Howdy all,

I just completed the MSF's basic rider course and am planning on buying a GS500E that I'll be getting a good deal on.  The only problem is it's 250 miles away in the Bay Area and I really don't think I'm ready to brave that sorta ride yet.  I haven't been able to find anyone willing to let me borrrow a truck for a day, and I'd prefer not to have to rent one.  My parents do have a minivan, though, so my question is:  can I (safely) load a GS500 in a minivan?

Go to a rental place, Avis, Thrifty, Hertz, or even UHaul, and rent a stripped cargo van. It's a passenger van, like a Ford C150 or something, which has 4 or 5 rows of seats with all those taken out besides the two front seats. It should fit in there nicely. I'd do a dimension check before following through, I've never done it.

i've taken my honda in a cargo van.  there was plenty of room.  had to look carefully to find good tie-down points, but it worked.
i'm guessing the GS won't fit in a minivan.  it's 81.9" long and 32.3" wide.  take a tape measure to your parents' van just to be sure, but i don't think it'll work.

cheers,
will

I was trying to fit a gs5 into a grand caravan and it wouldn't fit.  I rented a uhaul trailer for $14.... (designed for a motorcycle.)

$14 you say?  Well....I guess I can go without food for a couple of weeks  

It will fit in all minivans, provided that the seats are removed, and the mirrors are removed from the bike(not the van).

Dimensions: about 6-1/2' long, about 4' high(4.5' with mirrors)  and 2' - 3' feet wide.

Quote from: DomIt will fit in all minivans, provided that the seats are removed, and the mirrors are removed from the bike(not the van).

Dimensions: about 6-1/2' long, about 4' high(4.5' with mirrors)  and 2' - 3' feet wide.

I tried and no luck... maybe other minivans will apply.

Also keep in mind... limited places to tie down.  And the potential gasish small


trailer would be best imo.  That way there is no way it won't fit.

DONT FORGET TIE DOWNS (like I did...)

I don't have anything against the idea of a trailer, its just that I don't have a vehicle with a hitch (I know they have temporary ones, but don't know how much they cost or how long they take to install).  I'll have my dad take some measurements and see if it'll work out.

Quote from: PneumaticPantherI don't have anything against the idea of a trailer, its just that I don't have a vehicle with a hitch (I know they have temporary ones, but don't know how much they cost or how long they take to install).  I'll have my dad take some measurements and see if it'll work out.

it would fit inside the grand carvan... my problem was the opening of the door was like 9 inches shorter than the inside (if that makes sense....) be sure to measure the opening... not the inside


good luck!

I see what you're saying.  I'm fairly confident that if the motorcycle will fit inside, I'll find a way to get it inside.

Why not just go rent a pickup truck for a day or two.  You can probably get the GS in the Van (tight) - but getting it strapped in securely will probably be difficult. And Do you really want to have to fix the vans interior (not to mention maybe parts of the bike) if it doesn't stay put  when you're hauling it?

I'd call around about a pickup truck rental .Any small pickup will do the job- just needs to have tie-downs in the front of the bed (close to the bottom inside of the bed).  You strap the bike down on each triple clamp right at the handlebar and cinch it down  (the bike centered in the bed).  Compress the forks as you strap it down (Not all the way down but a good bit of the way down..). Leave it in gear (I even leave the sidestand down).  

With the bike centered and strapped down evenly in the center of the bed- the bike wont move...  I've transported quite a few bikes this way and never had a problem.

Here's a quick search result I did...

http://motorcycles.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.motorcyclebeginners.com/transport.htm

I have transported my GS in the back of my Astro van. Take the seats out, drop a small chunk of 4 x 4 behind the front seats to act as a wheel chock, and use the seat anchors in the floor as tie down points.

I do take the mirrors off the GS.

its seriously cheap for a small uhaul box truck. its like 19 bucks a day.

Quote from: Greg GabisI have transported my GS in the back of my Astro van. Take the seats out, drop a small chunk of 4 x 4 behind the front seats to act as a wheel chock, and use the seat anchors in the floor as tie down points.

