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  1. #1
    Seasoned Camper
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    My bike skidded right down the ramp!

    2K mile trip and I got my bike out once at the campground. It was dead (forgot to put in transport mode!!) so I rolled it out not running. In N and using the front brake to inch it down the ramp. No issue there. When we got home I pulled it out of the garage, running. I had it in N, on the front brakes just as before and started to back it out of the garage. Once it hit the dovetail, the front wheel started skidding. I figured once it hit the ramp it would catch. NOPE. It skidded right down the ramp too. Once at the bottom of the ramp it was going too fast. Since I am not a stunt rider, I lost control and dropped it because I wasn't about to catch a falling 1000 lb bike.

    Luckily it fell on the highway peg and looks like the bottom of the rear exhaust tip was on the pavement. I can't see any damage once upright. The ramp has a small divit from the highway peg though .

    The only thing I can assume is the ramp was a little slick from moisture buildup? It was 70 in the garage and had a 3.5 hour trip home, where it was 40 outside. My second mistake was not leaving in gear. I could had let off the clutch and hopefully locked the rear tire up to prevent the skid getting out of control. My main concern is why it even skidded in the first place. I was on the street so no real weird angle. Bike is an ultra limited, so about the heaviest cruiser you can get. Any thoughts on this? Did having it running cause too much vibration? Luckily no one but the wife was around. Only my pride was hurt and I don't want this to happen again.

  2. #2
    Site Team xrated's Avatar
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    Here's the method I've been using for years and years, both with Toy Haulers and when I had just an enclosed trailer. ALWAYS leave the bike in gear. NEVER use the front brake. As you are starting to roll it out of the trailer...with the engine OFF, feather the rear brake to control your speed. There is a lot more weight on the rear tire than the front and a lot less likely to break traction and slide down the ramp. This obviously requires you to have your right foot off of the ground and on the brake pedal. If for some reason you start to lose your balance and have to put your right foot down to catch your balance, since the bike is in gear, you can let the clutch lever out and stop the bike from moving while you regroup. I've used this method probably 500 times or more and never had one get away from me ever.
    2016 F350 CrewCab Dually
    2018 Momentum 394M...Heavily Modded!
    2023 Suzuki GSX-S1000 GT+
    Excessive Payload is a Wonderful Thing

    "If it ain't fast....It ain't Fun"

  3. #3
    Site Sponsor orbiker's Avatar
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    When we had the 380TH Momentum, I would go down the ramp with the Victory XCT in 1st gear and engine OFF. I would feather both the front brake and the clutch. The clutch would lock up the rear tire just like a rear brake pedal would, but both feet can be on the ground. When you get the rear tire about 1ft from the bottom of the ramp, I would coast the bike down to the ground.
    Smooth and steady wins the race. KEN

    Loading up the big bike, I would go up the ramp quickly from a running start. 3 or 4 mph when I hit the bottom of the ramp.
    Backpacker and tent camper all my life, including BSA as a kid and adult.
    Motorcycle trips across the USA with a tent - 1978 to Present.
    02-10-2005 - 2002 F350 SWD PSD and 2003 Citation 10'8S mostly for Crater Lake Ski Patrol.
    10-29-2015 - 2016 Grand Design 380TH. It's HUGE compared to a camper.
    10-19-2018 - traded truck for a 2016 Ram 3500 DRW Laramie CC 4 X 4 Long Box.
    03-16-2019 - Traded Momentum for a New 2018 374TH-R Solitude
    FULL TIME RV'er Nov 2021

  4. #4
    Long Hauler D2Reid's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by RoyBell View Post
    Any thoughts on this?
    A lesson learned. I got lucky, the motorcycle I learned the issue with was a Yamaha XT250 Dual Sport motorcycle. I was able to ride it backwards without falling. Next fun lesson was on a little steeper angle, the dip at the bottom exceeded my leg length. Again with the trick riding. The funnest one was in Mississippi. The campground was on a hill, so the site was terraced, the door opened and just happened to reach the top of a concrete picnic table. So I backed the XT onto the picnic table and then rode it off on the seat to the ground. I have been riding off road since I was 15.

