Will it fit???

[DanRod]

I want to know if any of you have a pick up truck, and if you have tried to mount your Kat in the truck bed?

I need a vehicle and I was thinking on buying a pick up truck, don't know yet.

So does it fit?

[Mr.Reyn]

i think you should just make sure you can get the bike off the back of the truck if you do get it in.

[JACKAL]

it'll fit in pretty much all full-size trucks. Sweet Lou has had his in the back of an older S10 on an angle. Won't come close in my Ford Sport Trac unless I make some sort of extender bar and let it hang over the edge of the tailgate

[Spedee]

Fits in a Dodge Dakota with the club cab small box.

[Court93kat]

My pre-98 (shorter) fits in a full size Chevy short bed WITH THE TAILGATE UP!!

[nitros222]

When i went the the rally last year. I had a 05 f150 with a short box and it fit in diaganoly with the tailgate closed and lots of other stuff.

[The CyberPoet]

Before you commit to buying a pick-up truck, you might want to ask yourself one alternative question:

Would you be better served by a car in general, and then use a trailer for the bike instead? You can get a fold-up trailer that will haul two Kats for something like $300 through HarborFreight...

Not to discourage you from a pick-up truck, but if your only reason for picking one is to haul the bike, and you'll pay a penalty in fuel mileage (and possibly total cost of ownership) just to be able to haul the bike on rare occassion, you may want to reconsider.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[DanRod]

I will try the car thing then buy a trailer, now that I think about it I will use that thing once or twice a month.

and thanks for the info and help.

[allblackkat]

my problem relates to this, we want/need a newer vehicle but don't really want all that cost of ownership of a truck.. We currently have a Honda Prelude and a Chevy Cavalier, neither of which I would want to tow anything like two motorcyles with. (Unless its easier than I think)

But found a Used Toyota Tundra Double cab w/less than 60k miles for $14k.
Should we trade the Prelude? (It's a 97 and in notsogreat condition, could maybe get 4K for it on a trade)

[The CyberPoet]

If the load is balanced right, even a fairly small car can tow a lightweight 1 to 2-bike trailer at reasonable speeds on flat ground (obviously needing extra time to accelerate and brake); no clue about seriously hilly terrain and extra requirements needed for that...

I know that Malloc towed his Kat 750 on one of those fold-up HaborFreight trailers from Tampa, FL to Houston and back at typical speeds of about 85 mph or so, last year with his old VW scirocco (stick-shift, not auto tranny). The total tongue weight (pushing down at the trailer hitch) was about 35 lbs the way we had it balanced. The total tow weight of the trailer with a single Kat was about 800 lbs -- less than three hefty adults and their luggage added into the car would be. I would guess that a place that installs trailer hitches professionally, or a thorough web-search would give you a definitive answer on whether it could be done with either of your existing cars, although the answer may vary with how much stuff you have in the car at the time (number/weight of passengers, cargo).

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[DreKat]

my 98+ 750 fits in a 2003 Mazda B4000 with the tail gate down.

[knight_rider]

a 98+ will also fit in a Full size Chev short bed with the gate up...........

[Mojoe]

even if I did own a pick-up, I would still have a trailer. loading a bike in a truck is a royal pita. unless you have a ditch or something you can back into to lower the rear of the truck, it can be tricky, even dangerous, trying to load with a ramp.
Unloading is worse. You either have to carry some ramps with you, or are certain you will be unloading somewhere where there is a ditch or something.

I pull my bike with a 5cyl volvo with an auto tranny. It is not the fastest or most powerful, but it does the trick....for now.

[gsxrluver]

my 01 750 fit great in my 99 dodge 4x4 x-tra cab

[md86]

even if I did own a pick-up, I would still have a trailer. loading a bike in a truck is a royal pita. unless you have a ditch or something you can back into to lower the rear of the truck, it can be tricky, even dangerous, trying to load with a ramp.
Unloading is worse. You either have to carry some ramps with you, or are certain you will be unloading somewhere where there is a ditch or something.

Oh HELL ya . We were unloading my bike a few weeks back (flat tire ) from the back of the truck , and the ramp slipped . Back wheel fell almost from the gate to the ground , but somehow it stayed upright and there was no damage . Yeah , trailer woulda been better .