Attaching expanded metal to motorcycle/atv truck ramp

[afinepoint]

The Black Widow ramps by design have raised almost smooth bars along the length of the ramps. Since these are their motorcycle ramps I hesitantly went along with the tech's advice and have regretted it since. Street tires will slip on the bars. The knobby tires on the dirt bike do much better. The 800 lb touring bike will lurch sideways trying to climb. Scary.

So I use my utility trailer for street bikes. I have an 4 x 8' sheet of expanded metal and thought to cut it to fit the ramps. My plans have halted at how to secure it. Lock wire is to delicate, rebar wire not designed for that.

I have an industrial metal banding tool but that will create smooth areas where the band crosses the metal and the expanded metal lines are at 45° to the ribs so the banding would be twisted. Next thought was 9 or so gauge wire but how to draw it tight? Welding is out.

Thoughts?

 

[kumquat]

tack weld?

 

[ATC]

Hose clamps or bailing wire.

 

[Jacko264]

tie wraps Round the cross bars
or aluminium angle down each side fastened to the box trapping the mesh

 

[driftpin]

Buy the right tool for the job! Don't eff around with something that is not what you need to safely get your bikes into the bed of a truck or into a trailer. If you have an aluminum ramp get some aluminum diamond plate and have someone weld it if you don't have the capacity to do that. In clearing out a storage unit I have just vacated I found some pieces of aluminum diamond plate that I am going to use to fill in the spaces between the bars on the motorcycle ramp I have.

 

[Jacko264]

after working with both 5bar checker and the type of mesh you have in the photo I like mesh
tread gets slippery when wet .
only my opinion Graham

 

[Grant Gunderson]

Self tapping Lath Screws are designed for this.

 

[LXCam]

Self tapping Lath Screws are designed for this.

This and fender washers. If you’re concerned about deforming he mesh attaching it to the frame you can use some spacers.

Personally, I’d get some diamond plate like drift recommend and cut off the cross bars and either weld or screw it to the frame.