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Snowdens Secret posted:One of my Dutch stepbrothers uses a Sprinter to haul his racebike around. It has more than enough room to carry the bike, tires and tools and still have plenty of room up forward to camp in at the track. If I remember right his was pretty nice inside, too, but in the US we only get the commercial versions so they'll be pretty plain. I don't personally think a full sized pickup is easier to drive or more practical, based on having driven most of them as rentals - unless maybe you haul loose gravel in the bed for work or something? A swb hitop with a diseasel should beat 30 mpg and they have parking sensors these days. Also a great choice if you have kids or dogs or like board sports/cycling. Granted his inlaws may not know where to place him on the socioeconomic scale if he drives a van, but being a biker it's not something I would care about were I in his position.
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Oct 1, 2012 11:31
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Ola posted:It's fine. Just like reptiles, cold blooded bikes vary in temperature with their surroundings. hmm, that's a point... it does look slightly reptilian. And it does seem to move slowly and awkwardly and appear disoriented on cold autumn mornings... oh no wait, that's the rider.
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Oct 1, 2012 11:43
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Snowdens Secret posted:One of my Dutch stepbrothers uses a Sprinter to haul his racebike around.
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Oct 1, 2012 14:46
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Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester posted:Best thing I've ever seen for hauling bikes was a Sprinter. The low ride height tall cab enclosed van is ideal. Second best would be a small bike-specific trailer behind any convenient car. Third is a pickup, because their beds are so high, it's a significantly bigger pain to load heavy objects up there, even with ramps. Two goons agree Ganjamon, it has to be a German rape van.
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Oct 1, 2012 16:15
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Nah.
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Oct 1, 2012 16:19
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Nah. 
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Oct 1, 2012 16:45
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I don't even know what the hell this is supposed to be good for.
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Oct 1, 2012 17:11
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Towing the Goldwing triples his luggage capacity
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Oct 1, 2012 17:13
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Nidhg00670000 posted:I don't even know what the hell this is supposed to be good for. Surely an attachment for towing the car behind the 'Wing would be more effective and useful?
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Oct 1, 2012 17:16
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Ponies ate my Bagel posted:I've put 2 bikes in the back of my ranger before, it's not fun but it can be done. I do this routinely. Helps to have a long box and tiny bikes though I suppose.  @Ganjamon: I could do 2 sport bikes in the back of my long box Ranger no problem with a small investment in some wheel chocks and tie-down anchors for the box. As it stands, 2 small enduros are fine with the factory stock tie-down anchors but if the bikes were any heavier I would change up the routine for better security. clutchpuck fucked around with this message at 17:56 on Oct 1, 2012 |
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Oct 1, 2012 17:44
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Thanks everyone! German rape van aficionados: While I would love to join your club I don't really like vans all that much. Trailer: Don't have any room to store one or I would consider this route. Not likely to have anywhere to store one in the foreseeable future. I also want something with 4WD for going down to the beach/camping/light offroading as well, and a pickup just fits the bill better for me. Plus I think easier to fit child seats in the back of a dual cab then in a commercial style van. So far looks like I will be taking a tape measure to the dealership to check out the dual cab/short bed Tacoma and access cab/standard also. That said I am going to go check out other manufacturers full size trucks as there are some pretty good incentives going on right now. Thanks for all the advice. edit - plus I live in Texas and trucks are socially acceptable here.
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Oct 1, 2012 19:15
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My friend has some Pirelli Sport Demons that are 5 years old (mfd. in 2007), but unused. They've probably been stored in his garage. They will fit my Ninja 250... do I want them? My understanding is that tires have a shelf life of about 6 years. My bike looks to actually have the original tires on it at the moment (the bike is a 2007).
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Oct 1, 2012 19:16
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Hog Obituary posted:My friend has some Pirelli Sport Demons that are 5 years old (mfd. in 2007), but unused. They've probably been stored in his garage. They will fit my Ninja 250... do I want them? If they're free take them, they cant be worse than the oem ones.
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Oct 1, 2012 19:33
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goddamnedtwisto posted:Surely an attachment for towing the car behind the 'Wing would be more effective and useful?  When not in use, the dolly folds up into the "egg".  http://www.comingthrough.se/main.php?lang=UK&page=pro
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Oct 1, 2012 19:39
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Better hope those surge brakes work (I hope those are surge brakes I see).
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Oct 1, 2012 19:42
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The dolly is permanently attached to the bike, so I guess the dolly brakes are connected to the bike's regular brakes. The web site doesn't go into specifics, just mentions a "patented braking system".
