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Motorcycle Broke Down? A New Jersey Rider's Guide to Getting It Towed
Get yourself and the bike off the pavement first, then call for a flatbed with a wheel chock, because a motorcycle should never be towed on a wheel-lift or in a sling. If you were in a crash, call 911 before anything else and do not ride the bike again until it has been checked.
Motorcycle Towing in New Jersey: the short version
Rider safety first: off the road, behind a barrier if there is one, helmet off only once you are clear of traffic.
A motorcycle should travel upright on a flatbed in a wheel chock, strapped with soft loops, never dragged or hung.
Many bike problems, like a dead battery or an empty tank, can be fixed at the roadside without a tow.
Tell the dispatcher the make and model, whether the bike is upright, and whether it rolls.
The price is a flat number quoted on the phone before the truck rolls.
What to do right now: motorcycle towing step by step
7 steps, in order, from the moment the car stops to the moment it is safe or on the truck.
Step 1: Get off the road
If the bike still rolls, push it onto the shoulder, a parking lot or a side street. If it will not move, leave it and get yourself to a safe spot away from traffic.
Step 2: Call 911 if there was a crash
Any crash with injuries, a bike in a travel lane or leaking fuel goes to 911. Adrenaline hides injuries; let a medic check you before you decide you are fine.
Step 3: Make yourself and the bike visible
Turn on the hazards if the bike has them. Keep your high-visibility gear on. At night, stand where headlights will not catch you by surprise.
Step 4: Check whether it is a roadside fix
A bike that cranks slowly or clicks may need a jump. One that sputtered and died may be out of fuel. A loose chain or a flat may or may not be fixable on the spot.
Step 5: Call with the right details
Call (908) 444-0129 with your location, the make and model, whether the bike is upright, whether it rolls and steers, and where you want it to go. Ask for a flatbed with a wheel chock and get the flat price.
Step 6: Secure your gear
Take the key, documents and anything in the saddlebags or top box you need tonight. Note any loose parts so they can travel with the bike.
Step 7: Watch the loading
The bike should be rolled or winched onto the deck, the front wheel locked in a chock, and soft straps placed on the frame or triple tree, not on painted parts or the bars.
At step one or step six, the call is the same.
Call nowDo's and don'ts for motorcycle towing
What helps and what makes it worse, from the drivers who do this every day.
Do
✓ Do push the bike off the pavement only if you can do it safely.
✓ Do ask specifically for a flatbed with a motorcycle wheel chock.
✓ Do tell the dispatcher about fairings, low exhausts, saddlebags or a trike setup.
✓ Do photograph the bike from both sides before it is loaded.
✓ Do keep the ignition key; a bike with locked steering is harder to load.
✓ Do ask if you can ride in the truck with the bike; one passenger usually can.
Don't
✗ Don't let anyone tow a motorcycle with a wheel-lift, a sling or a rope.
✗ Don't try to pick up a heavy bike alone on a slope or a shoulder.
✗ Don't ride a bike that went down until the brakes, bars and tires have been checked.
✗ Don't let straps go over the tank, the fairing or the handlebars.
✗ Don't leave the bike on a highway shoulder overnight.
Not sure which applies to you? Ask the dispatcher.
Call nowCommon reasons New Jersey drivers need motorcycle towing
The situations behind most motorcycle towing calls we take.
Dead batteries after the winter
Bikes that sat in a cold garage all winter often have weak batteries in the spring. A jump start may get you riding, but a battery that is truly finished means a tow to the shop.
Running out of fuel
Small tanks and long rides add up fast. If the bike sputtered and died with no warning, it is probably fuel; fuel delivery gets you to a station.
Flats and tire damage
Potholes and road debris hit bikes harder than cars. A plug can sometimes get you home slowly; a sidewall cut or a bent rim means a tow.
Chain and drive problems
A thrown or broken chain, a failed clutch cable or a belt problem stops the bike but usually leaves it rolling, which makes loading easy.
Low-speed drops and crashes
A tip-over in a parking lot or a slide on a wet curve can bend a lever, a peg or the bars. If you crashed with another vehicle, see the accident towing guide for the steps after the scene.
Whatever the cause, the truck is the same call away.
Call nowWhich service you actually need
Pick the right truck the first time and you save a second trip.
Tow or roadside fix
If the battery is low, the tank is empty or a simple fix will get you home, a roadside call is quicker and cheaper. If the engine will not run, the tire is ruined or the bike went down hard, you need the tow. See roadside assistance for what can be done on the spot.
Upright chock or full flatbed for a three-wheeler
Two-wheelers ride in a wheel chock. Trikes and three-wheel bikes load more like a small car, strapped at the wheels or frame. Tell the dispatcher which you have.
To the shop now or home first
If your dealer or mechanic is open, go straight there. If it is late or a weekend, a tow home lets you choose the shop later and move the bike when it suits you.