I do take the mirrors off the GS.

Ditto, and I thought the Astro was the smallest of 'em all, but then I started remembering all the others, mea culpa  , like that old slant-nosed Toyota and the Mazdas, Luminas, etc.  Ok, so it will fit in an Astro, and it will definitely fit in an Aerostar.  

I think a good rule of thumb is if you can fit a sheet of 4x8 plywood standing between the front seats, then your gs will fit.

Quote from: weaselnozeits seriously cheap for a small uhaul box truck. its like 19 bucks a day.

19 bucks + .40 a mile. That adds up quick if you figure in a 500 mile round trip.
A word to the wise about renting: get a cargo van with unlimited mileage. I rented a truck to p/u my GS. It was a Ram 2500 with the quad cab. The GS would not fit in the bed lengthwise. So that commercial is BS.  I have rented several vans from Enterprise. They are low to the ground for easy loading, and pretty fuel efficient because they run 6 bangers.  There arte multiple places inside to anchor tie downs.
Good luck !

Just bring a ton of rope and some blankets, then tie it to one side of the van and floss the rope either thru the windows, or run them both front and back thru the drivers side door and the rear door.  Use a trucker's hitch to cinch it to the driver's side wall.  Woiks like a charm!

The minivan can have a hitch receiver installed and then get the trailer... FWIW, GS should fit in a minivan...
BTW There was a 13 year old girl driving one the other day in my neighborhood, drinking coffee and talking on the cell phone and beating her kids and feeding her dog as she tried to fit me and the GS in it ... at 40 mph... good driver that girl... Then the cop that showed up, accidentally stomped on my head and stomach as I was bleeding to death, and gave me a ticket for littering, and when she got out of her minivan and saw my blood and screamed he said I am a threat to her and shoved a restraining order in my mouth that I was just using to breathe through and proceeded to pet her dog and help her with the groceries and the kids halloween costumes .... nice helpful cops around here ...
Cool.
Srinath.

Quote from: seshadri_srinathBTW There was a 13 year old girl driving one the other day in my neighborhood, drinking coffee and talking on the cell phone and beating her kids and feeding her dog as she tried to fit me and the GS in it ... at 40 mph... good driver that girl... Then the cop that showed up, accidentally stomped on my head and stomach as I was bleeding to death, and gave me a ticket for littering, and when she got out of her minivan and saw my blood and screamed he said I am a threat to her and shoved a restraining order in my mouth that I was just using to breathe through and proceeded to pet her dog and help her with the groceries and the kids halloween costumes .... nice helpful cops around here ...
Cool.
Srinath.

Either you live in the most messed up town ever or you've got a really odd sense of humor....I hope it's the latter.

Anyway, I was wondering if someone could take a tape to their favorite GS500E (pre-2001) and tell me what the height of the handlebars (without mirrors) is.  My pop took some measurements of our minivan today, and he said the only problem would be the height.  The specs on the gstwin page say 42.5", which would be difficult or impossible to get through the opening.  I think (hope) that that measurement includes the mirrors though.

Charlotte is supposed to have a lot of money ... like we have no idea where they got it all from, a large number of airheads - 45 in education whooooooo we beat South carolina and Missisippi, some very very ineffectual cops, quite a few bad drivers ... though they blame South carolina and other state drivers for all that and some arcane laws against motorcycles. So add it all up and its likely...
Cool.
Srinath.

Quote from: DomIt will fit in all minivans, provided that the seats are removed, and the mirrors are removed from the bike(not the van).

Dimensions: about 6-1/2' long, about 4' high(4.5' with mirrors)  and 2' - 3' feet wide.

um, exactly to the top of the gauges is 40-13/16" on the kickstand.  you also have the bars to contend with which, if need be, can be lowered for your purpose.  The height of my handlebars is 46".  If you bring a 6mm allen wrench the bars will rotate below the height of the gauges.