    This video is me unloading the XT from our old 5th wheel, I am much happier with the 376 toy hauler. You tube, Dallas unloading XT.

    Now the engine off in gear plan worked really well until my wifes Honda Trail CT110. It doesn't have a clutch handle, the clutch is built into the gear shift lever, so it has to be in neutral to roll backwards. Fortunately it is very light and I just used the front and rear brakes.

    But now that I am a Harley-Davidson driver with a heavy bike I have to be more careful. Sometimes I unload it before we set up camp. I always use the engine off, in gear method. I use the clutch to control the speed and I use the front brake sparingly. I did have a little slippage loading the Harley in the rain, that was scary.
    Dallas
    2017 Momentum 376TH, 2019 Ford F450, Dual Rear Wheel, 4x4, diesel.
    2015 Harley-Davidson Street, XG750

  5. #5
    Setting Up Camp
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    Another little trick is to lift the front of the trailer to reduce the angle of the garage door to make it less steep.

  6. #6
    Site Sponsor orbiker's Avatar
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    I was loading my Victory XCT (950lb. Street bike like a full dresser HD) into the 380TH Momentum for the 4 or 5th time. I had been riding up the ramp pretty quickly. This time I tried going a bit slower. It was too slow. I got almost to the top of the ramp with the front tire and the bike stopped. I wasn't prepared for it not to go into the garage. The bike immediately went backwards all the way back to the starting point on the pavement, staying upright. My wife was watching. She thought I meant to do that. I still think it was just a bad dream.

    Since then; I go in like I mean it; it about 3 to 5 mph at the bottom of the ramp.
    The 374TH ramp is so much easier. KEN
    Backpacker and tent camper all my life, including BSA as a kid and adult.
    Motorcycle trips across the USA with a tent - 1978 to Present.
    02-10-2005 - 2002 F350 SWD PSD and 2003 Citation 10'8S mostly for Crater Lake Ski Patrol.
    10-29-2015 - 2016 Grand Design 380TH. It's HUGE compared to a camper.
    10-19-2018 - traded truck for a 2016 Ram 3500 DRW Laramie CC 4 X 4 Long Box.
    03-16-2019 - Traded Momentum for a New 2018 374TH-R Solitude
    FULL TIME RV'er Nov 2021

  7. #7
    Big Traveler arhayes's Avatar
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    Have a Goldwing, but I unload with engine off and in first. Use the clutch to ease myself down the ramp. We’ve now towed 50,000 miles over 5 years and it works great. Initially tried in neutral with brakes and quickly decided that dog won’t hunt! As always, YMMV.


    Alan
    Alan and Kathleen
    2015 Momentum 380TH (RVD2)
    2014 Ford F350 Dually (Stormtrooper)
    2012 Honda Goldwing Navi/ABS (Land Speeder)

  8. #8
    Setting Up Camp
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    Quote Originally Posted by arhayes View Post
    Have a Goldwing, but I unload with engine off and in first. Use the clutch to ease myself down the ramp. We’ve now towed 50,000 miles over 5 years and it works great. Initially tried in neutral with brakes and quickly decided that dog won’t hunt! As always, YMMV.


    Alan
    If all else fails ,Alan can always call on TNTim to load it!

  9. #9
    Big Traveler arhayes's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Venturer View Post
    If all else fails ,Alan can always call on TNTim to load it!
    Ha ha.... I do believe I’ve been found out by an oldfriend from GA. Good to see you here!


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Alan and Kathleen
    2015 Momentum 380TH (RVD2)
    2014 Ford F350 Dually (Stormtrooper)
    2012 Honda Goldwing Navi/ABS (Land Speeder)

  10. #10
    Seasoned Camper chunker's Avatar
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    When I had my Raptor toy hauler I painted the ramp with a truck bed coating with a rougher texture. The stock door/ramp coating could get scary slick if damp. With the coating friction was controllable.
    2020 Ram Laramie 3500 DRW
    Solitude 320X sold
    2020 Raptor 356
    2012 Primetime Crusader 355BHQ (GF's)

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