Possible to transport two bikes in a Minivan?

This is going to be one of the God-awfullest summers in meteorologic history of Switzerland. Me and my girlfriend planned several times to go on holiday riding our beauties, but it always pissed cats

So I want to buy a car for daily use, going to work, going shopping etc.
But it should be big enough to occasionally carry two Ducatis. My GFs Monster 1200S and my Pani.

During the last weeks I checked the 2nd hand market. Benz Vito/Viano is extremly expensive and a really rude car, as well as VW T5. And I really hate the option politics of german car makers... so freaking complicated and you never get a second hand car with the minimum required.

Maximal height should be 2m, length under 5m (otherwise I cant park in the garage or in town). What do you think of the Toyota Sienna? Seems to be a practial minivan and the numbers say that it would be possible to transport two bikes....

Did anyone ever tried to transport bikes in a minivan? Toyota, Honda or Nissan?

BTW no Pickup. First you wont find any good one in Europe and secondly your bikes would be stolen immediately.

I am interested in this as well. My wife just traded her SUV so we have no option to pull a trailer anymore. We are considering a truck since they are so prevalent here, especially in the South. However, I prefer the idea of having the bikes covered whether rain or shine.

A minivan for two 400 lbs bikes seems like wishful thinking to me... sure they probably fit, though getting them in and out without any headroom or additional space to maneuver your body would leave you frustrated and winded if you eventually got them in. I suppose you could remove the rear seating and fix some chocks to the floor, but 800 lbs of bike* plus gear without the passengers is a lot of weight for something built for carting mom and a crew of 8 yr olds to football practice.

*even if you do have an SL

Still interested in responses, though.

Believe me, the Monster is really a monster in terms of weight
(but the riding position is so low that even my GF with 1.54m can handle it perfectly)

From the standpoint of weight it should be possible, As you wrote my biggest concerns are headroom, maneuverability and probably strapping points. But on the other hand we want to do this 2 or 3 times per year: So it does not really have to be superpractical, it should just work. Driving down 10hrs to Spain, take out the bikes and drive along the coast.... drinking red wine afterwards... enjoy life

Ford Transit too big and ugly?

Oh, max height 2 meters...

Transported My Softail In My Minivan To Pinstriper - Harley Davidson Forums

Check out this link. Full dress Harley in a Chrysler minivan. Looks like plenty of room left.

2 motorcycles inside a van.






Nissan NV high roof.

A small inclosed trailer would be a good idea IMO, when you don't use it you can unhook it and it won't be in your way, we even store our trackbikes in it between outings.

fireman1251 said:

A small inclosed trailer would be a good idea IMO, when you don't use it you can unhook it and it won't be in your way, we even store our trackbikes in it between outings.

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For only a few times a year and doesn't have to be super practical, I would go this route as well or go for the nissan pictured above.

Dunno....one time I tried transporting a GSXR 600 in a Nissan Quest and it didn't wanna fit unless I took the screen and front fairing off......

Forst Transit connect works for me, but only one bike and it has to go in slightly angled so I can only fit one

White13Pani said:

Forst Transit connect works for me, but only one bike and it has to go in slightly angled so I can only fit one

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Short wheel base / 5 passenger? I saw that there was a LWB available as well...

If the LWB fit two bikes, then the price point would likely work for me. Though the I4 would likely be working pretty hard as you hit the hills.

I once met a guy who showed up at the track from out if state in a Honda Odyssey with a Suzuki SV650 and a GSXR600 in the back.
He had rigged up some wheel chocks and tie down points on some lumber that was layed behind the front seats.
The wind screen had to be removed from the SV because of the height but the GSXR fit as is.
I thought it was a great set up. But I also owned the same generation of minivan. It was a 2004.

Good luck.

Sure, for two rash covered used WERA race bikes, for track days.

But my experience is that it's going to bang up your bikes loading them into close tight spaces when you're tired. Even a fullsize van is a PITA. Truck bed, truck with box, van with box, or trailer are the easiest to live with IMO.

Enclosed trailer with Drings bolted to frame. I usually back into a parking spot and hop the curb at hotels. Trailer in the grass, truck in the parking spot. That way I'm not taking up 5 or 6 spots in a busy lot and getting keyed by people from CT. Hotels don't seem to mind their grass getting parked on. But I keep my bike in my trucks bed, the trailer is for everything else.

But for me, locking tailgate, chains through frame of truck and bike wheels, in the bed of a pickup, alarmed disk locks, etc. Always worked for me. If they get through all that, I still have insurance. In much of the US, an enclosed trailer is easier to steal bikes out of than the bed of a pickup.

I love the guys with race stickers on a utility trailer. Haha. Fools. Try camoflageing your trailer. Put "Billys Frog Farm" stickers on it or something. Not a big sticker that says "Race bikes behind this flimsy plywood door, they're not even locked down!" Maybe "Joes cloth diaper cleaning and delivery Inc." No ones busting into a trailer with that sticker.

Oh, and a lawn care sticker is exactly what you don't want for camo. I know our utility race trailers look identical to lawn care trailers so it's an easy way to fool people as to what's inside, but lawn care companies are mostly shady people with records. And those tools are pricey. Nothing gets broken into more often than a lawn care utility trailer. Bonus if it's 2 Ducati's inside, instead of lawnmowers and weed wackers.

So an unlabled trailer, that's mistaken for a lawncare trailer,.....is toast.

My works electrical utility trailers never get molested. Because our logo is clearly on the side of the trailer. And it's boring, with no indication of anything nice inside. No ones made the connection that there's a ton of copper inside yet.

PS: If you go camping, you can sleep right next to your truck in a tent. No worries about theft then. Most thugs target malls and hotels, not campgrounds. Good rainproof tent and sleeping bags/pads, and you can have an open trailer or truck bed and no worries.

PSS: People traveling with toyhauler trailers, never park them out of site loaded. They always camp with them. Toyhaulers are easy targets.

Another option: Let the wife sleep in the Hotel, while you sleep in the trailer with the bikes. Stinks, but works. There's been a few times where when we traveled as a large group, we had someone sleep with the bikes, in the trailer or truck, and just come up for a shower in the morning.

I have a BMW transporter and 2 bikes fit fine .

wilkson said:

I have a BMW transporter and 2 bikes fit fine .

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BMW transporter?!? Never seen, never heard of

Intrigued as well...the only BMW transporter that I know of, is this one:

Gecko said:

BMW transporter?!? Never seen, never heard of

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Sorry VW transporter . Late night

Finally, my GF and I pulled the trigger, a 2013 VW T5, 145 PS, a bit higher, slide doors on both sides, all mounting stuff and ramp for the bikes included. Plus some funny boxes inside (some of you connoisseurs might recognize them ).
First launch will be in January, we want to drive 1200 miles to Almeria/Spain.
There's enough room in the van for 3 Panigales.

Okay, not excately a mini van

Yiiipeeee!

Gecko,

We used to rip on those vans in Italy & Germany while i was in the Army...The one like yours I recall, transported quite a few loaded weapons racks and was still rocking 75-80mph on the autobahn/autostrada.