TOPIC:

wrote:

Might I suggest a 6 cow trailer 

Wa hahahahahaha 
well played 
 

I been mulling this over  and   am struggling over  practical  answer. 
My Buddy who I do bike shows  with and  use a  16 ft  enclosed  trailer  with a v nose , so 14 ft plus the v = 16
We set up wheel chocks  for three bikes  but could have forced it to 4  and here is how.
We used our two full fairing Harleys so these are as wide as  anyone could want.   ( Widest at the  handlebars )
The  center  bike is staggered back  so the  handlebars are at the seat  , rear of gas tanks of the HD  Dressers .
Never had a need for a forth , but pretty sure it would fit   if we were hauling four KAWs by putting a chock in front of the center bike  extending into the nose of the V trailer.
 Then put to in the bed of  a half ton pick up, ( I know you fear ramps  but trying to figure out a  real world option  )
As stated this rig can hold 6 bikes and  financially be more realistic than  buying or renting  a larger truck  and a  Horse / Cow /  trailer.
 New pickups have  usually  enough tie down points  . 
The chocks  can be  fastened  to a wood base   spanning the width of the bed so it cant slide side to side .. And rearward movement is controlled by the  tiedown straps
 I have  hauled two bikes in lease trucks this way  to keep me out of hot water when turned back in .  If you own it  bolt it down and add  more tie downs thru the bed floor with large washers  to keep them secure. 
  A car hauler trailer   could also be a great  alternant .  to get all six on  staggered
Trailer tie downs  we use for  options  are the slotted track permanently bolted to the wood floor and we use   clip into the track fastener points  to dial in the best angles for securing a load. Our wheel chocks are also on quick connect fasteners  so the trailer has a flat bed if needed 
  Sorry for the ramble   but  I was  on a roll and didnt think  huge trailers needing a One Ton  Dually PU were the only choice
Dave

 

wrote:

... struggling over  practical  answer. ...

...  the slotted track permanently bolted to the wood floor  ...
Dave

 

Thanks for the thoughts (not rambling) Dave.
We've been struggling with the challenge since we were discussing it during our winter project.  Still two years out, so we have time for due diligence.

The slotted track is called 'E-Track'.  We  secured lengths of it to the floor of our trailer with bolts through the chassis cross members for exactly the kind of flexibility in positioning bikes you mention.  Strong stuff, and there are many different kinds of attachments available that clip into it for various needs.  Possible configurations in our small single-axle trailer are two Z's staggered, a single bike in the center or to either side, or our ST1300 plus a CB750 Nighthawk or Z1 staggered differently.

One thing we're looking for in a box truck is E-Track already installed on the floor.  It's common on the sides of many boxes, but we don't know what the load capacity is of sidewall E-Track.

Out pickup has a fiberglass topper on it, as it serves as a poor man's RV for sleeping quarters, luggage storage & general horizontal place for stuff, reasonably secure & out of the weather.  The pickup bed is an undesirable option for bikes.

Thinking through this, we're looking at four non-local events. In chronological order:
Bike Week (may be more than one show site over two+ weeks),
Riding Into History,
VJMC National Rally,
Mid-Ohio VMD

There may be a few others.

Good Ridin'
slmjim & Z1BEBE


   

I'm only moving one K-Z. but it will be a 2500 mile, 4-5 day move. I'm going to give this stand a try inside of a large box van.   1800 Lb. Capacity Motorcycle Stand/Wheel Chock (harborfreight.com)

Wheel chocks mounted on 3/4" or 1" plywood sheet is one of our main considerations.  Eyebolts or recessed attachment points in/on the plywood to secure the rear of each bike would have to be utilized also.
  Securing the plywood sheets to a truck bed is the main challenge.  We'll be visiting many rental sites to see what's available re: pre-installed truck bed attachment features.

Good Ridin'
slmjim & Z1BEBE

A truck with an 8 ft inside dimension would perfectly accommodate two sheets of 4 by 8 plywood side by each, with a bike attached to each one.  A Z1 is slightly less than 8 ft long so would fit perfectly.  A 24 ft long inside dimension truck would accommodate six bikes.  A truck with a lift on the back would make for  easy loading.  Alternatively, a lowbed trailer with a solid load ramp.

If rental truck has a wood floor just run some  Deck/ Drywall screws  thru  the plywood and into the truck wood floor
Chances are the truck floor has seen far worse 
Dave