Modern Vespa

The 26-footer will be here at noon today, and then I'll have until Sunday to load it all, including the GTS.

It is going to be a low-riding UHaul, with a long ramp, so it won't be that steep, just long (and a bit over 2' wide).

Would you walk it up, pushing it?
Would you walk it up, with motor support?
Would you ride it up?

I'm thinking of riding it up (and the neighbor will have to take pictures, of course).

Inside, I'll tie it to a side wall. There is no way to strap it like you would on a trailer--no tie downs on the metal floor. I'll cushion it with stiff foam and wrap it in blankets, so it should be fine.

I think it is the right thing to stand it on the center stand, so it won't bounce on its own suspension, as the truck goes over uneven roads, thus chafing away on the contact points with whateve is near to it. I think it will go in last, hopefully with nothing close to it (the truck should be big enough to allow for that).

Any constructive thoughts or good advice? I would appreciate it.

Push it up. Without the engine running! The cast I wore for 6 weeks is proof enough that loading a scooter while running is a very stupid thing to do, indeed.

If you park at the bottom of an incline, the ramp won't be very high off the ground anyway. Good luck with the loading and with the move.

Box trucks are rough because of the deck height. You'll likely need a couple buddies to do it with the engine off. I've ridden up box truck ramps before, but it's not the greatest or safest thing to do, although I would say it's a lot better than pushing up with throttle assist!

As far as tying it down, the BEST thing to do is get a crate! Call your local Vespa dealer and ask when they will be getting their next GTS/GTV/Super shipped to them and tell them you'd like the crate. They'll be glad to be rid of it, and you'll be able to ship the bike with the least damage. I've seen so many bikes transported in the worst ways, like on the centerstands, lying on their sides, leaning against truck cabs, etc. It's definitely worth the time to do it right!

Call me crazy!! I moved with the 26er. Drove that GTS up and down 2 times. First time up was way crazy. Last time down was way fun. Tied the scoot down on the end. Secured it with the Canyon Dancer 2 and strapped down the rear. Too much stuff in the tuck to strap the scoot towards the front.

Crate it! Even something as simple as a strap rubbing against your legshield for 100 miles is going to cause damage.

The top of the ramp will not necessarily be even with the floor of the truck. When I did mine, it was like jumping a curb. There was about 6 inches between the ramp and the truck floor.

I pulled mine up by the bars, walking backwards up the ramp.

Once in the truck, do not set it on the stand. The stand is not meant to take the up/down load. Instead, tie it down like you would in the back of a pickup truck. A canyon dancer helps with this. If you tie it down properly, there will be no up/down or left/right motion. You don't need to tie it to the floor, the wall rails should work. Otherwise, you might be able to buy or build a wheel chock you can tie down to.

Search for threads about tiedowns.

Movers put mine in the back of the truck after everything else was loaded. They tied it down with ratchet ties and it arrived in perfect condition. Doing it yourself, I guess you'd just need to make sure everything was very secure.

Not on the centerstand! Let your scooters suspension absorb the bumps, not its frame.

Don't put it on the center stand. One problem I see with P200E's is that the center stand can ruin your floor board if the nuts/bolts are not tight. They loosen up and should be looked at every service. I switched to nylon nuts to see if this will help. I also read that when tying down a motorcycle you should push on the shocks about half way down to put some tension on the tie downs.

I own a moving company, so here's what we do if you don't have crate, to load it up, get someone to help you push it up, walk next to the scooter as you go up and someone behind the scooter. if you are loading by yourself, do it with the help of the engine, it will help you with the weight.

The way you want to strap the scooter down, is at the back end of the truck, put it on the stand and stap it to the wall, with the handlebars facing away from the wall, make sure the scooter is all padded between the wall and the straps, use 2 straps, one around the neck and the other around the rear rack and under the front of the seat.

By placing it on the stand, it will not allow the scooter to move around so much and rub on anything, if you get a chance pick up some moving blankets from the truck rental or Home Depot. Good Luck!

Thank you for the helpful tips here.

Adventurous as I am, I would consider riding it up. So, the question goes to Baudler: did you pick up some speed before you hit the ramp, or did you start right at the ramp, to avoid the jolt?

There appears to be contradicting opinion on centerstand or not. While the centerstand would give stability and prevent moving up and down of the scooter, I understand the stress this continuous stress from impact can't be good (I'll be driving about 650 miles, but basically all of it freeway).
So, I'll go without centerstand but I will pre-tension the springs by going to the tightest setting.

There is no time to even call a dealer for a crate. They are closed on Sunday, and I am leaving Monday. I'm about half way done loading, the rest will go in on Sunday, and there will be plenty room for the GTS to sit without anything getting close. I was hoping I could get it tied more towards the middle, and I might (least whipping), but I may not be able to load around it safely. I do have plenty of pads and cushions.

I'll let you know after Tuesday how it went. Thanks again all for the constructive help.

