ordered a motorcycle carrier that slides into the truck's 2" receiver hitch..
rated at 500 pounds, length of track/platform supporting bike is 75.5 inches. There is a short ramp that temporarily attaches at either end for loading.

anybody try one of these? The photo shows a dirt bike but the rated capacity is higher than our s40 weighs. I was worried the length of the s40 would cause a problem but tape measure shows it should fit.

it's a Wal-Mart online purchase and they said I can return it to my local store if there is a problem... $125 shipped

Lot's of places have them...


notice how much the rail is tipping?  single point mounting is not too sturdy.
if you can add brackets from the bumper to the rail it would be better.
at least tie off to the bumper at each end.  you don't want it rocking back and forth.
another issue, the savage has relatively low clearance compared to a dirt bike and it'll bottom out at the top of the ramp.

get yourself an electric winch with a remote and pull it up the ramp.

Looks like the guy with the KLR is using engine power to walk the bike up...(notice hand on clutch)...

I must be late to the party here, but why spend the money on a 2" receiver carrier when you could buy ramps and just put it in the truck bed? Just make sure you buy long enough ramps!

Why buy long ramps, you may ask? Allow me to paint an amusing picture for you:
I bought 6 foot ramps at Harbor Freight on sale for something like $50 to get the bike into the back of a 2013 Silverado 1500. (My savage was not running at the time and I was by myself.) I was able to muscle the front wheel up onto the tailgate, but then the frame bottomed out and the bike wouldn't budge. I was already reaching as high as I could to steady the bike, so I couldn't lift the extra 1" or so.

I had 4 ratchet straps on hand, so I attached them to tie off points within the bed. Two went to the handlebars and two went to the lower frame near the footpegs. It took about 15 minutes of ratcheting, but by golly I finally got that front tire back up on the tailgate. Then I was able to jump into the bed and lift the bike the rest of the way in from the top.

Long ramps are your friend!

curmudgeon wrote on 04/24/14 at 10:45:36:


Got a shell over the truck bed, will be loaded, no room for the bike

may take the exhaust system & fuel tank off to save weight, both are easily removed..
heck if I pull the spark plug the starter won't work so hard

I bought the large VersaHaul off Craigslist about a year ago cheap and haven't used it yet.  I'm hoping to use it to haul the Savage to the beach or mountains when the family goes with me.  Ain't happened yet, tho.

I'm looking forward to hearing about your experiences, shorty.  Perhaps a few photos, or even better, a YouTube style video of the process would be great.

shorty wrote on 04/25/14 at 03:51:43:


Absolutely!  Why do you think I spend time looking at YouTube?

When you get your bike up on that rack you won't be able to open your tailgate, or maybe even the lid to the cap.

I use a trailer.  Little ones can be bought cheap, and trailers in Kentucky don't require license plates or registration.....and I store this trailer by just tipping it up againt the back wall of the garage.  I do license the trailer that I use to haul out of Kentucky......as other states don't always recognize our right to use a trailer without a plate.