Hauiin'

HauIin'

UP FRONT

David Edwards

GOTTA LOVE IT WHEN A PLAN COMES Together. My Trackmaster Triumph T140 special, being tweaked into top mechanical nick by the crew at RPM Cycles in Dallas, was ready at the same time family business required me to be in Texas. I was assessing which of the Edwards’ fleet of 100,000-mile gas-hogs was most suitable for hauling duty when Honda called, wondering if I’d like to try out the new Ridgeline, the company’s firstever pickup truck.

When it comes to transporting motorcycles, I’ve run the gamut. My early motocross career had me hanging a Honda Elsinore 125 precariously off the back of my brother’s old Ford Galaxie 500, its knobbies contained in bolt-on bumper hoops.

I soon graduated to carrying it inside my folks ’ Toyota station wagon, though this required partial disassembly and a drained tank before the Elsie could be slid prone into position. Next came a rough old 1965 Chevy Sportvan, a high-mileage $300 contraption, more primer than paint, whose sole nod to decoration was a spraypainted “PAT LUVS JOHN” writ large on one side, left there by the previous owner’s jilted girlfriend. Of course, wiseacres at the track delighted in asking me, “So, you Pat?”

These days I’m a truck guy-specifically compact or mid-size pickups with extended cabs. Easier to load and drive than taller, bigger, full-size jobs, with just enough space behind the front seats for gearbags and Ned the Wonder Spaniel to come in out of the rain. I ran a Chevrolet S-10 for many years and now have a ’97 Dodge Dakota with the Magnum VEight motor. Both good trucks-in fact, I sold the Chevy to a friend on the condition that I get first right of refusal if she ever wants to sell it.

Other staffers have their own opinions of a proper bike-hauler. Allan Girdler refuses to give up his ancient small-cab, extended-bed Dakota, now churning toward 300,000 miles, almost as a protest against Dodge’s deletion of that particular configuration. He likes the ability to tie down two bikes in staggered formation-so the handlebars clear each otherthen run down the highway with the tailgate up. Paul Dean has owned one Ford window van or another for at least 30 years, preferring the added security and weather protection of full enclosure. Brian Catterson and Peter Egan likewise, though they both favor the windowless, panel-van option for even more defense against prying eyes, at the risk of appearing to work in the wholesale fish-delivery business.

Me, I hate sharing breathing space with leaky gas cans and drippy BSAs, so when Honda offered use of the Ridgeline, it was right up my alley, even if the styling is a little too armored Tonka Toy for my tastes.

A very clever design, though, typically fine Honda fit and finish, with features not usually found in the class. It’s powered by a transverse-mounted, 3471 cc, 255-horsepower V-Six running VTEC variable valve timing (unlike the Interceptor 800’s system, which goes from two valves to four at 7000 rpm, the truck’s setup actually switches to highrpm cam lobes for extra lift and longer duration). Full-time four-wheel-drive, too, with an electronic brain that distributes power front to rear. Other electroniceties include allwheel ABS, driveby-wire throttle, yaw control and tire-pressure monitors. In a category that soldiers on with solid rear axles and leaf springs, the Honda’s independent rear suspension features a multi-link trailing arm layout with coil-over shocks and a 1-inch antiroll bar. Best-handling mid-size truck, noted our cohorts at Car and Driver magazine in naming the Ridgeline winner of a recent shootout.

The bed, though just 5 feet long, has some very useful features-six sturdy tie-down points, non-slip coating, four courtesy lights, a dual-action tailgate that swings down or sideways and, best of all, a lockable, weather-tight, 8.5cubic-foot “trunk,” about two-thirds the size of a Honda Accord’s and complete with a drain bung so you can fill it with ice and your favorite recreational beverage. Par -tay!

For humans, a very nice interior, well insulated, with lots of room for four normal-bodied adults (five, if they’re counting carbs). My top-of-the-line RTL loaner ($35,155) came with heated leather seats, dual-control a/c, moon roof, GPS nav system (finally, better than a $3.99 map!) and XM satellite radio, to which I am now hopelessly addicted-who knew there was a NASCAR channel?

“A new type of utility vehicle,” C/D summed up. “Combine the chassis, bed and large interior with the smooth, quiet and adequately powerful engine, and you have a winner. The bar has been raised.”

For bike-hauling, though, not perfect. Even with the tailgate down, long bikes are problematic. My Yamaha Warrior (65.6-inch wheelbase) just about fits, though the rear tire is more out than in. The truck’s flying buttress rear bodywork makes reaching in and cinching a tie-down strap more difficult than it should be. And is it just me, or shouldn’t a pickup sold by a motorcycle company have more bike-friendly features? Maybe built-in loading ramps or extra storage in the bed sides? How about a self-contained gas nozzle plumbed into the main tank so dirtbike refills can be accomplished without the need for jerry cans?

Heck, something like 78 percent of CW readers own trucks, vans or SUVs. What do you think? Log onto www.cycleworld. com, click on “Letters to the Editor” and let me know. I’ll pass the suggestions on to Honda-and Ford, Dodge, Chevrolet, Nissan and Toyota. I’m guessing a special rider ’s-edition pickup would be a best-seller.

As always, I’m available for consulting and long test drives. □