Question for Harribird

[kasandrich]

Harriebird, seeing your post on the traffic light incident, and overhearing some conversation, you said you were in a hired van, and on your way back from Silverstone.

......putting 2 & 2 together, am I correct in assuming you hired a van to take you bike to the track day?

If so, it sounds like a good idea, but how did you get on with loading etc? the back of a tranny van seems a long way up to get a bike........still, its got its advantages, theres lads of room for cakes!

[harriebird]

are you sitting comfortably...then i'll begin!

yeah me and becky hired a Foxy Racing team van from Robertson's in Colchester. the van hire was £57 for the weekend (by far the cheapest we found) and fuel was £50.

check out this post for all the handy hints i was given!

http://www.bikegirl.co.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1839&PN=1

becky cunningly sourced a special ramp from a very kind man indeed. but you can buy them for about £60, they do some which have a curve which stops you scraping the bottom of the bike on the van when you get to the top of the ramp.

it took 3 people to get the bike in safely and out safely, one at the bottom, one at the top and one pushing the bike. with practice it could probably be done with 2 though!

we pushed them as far forward as they would go, right against the sides of the van, and tied them with ratchet straps round under the seat to a tie point on the side of the van. they were pretty solidly held like this but we also lashed the front wheel to another tie point, and the back wheel too, jsut for added confidence.

on the way there we also tied them to the roof of the van around the yokes to stop them bouncing around on the suspension.

you need lots of blankets/old towels jsut to go between the side of the van and the bike so things don't get scratched.

we were probably over cautious with the lashing/tying down of things but it's better that than tears and tantrums when stuff gets damaged!!

we hired a transit 350 i think, plenty of room for 2 bikes, probably would have got 3 in tbh.

[kasandrich]

Cheers Harriebird, I'm concerned about getting a big bike in the back of a van! My Fazer thou weighs a bit more than your Babyblade

[harriebird]

i don't know, my babyblade is rather heavier than he looks! 176kg!

[MickyGixer]

QUOTE - on the way there we also tied them to the roof of the van around the yokes to stop them bouncing around on the suspension


When I first read this I though feek me shes tied the Ducati to the bloody roof rack....doh...I am so stooopid!! Too much peroxide seeping through into my brain again...lolol:laugh2

[harriebird]

When I first read this I though feek me shes tied the Ducati to the bloody roof rack....doh...I am so stooopid!! Too much peroxide seeping through into my brain again...lolol:laugh2

yeah haha strength of the bear...bear...bear.....bear... haha