Topic: Moving with bike, advice sought

[Skonnie Boy]

Wanting to pick people's brains about the best way to transport my bike.  I'm renting a 16' truck from Budget, and am fairly certain I won't be able to drill anything into the floor of the truck, as far as supports or chocks go.  With appropriate tie-downs, should I be OK with putting the bike on the center stand?  Or would this be too much stress on the center stand weld mounts?  Am open to other options, though purchasing a trailer is likely out of the question.  Any advice appreciated.

[Uncle Ernie]

I got hold of a wood pallet in good condition (free btw),  screwed a MC chock up front in the middle, and a big-ass eye hook on each end towards the front.  Using the kind that go in a pre-drilled hole with a nut on the other side is easiest.  Roll the bike up on the pallet, wheel in chock, and use tie-downs as if it was in a pick-up.  Bob's your uncle.

Very hard braking or turnng will cause the whole thing to shift some, so surrounding the whole thing with sofas and chairs is good.  Or you can just drive like a sane person.

[Skonnie Boy]

Sounds like a fine idea.  Might use the palette and/or secure the bike the sides of the truck, if there's anywhere to do so.  The most frustrating thing is that Budget truck rental apparently no longer employs humans, rather used the the person on their payroll to record the VM you hear when you call ANY of their numbers.  No one can tell me anything about the truck I'm renting.  If the truck had a wood deck, I'd just screw some 2X4's around the wheels and be done with it.  If its a metal deck, well, then Uncle Ernie's idea is a go.

Sorry, ranting, I know.  Just stressed and trying to move.  Thanks for the tip.

[andy750]

Dont do as I did....transported by CB750K4 from Boston to New Jersey for shipping to the UK...I rented a cargo van (since it was cheap) and with the help of a friend rolled the bike backwards up an old door that I found in the basesment -just enough room to get it on the center stand. I then strapped it down using ratchet straps to the side of the flimsy van walls. Off I went...within 5 miles of the house I got a speeding ticket!! 50mph in a 35 mph  .....then it was 200 miles down the highway...with only one real worrying incident when I had to brake suddenly and the bike/straps all pushed forward and slide all over the place...lucky it didnt come through the windscreen!!

Anyway...get to the dock on a Saturday morning...its empty except for the shipping company secretary who had agreed to meet me on a Saturday...she was about 5`2 and slim build...there was only her and me...and we had to roll the bike out of the cargo van (deck about 3 ft off the ground), down the old creaky wooden door and onto the ground....I pushed the bike forward from the van and she was going to catch it/hold it/ do something with it....except the bike lurched forward off the door and was heading for a nose-dive but I managed to recover in a heart-stopping moment...somehow I did get the bike down the door (which snapped on the way down!)....and onto level ground...relief!   

Anyway would never recommend doing this...Ernies plan is a good one for sure! Better yet ride the bike!! 

cheers
Andy

 

[rbmgf7]

if it has tie down achor strips along the sides (i know you don't know yet but it would be silly if a moving van didn't have one), push the bike 'til the front wheel hits the front of the cabin, put it in gear, centerstand it, ratchet strap each side of the handlebar to the wall, and use one ratchet strap to loop the rear wheel. try and angle the front ratchet strap hooks toward the rear and rear toward the front.

if you have access to a mitre saw, a drill, and 2x4's, you could make a frame on the floor of the cabin stretching from the bike to the walls to keep it from shifting around side-to-side. if you don't have a saw, lowes will cut for free with purchase of lumber.

[Skonnie Boy]

Oh, yes, I plan to drive that truck like a half blind grandmother.  Very slow, in other words.

Interesting idea, rbmggf7.  If I get you correctly, it would be a rudimentary "I" shaped frame with the top and bottom of the "I" fitting width-wise from one side of the cargo deck to the other.  Two 2X4's could hold the wheel in place, lengthwise, with a few short pieces attached in front and back of the tires to keep them further in place.  Sounds do-able, with the help of my friends (and their tools).

Check, andy750.  I will totally avoid using an old door as a ramp, or have pygmy women help me unload it.  Heh.

[CBGhia]

When I moved to Cali (and back) I loaded my ducati in the back of the uhaul.  There are tie down rails at 2 diffrent levels all around the truck.  i had no rear fender on the ducati so this was really easy.  Back it up so that the tire is pushed in the corner.  then use ratchet straps along the sides to brace it.   The front tire can turn on you, but the back tire doesn't.  You may be able to remove the rear fender and seat easier than building a frame/brace thing. 

[Skonnie Boy]

Also an interesting thought.  I suppose if one wheel doesn't move, its unlikely the other will.  Excited would be the wrong word, but it will be interesting to see what sort of anchor points the truck has.