Did the same from Tucson to Miami, then Miami to L.A. Here's how I did it.

1) Make sure the ramp is even with the lip/floor of the truck and ride it up. You can use the edge (there's enough room) on 1 side to put your foot down if you have to. It's not challenging at all. Your bike will have enough power to get you up the ramp, easy.

2) Put it on 1 side or the other, not in the middle. in other words, lodge it where the truck makes the 90 degree angle (passenger or driver side).

3) Use blankets to buffer against the side and front of the truck

4) Tie down the front wheel straight and buttting against the front.

5) Tie down the bar behind the seat to the side of the truck.

7) Tie down the rear wheel to the side of the truck, using a different anchor point.

When you tie down, make sure your straps are locked against the screws of the wood/metal beams of the truck so the bike down move backward.

When done, drive the truck around the block and tighten the slack the straps WILL have and the end of your test.

Have a safe move. When you get there.

1) unstrap the bike.

2) Pivot the bike using the center stand.

3) Drive it down.

Another thing, If you can, leave the gas tank @1/4 or less.

I would not have much gas if any in it. Just a thought.

Thanks, Silent Edge,

That's very helpful too. Unfortunately, my truck has an aluminum floor, so I can't screw in any anchors for tying down the wheels. I do have two side rails to tie things onto, but the lowest is too high to secure the wheels.

I was thinking of using the lower one to strap/ratchet down the scooter along the wall.

Thanks for confirming that riding up and down is no big deal. Oh, and I hope to have some time left tomorrow to reduce the fuel from 3/4 to 1/4. That should even be fun

I rode mine up the ramp. Way too lazy to try and push or pull a GTS up a ramp. Its and all or nothing deal. You have to have the speed high enough to make it to the top or you'll lose it. This doesn't mean that you have to hit it at ramming speed but make sure you are at a nice speed and if you feel like it's slowing down giver more gas. Never, ever, ever let off of the gas while on the ramp.

A little speed before the bump. The bump will jar you some what, but fear not you can do it. Don't look to the side, look forward and you will be up faster than you know it. I wish I took pictures of the strapping job. Good luck. And on the trip, make sure you stop the first 50 miles and check your straps.

I would think the speed you may need to ride up the ramp would need to be tempered by the stopping distance before you hit whatever is stored in the truck.

I'd push it up into the truck, just to be safe. I know it sounds more adventurous to ride it in, but if you have a slight mishap, it may be difficult finding a scooter painter in Utah to match that nice color!

I would save your adventures for the gymkhana course, and not ride your scooter into the moving van (and I've done some pretty nutty things on my bike, most of which I wouldn't dream of posting here) Get a buddy to help push it up the ramp-you on one side, your buddy on the other-both of you holding the grab rails and covering the brakes with the motor off. It'll take less than a minute. My daughter and I do this all the time when loading my scooter onto my trailer and it works fine. Piece of cake.

I agree with MJ in that, if at all possible, crate it, or at the very least try to get your hands on a wheel chock. You could even slap one together yourself if you're handy with hand-tools. But if that's not an option I really don't have much constructive advice. I use cycle-cinch tie downs (similar to canyon dancers). I torque the front down until the shock is compressed about halfway. I wouldn't consider putting it on the center stand. The thought of your scooter unsecured in a van makes me nervous... I wouldn't do it but that's just me.

Before I got my trailer, I rented a u-haul several times. If your scooter falls over and gets damaged inside the trailer u-haul does not cover that-something to keep in mind.

It is not necessary to drain your gas tank.

Good luck.

I have to agree with the crating idea. I've moved twice in the last few years and even with a number of straps and blankets your bike is going to shift and move around quite a bit. Over doing it is your best bet.

Also, push it up the ramp with a couple of friends. It's the freakin scariest ten foot ride you'll ever take.

[quote="MJ"]Crate it! Even something as simple as a strap rubbing against your legshield for 100 miles is going to cause damage.[/quote]

Speed isn't necessary. If you ride it up the ramp, the important thing to do is to favor one side and plan on leaning to that side, and you won't have a problem. That means this: ride the scoot up up the right side of the ramp with the left foot down. Do not under any circumstance have the weight of the scooter totally balanced vertically. Doing so means that you will have a reasonable chance of leaning accidentally to the right...where you will not have any footing. You will fall and it will be messy and expensive. Instead, lean just slightly to the left. And keep the weight biased to the left, even after you push off with the left foot. *Always* know which side of the scoot you will lean. Ride up the ramp in a slow and controlled manner.

Personally, if there are people there to help you, I would walk it up like emcosa says. But it's important that anyone helping you be aware of your need to keep the lean biased to one side. I often see people fighting each other as the bike goes up a ramp. Again, to keep your footing, keep the scooter on one side of the ramp to provide you room for your feet on the ramp. One guy steering and covering the brake, another behind to push and keep the balance just slightly to the left of vertical. If there's a third, s/he can be on the ground to the right side, with his/her hands giving the lightest of support in case the bike leans the wrong way.

