Material for a small ramp

[vtwin4life]

I saw a small (approx. 1 foot long) ramp in a motorcycle rag. The purpose of the ramp, is to function like car ramps you use for working under the car. When a motorcycle is chopped or lowered, you can not longer get a lift jack under it, so this small ramp lifts the bike about 3 inches so that the lift can slide under the frame of the bike again.

I want to build one of these. Considering chopped bikes run about 500 pounds, and full-dressers that are lowered go up to about 750 pounds, what thickness of plate should I use? Of course, the ramp would only have to support a fraction of the total weight, and since it usually goes under the rear wheel, it get the "lighter" end of the bike.

Attached is a picture of the one I saw that I want to use as a template.

[harcosparky]

Looking at that pic I see .....

A ramp that is short and somewhat narrow - as compared to say a car ramp.

Diamond Plate - driven surface

Smooth Plate - sides

What ya don't see and is there is what is inside that ramp.
You should be able to built some sort of box frame, maybe with angle with a ramp also from angle leading down. Than wrap it in 1/4" plate on bottom and sides, and diamond plate on top. This I am sure is overkill.

Rethinking this after looking at a car ramp sold at aucto places, 1/4" probably is overkill.

The diamond plate in that pic is probably sitting on some sort of subframe.

We ride bikes as well and I guess when ya put a bike up on that ramp, you have some sort of block as well under the sidestand?

I wonder if you could build the sides and bottom of that ramp out of one piece of material, bent in a brake. They weld in the diamond plate ramp. Prior to welding in the plate, put is some side bracing and perhaps a cross brace for the plate to rest on???

Just some thoughts as I have never had a 'lowered' bike. Heck the last bike I bought needs to be lowered 3".

I had to 'tippy-toe' at stop lights for a while until the suspension softened up a bit!

This is one tall ride---> http://www.cmgonline.com/articles/CM...rom_rhs_bg.jpg

But it's can go where my Gold Wing cannot go .... and I can throw it around like a feather!!!!

[SkidSteerSteve]

Not to take anything away from the metal world, but I just keep a couple of 2X6 boards (which when stacked are 3") with a miter cut to act as a "ramp" on to the end of the board. Works great for lifting my 650lb 1100 up just enough so that I can get an oil pan under it. It might work just as good to get you up enough to get a jack under it. SSS

[vtwin4life]

Not to take anything away from the metal world, but I just keep a couple of 2X6 boards (which when stacked are 3") with a miter cut to act as a "ramp" on to the end of the board. Works great for lifting my 650lb 1100 up just enough so that I can get an oil pan under it. It might work just as good to get you up enough to get a jack under it. SSS

Yeah, that's what I do currently to get my chopped Fatboy up on the lift. I would like to build something out of steel just for the exercise of it though, and it would look a little more professional sitting in my garage ;-)

[SkidSteerSteve]

You know, there'll have to be a trip to chromer to make it really nice....

Post some pics when you get it done.

SSS