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Black Widow 9'(275cm) Ramp Review


DewMan

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One tool I keep in my shed is a quality ramp. After much research and deliberation I chose this one.

BW-10840-HD.jpg?v=100114326911-1

9' Long Black Widow Aluminum 4-Beam Folding Arched 3-Piece Motorcycle Ramp

Yes, It's over kill for an FZ-07 with it's center ramp which supports up to 1500lbs and each of the two side ramps will support up to 600lbs each. But I bought the ramp as a once in a lifetime purchase that I will use for more than just loading my FZ-07 into the bed of my  pickup truck. With this ramp there won't be much I can't roll up into my vehicle. I won't cover what's already covered on the website's listing  but I will cover some things not mentioned in the listing.

Ordering/shipping:

The ordering process was simple enough.

Discountramps is always having some sort of sale/discount going on and I waited until I could order one with a decent discount as well as free shipping. It was ordered over a weekend and shipped the following Monday via Fed-Ex. It arrived in good condition in less than a week. It was nicely packed in heavy-duty cardboard and  each of the six ramp sections individually wrapped to protect the finish. Also in the box was the required hardware and as a nice touch it included three cambuckle tiedowns to be used to anchor your ramp(s) to the vehicle.

Assembly:

Assembly was straightforward with no surprises.

The only choice to make is whether you want to build it as a single large ramp, using longer bolts on the  pivot, or as three separate ramps. I initially built it as a single ramp thinking it would be easier to wrangle and deploy. I've since decided that the 90lb ramp is easier to deal with as three individual ramps and have changed to the included shorter bolts accordingly.

Quality:

After multiple uses I'm still impressed with the quality of the ramp.

There was no flex in the ramp in use and the paint finish is holding up nicely. The included U shaped couplers (used to keep the ends of the ramps from sliding apart) are basic but stout. The cambuckle straps are generic but are adequate for the task intended. I find no fault with the quality of this ramp so far.

Design:

Overall I like the design but there are a few minor things I would like changed.

The lower section of ramps are straight and have a beveled base and the upper section is nicely arched to help prevent bottoming out. Even at high deployment angles I didn't come close to scraping anything. The serrated rungs are spaced close enough, 3.75"/9.5cm on center, to make walking on the ramp easy. When folded the ramps are just over 6.5"/17cm tall. The center ramp is just over 17"/44cm wide and the two outer ramps are just over 11"/28cm  wide. Combined the ramps are close to 40"/101cm wide. The deployed width never feels narrow and inspires confidence in it's use. It allows loading and unloading via ramp to be a confident solo affair. There are no rods to worry about getting bent or lost as the pivot points of the ramp is via proper large bolts through the main spars of the ramp sections.

Each individual ramp is solid. When built as a one piece ramp however the sections feel a bit wobbly while handling since they're not bolted together on the ends and rely on the couplers to connect them. If I was going to keep it as a one piece ramp I'd replace the couplers with proper bolts to make them a more solid unit. Though while deployed, either as a single or multiple ramps, they are very stable.

The 3"/7.6cm lip that fits over the end of your tailgate is plenty strong but I'd be like it to be maybe half an inch or so longer just to give it a bit more purchase incase of deployment on more rounded edges.

I load my truck by riding my bike up the ramp and unload by straddling the bike and using the front brake to control the decent. The rungs of the ramp are serrated for traction but at steeper deployment angles (flat ground with 3'/100cm high tailgate) the serrations aren't enough to keep the light front wheel from slipping when unloading the bike. I noticed no slippage when loading even when I stopped while fully on the ramp and then continuing up the ramp. I put grip tape on the serrated rungs of the center ramp to better control the slippage but I need better tape since the first time I used the ramp after wrapping the rungs the tape started to tear. I will be looking for better grip tape to correct this. I don't blame the ramp for this issue. I blame the high deployment angle I use and the light front end of the bike. It's nice to know that it can be utilized successfully at high angles but I'll be looking to use curbs etc to lessen the angle when  possible going forward.

The included couplers rattle more than I'd like when the ramp is stowed for travel. but That's just me being nit-picky. I may look for some thin closed cell foam to line the inside of the couples to solve that issue.

Bottom Line:

Would I buy it again? Yes I would. I fully expect this ramp to last a lifetime.

 

  • Like 3

DewMan
 
Just shut up and ride.

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Looks like I'll have to get a pick-up truck then, eehh. I just installed a tow hitch on my corolla! Damn it. I did (really)

  • Haha 1
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