Bike in Luton van with tail lift

[P675]

Sorry this seems like a dumb question to ask but I know nothing about these.

Would the the average 15 year old clapped out Luton van with a tail lift be able to lift a 1000cc sports bike in and out with ease? Would the lift be wide enough that you can get the bike inside without too much precarious faffery once lifted? I know a low loader would be miles better but they also cost a lot more.



Thanks all!

[Jazoli]

Yes basically done it plenty of times, easier with 2 people.

[P675]

Did you have to do any tipping on the side stand, lifting wheels up or 1000 point turns?

[sociopath]

A doddle, had 3*1000cc bikes in a transit on the way to Cadwell once (the third was the challenge, had to go in backwards)

[Matt_E_Mulsion]

Securing it down in the back of the body could potentially be more of an issue.

[Glade]

[KTMsm]

Dead easy but depending on your situation you may well be better off hiring a much smaller normal van and buying / borrowing a ramp

[P675]

I've got this idea for a camper you see, so I can take the bike to some interesting far away roads and stay overnight. A tall Luton seems like a better base than a usual transit or sprinter. Its only in the 'does this make sense at all' stage at the moment.

[KTMsm]

P675 said:

I've got this idea for a camper you see, so I can take the bike to some interesting far away roads and stay overnight. A tall Luton seems like a better base than a usual transit or sprinter. Its only in the 'does this make sense at all' stage at the moment.

I've considered it too but a Luton drives substantially worse than a normal van with worse mpg too

I was looking at the low floor options but as you say they are more expensive. I came to the conclusion that there is a reason why everyone uses a crafter or sprinter

Obviously if you are intending to carry multiple bikes and need the extra space you may draw a different conclusion

[NITO]

I bought an Iveco Daily for this and a couple of lightweight folding aluminium ramps...it works great for bikes up to about 250kg, anymore than that would want a heavier duty ramp like this or if you're lacking in confidence then a beefier ramp helps;
https://www.theramppeople.co.uk/the-extra-wide-mot...





The plan was to fit three foldable/removable seats in the cargo area, open up the bulkhead a bit and fluff it up inside with insulation carpet to the ply sides etc and maybe that spray on bed liner to the floor. My friend did just that with his Transit, though he fitted a vinyl lino to the floor however it does tear etc if not careful so not as rugged. We fitted a Rhino winch to his also;




Needless to say the Iveco is pretty cavernous inside.

Edited by NITO on Friday 9th December 10:45

[KTMsm]

I considered:







But decided something like this would be more practical

[Krikkit]

Ex-ambulance would be a good one if the lift is long enough

[spoodler]

Having moved lots of bikes in vans, I've found larger bikes to be a right faff on tail lifts... worse still on fork lifts, but that's another story!
Normal vans can be easier, with less lifting/turning etc. If you are only loading one bike, two ramps (one for the bike and one for walking up) is the way to go. A lot of folk make the mistake of only using the one ramp for the bike, you then end up trying to push the last few feet as the bike lifts away from you, and you need to climb up on the bumper, or whatever, to keep pace.
As someone else said, make sure you've somewhere to ratchet it down.

[NITO]

spoodler said:

If you are only loading one bike, two ramps (one for the bike and one for walking up) is the way to go. A lot of folk make the mistake of only using the one ramp for the bike, you then end up trying to push the last few feet as the bike lifts away from you, and you need to climb up on the bumper, or whatever, to keep pace.
As someone else said, make sure you've somewhere to ratchet it down.

Exactly. This is what I do. You could also use a wide enough ramp like the one linked above that you could ride up. I usually use 2 ramps and walk the bike up gently with the engine running, in first gear, on the clutch only rather than lots of people heaving and pushing in different directions. If the bike isn't a runner then it would be much harder, a winch would help. To walk it down the ramp, again I use first gear and clutch with the engine off to control the speed of 'descent', this way, if it starts gathering speed you just let the clutch out to let the engine compression slow it down to a progressive or sudden stop as required. Obviously there are risks with this loading technique such as if it's wet or you slip it could go horribly wrong, or if you're not very controlled, particularly with the engine running.

But it's the safest way I've found on a balance. backing it down on the clutch is much safer than using the front brake as there is no weight on the front wheel and a heavy bike could easily lock the front wheel and slide. Walking up on the engine means you have complete control, whereas when mates step in to help push they can completely throw out the balance of the bike making your job much harder. Just make sure also that the sidestand is up for both operations!!

I just had to offload a Goldwing the other day, fortunately my friend had a full width ramp, so I sat on it and backed it up on the clutch which is preferable to trying to walk down alongside such a heavy bike! My own Caponord (250kg) is on the limit with the 2 ramp approach and a bit uncomfortable to be honest, particularly as the weight is up high, sportsbikes are a breeze.

Wheel chocks are also quite useful as are ratchet straps, handlebar and rear tyre tie downs also, though of course you need lashing points for these. I also lash the front wheel chock, like this...



and you can just about see the handlebar ones here;

Edited by NITO on Friday 9th December 13:32

[A500leroy]

Look for an old wheelchair access van/mpv and grab a tent.

[Bodo]

https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anzeige/vw-t4-...

[NITO]

Bodo said:

https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anzeige/vw-t4-...

I was massively tempted with one of these, aren't they called a Razorback or something?

There are some really cool custom ones too. How reliable is the mechanism?

Edit:
https://www.carandclassic.com/car/C1488580

[Bodo]

Might as well convert it with an electric shutter, and use it as a mobile bike garage

[Mr Squarekins]

Krikkit said:

Ex-ambulance would be a good one if the lift is long enough

it'd be good for getting through the traffic too!