Things You Should Keep In Mind Before Getting Your Motorcycle Towed

When we talk about towing, most of us automatically think about towing a car or a larger vehicle such as a jeep or a SUV. Many people don’t know that motorcycles are also often towed especially during the riding season.

Some bikers get into accidents while others find themselves facing technical issues. In events like these, the bike has to be towed to the rider’s house or to a mechanic.

Similar to car towing, there are several technicalities involved when it comes to towing a bike. Some people even say that bikes are at more risk of damage since they are more delicate and are supported by two tires instead of four.

With riding season just around the corner, many people are preparing themselves and their vehicles for long rides. In addition to helmets, elbow pads, knee pads and other safety equipment, it is also important for you to familiarize yourself with the towing process and keep a towing company’s number handy.

In case you have to get your bike towed, there are a few things you should be familiar with. This blog post lists all the important aspects of getting your bike towed.

Required Equipment

Whether you are riding an ATV, a heavy bike or a cruising bike, towing it will require certain specialized equipment to ensure that the bike is safely docked. Not docking the bike properly or carelessly moving it up the ramp can lead to further damage. The equipment needed to safely load and dock your bike include:

Ramp

Carrying the bike or loading it onto the truck via ropes is a very bad idea. There is a high probability that during the inefficient loading, the bike will fall and will endure more damage. In addition to this, the ropes can lead to further breakages, cracks and scratches on the bike. With the help of a ramp, you can ensure that there won’t be any slip-ups. Some companies also tend to use wooden planks to load the vehicle. Since the planks are not specifically designed for loading, they can break in between loading and cause major damage to the vehicle.

Adequate straps

One of the most essential pieces of equipment to properly tow a bike is straps. Your towing company should use high quality straps that can hold down the motorcycle firmly, keeping it from moving. Some companies use bungee cords or regular ropes. However, these are inefficient at securing the motorcycle completely and leave room for movement that can cause damage to its paintwork.

Chocks

The safest way to tow your motorcycle is by hiring a trailer with pre-fitted chocks. However, if the trailer doesn’t have chocks, you can always ask the company to bring portable chocks to place them in front and behind the tires to prevent the motorcycle from moving back and forth. They help reduce the stress on the straps and keep the bike steady on the trailer.

Bikes Endure More Damage Than Cars

You should always keep in mind that it’s much easier for a bike to fall than any other vehicle with four or more wheels. Hence, while towing a motorcycle, there are many other factors that have to be kept in mind.

If you are not hurt and were not in an accident, you should join the trailer driver to ensure that the speed is appropriate and it will not lead to your motorcycle falling from the trailer.

 

No matter how properly you secure the motorcycle to the trailer, there will still be some amount of movement left. Hence, the speed of the towing vehicle should be adjusted such that the motorcycle doesn’t move a lot.

Do You Really Need A Motorcycle Towing Service?

If you are in the middle of nowhere and your motorcycle stops suddenly, you must call for a towing service. There may be a nice passerby that may offer you help but without adequate equipment, having them tow your vehicle might cause more damage to it.

Keep in mind that not all towing services offer motorcycle towing, so having a company that you can contact that is available all the time is crucial.