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Will A Dirt Bike Fit In The Minivan? (Should You?)

If you are a dirt bike enthusiast but don’t have a truck or have room for one then you might be wondering if any other vehicle can fit a dirt bike in it or not. If you are wanting to buy a new vehicle for your dirt bike or are wanting to get a dirt bike and need to know whether it will fit inside of your current minivan then this article is for you! 

A dirt bike will not have a problem fitting into a minivan based on the length or width but the height is where it starts to become a problem. 

The rear door of a minivan is 40” tall and inside the minivan will be 43-44 inches so most adult dirt bikes won’t fit into a minivan (since they are 45-50” tall) without being laid down or tilted which isn’t a good option. Kids dirt bikes are shorter so they should fit inside of a minivan without too much of an issue. 

As with everything there are some exceptions, some adult dirt bikes will have shorter handlebars that will allow it to fit in the back of a minivan however they will normally be too tall. 

There also might be some dirt bikes that are made for children that have really tall handlebars which would make it not fit either. 

Ultimately the easiest thing to do is pull out a tape measure and get the height of your dirt bike and see if it is under the 40-44 inches. If so then it will fit in a minivan. If it is taller than that then it won’t fit standing up and you should use either a cargo van or truck instead. 

What are the dimensions of an average minivan?

If you already have a minivan then you can just measure and compare the dimensions of the minivan with that of the dirt bike, but if you do not already have a minivan and are looking to buy one or rent one then here are some things you need to keep in mind. 

The average interior dimensions of a minivan will be virtually the same across almost all models while the usable cargo space will vary depending on if the seats are removed or folded into the floor or whether they are simply folded /slid up. If all of the seats are removed/ folded into the floor, most minivan models will have cargo space of approximately 48” wide 96” long and 43-45” high. That means there is plenty enough width and length for a dirt bike to fit easily but as mentioned earlier the height is the main problem. 

What are the dimensions of an average dirt bike?

Obviously the exact dimensions will  depend on if its an adult dirt bike, a kids dirt bike, or a custom one. An average dirt bike would have the following dimensions. 

  1. An average dirt bike has a length of 85 inches.
  2. Its width is about 32 inches.
  3. The height (from the ground to handlebars) is 48-50 inches.

It must be noted here that these dimensions are all approximated values and may vary slightly with the kind of model of dirt bike you decide to go for and of course what ages the bike is meant for as well. Dirt bikes would be about 252lbs which is pretty light if you compare it to the weight of various other two-wheelers. 

Some things to consider when putting a bike in a minivan

As mentioned throughout this article, it would not be an easy job to fit a dirt bike in a minivan unless it is extremely small and light. If you have a smaller dirt bike that will fit, here are some of the things that you need to keep in mind while you try to fit the dirt bike in. 

  1. Make sure that you have someone to help you out just in case you need a hand while loading the bike. The last thing that you will want to do is tear off the bumper if your ramp slips or if you lose control. 
  1. Measure everything before starting. Make sure that you know whether the dirt bike will fit through the backdoor completely upright or whether you will have to turn it slightly. There are 3-4 more inches of room inside a minivan than the back door opening so be sure and account for that 
  1. Now, if you are sure that the bike will fit in then you will want to either remove all of the seats or lay them flat/adjust them. This should be done before ever putting your dirt bike on the ramp or lifting it up.
  2. Before you attempt to move the bike inside the van, it is best if you remove any fluid that could be inside the bike. Any fuel or other fluids can leak in your minivan if you aren’t careful so either remove them or make sure they aren’t completely full.
  3. After you have put the bike inside the van, make sure that you put it in gear. This will not let the bike slide down backward or move around in another direction while you are traveling.

Just a bit of common sense will go a long way in making sure that neither your dirt bike or your minivan are damaged while you are moving them. In most cases you will also want to strap down the bike or put other things next to it to keep it from moving/falling over while you are driving down the road as well. 

Should you put a dirt bike in a minivan?

Now that I’ve covered when a dirt bike will or won’t fit inside of a minivan the next thing that I want you to consider is whether you SHOULD do it or not. Just because something can be done doesn’t mean that you should do it and this is honestly the case with putting a dirt bike in a minivan. 

Although smaller dirt bikes will fit in a minivan it really isn’t worth doing in most situations. This is because you risk damaging your dirt bike and minivan if you aren’t careful during the loading and unloading process. You also are very likely to get engine oil, gas, or other fluids inside of your minivan which will be difficult (if not impossible) to clean. 

For most people it’s a much better option to simply haul a small trailer with your minivan and put the dirt bike on it. That will make loading and unloading a lot easier and you don’t have to risk damaging your minivan or dirt bike. 

Knowing whether you should do something is just as important as whether it will fit or not and in this case my personal opinion is that you are better off not putting a dirt bike inside of a minivan even if it will fit.