Strapping a bike down in a van?

[.....]

Bit of a simple question here -

How do you go about strapping a bike down in a van?

It looks likely that I'm going to need to hire a transit and go and collect a bike. Where do I put the straps etc, and how do you protect the paintwork?

Cheers
Joe

[.....]

[White Noise]

put the bike on its side stand in the centre of the van, put it in gear and maybe some cable ties around the front brake just to make sure. then get 4 tie down straps and attach two at the pillon pegs at the back and to the rear corners of the van, at the front you can put 2 tie downs round the front wheel but make sure they are tight with the wheel at a angle so it is pulling the bike onto the side stand
how ever you do it, give it a big wobble test before you set of, another way is to get a old mattress against a wall of the van and strap the bike to the wall against the mattress
WN
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Buy my wife: 96' Yam XJ600s (Diversion)
Wing Commander White Noise - SE Clique
Riding Tip #86: See God, then back off a bit: Problem is i haven't seen god yet, just a close up of tarmac on revett straight

[Davo]

I've just tied two straps to each corner of the bike. Usually one to each rear footpeg hanger for the rear, the front ones tied to the front forks.

Most of the transit vans I've used have been equipped with the necessary tie down points.

Joe, give us a shout I've got a box trailer at my disposal, give us a shout I'll come give you a hand shifting a bike.

[.....]

Cheers guys

Davo, cheers for the offer but I don't have a car to tow the trailer so it looks like the transit is the only option

They're only £35 for a day

[tatters]

you need to make that the bike can not move in any direction while in the van, when l pick up bikes l run rope across the seat to mounts on each side of the van and attached rope around the yoke and frame also again going to points on each side of the van so its held still if the van rocks in ethier direction.

really depends on the bike, just make sure nothing rubs against the fairing.
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Past:NRG50,AF1125(x2),NSR125RR,ZZR250,CX500,VFR400,KR1S,ZZR600(x2),CB400N,YZF1000(x2),KH125,Z200,FX400R,CBR954RR(x2)GPZ500S,GT550,VFR750F(x2),RD350N,XR650R,CBR600F,CB250,KDX250,YZF750R,CRM250,400EXC,KLR650,TTR600RE,DR350S,R100GSPD,RGV250,VMAX1200,DL650,KZ750 Present:G650XC,C12,CRF450X,1190ADV

[Davo]

[Rookie]

If you're planning on making it a regular occurrence, R&G do some bitching straps which go round the handlebars and have ratchets. Those, tied properly and some rope through the back wheel and you'd be sorted.

[dodsi]

when we transported my ER-5 too essex and bandit back from reading we put the bike on the side stand at the side of the van.

Front brake cable tied on and in gear.

then we put some bedding between the bike and the van side and used straps to go around the bikes strong parts and too the side of the van.

Solid as a rock.

[Gazdaman]

ER5 delivered to within a mile of my house!

Hope you liked Chelmsford.

When I had my XJ on the back of a recovery truck he put a ratchet strap through the top yoke and really ratchet'd it down, compressing the suspension. Another over the seat compressing the rear.

But then the bikes front wheel was wedged in this big thing. But I agree with what the other guys have said.

I'd strap it onto the side stand, wheel pointing into the side stand, with it ratchet'd to the side of the van. A matress can't hurt if you can find an old one.

Gaz

[Barker-CBR 600]

In this case, more straps the better.

If you cant get hold of a bike trailer, then get as many straps as you can and make sure the thing doesnt have a wobble before you go.

A person in the back is good, but they are only as stable as the legs they stand on and in a moving van they might have trouble if things go tits up.

Just strap everything you can (long as its solid!) to the van and you'll be fine.

Compressing the suspension when fixing (get a fat friend to push down on it) is a good idea i found on a trailer so should be good in a van, since it forces back against the straps and tightens up the whole thing.

Proper straps are the thing you need, with adjustable tension (i.e you can wind up the tension or something similar) although i seen it done with tow rope which worked well... but i wouldnt recommend it

[btw mate - in your sig.

You got tiptoe THOUGH life, not tiptoe THROUGH life. missin an R']
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Previous - Gilera DNA50 / XVS125 Dragstar/Honda CBR 600F/GSF 650 Bandit
Current - 2013 Suzuki VZ800 Intruder
'Is this a rhetorical question?'

[G]

In a van I only ever tie my down with two straps pretty much - but rarely care about paintwork etc on mine if the worst did happne (though never had a prob yet and I've done it a few times ).

I connect the wo straps to the handle bars or yolks, I have the front wheel wedged against something and the brake tied on with a spare end of a strap. Ideally I tie down, but tieing up a bit, but still forwards still compression the suspenion as pulling the bike forward does this.

If I wanted extra safety I would probably stick straps on the back of the subframe if possible, if not anywhere else possible, for instance further forward on the subframe, or the pegs etc.

On a trailer I would also put one over the seat 'just in case' - this has saved a bike from jumping off on the motorway in the past!

[Mongrel]

[ZRX61]

Tying the bike down while it's on the side stand is the WORSE way to do. Try to think...

[Gazdaman]

It's all very well disagreeing, but what's a better way?

On the centre stand you have a higher centre of gravity, easier for it to go over. On paddock stands, same thing only worse.

Sidestand is a nice stable triangle. It can't fall away from the sidestand because it's tied that way. Can't fall towards the sidestand, because there's a sidestand.

can't rock forwards and therefore off the stand because the front brake is on and it's in gear.

Seems fairly sound to me.

Gaz

[ZRX61]

Ya don't need to put it on either the side stand or the center stand. The bike will be held in place by the straps.
One around each fork leg to the floor near the sides of the van & one aound the rear wheel & tied to both sides of the van on the floor to stop the rear moving side to side. (or 2 to the grab rails on the sides)
As it's a *rental* just temporarily screw a bit of 2x4 to stop it moving fore & aft.

If the bike is on the side stand then every bump ya hit is gonna stress the frame where the stand bolts on. Good way to crack the frame tho...

If ya go with 2 straps to the grab rails just angle em back to stop the bike moving forwards, the ones at the front wil stop it moving aft.

[Rookie]

Do you go offroading in the van?

[ZRX61]

[G]

[Ant]

four ratchet straps, one from each corner, the new transits have the hooks in as standard! and it doesnt even need to be in gear!
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04 ZX10R ~

[NSR-Rulez]

i picked my NSR up in the same way, what i did was when i loaded the bike into the van i put it in the corner with the front and back wheels against the back and side walls. (on its side stand)

Then i tied the front brake on so it didnt move anywhere, next i used rachet straps to go over the seat twice, (take a cover to cover the seat and to protect the paintwork), basicaly the rachet straps were as follows

2 over the seat
1 through the front wheel
1 through the back wheel

transits generally have rachet strap locks in the corners and sides of the vans so should be easy to strap down.

i also put it in gear,

I hope this helps you Joe


NSR-Rulez
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Past: 1985 Suzuki GS 125 + 2002 Honda NSR 125 R-2 + Ford Fusion
Present: Honda CBR 600 RR-5 + Suzuki SV650S-K4 + Mitsubishi FTO GPX

[Mongrel]

I'm with the 'not on a stand' brigade myself.

If it's properly strapped in an upright position, OFF the stand then there is still a little shock absorption if needed through the tyres, on the stand there is one very small, solid impact point as part of a triangle.

With proper bar straps up front and a common Halfords tie down ratchet on the back end, I tend to use the back wheel, I've never had the bike so much as move an inch, and that includes a full on, screeching, smoking tyred, emergency stop from motorway speeds ( I shy away from spinning cars in the road ahead )