Will A Dirt Bike Fit in A Short Bed Truck?

If you haven’t transported your dirt bike before, it can seem daunting at first. Which is completely understandable. But rest assured, it’s a fairly simple process once you’ve done it a few times and that’s why we’ve dedicated this article to help you transport your bike in the safest method possible. 

Most dirt bikes should fit on your short bed truck, but it depends on what size bike and trunk you have on your short bed. Short bed trunk sizes vary from brands and models. However, if we take the average length of all short bed trunks in the industry the measurement is 70”. Whereas on average a dirt bike can range from 56” to 85.7” long, depending on if it’s a child or adult dirt bike.

Obviously, this is an average which is over a huge industry so the measurements can range a lot. For reliable results, I recommend measuring the chosen short bed trunk and your dirt bike before thinking about transporting it. Doing this will ensure a stress-free transporting process and even save you time in the long run when it comes down to it. 

How to Transport a Dirt Bike

There are many ways in which you can transport your dirt bike, including using a trailer, truck or van. All transport techniques use similar methods and will become easier over time, once you start getting the hang of it. 

I’d break down transporting a dirt bike into four different steps. Preparation, loading, securing, and the actual transporting of the bike.  

Preparation –First things first, make sure your transporting vehicle is clear and ready for the loading of the dirt bike. If you’re using a trailer, truck or van, make sure there enough space for the bike or bikes that you’ll be transporting. You may be using our Lock-N-Load Pro transporting system (more information below). If you are, I strongly recommend securing these in their appropriate position before loading the bikes. 

Loading –Loading is an important aspect of transporting your bike and should be treated with great planning and thought. Using a ramp is necessary for larger adult bikes. But with help from others, you may be able to lift children-sized dirt bikes onto your vehicle. 

However, if you’re using a ramp you should following these instructions. Make sure your ramp is rated for the weight of your bike to ensure it won’t break during the loading process. Park your transporting device on flat ground before setting the ramp up. Once parked, lay the ramp on the edge of the van, trailer (if the ramp isn’t included), or truck. Confidence is key here, apply enough speed to be able to go up the ramp, remembering you need to stop once you’re in your chosen location for securing down. 

Securing –When securing a dirt bike, you want security and a clear mind knowing that your bike is going to be safe. We recommend you use our Lock-N-Load Pro transporting system that has been rigorously tried and tested to provide optimal convenience and reassurance when transporting your dirt bike. If you’re using our system, you’ll simply just need to adjust the arms into place allowing the padded jaws to secure down the footpegs of your dirt bike. Afterward, switch down the quick-release system to ensure that it’s locked into place.  

Transport –When you’re physically transporting the bike, you want to drive with care. I recommend going slightly slower than the legal speed limit for the transport vehicle of your choice. You should also take corners or roundabouts with caution, knowing that these types of transport movement are the most dangerous when it comes to moving your bike. However, if you’ve correctly secured your dirt bike it shouldn’t be dangerous at all. But nevertheless, something you should definitely keep in mind when transporting.

Equipment for Transporting a Dirt Bike

Transporting a bike can seem troublesome, either through long or short hauling. However, it doesn’t have to be if you have the right equipment and truck or van size. Here at Risk Racing, we’ve designed an innovative product that is specially intended to make transporting your dirt bike much easier. 

This product is the Lock-N-Load Pro, it’s a lightweight, well-constructed transporting system that securely holds down your dirt bike in your trailer (also trucks, vans, and other means of flat-bed transporting) without using any other equipment such as straps, anchors, or wheel chocks. 

We were tired of the long and problematic process of other transporting methods and created something that can fix and hold your dirt bike into place in a matter of seconds. As suggested by the name Lock-N-Load, it can quickly adjust to tighten down most dirt bikes and can easily be removed from a truck, trailer, or van by just removing a few screws. 

It’s fitted with rubberized jaws to allow for maximum security and protection. These jaws, hook over your footpegs to secure the dirt bike in place. The device also comes equipped with a quick-release system. This allows for fast jaw-arm adjustments depending on the size of your bike. You’re able to use this system to promptly adjust the arms to your chosen footpeg height. 

Depending on the size of your bike, we have made two designs. Lock-N-Load Pro and Lock-N-Load Mini Pro. The Lock-N-Load Pro is made to fit 85cc endure bikes that are approximately 12.5”-18” (317-457mm) tall and 12”-21” (304-533mm) wide. Whereas the Lock-N-Load Mini Pro is more for 50cc jr to 110cc MX bikes and is made for bikes in the region of 8.5”-12” (216-305mm) tall and 12”-21” (304-533mm) wide. But of course, these will fit bikes that have a similar geometry. 

Conclusion 

As you can see, transporting your bike isn’t that difficult and is only troublesome when you make it that way. The biggest takeaways from this article should be preparation, equipment, and physical transport. 

Preparing your transport vehicle is essential to have both, enough room for your dirt bike and to have our Lock-N-Load system installed. Ensuring both of these are completed will make your loading and securing process much easier and something that you don’t look up to. 

You may or may not have tried a different method of transporting previously to reading this article. If you’ve used such systems as using straps or wheel locks, etc. I can guarantee that you’d be much better of with our innovative transporting system. It sounds cliché and also a bit braggy, but there isn’t a securing system like this and it’s provided dirt bike riders of all capabilities with extreme ease of transporting. If you haven’t already, I recommend you take a further look into the Lock-N-Load Pro systems. Both sizes and specs can be found on this page.

We hope after reading this article, you have a better understanding of how your dirt bike will fit on your short bed. As well as how to correctly transport it in a correct and risk-averse way.