This Aussie Dirt Bike Rack Loads Itself - With a Button Press

The Australian engineering scene is alive and well, and there’s no better proof than watching a bloke completely reinvent the dirt bike rack from scratch. While most of us are content wrestling our bikes up sketchy ramps and praying we don’t end up pancaked under 250 pounds of YZ, the crew at Designed and Built decided to engineer their way out of the problem entirely.

Their solution? A motorized slide mechanism that hauls your bike from ground level to the tray bed at the push of a button. No more death-defying ramp walks, no more herniated discs, and definitely no more explaining to your mates why there’s a bike-shaped dent in your tailgate.

The build journey started with what seemed like a simple concept - use aluminum unistrut and some bearings to create a heavy-duty slider powered by an ATV winch. Reality had other plans. The first prototype worked in theory, but the compliance in the unistrut made the whole setup wobble like a shopping trolley with a wonky wheel. Not exactly what you want when you’re hauling a bike down a fire trail at speed.

The extension mechanism proved equally problematic. The original design used an electric actuator to extend the slide beyond the tray’s edge, but it created an ugly overhang that would’ve destroyed the departure angle faster than you could say “high center.” Back to the drawing board.

Then there was the Holy Grail quest - eliminating tie-down straps entirely. The team designed an over-center lever system for the front wheel and foot peg holders that would theoretically lock everything in place without a single strap. Cool idea, but physics had the final say. Sometimes the old ways are old for a reason.

The second iteration threw out everything that didn’t work. Gone was the wobbly unistrut, replaced with proper RHS and SHS steel construction. The extension became a manual, removable design that eliminated the problematic actuator. And yes, they admitted defeat on the strap-free dream - sometimes engineering brilliance means knowing when to stick with what works.

The new design used laser-cut steel components and precision bearings to create a slide mechanism that actually felt solid. Over 50 bearings (haha, wut?) distribute the load across custom-built runners, while a 12 volt ATV winch provides the muscle. The whole system can handle bikes from 125cc tiddlers to full-size 450 thumpers without breaking a sweat.

But here’s where it gets really clever - this isn’t just a bike loader. The entire system is designed to work with a custom canopy that creates usable storage space underneath the elevated bikes. We’re talking about a complete camping and riding setup that maximizes every square inch of tray space.

The fabrication work is proper workshop porn. CNC plasma cutting, precision TIG welding, and CAD design that would make an aerospace engineer jealous. These aren’t backyard bodges held together with hope and cable ties - this is engineered equipment built to handle whatever the bush can throw at it.

The final testing phase revealed the system’s real-world capabilities. Loading a bike becomes a simple matter of rolling it onto the sled, hitting the winch button, and watching physics do the heavy lifting. The whole process takes less time than it used to take just getting the ramps positioned properly.

Road testing showed the system needs some fine-tuning - the bike movement was a bit more than ideal, suggesting the final production version will need wider bearing spacing and tighter tolerances. But for a prototype built in a home garage, the performance was impressive enough to prove the concept works.

The attention to detail extends beyond just the mechanical components. The canopy section showcases proper metalworking techniques, from complex return folds for weather sealing to integrated wiring runs for future electrical systems. This isn’t just functional - it’s built to last decades of hard use.

The result is a system that transforms how you think about bike transport. Instead of dreading the loading process, you actually look forward to showing off your automated setup. And with the integrated canopy providing secure storage for gear, tools, and camping equipment, you’ve got a complete adventure platform that’s ready for anything.

Check out the full build series on the Designed and Built website and follow their progress on Instagram. This is Australian engineering at its finest - practical, robust, and just a little bit mad in the best possible way.