[MrDNA]

Hi all,



I've read the threads on transporting these bikes in a trailer vs. a hitch rack, but I haven't seen this trick out there on the boards. Before I picked up my used 05' last Saturday, I took some basic measurements of my 2010 TW and the back opening of my 04 Nissan Quest and I realized that it was completely possible for me to get the bike home UPRIGHT in the back of this van.



Here's how:



1. Remove the mirrors

2. One screw to remove the front faring

3. Loosen the handle bars and tilt them down two inches and your TW will slide right into a Nissan Quest.



We muscled the front wheel up and lifted the rear when we loaded the the 05' to take it home. Tied it off to the seat latches built into the van and drove it home 80 miles without any issues.



Today, I made a simple ramp out of a 2x8 and put an attachment point to the rear door catch so it would stay in place. After doing steps 1-3, I rolled the 2010 TW into the van and dropped the kickstand - ready to be tied down. Works like a charm!

TW in a 2004 Nissan Quest.





Happy trails,



Rory

 

[jonjon122]

that is definatley something i have never seen before! good thinking... when god gives you lemons make lemonade

 

[n8bone]

minivans rule!

I needed some service on the riding mower and did something similar

 

[firehose]

I had a Dodge Caravan and did the same thing with my Honda ATV Trike.

It was a little awkward, but it did the job.

 

[jeepster09]

Hopefully it's anchored, would hate to see it go flying.....

How did you tie it down?

 

[admiral]

Busyweb did a similar thing in his Astro Van and added a winch for extra degree of difficulty. The wench idea is pretty good for even a pickup truck due to its heidth.



Here is his thread with video and photographic evidence.



http://tw200forum.com/index.php?/topic/376-load-motorcycle-into-the-astro-van/page__p__2854__hl__busyweb__fromsearch__1#entry2854

 

[Rohnsman]

The wench idea is pretty good for even a pickup truck due to its heidth.

I've always though a "wench" would be a good idea too, (but my wife wouldn't let me get one! --

) Guess I'd have to settle for a "winch."

 

[admiral]

Oops, sorry ladies. I meant "winch".

Thanks truelight, I was thinking slower than my fingers!

 

[MrDNA]

Hopefully it's anchored, would hate to see it go flying.....

How did you tie it down?

I was worried about it too. There are a bunch of tie off points that are normally used to latch the middle and rear seats. We put a little pressure on the front and rear suspension to hold it down and another strap to stop any forward action. No motion from the bike at all in over 80 miles of LA traffic.

 

[Xanthophyll]

Not having a trailer (but having a Grand Caravan) I was wondering the same thing. Came across this thread last month:



From the Archives

 

[MrDNA]

Not having a trailer (but having a Grand Caravan) I was wondering the same thing. Came across this thread last month:



From the Archives

Well, no sense beating a dead horse. The Archive thread has everything laid out pretty well

 

[Carpit]

Brought my TW home in our 2004 Honda Odyssey. Took the second row seats out and had the rear seat folded to the floor. Removed the TW's mirrors and tied it down to the latches that keep the second row seats down. Worked great.

 

[mrlmd]

To MrDNA - A suggestion - add some sideboards to that ramp by screwing 1x4 boards to the two sides to keep the wheels from running or sliding off the ramp and having a disaster. Makes it much easier and safer than just a flat board. Makes the ramp stronger and more rigid too, less likely to snap from the weight.

 

[srs713]

A decade or so ago, I had a Rebel 250 and an Astro Van. The Rebel went up into the Astro with the handlebars turned down. I strapped it down with the seat latch points. The bike took up the left side of the van and I could roll my sleeping bag out on the right side, next to the sliding door. Great camping setup.

Just have the TW and a VW now. Gonna buy a trailer soon.

 

[qwerty]

I won't sleep in the same enclosure as I park a motorcycle. Fire and hazardous inhalant issues.

 

[MrDNA]

To MrDNA - A suggestion - add some sideboards to that ramp by screwing 1x4 boards to the two sides to keep the wheels from running or sliding off the ramp and having a disaster. Makes it much easier and safer than just a flat board. Makes the ramp stronger and more rigid too, less likely to snap from the weight.

That's a scrap piece of pressure treated wood, so it's not snapping @ ,300 lb, but the side boards are a great idea. Call me a cheap bastard, but I'm not buying a Chinese made ramp for $100 bucks when I can use some readily available American grown wood. My needs are simple; the bike is light.

 

[qwerty]

Tdub ready for the ride home from Arkansas, loaded in center of trailer:

Tdub loaded off-center to make room for a complete 4-color screen print shop for the ride from Texas to North Carolina:

Carter sanding on John's dropped Ranger with an Explorer front end:

One of my Oreo cows:

Oh, look, a kitty:

 

[number356]

My TW has been the back of my GM minivan hundreds of times. I use a ratchet strap on the front axle and handlebar fold down (or remove) the mirrors and I'm good to go.



I always dig the reaction from the valet when they see a bike in rear of the van.

 

[admiral]

"Kalashnikitty"...nice. Got me a weird look from the misses on this one!



Scrolled down the screen after reading your post with the pretty kitty still showing on the screen. Turned around to catch a snippet of Army Wife's on TV the wife and girls were watching... heck, come to think about it, even the cat and dog are females. Anyway back to guns, wife turned to look, making sure I was paying attention to the TV, when all of sudden, I get "the look", with the monitor still showing...you know, the kitty!



Well, at this point the pause button is pushed on the TV with all eyes upon me to explain the "kitty situation". Girls wondering what kind of website am I really visiting? Luckily, I know what a Kalashnikov is!



Next time I'll be more careful of where I stop on the computer monitor...say maybe a TW loaded on a trailer or the back of a minivan???

 

[MrDNA]

Out did my personal best - Got TWO TW's into that 04' Quest. They aren't completely tied down yet, but you can see we got them in there easily. Once secured (way more complicated than one), we did a 90 mile trip, unloaded them and played all day, and reloaded them and drove home. No shifting around at all just using the seat brackets. The red things are foam mats that we used to put between the bikes so they wouldn't rub against each other when tied down.