smiller

You guys not only have good taste in trucks, but also in your choice of bikes!

Floorman

well where i came from ( CT ) i can tell you that long wheel bases do hold better value and so do duallies check out the n. a. d. a if you see one on a lot better buy it quik they dont last ! better to have more than you need than to be short changed. just ask my wife

LJRoy

Yes, all the way on the bed - didn't even have a tailgate on as I was also pulling an enclosed trailer.

Google gives a couple different numbers for wheelbase on that bike, probably depending on model year. I don't know what year it was - but go with the largest - 61".

Wheelbase is axle center to axle center so also figure in 10" for the front tire (half of a 17" rim and 3" of sidewall and tread height) Adds up to 71" plus a few inches for a reasonable rear tire contact patch. The new shortbed is 6'-3" (by memory), so have 75" to work with.

That matches my memory of it being a close fit with a few inches of bike hanging over the edge of the bed. But the bike was tied down well and never budged a bit, 2500 miles each way.

65" on your H-D might be pushing it - but I'd just rest a 4x8 sheet of 3/4 plywood in the bed and put the bike on that. You could even bolt on a chock to hold the front wheel straight.

Leonard

dieselnewbie

You got it chief!

I was thinking the exact same thing.

I'm going to take a 4'x8'x0.750" sheet of plywood and lay it over the bed and tailgate, then put the bike on top of that.

I'll rig it so the plywood is held in place by the rear wheel wells in the bed, and also use a front wheel chock for the bike.

Thanks for the info guy!

DT.

RockRoverAA

Funny...Opinions are like as**oles...Everybodies got one.

Personally *I* think the SB looks a heck of a lot better than the LB in the Dodge...Now, to me the Ford looks better in the reverse...That's just me. A SB is a waste of a perfectly good diesel? Well I won't touch that one!

Live in the sticks...Your gonna' want a LB and so is your neighbor...Live close to a city and guess what? Me? I'm done haulin' 4x8's for a living so I really don't care! I do what's best for me and the family

--D

Truckjerk

I've had both long and short bed. If the parking issue is driving you away from longbed...might need some practice.
Looks wise, shortbed always has appealed to me...but thats one man's opinion. Just going to have to evaluate your needs. For me there is never enough room in the bed with long or short so it doesnt really matter either way. Being able to close the gate on 8ft lumber is very nice i will admit.

I always resort to my dad's saying.....

"Need it once...borrow it Need it twice.....buy it"

Hounddog

Shutting the bed is nice on 8 footers.BUT being able to haul 10 and 12 footers is the big plus.Plus after hooking gooseneck up room for hay,buckets,etc.is nice.Oh yea rides better.

spots

I regularly haul 16' and 14' lumber in my short box. Its gotta be tied down one way or the other so does it really make a difference if a couple extra feet stick out the back?

abb

I have a short bed and I love the parking lots with it the last long bed was a pain! Honestly the ride is great! The wife has a bad back and she is really hard to please on the ride of anything! She love's the ride and wants to sell her new car and get a truck like mine except of course with a automatic. and we pull a 31ft 5th wheel and move the hitch back 6 inches and so for no promblems with turning and it pulls great the long bed I had pulled the same rig ,I can't tell any differance, they both did a great job!

Dave65

I got a short bed only because the price was right,but a long bed is the way to go.

Ram04

On a "rare" occasion I will open up the back slider and haul some 14' base/case, propping it up in the front on my dash. My trim carpenter calls my a redneck for doing that. Won't ugly up my truck with a lumber rack, because that's what the Dakota is for.

schu

If your going to use it for normal driving around town then the short bed is better, but if your going to put it to work then you want the long bed.

As far as fiting a long bed into the garage, that's not a problem (if you have a big garage):

Ray Roton

I test drove a long bed. I was not use to drivivg a full size pickup, and I found it to be really hard to park.
Different strokes for different folks. Thats why they don't build em all alike.