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Oct 1, 2012 19:54
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GanjamonII posted:Trailer: Don't have any room to store one or I would consider this route. Not likely to have anywhere to store one in the foreseeable future. How much space do you have? My folding (really "quick dismantling" not folding) one would fit in a decent non-Texas sized closet, as long as you don't mind rubber on your walls. Six bolts will break it down. Carries Tuonos no problem. And a crew van would be about 100x easier to get kids in and out of than a huge 4x4 (massive sliding doors, low entry height, rear bench with 3 3-point belts rather than 2 + a lap belt), but you just go ahead and be a square and miss out on that sweet, sweet 
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Oct 1, 2012 21:53
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You can still get new vehicles with 
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Oct 1, 2012 21:59
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Saga posted:How much space do you have? My folding (really "quick dismantling" not folding) one would fit in a decent non-Texas sized closet, as long as you don't mind rubber on your walls. Six bolts will break it down. Carries Tuonos no problem. I should just get a van. With a van, it's like you've got an MBA, but you've also got a loving van. You're not just a man anymore - you are a man with a van. Saga, we could be men with ven.  I have seen the folding kendon trailers but I literally do not have space to put it anywhere. I already get told off by the landlord when I leave my jeep in the driveway in front of my spot overnight (not actually blocking any one else) or when I had three bikes temporarily in my garage spot (that one I still don't understand - if I actually parked my jeep in there the neighbours wouldn't even be able to open their doors..). Plus my foreseeable future moves will probably be to some sort of apartment building and between my wife and me we have two cars and two bikes so space is always at a premium. Plus I don't think they sell vans with 4WD. I like not getting stuck in the sand/mud/whatever. Splizwarf posted:You can still get new vehicles with
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Oct 1, 2012 22:58
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Splizwarf posted:You can still get new vehicles with My recent model (early 2000's) Honda Civic has a lap belt for the center seat in the rear, very few cars with three rear seats have a shoulder belt for the center seat.
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Oct 1, 2012 23:03
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GanjamonII posted:
http://www.quigley4x4.com/ 'murrica.
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Oct 2, 2012 01:08
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See also: Delica.
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Oct 2, 2012 01:12
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GanjamonII posted:Plus I don't think they sell vans with 4WD. I like not getting stuck in the sand/mud/whatever. http://lmgtfy.com/?q=4x4+Van
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Oct 2, 2012 01:33
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Nah. 
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Oct 2, 2012 02:12
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clearly conversion kits are what I'm after! I like delicas but they're older than the vehicle I'm trying to replace.
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Oct 2, 2012 02:53
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4wd van that will cause people to shun you? Try Britain's most popular choice: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazda_Bongo#Bongo_Friendee_.281995-2005.29
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Oct 2, 2012 06:24
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Saga posted:I don't personally think a full sized pickup is easier to drive or more practical, based on having driven most of them as rentals - unless maybe you haul loose gravel in the bed for work or something? A swb hitop with a diseasel should beat 30 mpg and they have parking sensors these days. Also a great choice if you have kids or dogs or like board sports/cycling. The GM full-size vans I've driven were significantly worse handling than any truck, but they were also knackered work vans. A 'compact' pickup isn't very compact these days but it has much tidier handling and visibility than a full-size van. The highway behavior in particular, a full-size van gets shoved around by wind in ways a pickup just doesn't. Also, and this may be the deciding factor, you can find reasonably equipped reasonable-mileage used compact pickups a dime a dozen in the US, while finding a used full-size van that hasn't had the everliving hell beaten out of it will be challenging. The GM and Ford vans are almost always set up for fleets where the owner is not the operator, and it shows in the creature comforts; the Nissan and Dodge/Mercs are much nicer, but even new aren't common. All in all a full-size van (that you don't need for work) makes a lousy vehicle if it's your only car. Pickups also have disadvantages as single vehicles. My personal take is that if you're not hauling these big, bulky items pretty regularly (say, once a month) you're really better off getting something smaller, more efficient, easy to live with etc etc and just renting a truck (or van) the rare times it's needed. But if you feel you really need 4x4 capability then getting a passable truck bed is a no-brainer. Automotive Insanity > Cycle Asylum > Motorcycle Question Thread II: Less chatting and more rapevans
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Oct 2, 2012 08:32
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Stupid question time. What's the best way to get a bike up and down on a rear stand on your own? I picked one up yesterday for winter storage and realized it was kind of a pain in the rear end to get it up on the stand without someone holding the bike, but I'm pretty sure it just comes down to technique. When taking the bike off the stand I just put a foot in front of the stand's wheels and pushed the bike forward, but that made the stand bounce off the ground and scrape the swingarm, so I guess I did that wrong. 