Emcosa's recommendation to keep the stand down, pads between the wall and the scoot, and tied to the wall is how I would do it. I'd tie the stand to the front wheel too, to make sure it stays deployed.

It's a little late for your benefit, but I have built simple shipping rigs using 2 x 12 lumber, a wheel chock and 4 surface mount tie down rings.



The longitudinal 2 x 12 should be about 2 feet longer than the scoot wheel base, and the outriggers about 5 feet wide. Mount the longitudinal board on top of the outriggers. For heavy scooters, and peace of mind, a third outrigger in the middle of the two shown doesn't hurt.

Secure the scoot to the rig much as you would if it were a truck bed. Place the outrigger against the side of the truck and use tie down straps between the scoot and truck cargo rails as shown to provide fore & aft restraint.

The key is be sure the longitudinal 2 x 12 is very securely fastened to the outriggers so that it doesn't pull free and the scoot tips over. The tie downs to the handle bars and rear will minimize the chance of this if tightened evenly.

Al

I think Drew's suggestion is a great one but at this point it is too late to find a crate. I usually walk along side the ramp and giving the bike some throttle while walking the bike up the ramp. If this is a moving truck them most of the ramps are lower these days so this should be very easy. If you have a big buddy in the local area I am sure he would be happy to help if he knew what time you were doing this? Yes, I am suggesting you let me know so I can help.

I have some of Nyle's bar ends that can help you tie down your bike that I took off shortly after I bought them and you can have them or use tem for the trip if you want. I also would not suggest a center stand and to remove as much gas as you can during the trip. In all honesty I think you will have enought freight/boxes that this scooter is not going to get into any trouble. Most damage comes from trailers not being cubed. (a little known fact)

I give it to the nay-sayers--it was not adventurous at all.

The GTS rode straight up into the UHaul without a hitch.

I tied it off the front wheel to pull forward while the handlebar was turned and locked to the left, effectively wedging it against the wall. In the back, I tied it off the rack to pull down, into the suspension, and also against the wall.

I used a firm foam pad as cushion for the cowl; the fairing did not need a cushion, because the right handle pushed against the wooden railing inside the truck.

The only mishap was that the foam padding slipped down and left an inch-long battle scar on the plastic panel under the cowl--a scar that I will proudly wear.

I walked it back down, rear first, with Salima's and the brake's help. I had forgotten about the center stand pivot, and it was too tight inside the truck for the GTS to turn around.

So, we are now finally in Utah, the two Vespas have met and are already flirting.

[Quite contrary to the Vespa's 75 mpg, the 26 footer only got 5.9]

Well you went 647 miles door to door and used up 110 gals if you only avreaged 5.9 mpg. The average cost of gas in the West is 3.568 which brings the total cost of gas around $391.27. That puts you carbon footprint higher than most.

Glad you got there safely.

Thanks for pointing out the carbon footprint thing--I am glad that since 91.48% of all of my driving so far has been Vespa, a one-time UHaul carbon abuse is still not putting me where too many cagers unlightly tread daily.

I am liking it here.

My PX puked out about 300 miles from home. I rented a U Haul to get it back. I rolled it up the ramp by myself. You can do it if you need to. However an extra person would be great. I placed it in the middle of the truck (left to right) with the front wheel blocked against the front of the cargo area. I strapped it using four straps. I did not drain the gas. Nor did I tell the U Haul people that I was hauling a scooter. When I first called them, I told them what I was doing and they said no way. They would not rent to me. So I called back and did not mention the scooter.
All went well. I checked on it when I stopped for gas. No problems.

Good luck.

I moved 2 vintage scooters, and a Polaris Victory V92C from Washington to Calif. I used the base pallets from the bikes, and tied the bars down to the pallets at either side. Perfect. Any dealer should be tickled to give you a pallet from a scooter. Put the pallet in the truck, push, ride, or nurture the scooter up, lift it onto the pallet, straps...go!

Best wishes.

...

I'm not talking WOT up the ramp, just a constant speed. I think it's kinda dangerous pushing one up a ramp. I had to have my old GTS towed to the dealer and the tow truck driver wanted me to push it up the ramp. two of us push up it up the ramp and it was slow, heavy and our footing was iffy at best. A nice gentle speed and you're right in the back of the truck and with plenty of room to stop. I was using a 10ft truck. Just my opinion though.

If you put it in alone, using the engine and walking it in will work. I've had to do this for ones at events that get loaded, but BEWARE it is a very tricky balance of power.
If you have a dealer near by, and I know you must , get a crate and the cardboard for it. It will help keep the scooter protected when on the center stand. Blankets can shift and that can cause wear marks and such.

Or maybe rent out Curts toy trailer and use that?