Laying an ebike flat

[easyrider007]

We recently purchased two lectric xp's and they are fun. Hauling them to places to ride has a few challenges. I have a locking bed cover on a Honda Ridgeline and was wondering if laying the xp's on the side under the bed cover is a problem for the ebikes. I would use padding.

Thanks

 

[Gionnirocket]

All the electrons in the battery will settle to one side so the bike may run a little slow until they settle into their proper place again.

 

[fooferdoggie]

you have to flip it on the other side for a equal amount of time to make sure it is balanced.

 

[ruffruff]

Ha you guys are funny!

Drive train up --always!

 

[Cowlitz]

I brought my bike home on its side. The bike dealer loaded it that way. It was in my pickup that way overnight and all the next day. Got almost 1400 miles on the bike with no problems. I did cobble together a pvc bike rack for the pickup bed so it rides upright now.

 

[rich c]

The spokes don’t like a lot of side loading. Be careful if one is partially on top of the other

 

[easyrider007]

What I notice is the handle bar wants to tuck under the bike with the drive train up. So basically it shouldn't be a problem if I pad the bikes well and keep the drive train up. On the sides I can fit both under the locking bed cover and they don't touch. I can pad the wheels so they don't touch. The reason I asked is we are planning on a 18 hour drive with the bikes.

Thanks

 

[Coolbob]

Hey @easyrider007! Good to see a fellow Ridgeline owner here, I'm on my second Ridgeline (2012 RTL bought new and traded in for a 2018 RTL-E). I have a BakFlip MX4 tonneau cover and I picked up my Momentum Transend E+ bike at the dealer in my truck and drove it an hour home with no problems.

Had to remove the front wheel and then laid the bike flat on a moving blanket, another moving blanket on top of the bike and I put a pair of super long bungee cords diagonally across the bike. Laid the front wheel on top, closed the cover and locked the tailgate so my wife and I could do some additional shopping and have lunch worry free before heading home.

Still considering options for transporting two bikes in the Ridgeline bed once my wife gets her eBike.

 

[arcom]

Still considering options for transporting two bikes in the Ridgeline bed once my wife gets her eBike.

Please post your results if you find a good solution for the Ridgeline. I,too, have one and I’m wondering how best to set up two ebikes

 

[Coolbob]

Don't mean to hijack the thread, but I've seen lots of store bought and DIY bike racks installed in Ridgelines in the Ridgeline Owner's Club (ROC).

I'm leaning toward the DIY route of installing an aluminum bar between the two tie downs at the front of the bed and mounting two fork mounts on the bar.

Here's just a few of the bike mount threads on the ROC.

Bike Rack on Tonneau Cover (Extang Solid Fold) DIY Solution

www.ridgelineownersclub.com

Bike Rack

Adding photos here of a bike rack I made for my 2019 RTL-T. It holds 2 bikes, across the bed in front of the trunk. The trunk still opens, and you can get a bunch of stuff in the back. I made these with about $40 of parts and an hour of time. Worked great this weekend for a 700 mile campout trip.

www.ridgelineownersclub.com

Bike Rack with Soft Tonneau Solution

www.ridgelineownersclub.com

Bike Rack Mod on a Retrax Bed Cover

www.ridgelineownersclub.com

Bike Rack Feedback

www.ridgelineownersclub.com

Bike & Cargo Carrier

I just thought I would post pictures of my homemade bike/cargo carrier. I have a long trip planned soon where I will be loaded up. I will be hauling a bike and a dorm room full of stuff so I needed extra cargo space. I considered all the options from hitch mounted bike hangers, bed mount, etc...

www.ridgelineownersclub.com

Thule Bed Rack with BedRud & Truxedo Tonneau: Pics!

www.ridgelineownersclub.com

 

[Dallant]

I’ve hauled my Allant+7 laying flat in the bed of my pickup on top of an old, but clean futon mattress. It works well but is a bit hard to move around easily. The pickup bed is protected by a topper so I can haul the bike in bad weather. No problems at all.

 

[ruffruff]

If you want me two cents....ok even if you don't lol..

I have a full size tundra....I still opted for the hitch rack. I don't want to give up my bed space to haul other gear on trips!

But I do throw my fat tire in the bed in the winter to protect it from road salt. I literally throw the hitch rack in the bed and put the bike on it.
Works amazingly well.

 

[FlatSix911]

If you want me two cents....ok even if you don't lol..

I have a full size tundra....I still opted for the hitch rack. I don't want to give up my bed space to haul other gear on trips!

But I do throw my fat tire in the bed in the winter to protect it from road salt. I literally throw the hitch rack in the bed and put the bike on it.
Works amazingly well.
View attachment 62949View attachment 62950

Well done!

 

[Dallant]

If you want me two cents....ok even if you don't lol..

I have a full size tundra....I still opted for the hitch rack. I don't want to give up my bed space to haul other gear on trips!

But I do throw my fat tire in the bed in the winter to protect it from road salt. I literally throw the hitch rack in the bed and put the bike on it.
Works amazingly well.

I’ve never needed all that other bed space. I do use a hitch rack most of the time.

 

[ruffruff]

I’ve never needed all that other bed space. I do use a hitch rack most of the time.

Clear sign you need more toys!

 

[Cowlitz]

Do we lay or lie ebikes down?

 

[phoenixtoohot]

I've carried 2 regular bikes upright in the bed for years, but am now setting out on a multi day trip with one e-bike. I will lay my bike down in the bed so that I can close the tonneau cover to hide the contents. Not sure I could lay two e-bikes down this way.

 

[J.R.]

I've been using two Thule Insta-gator racks for about 3 or 4 years. Really works well. I've travelled hundreds of miles at highway speeds with two ebikes.

My version doesn't work for fat bike tires, but the new Pro version Thule now offers does.

Thule Insta-Gater Pro | Thule | United States

-

www.thule.com

The bikes don't get as much road grime and water off the truck tires and it leaves the hitch free for other duties.

 

[bikeman242]

I don't think there is any need for any fancy rack if you have a flatbed truck. Just leave the wheels on, stand the bike upright in the bed, and use two or four ratchet straps to strap it to your tie-down posts. This is the cheapest option

If you are transporting multiple bikes in a ridgeline, you will likely need to drive with the tailgate dropped. Alternatively, a tailgate pad is the second cheapest option for multiple bike transport.

Regardless, you are lucky if you can fit your bike under your tonneau with just the front wheel removed. On most short beds, with many ebikes, you would need to drop both wheels to get it to fit.

I have found that locking fork skewers, like the rocky mounts, are a bit of a hassle with the weight of an eBike. Also, they generally are not rated to take the weight of a full sized eBike.

 

[bikeman242]

Not to hijack this gentleman's thread, but...

While I am thinking about it, I would need to take off both of my wheels to lay my bike flat under the tonneau.

The handlebars would also be rotated horizontally, so really the left pedal and the fork would be the only thing contacting the bed.

How safe do you guys think that would be? I would strap it down to prevent movement, but I would think there would still be the possibility of the bike pivoting on the pedals and possible damaging the brake rotors, or other components