What changes the price of motorcycle towing
The price is quoted on the phone before the truck rolls; these are the things that move it.
A motorcycle tow is a hook fee plus loaded mileage from where the bike is to where you want it. We quote it as a flat price on the phone before the truck rolls. The distance to the shop or your garage is the main variable.
Extra work belongs in the quote. A bike on its side in a ditch needs to be righted and recovered before it can be loaded; a bike with locked steering or a flat may need a dolly. Mention these on the call. The time of day, the weekend and the rain do not change our price.
Get the exact number for your car and your destination.
Call nowMotorcycle Towing on New Jersey roads: what is different here
Roads, rules and weather that change how motorcycle towing works in North and Central Jersey.
Turnpike and Parkway breakdowns
On the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway, the Turnpike Authority's authorized garages serve the shoulder. Book with us anyway, and our flatbed with the wheel chock takes the bike from the exit or the garage's lot.
Riding season and weather
New Jersey riding season brings summer thunderstorms and cold spring and fall mornings. Wet leaves and sand at intersections cause many low-speed drops, and a sudden storm is a good reason to stop and wait rather than push on.
Garages and city decks
Bikes parked in decks in Jersey City, Hoboken or Newark usually have to be walked or dollied to the entrance for loading. Give the dispatcher the garage name and level.
How we handle a motorcycle towing call, start to finish
Call, quote, truck, done: four steps, and you know the price before the first one ends.
Dispatch
You call (908) 444-0129. A dispatcher asks where you are (street and cross street, or the exit), what the vehicle is, what happened and where it should go, then quotes a flat price.
Arrival
Once you approve the quote, the nearest truck leaves Linden or wherever it is working. Drive time depends on distance and traffic; the dispatcher gives you a real window, and the driver calls when close.
Work
The driver checks the vehicle, does the job the way it was quoted and, for a tow, takes the vehicle to the place you chose, not one we pick for you.
Payment
You pay the quoted price: cash, credit or debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. No membership is needed.
That is the whole process. It starts with the call.
Call nowMotorcycle Towing in New Jersey's biggest towns, and every county we cover
Every town we serve has its own motorcycle towing page; the largest are below, and each county hub lists the rest.
- Motorcycle Towing in Newark
- Motorcycle Towing in Jersey City
- Motorcycle Towing in Paterson
- Motorcycle Towing in Elizabeth
- Motorcycle Towing in Edison
- Motorcycle Towing in Woodbridge
- Motorcycle Towing in Clifton
- Motorcycle Towing in Bayonne
- Motorcycle Towing in Passaic
- Motorcycle Towing in East Orange
- Motorcycle Towing in Union City
- Motorcycle Towing in Franklin Township
- Motorcycle Towing in Middletown
- Motorcycle Towing in Old Bridge
- Motorcycle Towing in North Bergen
- Motorcycle Towing in Irvington
- Motorcycle Towing in Union
- Motorcycle Towing in Piscataway
- Motorcycle Towing in Hoboken
- Motorcycle Towing in Parsippany
- Motorcycle Towing in Perth Amboy
- Motorcycle Towing in New Brunswick
- Motorcycle Towing in Wayne
- Motorcycle Towing in Plainfield
- Towing in Union County
- Towing in Middlesex County
- Towing in Essex County
- Towing in Hudson County
- Towing in Somerset County
- Towing in Morris County
- Towing in Monmouth County
- Towing in Bergen County
- Towing in Passaic County
Do not see your town? If it is within 45 minutes of Linden, we cover it.
Call (908) 444-0129Motorcycle Towing service pageMotorcycle Towing questions, answered
Straight answers to what drivers ask us about motorcycle towing.
Should I try to pick up my bike after it falls?
Only if you are uninjured, it is light enough and you are off the road. Use your legs, not your back, and get help with a heavy bike. Otherwise let the tow driver do it.
Is it safe to ride my bike after a minor drop?
Check the levers, bars, pegs, mirrors and tires, and look for leaking fluid. If anything is bent or the bike handles oddly, tow it rather than ride it.
Where should I wait for the truck?
Off the road and away from the bike if it is near traffic. Behind a guardrail is best. Keep your high-visibility gear on.
What should I take off the bike before it is towed?
Your key, documents, phone, and anything in the saddlebags or top box you need. Remove a tank bag or a loose phone mount so the straps sit cleanly.
Can you move a bike for a storage or dealer trip?
Yes. A planned move is booked for a time you choose and priced the same way. Use the contact page or call.
Do I need to drain fuel before a long tow?
Not for a normal tow. Close the fuel valve if your bike has one, and tell the driver about any leak.
How do I reach you?
Call (908) 444-0129 at any hour with your location, the bike's make and model and where you want it to go.
Need motorcycle towing right now? One call, truck on the way.
Real dispatcher, 24 hours a day. Quoted price before we roll.