Best bike van

[jackh707]

Looking at brand news vans run through business that would double up for a bike van at weekend. What does everyone use?

Mainly for trackday usage and going to beach for kitesurfing.

Eyeing up new ford transit custom SWB? is 1.4m of height and 2.5m length big enough for a sportsbike?

How do you secure them in the van?

Cheers

[Biker's Nemesis]

Fully loaded VW Sportline Transporter.

[George29]

Biker's Nemesis said:

Fully loaded VW Sportline Transporter.

This.

[Biker's Nemesis]

I'll take a picture of how the bikes are loaded on Tuesday when I load the bikes for Knockhill.

[jackh707]

VW's about £10k more than I was looking at, but does look tasty.

Cheers, pics will be appreciated.

[George29]

jackh707 said:

VW's about £10k more than I was looking at, but does look tasty.

Cheers, pics will be appreciated.

Will be worth £10k more when you come to sell it too.

[scorcher]

Biker's Nemesis said:

Fully loaded VW Sportline Transporter.

Apparently VW are no longer taking orders for Sportline vans as they are discontinuing them. You may get a cancelled order or a 'stock' van if anyone has one.


http://www.swissvans.com/ are highly regarded and get very good reviews on the VW forums.

[james239]

Front wheel in a chock then tied down over the bars (R&G sell a strap that goes across the bars and protects the paint, but I'm sure a lot of people will tell you just use ratchets and a towel for protection). I stick the rear on a paddock stand too, just cause it fits and I've gotta take it anyway, then tie swingarm to each rear corner. Bike then can't move forwards, backwards or sideways.

Van should have d-rings in each corner to use as tie down points.

I was after a sportline but it was over budget. I've got a 2006 1.9 Transporter, apparently remapped to 130bhp (it was originally the lowest of the lows they offer at 88bhp). Sportline spoiler and Caravelle front bumper, lowered on sportline springs and currently on some 18 inch alloys but looking to stick something bigger (Range Rover Sport 20s, maybe), looks just as good as a sportline (imo) and they ain't bad on fuel considering they're as aerodynamic as a brick.

They are pricey, but whatever you buy you'll wish it was a transporter and it will be worth a whole lot less when you come to sell.

[CAPP0]

jackh707 said:

Looking at brand news vans run through business that would double up for a bike van at weekend. What does everyone use?

Mainly for trackday usage and going to beach for kitesurfing.

Eyeing up new ford transit custom SWB? is 1.4m of height and 2.5m length big enough for a sportsbike?

How do you secure them in the van?

Cheers

My mate who races has just got a new Transit, I've seen if but not sure what spec. He has the roll-in chocks in the back and it rakes his ZX10 - I *think* it rakes two side by side.

[jackh707]

Thread update:

VW Transporter T5.1 ordered. SWB 140, should have it within 14 days.

Any pics/advice on how to stick a motorbike in the back, and how to get one in?

[bass gt3]

jackh707 said:

Thread update:

VW Transporter T5.1 ordered. SWB 140, should have it within 14 days.

Any pics/advice on how to stick a motorbike in the back, and how to get one in?

Get yourself one of these and a ramp, then strap the bike down to the anchor points in the corners...
And it might seem obvious, but push the bike in, DON'T run it up the ramp under power. Once the front wheel is in the van, the rear will spit the ramp out backwards leaving you with a bike half in the van and resting on it's bellypan. And you looking an arse.

Edited by bass gt3 on Sunday 30th November 15:08

[jackh707]

nice one, that looks like a good set up, and I'll be honest hadn't thought about the pushing it in thing.

[bass gt3]

jackh707 said:

nice one, that looks like a good set up, and I'll be honest hadn't thought about the pushing it in thing.

Seen it so many times. Start the bike, pop it into 1st and walk it up the ramp with a bit of clutch control. All goes hunky dory while the bike has both wheels on the ramp, but as the front goes into the van, the bike looses a bit of momentum, so a bit of gas and let the clutch out to get a bit of drive. Except now the rear wheel just spits the ramp out backwards as there's not a lot of weight on it and they're generally not clipped or pegged in place. Now you're stuck half in/half out and unless you have help at hand, the only way is back out, by which time you may have broken the belly pan or worse. The front wheel chock is great at holding the bike upright allowing you to strap it down. When it comes time to take the bike out, rock it side to side to break the front tyres grip on the chock and out it comes.

[old No 1]

I use the 1st gear and walk it up method and I use a small ratchet strap to tie the ramp to the tow bar so the obvious doesn't happen.

Use a piece of wood under the stand and leave in gear or use a paddock stand and a front chock so it won't slide forward under braking

[Wedg1e]

Biker's Nemesis said:

Fully loaded VW Sportline Transporter.

...when you have more money than sense.

[Biker's Nemesis]

Wedg1e said:

Biker's Nemesis said:

Fully loaded VW Sportline Transporter.

...when you have more money than sense.

[ChrisS1]

I transported a bike in my T5 recently and found the easiest way of securing was to lean it against side of the van then ratchet strap over fork yolks to compress suspension and hold it against the side of the van.
In gear and if you want to be doubly sure an elastic band over the brake lever holding the brake on.

[thatdude]

Care when fixing the bike down with straps - forks under greater compression (being compressed down from the ties) put prolonged pressure on the seals. Just go enough that it's secure but try not to compress much more than it would when your sat on it

[Harvey mush man]

Anything high top will save you from the pain in the ass of climbing over bikes to strap them in. We had a LWB Sprinter that was ideal. A look around the budget end of any race paddock will show you what's good, rather than what just looks good. We found a couple of tennis balls cut in half and dangled from the roof on a length of string make are ideal for protecting the sides of the van from the bar ends and a stash of old pillows are ideal for wedging into gaps to help stop tuff getting scratched.

[Deisel Weisel]

old No 1 said:

I use the 1st gear and walk it up method and I use a small ratchet strap to tie the ramp to the tow bar so the obvious doesn't happen.

This. Anyone with any common sense secures the ramp to the van. I used 2 nails through the end of the ramp which fitted into the vans door latch holes. If you're by yourself it's a lot easier to power a bike up the ramp, while walking at the side.