New bike loader installed!

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Due to the van's rear step I need to use the extender which is a bore but it's still a zillion times better than pushing bikes up ramps, especially Cali 1400's    only hiccup is that the gas strut setup was wrong so I'm going to have to whine to the supplier about that.

Ooh! Fancy!

...and orange...

Is that the Porteos unit Pete?

Please share your opinions as you're able to play with it more.

The importer here continues to plead supply chain issues. The batch that was due in January has been pushed back into May, and I don't know if I'll be able to get in on that lot if it does show.

A “must” for “someone in the business”. Peace of mind loading.

OK, what the heck is that thing? How does it work?

It's a bike loader.

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As to the question about supply? I ordered mine back in September/October and it arrived a couple of weeks ago. Interestingly I bought it from the Australian agent and it is manufactured in and shipped from China. There are a number of differences between mine and the one shown in the video, the chock is different for instance but the only annoying one is that the gas struts don't fit on mine and I'm going to have to purchase some fittings to attach them. A bit of a disappointment on a tool that cost $4K AU.

Because it was the first one we'd assembled it took us about eight hours all up. I reckon if I had to do it again it would probably take me about 2 & 1/2. Due to the strut issue I haven't loaded a bike with it yet. Hopefully I'll be able to report on that in the next couple of days.

Very nice. I looked at one of those for my pickup truck but the $3300 US price tag gave me pause.

I rented U-Haul low ride motorcycle trailer $15 per day to move my baby!!

After only a year since my first inquiry, the importer says he has ramps in stock. Pete, did you ever get the shock issue sorted to your satisfaction? Any other issues since?

I'll probably see about fetching it this weekend unless you have tales of horror to report.

I've got a busy morning here. Can I come back to this? Nag me if I forget.

By all means!

At your leisure.

Wow Pete, that is the shits. Makes the van a single purpose but you got other wheels. No more work, good for you.

OK, so a brief summary of my experience.

The loader is well made but assembly is a pain in the arse. The screws that hold it together go into square 'Nuts' that slide into the channels in the rails and they aren't fabulous quality and nor are the bolt lengths super accurate. We got it all together but it was hateful at times.

The design had been updated and I got a version that had the later damper mounting system but the earlier damper fittings. I ended up McGyvering up something but it cost me time and money and it shouldn't of done.

It works well but you need a large, powerful, drive source. Using a rattle gun isnt a good idea as once it gets to hammer point it can't be doing the worm drive any good. Buying a large, high-torque, cordless drill adds a considerable amount to the cost. I'm planning on motorising it.

My van unfortunately has a step that the loader won't clear without the extension on which is a bloody nuisance but not as much of a nuisance as the fact that the stock length of the bed is too short to take a bike like a GRiSO, never mind a Cali 14 without it still poking its arse out of the van making it impossible to close the doors! Now I have extension rails for the front to allow the carriage to roll further forward but at the moment I haven't fitted them because if a couple of unrelated factors.

Firstly, much though I love it I'm going to sell my van. Why? Because with the loss of income from Covid it is a luxury I can ill afford for starters! Secondly it doesn't make economic sense. If I need a van I can rent one and at the moment vehicle prices for second hand work vehicles are through the roof. It's a good time to sell!

Secondly my friend Peter in Townsville has a really nice, purpose built, trailer for his bikes that he no longer needs but nobody is willing to buy it for a reasonable amount so we're planning on pooling our resources and fitting my loader into his trailer and we'll share its use. Much cheaper to register and insure than the van as well. It should also be able to fit the lifter in such a way that the extension will be superfluous. Bonus!

So. Where would I put it on a scale of one to ten? Probably about a six. Not that it is poorly made or unsuitable for purpose but it isn't a simple 'Fit and forget' option and I should of actually done some more serious measuring before I decided to go ahead with the idea. The stupid damper fitment issue was irritating too. It was a big expense and one that hasn't really paid for itself and as I'm retiring soon it will probably become a bit of a 'White Elephant' but I'm glad I tried it. I think it will work much better in the trailer than in the van.

Thanks for that. It sounds like a good example of usability being more than simply a question of "Will contraption X perform task Y?"

I think I'm gonna give it a go, because:

1) Mine will be assembled
2) I don't lack for cordless drills
3) It'll be in a truck, so no doors

I probably won't use it a whole lot, but the capability of hauling a bike somewhere may present some new possibilities, and I have no desire for the care and feeding of a trailer.

Regarding the worm drive box, it looks like an off-the-shelf item. Perhaps you could swap in a lower gear ratio? It's an added expense of course, but aluminum worm drive boxes can be had for under $200 USD.

Should it be necessary? Of course not, but neither should it be necessary to shell out upwards of $600  for a seat on a new bike that doesn't turn one's butt to hamburger. Yet people do it all the time.