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Oct 2, 2012 10:11
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I dunno if bought ones come with them, but on the rear stand my dad fabricated he put little bungees (the loop ones with a ball) to hook around the pegs on the bike to hold the stand in place while putting the bike up/down. You basically just step on the stand while rolling it back and viola.
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Oct 2, 2012 12:09
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Did the US get a 4x4 Eurovan? That'd hold a bike and has the low entry but while it's taller than a Quest or Caravan it isn't as absurd tall as the Sprinter.
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Oct 2, 2012 13:30
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Collateral Damage posted:Stupid question time. Do you have spools? I'm guessing not but that makes it easier. Also, you shouldn't be stopping the stand from moving. Pushing the bike forward isn't the right motion - you should be lifting up the tail of the stand and letting the bike do its thing. The bike will naturally roll forward and kick the stand out at the same time. If you can, I can't recommend adding spools enough. It makes it so much easier than dealing with the rubber swingarm mounts and it feels much more solid. Another tip is to have a block of wood under the kickstand to keep the bike a bit more vertical but still secure while you go to put it up on the stand. Eventually you'll be comfortable enough to not need this but it's nice because the first few times you put your bike up it's going to feel like it'll fall over.
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Oct 2, 2012 16:04
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Splizwarf posted:Did the US get a 4x4 Eurovan? That'd hold a bike and has the low entry but while it's taller than a Quest or Caravan it isn't as absurd tall as the Sprinter. We've got the ford transit connect now, not 4wd but it looks like it would be great for bike hauling
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Oct 2, 2012 16:19
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Collateral Damage posted:Stupid question time. I have a 600lb bike and am able to put it on the stand myself, the idea is to not pick it up rather to push it onto the stand. How I do it is grab the handlebar and under the back seat then push the center stand down. Balance it so both pegs are touching the ground then with your foot on top of the peg (on your side) bend your leg then while pulling up extend your leg (so you're lifting with your leg). The bike should then roll back onto the center stand.
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Oct 2, 2012 19:12
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I think he means a wheel stand, not a centre stand. The portable things that you put your bike on if you don't have a centre stand.
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Oct 2, 2012 19:35
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Maybe it's a matter of technique, but getting my vstrom on the center stand takes everything I've got. Once I almost got stuck in a parking lot because I used the center stand (for some reason) and it was on a slight incline. Couldn't get it off the stand without really straining and making funny faces.
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Oct 2, 2012 19:41
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Shimrod posted:I think he means a wheel stand, not a centre stand. The portable things that you put your bike on if you don't have a centre stand. Oh, well then I have no idea :P epalm posted:Maybe it's a matter of technique, but getting my vstrom on the center stand takes everything I've got. Once I almost got stuck in a parking lot because I used the center stand (for some reason) and it was on a slight incline. Couldn't get it off the stand without really straining and making funny faces. Getting it on the center stand is fairly easy once you've got it down, getting it off is something different since the force it takes to get mine down carries through. I remember seeing a video where the rider put it in gear and gave it a little gas so as soon as it hit the ground it took off, would love to be able to do that. On an incline? Well you kind screwed yourself there.
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Oct 2, 2012 19:45
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Who "picks up" a center stand? They're built into the bike. If that's what he is talking about that'd be a totally different technique however.
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Oct 2, 2012 20:04
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Half are talking about an attached center stand, the other half are talking about an axle stand/pit stand/something else.
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Oct 2, 2012 20:08
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JP Money posted:Do you have spools? I'm guessing not but that makes it easier. Also, you shouldn't be stopping the stand from moving. Pushing the bike forward isn't the right motion - you should be lifting up the tail of the stand and letting the bike do its thing. The bike will naturally roll forward and kick the stand out at the same time. Once I have the stand hooked under the bobbins (after some awkward fumbling with my foot to get it into position) and some weight on it I feel comfortable letting go because it feels steady enough. The wooden block under the side stand is a good idea, I'll try that next time. For pushing it back off the stand I was afraid that the bike would violently kick the stand backwards. I tell myself that there's enough leverage that I should be able to keep it under control with my hand, but I didn't dare trying it without someone to catch the bike if I was wrong. e: And yeah, I'm talking about a pit stand. If the bike had a center stand I wouldn't be having this problem. 
Collateral Damage fucked around with this message at 20:14 on Oct 2, 2012 |
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Oct 2, 2012 20:10
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Collateral Damage posted:Yeah I have bobbins on the swingarm and the stand has the appropriate hooks. I guess my problem is I'm not yet comfortable holding the bike just by its rear while trying to get the stand into the right spot. Throw a block of wood under the kickstand so the bike sits almost upright and you can just pick it straight up with the wheel stand, easy peasy.
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Oct 2, 2012 20:42
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