[boatsdickson]

As a few others have stated, braced in the corner with straps works well. When I was younger and working for uhaul, I rode my k8 to where a truck was located, loaded my scooter in the back and drove the truck home. My bike has never had a center stand so I put the front tire in the front left corner of the box while on the side stand and scooted the ass end towards the left till the seat edge rested on the wall also. Only had 1 jersey strap so it went through the frame to the rail on the truck wall. The bike had a real reliable resting position with contact of the front wheel, left bar end, side stand, and side of the seat. I drove all roads at all speeds and never had a problem with this setup so if you could improve it at all youll be that much better off than I was at the time.

1 hindsight warning though..... The first time I did this I turned my bike around in the truck and rode it out and down the ramp. 4-1 headers WILL bottom out at the top of the ramp and damn near stop the ride right there.

On the lighter side? If youve never heard a 750 with a 4-1 canister without baffles rumbling inside an 8x10 uhaul truck box, you havent heard nothin yet. It was quite the head turner.     Good luck with whatever you come up with and have a safe move.

[UnCrash]

I hauled my Yamaha 650 Special to Maine from Philly in the back of my 3/4 ton cargo van without any trouble.

There were a couple of anchor points on each side of the van.  I tied up each of the front forks and the rear grab rail using a good 3/8" rope with a technique we used on the farm to sinch down the haybales on a pickup truck.

Here's what I did:

Tie the fork fast with a slippable buntline hitch ---> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buntline_hitch#Slipped_variation
One foot from the fork, tie a simple overhand loop ----> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overhand_loop
Take the open end and wrap it around a secure wall fitting, eye grommet, or horizontal rail often found in moving vehicles
This open end is then threaded back through the eye of the overhand loop and used then to sinch up that side of the bike.  I tie this off with a simple overhand knot with slip loop ---> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overhand_knot_with_draw-loop

This allowed me to tie the bike off to 4 corners and individually sinch them all up.  I put the bike in gear and tied the front brake closed.

500 miles without a hiccup.  The bike didn't budge one bit.

Best of luck with your move.

[fuzzybutt]

I got hold of a wood pallet in good condition (free btw),  screwed a MC chock up front in the middle, and a big-ass eye hook on each end towards the front.  Using the kind that go in a pre-drilled hole with a nut on the other side is easiest.  Roll the bike up on the pallet, wheel in chock, and use tie-downs as if it was in a pick-up.  Bob's your uncle.

Very hard braking or turnng will cause the whole thing to shift some, so surrounding the whole thing with sofas and chairs is good.  Or you can just drive like a sane person.

its what i did, strapped it to a pallet which i nailed to the floor

[nickjtc]

she was about 5`2 and slim build...there was only her and me...

Off topic I know, but I was having yet another Andy + hot biker chick deja vue moment.

[seaweb11]

I'm surprised no one asked...why not ride it and get a friend to drive the Van

Have a good move

[mrbreeze]

I hauled my old Kawi 1000 from Cali to Wyo (1100 miles) in the bed of a 69 Chevy truck. No center stand so I put the front wheel into the front of the bed and used rope to pull it towards the front of the bed. I also had a block under the side stand so the bike sat level and then put a locking strap over the seat across the bed. Hell...I coulda rolled the truck and the bike probably would of stayed put.
12 years later.....We put my Honda 750 in the back of a little single axle UHaul that my son pulled from Wyo to Las Vegas (750 miles) and then from there to Calif. (another 500 miles). It was towards the left side of the rear of the trailer and on it's centerstand. Everything I could fit into that trailer went....Auto tools,furniture,clothes,etc. The bike was braced and cusioned,.....I was sweating it a little (my son likes to drive fast) but we checked on it a few times and it rode well.
I was just thinking.......there have been other posts here about trasporting bikes long distance and I think its a good thing to be concerned about. I have always found (so far!!!!) that you usually worry more ahead of time and usually...things work out better than anticipated. It doesn't hurt to plan ahead and be ready for the worst!!.......Anyhow...good luck with your move!!!

[martino1972]

am i the only one that thinks you should just ride it to your new home..

[tramp]

i like the idea of riding it there
however i would not use the center stand
use the kick stand
it's more of a three point stance when you tie it down

[andy750]

am i the only one that thinks you should just ride it to your new home..

+1


Nick - 

cheers
Andy

[Skonnie Boy]

am i the only one that thinks you should just ride it to your new home..

Well, I'm going to Chicago from Austin, and I'm not sure I'd trust the bike that far.  Not till I go over the oil pump and take a few practice rides of 100 miles or more.

Wow, all these techniques to try.  Maybe I'll just try each one at 100 mile intervals and rate them.

OK, I will not do that.