Amp X-Tender

AMP X-TENDER

CW EVALUATIONS

Instant longbed

WHEN IT COMES TO BIKE HAULING, shortbed pickups don’t measure up. That is, if you’re packing a couple of cowtrailers plus gas cans and gear, you’ll likely find yourself longing for the extra length—and tailgate-closed security—of a longbed.

Or you could cough up $199 for an AMP X-Tender. Manufactured from aluminum tubing and injection-molded nylon, the X-Tender attaches to the business end of most pickups, boosting usable bed length by a whopping 17 inches.

Installation takes about 45 minutes. AMP’s universal aluminum mounts affix to the bed with supplied sheetmetal screws, and serve as pivot points for the lightweight “gate.” To keep the unit securely in place over bumps, two nylon straps with grooved metal end-plates slot into latches at the lowered tailgate’s ends.

The X-Tender also doubles as an ersatz storage bin: Unload the bed, flip the lightweight gate forward and close the tailgate, and you’ve got space sufficient to corral a full-size ice chest. So far, so good.

Here’s the bad news: Before it can be swung into place, the X-Tender must be nearly perpendicular to the bed so its locating pins can slide smoothly into the Ushaped mounts. As such, it works well with motocrossers, the X-Tender’s framework passing easily through the ample area between a dirtbike’s rear fender and knobby. Streetbikes, however, are a different story. Specifically, there’s not enough room between the fender and tire for the framework to pass through, and draped over the bike’s seat, the X-Tender doesn’t quite reach the mounts.

As a fix, you can file down the leading edges of the mounts, allowing the X-Tender to slip in at a 45-degree angle. That done, it works in conjunction with most bikes that have wheelbases of 60 inches or less. Honda Valkyries, Harley Road Kings, etc. need not apply.

AMP Research (23180 Del Lago, Laguna Hills, CA 92653; 714/4615990) admits that its design is narrowly focused, and that changes, including truck-specific kits, are in the works. Our street-oriented reservations aside, though, the X-Tender certainly works as designed. We’ll take it over a longbed any day.