I have a 2000 F-150 and I am in desperate need of help. I am going to be hauling my 2004 Yamaha YZF-R6 (sport motorcycle) around and I have no way of securing it to the bed. I have read all the posts about the stake points and the bull rings and they are all good points, but I need tie down points in the bed or on the walls near the bed.

My truck comes with stupid little pieces of metal that are basicall 2 arms coming out from the bedwalls. These are useless to tie a motorcycle down to. I may end up drilling out holes in these arms to use for the ties, but I am afraid of ruining the structural integrity of the metal and leaving the motorcycle to fall down in transit.

Any help on this subject would be GREATLY appreciated.

 

My suggestion, and I haul an HD dresser, is to buy some big eye bolts and big fender washers and drill 2 holes on each side of the bed. If you are worried about rust, use stainless hardware from a marine supply store and use some RTV silicone under the washers top & bottom.

 

That may end up being my last resort. I would rather not use the eyebolts only because I would want something that can be removed easier. I was thinking something on the bedwalls would be out of the way a little more. But if not, then eyebolts it is.

 

If you hit a marine supply, you should be able to grab some stainless cleats - two holes for each. Look more like the new trucks. Still not easy to remove unless you weld the nuts to the back.

 

Im not quite sure if a cleat is what im looking for. It may work though, depending on the width of the secure points from the cleat to the bedwall. I was thinking something more in the line of a ring or a square. Something that the Ratchet tie would loop through, but I'm up for all thoughts about this.

 

Look here:
http://www.bedbolts.com/
I know www.performanceproducts4trucks sells them.
Really cool, they are removable so they don't obstruct anything else you would haul in the bed.

 

I was at Lowes a couple of weeks ago and I saw LOTS of stainless steel hardware. Look in the area where the U-bolts are and also the specialty hardware in the pull out drawers.

 

Looks like a good idea. That is actually exactly what I was looking for, a good tie down with a removeable head. Thanks for the help!

 

I use a bed bar from universalmx.com. Works great with our dirtbikes and my ZX6.

 

I hope I'm not too late with a suggestion. You can buy tie-downs that are "hidden". You flip up the cover and your tie-down ring is exposed. Remove the tie-down strap and you just reclose the cover. I can't remember where I saw them, but they usually go through the bed and into the frame. When hauling a heavier load, I would rather have my tie-downs attached to something a little more substantual than the box metal. If you are regularly hauling m/c's, then check out the new tie-downs online, there are several types, some removeable.
Here's one address to check out.
http://www.rockymountainatv.com/type...5&navType=type
There are many more. Just type in Motorcycle tie-downs into your AltaVista or other search engine. I'm sure there are other alternatives out there such as removeable track systems, etc.
Personally, I ride a Harley-Davidson Road King Classic which weighs in at about 700lbs Dry. I use only the manufacturer installed tie-points at the four corners of the box. The secret to tying your bike isn't how tight you can get the straps. You don't want them too tight or too loose. It depends on the road you're travelling. On a very rough road, of course you want your straps a bit tight, but on a smooth ride, all you want to do is prevent your scoot from flipping over the side (which I have seen happen)
I use one strap on each side of the triple tree to keep the front end stable and one continuous strap running from one tie-down at the rear, loop the strap around the rear tire and over to the other rear tie-down, then ratchet snug. I'v travelled over 1000 miles without having to adjust the straps once. And that was through some very rough reconstruction.