How do I get a motorcycle up a 5 steps | GTAMotorcycle.com

How do I get a motorcycle up a 5 steps

googboog

googboog

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I'm buying a new motorcycle soon and will be keeping it indoors (I don't have a garage and storing it outside is not an option as I will not be getting it plated/insured until September as I have a Quebec license that I can only change for a full license in September)

I need to take it up a patio (all the loading ramps I've seen online are 7-9 feet long, that looks long enough to cover the length of the stairs but I'm worried about the angle at the top of the stairs)
Alternatively, if anyone knows of a towing service that would help me do this (would be willing to pay whatever it takes for time/labour).
I've been in Toronto for 3 months and the only people I know are my work colleagues and none of them have any clue about motorcycles.
My R1 will remain outside keeping guard.

Attached a photo of the stairs in question
The stairs at the front of my house are lower but I live in a ground floor unit and there's a common entrance and my own door is exactly at a right angle to the main entrance door and I don't think it would be able to fit through. Or maybe it might..
Help

I feel extremely stupid posting this but I'm out of options
 

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bigpoppa said:
put it in a storage unit, open it 5 years from now, and buy a house
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???


I've been dreaming about this bike for 11 years and finally saved up and found the perfect one and I would like to look at it everyday, storage is an option but I'd like to try to get it indoors, the heart wants what the heart wants
 
googboog said:
It's a Ducati Sport Classic, weighs about 180 kg dry (I have no friends)
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If you can pay someone to help you out, that bike would be super-easy to get up those stairs with an extra pair of arms and legs.

If you really can't find someone, then buy a ramp. Make sure it's rated to carry the weight of the bike, some of the cheaper ones are only rated to hold 250 lb dirtbikes. Also look for one with an arched top, so your bike doesn't bottom out when it clears the top step.
 
I tried finding towing services, spoke to one towing company but they said they dont help getting bikes into houses, any leads would be greatly appreciated. I've seen some ramps online but only seen them being used to load into pickup trucks, I'm worried about the top step.

Will have to do some measurements before buying a ramp but I'm thinking that might be my best option
 
googboog said:
I tried finding towing services, spoke to one towing company but they said they dont help getting bikes into houses, any leads would be greatly appreciated. I've seen some ramps online but only seen them being used to load into pickup trucks, I'm worried about the top step.
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If your steps are standard height (7" rise), then 5 steps will be 35", which is almost exactly the height of most pick-up truck tailgates. If you use a ramp that can get a motorcycle up a pick-up truck bed then it will handle that top step no problem.

The longer your ramp, the less of an angle that top of the ramp will be when it meets the top step. Again, arched top will help greatly clearing the top step.
 
Lightcycle said:
If your steps are standard height (7" rise), then 5 steps will be 35", which is almost exactly the height of most pick-up truck tailgates. If you use a ramp that can get a motorcycle up a pick-up truck bed then it will handle that top step no problem.

The longer your ramp, the less of an angle that top of the ramp will be when it meets the top step. Again, arched top will help greatly clearing the top step.
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Just went out and measured it and you're right. It was about 38 inches, thanks a lot for the help ?. I guess i'm getting a ramp! Thought that pickup trucks had lower loading though
 
Call a moving company. They will send two big guys, job done.
When I moved out of my last house there was a 485lb table saw, a 400lb planer, 300lb jointer , in the basement. A 400lb 5ftx7ft armoire on the second floor, as long as they are getting paid they move stuff.
Movers.
 
A couple things to add:

Have you looked at one of those track stands with castors to get it through the front? They let you turn the bike around the front wheel, but do add a bit of length which may be problematic.

As for a ramp, my main concern would be the width of the stairs if you're planning to do it on your own. When I load a bike into a truck, I run two narrow ramps, one for the bike and one for me to stand on beside the bike. Is there room for that on the stairs? Failing that, it might be worth looking at one of the bi- or tri-fold ATV/sled ramps (depending on width) so you can ride it up while being able to put a foot down for stability. Just make sure you strap the ramp to a lower step to stop it sliding out halfway up...

One other consideration is making sure you have enough room at the bottom to get the bike lined up onto a ramp. It's out of the frame of your picture, but if you use a narrow width ramp, you'll want to get the bike square on before the front wheel hits the ramp or it can be a nightmare lining it up properly. Just something to think about if you're looking at 7' vs 9'.

Non-covid times I'd offer to help, but as is, I think movers are by far your best bet. Good luck!
 
Silly question, but why bother buying a new bike now if you're not going to be riding it for 5 - 6 months. Is it such a good deal now that it's worth it? Other thing is that having a bike with a gas tank in your residential space is dangerous and will likely invalidate your insurance.
 
ReSTored said:
Silly question, but why bother buying a new bike now if you're not going to be riding it for 5 - 6 months. Is it such a good deal now that it's worth it? Other thing is that having a bike with a gas tank in your residential space is dangerous and will likely invalidate your insurance.
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Sport Classics don't exactly grow on trees, especially at a fair price. If you want one, you grab a good one if it comes along, as it could be quite a wait for another deal.

If it were me, I'd siphon the tank dry, if only to eliminate fumes in the house. Danger for insurance is then only a factor if the bike causes the fire, I think, which is unlikely. I've known a number of people who've kept a bike in the house with no issues (weirdly including another Sport Classic in a condo that had to be snuck in and out under a canvas sheet at 3 am to get it up the elevator without busybodies noticing)...
 
Priller said:
Sport Classics don't exactly grow on trees, especially at a fair price. If you want one, you grab a good one if it comes along, as it could be quite a wait for another deal.
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Not familiar with the Ducati line, looked it up. It's not a "new" bike it's a "new-to me" bike.
 
ReSTored said:
Not familiar with the Ducati line, looked it up. It's not a "new" bike it's a "new-to me" bike.
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They're absolutely gorgeous, but also torture racks in the old-school Ducati style. The friend who has one says he gets almost more joy from looking at it in his condo as he does from riding it because it's so damn uncomfortable.

They're an odd story, because dealerships couldn't give them away when new. All the road tests obsessed over the discomfort and the cafe racer craze hadn't quite kicked in. Not long after Ducati discontinued the model, used prices started skyrocketing, and they haven't come down since...
 
Priller said:
They're absolutely gorgeous, but also torture racks in the old-school Ducati style. The friend who has one says he gets almost more joy from looking at it in his condo as he does from riding it because it's so damn uncomfortable.
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In '74 or '75 a friend in high school had a 750, similar to this one. Great sound.
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