Does anyone know if a GS500 will fit in the back of a minivan?
Mike
I remember a thread on this floating around somewhere. I searched and couldn't find it, so I'll say the following:
GS-E or GS-F?
If it's a GS-E, figure about 42" tall and about 84" long.
Note: The height measurement assumes the mirrors have been removed, '89 model "clipons" are installed instead of handlebars, and the suspension is unloaded. The tallest part of the bike is the speedo housing.
Handlebars will probably add a few inches to that measurement, but unfortunately I can't quantify that because I don't have them! 8)
Even if you can get it into the cargo opening (the bike might be too high) I'd be worried about what you're going to use for tie-down hooks. Having a GS fall over in the back of your van won't end well for the bike or the van.
Have you got a trailer hitch? If so, think about renting a small UHaul trailer for $20 a day.
I got my bike home in the back of a 98 chevy astro mini van. Had tons of room, only had to take the mirrors off the bike. We used the spots in the floor where the seats hook in to hook the tie down straps. It worked out even better than I thought it would. IDK if you could use a van much smaller than an astro tho. The rear door opening was the only place that was kind of a tight squeeze to get it in but there's always the let some air out of the tires trick if you need a little extra room.
A dirt bike might fit in a full-size van:
http://www.filecabi.net/video/bike2van.html
but you may have trouble with a GS500 in a miniVan. I think the best way to haul it is to get a trailer and pull it -- it's what I do:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/redshift/993224d2.jpg)