can ride your Monster HAHAHAHAHAHA



My next bike will hopefully be a Monster Dark.
 
Bahb,



I thought about that....I think with some good ratchet-straps, I could pull it off, like you said. Again, I just haven't actually seen an ST bed first hand, so it's hard for me to visualize.



Thanks for the compliment on the bike, too. Once I finish my school in Alabama and get settled, I hope to post some pics of the ST and bike together....a Dark Stone Metallic ST with a matching Monster S4....should look good together. I want to put some of the red flame pin-stripes from Web Extremes on the ST to complment the red trim and wheels on my Monster. It IS a nice bike...WAY too fast for me and loud as hell! If you've never heard a Ducati, nothings sounds like one.



DD
 
Dale,



I think I'll pass on the bike riding....first treet bike i ever rode was a Katana 500....laid it down in a turn with some loose sand/gravel in the turn. Too many bad memories from it. Plus, I love my Monster too much to share....sorry.:p



You should be aware that Ducks (in general) are very maintenance intensive and VERY expensive to maintain. I'm dreading doing work on mine in the US. I currently live about 1 hour from the Ducati factory in Bologna and parts and labor are still pretty high, even around here. Fortunately, the Monster family is the most reliable of the entire Ducati line and the easiest to work on. I haven't driven mine as much as I'd like because I've been off fighting wars, but it hasn't given me any problems yet when i have driven it and I baby the hell out of it when it is in the garage. Just look into the price of annual maintenance (which Ducati recommends TWICE a year) and distance to travel for a good mechanic before you buy. Also, ANYTHING with Ducati printed, stamped or engraved in it will cost a fortune....I bought a set of anodized aluminum frame plugs for mine and it set me back about EU70 (almost $85).:wacko:



Despite the price for maintenance and their peculiarities, they ARE excellent bikes and really stand out from the Harley and Jap-bike crowd. There is no mistaking the tale-tale clakety-clakety-clak of a ducati clutch at a stop-light.



DD
 
DD, I put my dirtbike in the back all the time. I recommend putting the front tire to one side so you don't push the middle of the bed out of place. If you place the front tire in the middle and tie down the bike, it will push out the middle of the bed. Not sure if the bed will come back to place but I do it just to be sure.

I place the front tire on the passenger side and then swing the tire to the drivers side to make sure it stays on the tailgate.



Hope this helps.



Marc
 
I used to put my 04 GSXR in the bed of mine, I would use ratchet tie downs, and wedge it diagonally.. At first it was kinda scary cause you think its gonna fall right out, but its all good as long as its ratcheted down good..



Hope that helps..
 
I would strongly suggest cutting a piece of min. 1/2 plywood to fit in the bed. This will help distribute the weight across the tailgate, which is weak to begin with.



Large bikes in an F150 will bend the tailgate badly when they start bouncing, and the ST tailgate even has a plastic liner instead of metal.
 
Thanks for the ideas all.....Chops, I never thought of using plywood...I'll keep that in mind when the time comes to transport.



RaserX....where are you located in the US? Have you had any problems geting your bike serviced? If you are located anywhere near Alabama, maybe we can get together for a ride...I'm dyingto take my Monster on the Blue-Ridge Parkway from Georgia, up through NC.





DD
 
Deadly Davey - Italian motorized vehicles expensive to maintain? You're kiddinmg me!! HAHAHA



Reminds me of a joke - "You know why divorces are so expensive? Becase they are worth it!"



The Ducati shop is about 2 miles from my loft.
 
Yeah If I'm not mistaken the tailgate has a 500 lb load rating. Now I'v pushed that a few times. 280 pound rider, 400 pound quad rode into the bed. It worked, never heard any cracking or anything, though I think it would be 1 loud snap followed by a stong of choice words if it did happen. My Dad loaded his Magna into the bed, his VTX went on a trailer, I think he didn't want to dump his 'Mystic Chrome' VTX.
 

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