Bike in a Van

[anonymous-user]

Hi
I may transport my Tiger Explorer in a van if I do a deal on different bike. The two options at the moment are a long way 250 miles each way . I would prefer to do it a van.
I dont have a car with a tow bar but I can hire various size vans.

Anyone have some experience of this and what would you suggest. Also how do you load and unload it , tall top heavy bike and plank of wood......

What could go wrong

Edited by anonymous-user on Sunday 26th March 19:25

[crofty1984]

Get a proper ramp to load it in. Also ratchet straps and a strop that hooks over the handlebars.
I did the plank of wood thing once and it was proper fkin' hairy.

[hman]

Get a hi-top van - fitting an adventure bike complete with a screen in a standard van usually requires the screen to be removed.

You can either strap the bike to one side of the van (but you must be careful not to damage any fairings) or you will need to strap down both fork legs and run a strap around the back wheel to hold it in the middle of the van.

Either way get the front wheel against the bulk head and strap it down until the suspension compresses a bit.

Adventure bikes can weigh 250kg+ so a proper ramp is advised - or double up with scaffold planks.

Park on level ground for loading and unloading - don't be tempted to ride the bike into the van.. it rarely ends well...gently walk it up with the engine running in 1st and be careful when un loading as the front brake won't work well as it will effectively be the rear brake....I find leaving it in 1st and using the clutch as the brake when unloading is more useful.

Be aware that tipping a 250kg lump of spiky metal on you whilst unloading can result in your injury, death, and a loss of man points.

[milburn7191]

A friend of mine races and he always hires a van then ratchet straps the bike so that it stays upright, takes a couple of times to figure out the best way but once you get it right it will not go anywhere.

To prove the point here is my "responsible" friend rolling his hire van on the motorway after aquaplaning....the bike was still strapped exactly where he had left it.
At the end of the video you can see him jump out, the first place he went was to the back of the van to check that his race bike was OK.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bw1RRaPhP0w

[CaptainSlow]

milburn7191 said:

A friend of mine races and he always hires a van then ratchet straps the bike so that it stays upright, takes a couple of times to figure out the best way but once you get it right it will not go anywhere.

To prove the point here is my "responsible" friend rolling his hire van on the motorway after aquaplaning....the bike was still strapped exactly where he had left it.
At the end of the video you can see him jump out, the first place he went was to the back of the van to check that his race bike was OK.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bw1RRaPhP0w

The only point that proves is that he drives like a tt.

[MrGman]

I used this guy recently when i bought a new bike, very good value for what i needed and very professional with a fully kitted out van.


http://www.2wheels2u.co.uk

[Fleegle]

Whereabouts in W.Sussex are you and when is this happening?

I may be able to help you with a ramp and straps subject to dates

[Gavia]

CaptainSlow said:

milburn7191 said:

A friend of mine races and he always hires a van then ratchet straps the bike so that it stays upright, takes a couple of times to figure out the best way but once you get it right it will not go anywhere.

To prove the point here is my "responsible" friend rolling his hire van on the motorway after aquaplaning....the bike was still strapped exactly where he had left it.
At the end of the video you can see him jump out, the first place he went was to the back of the van to check that his race bike was OK.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bw1RRaPhP0w

The only point that proves is that he drives like a tt.

Agreed, how amyone can crash at that point just after the Brighouse turn off is beyond me, even in the rain, it's not difficult.

[Chainsaw Rebuild]

another option is to hire a Luton van with a tail lift. They do cost a bit more to hire but the lift will take all the stress out of getting the bike in the van.

[mac96]

CaptainSlow said:

milburn7191 said:

A friend of mine races and he always hires a van then ratchet straps the bike so that it stays upright, takes a couple of times to figure out the best way but once you get it right it will not go anywhere.

To prove the point here is my "responsible" friend rolling his hire van on the motorway after aquaplaning....the bike was still strapped exactly where he had left it.
At the end of the video you can see him jump out, the first place he went was to the back of the van to check that his race bike was OK.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bw1RRaPhP0w

The only point that proves is that he drives like a tt.

Not quite- also seems to prove that contrary to some people's views, truck drivers are decent human beings who don't just drive past leaving him there.

[Charlie Croker mk2]

Err you could do what the "adventure bike" was made for and just ride it to your destination !

[Ed.]

Chainsaw Rebuild said:

another option is to hire a Luton van with a tail lift. They do cost a bit more to hire but the lift will take all the stress out of getting the bike in the van.

I did this, had a Luton van anyway because I was moving house. Only downsides are they are noticeably slower, less efficient and get blown around in strong winds.

[Djtemeka]

Don't use 2 piece ratchet straps. Use the one piece one. Just incase the bikes shocks compress a little causing the hook to come loose. 1 piece strap is a closed loop and can loosen and tighten again once the forks have extended back. I don't like to tighten the bike that the forks bottom out

[Gavia]

Djtemeka said:

Don't use 2 piece ratchet straps. Use the one piece one. Just incase the bikes shocks compress a little causing the hook to come loose. 1 piece strap is a closed loop and can loosen and tighten again once the forks have extended back. I don't like to tighten the bike that the forks bottom out

That's highly unlikely to happen, unless you've done a really bad job of tying it down.

[Djtemeka]

Gavia said:

That's highly unlikely to happen, unless you've done a really bad job of tying it down.

As I said. I don't like to bottom out the forks and shock. Close but not all the way. Regardless, a closed loop system is infinitely better regardless

[black-k1]

If you're strapping a bike down, either in a van or on a trailer, these are well worth it:



https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/...

They make attaching to the handlebars safe and secure.

[SteelerSE]

Something like this seems like a good idea:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ryde-Motorcycle-Front-Whe...

Otherwise I'd hire someone that has all the gear and can do it all for you.

[graeme4130]

I lug my bike thousands of miles a year by van, and I put the front wheel in a wheel chock and use bar straps with ratchet straps to hold it upright, then the rear on a paddock stand and sling a ratchet strap over the seat. I could roll the van over and the bike still wouldn't budge.
Assuming you don't have a paddock stand for your tiger, just make sure the rear is tied down both sides and pulled tight to keep it central.
If you're hiring a van, some hire places will have wheel chocks for motorbikes you can borrow or rent for a couple of quid, and all hire places will have ratchet straps you can hire/borrow.
It' worth getting a proper ramp to do it with too, as I've lost count of the amount of bikes I've seen dropped at circuits where people have used a plank and it's slipped, or it's been slightly damp and the bike's slipped on the wooden plank.
I always get crap for it from my mates, but I use two ramps. One for the bike, and the other for me to walk up beside it

[jamiebae]

Make sure the van is tall enough - I collected a broken Aprilia 125cc bike in a Merc Vito and had to bend the screen to get it in the back doors. With a proper bike you need to be very careful what you're renting.

Also, strap it down properly, bungees aren't really sufficient

[Gavia]

Djtemeka said:

As I said. I don't like to bottom out the forks and shock. Close but not all the way. Regardless, a closed loop system is infinitely better regardless

That's even worse, all you need is a bit of pressure on the suspension, not loads of compression on them.