Motorcycle towing done right: what riders should expect
A motorcycle should ride upright on a flatbed with the front wheel locked in a chock and soft straps on solid frame points, never slung or dragged. Ask how the bike will be secured before you agree to a tow.
The short answer
A motorcycle should ride upright on a flatbed with the front wheel locked in a chock and soft straps on solid frame points, never slung or dragged. Ask how the bike will be secured before you agree to a tow.
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Call nowWhy a bike is not a small car
A car sits on four wheels and stays put when you strap it. A motorcycle has to be held upright, kept from rolling forward or back, and kept from leaning, all without crushing the forks or scratching the paint. That takes the right equipment and someone who has done it many times. A wheel-lift or a sling puts the bike's balance in the hands of one strap, and one bump is enough to drop it.
Done right, motorcycle towing means a flatbed with a front-wheel chock, soft loops and proper ratchet straps. That is the only way we move a bike.
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Call nowHow the bike is loaded
The bed is lowered and the bike is rolled up the deck, pushed by hand if it does not run. The front wheel goes into a chock that holds it straight and keeps the bike from rolling. Soft loops go around solid points such as the lower triple tree or the handlebar risers, and ratchet straps run from the loops down and forward to the deck so the forks compress evenly. Two more straps secure the rear from both sides. Straps should touch metal or soft loops, never painted bodywork or cables.
The finished setup holds the bike upright and steady without the kickstand carrying the load. A good driver shakes the bike before the truck moves; it should move with the truck as one piece.
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Call nowQuestions to ask before the truck comes
Is it a flatbed? Does the driver bring a wheel chock? Are soft loops used on the bars or triple tree? If the answer to any of these is no, or the company offers a sling or a dolly behind a wheel-lift, find someone else. Tell the dispatcher the make and model, whether the bike runs, whether the front tire is flat, and whether it has fairings, bags or an unusual front end. Trikes, sidecar rigs and large touring bikes may need a different setup, and the driver should know in advance.
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Call nowBefore the truck arrives
Get the bike somewhere the flatbed can reach: the edge of a lot, a wide shoulder, the end of a driveway. If it is in a garage or a tight alley, say so, because the deck needs room to tilt and the bike needs a straight path up the ramp. Have the key available so the steering lock can be released and the bike can be steered while it is pushed. If the bike has a kill switch or a security system, know how to disarm it.
Remove loose items: tank bags, phone mounts that might snag a strap, and anything in an unlocked saddlebag. Take photos of the bike from both sides before loading. If it was in a crash, note what was damaged before the tow so there is no confusion later.
Riders often want to ride along. Ask the dispatcher whether there is room in the cab for you and your gear.
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Call nowCommon reasons riders call
A breakdown on a road ride. A crash, where the bike should go to the shop of the rider's choice rather than a storage yard. A dead battery after a winter in the garage, which sometimes needs only a jump. A bike bought from a private seller that needs to come home. A trip to the dealer for service. Each is the same careful load, and each is priced the same way: a flat hook fee plus a per-mile rate to the destination you choose, quoted before the truck rolls, with no night or weekend surcharge.
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Call nowAt the destination
Riders sometimes ask whether a pickup truck and a ramp would be just as good. For a short move between two garages with experienced help, it can work. On the road after a breakdown or a crash, with a bike that may not roll or steer properly and traffic passing close by, a flatbed with a fixed chock is the safer choice for both the bike and the people loading it.
Unloading is the reverse. Straps come off the rear first, then the front, with someone steadying the bike before the last strap is released. It rolls down the deck under control and onto its stand. Check the bike over before the driver leaves and ask for an itemized receipt if insurance is involved.
Call (908) 444-0129 for a quote, or read more on our motorcycle towing page and the motorcycle towing guide.
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Call nowMore on vehicle types
Keep reading, or go back to every post on the blog.
- EV towing in New Jersey: what electric car owners need to know
- Tip #26: An all-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive car belongs on a flatbed
- Tip #27: Never let anyone tow an electric car with its drive wheels on the ground
- Tip #28: Tell the dispatcher your car sits low before the truck is sent
- Tip #29: Know where your motorcycle can be strapped before it needs a tow
- Tip #30: Your car may be all-wheel drive even if it does not look like it
- Tip #31: Close and latch a convertible top before the car is towed
- Tip #76: A Tesla needs a flatbed, and the owner's manual explains its transport mode
- All posts
Questions drivers ask about this
Short answers.
Should a motorcycle ever be towed with a sling or wheel-lift?
No. A bike should ride upright on a flatbed with the front wheel in a chock and soft straps on solid frame points.
Can you tow a motorcycle that has been in a crash?
Yes. It is loaded by hand onto the flatbed and delivered to the shop or garage you choose.
Can you tow trikes and scooters?
Yes. Tell the dispatcher what you ride so the right setup comes with the truck.
Ask the dispatcher anything.
Call nowNeed towing and roadside assistance right now? One call, truck on the way.
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