Motorcycle Towing in Queens, NY

Why motorcycle towing is its own specialty

A car has four contact points on the road and a structure designed to absorb load through the chassis. A motorcycle has two contact points and balances over its center of gravity — the moment it stops moving forward, it falls over without something holding it up. That single difference is why motorcycle towing isn't "tow a small car" — it's a specialized job with specialized equipment, and operators who don't have the right gear shouldn't be moving bikes.

The signs of bad motorcycle towing are easy to spot: a bike strapped onto a regular car flatbed laying on its side ("it's safer that way"), straps running across the seat or fuel tank, chains hooked through the frame triangle, the bike held upright by a passenger sitting on it during transport ("we'll just go slow"). All of those happen in NYC. The damage they cause — scratched paint, gouged fairings, bent rotors from a fall, deformed clip-ons, ripped seat leather — is preventable with a $400 wheel chock and a $30 set of soft straps.

What it costs

Motorcycle tow pricing depends on size:

• From $110 hookup for small bikes (under 500cc), scooters, mopeds, and electric bicycles plus $4 per loaded mile.
• $135 hookup for sport bikes, mid-size cruisers, naked bikes, dual-sport, and most touring bikes plus $4 per loaded mile.
• $160 hookup for full-dress touring bikes (Gold Wing, Harley Touring with tour pack and saddlebags), large adventure bikes (R 1250 GS Adventure, Pan America), and oversized customs plus $4 per loaded mile.

Long distance motorcycle transport (50+ miles) follows long-distance pricing: $4 per mile with hookup waived. A bike from Queens to Boston runs about $880 (220 miles × $4). Queens to a Pocono race weekend runs about $560.

The right way to secure a motorcycle

The wheel chock

A purpose-built motorcycle wheel chock (Pingel, Condor, BikeBlock, or equivalent) bolts to the flatbed and holds the front tire upright between two pivoting plates. The bike is rolled (or pushed) up the ramp, the front wheel slides into the chock, and the chock plates pivot to grip the tire from both sides. The bike now stands upright on its own without anyone holding it.

The chock alone isn't enough — bumps and braking forces can still rock the bike side-to-side. That's where the straps come in.

The four-strap pattern

Two soft straps from the lower triple clamp (the forged bracket below the steering stem that holds the fork tubes) down to the front corners of the flatbed. The straps compress the front suspension about an inch — enough to keep the chock loaded but not so much that the fork seals are stressed. Two more straps from the rear subframe or passenger pegs down to the rear corners of the flatbed. Total tension distributes load evenly without concentrating it anywhere.

"Soft straps" means 1-inch polyester webbing with rubber-coated cam buckles or carabiners — never bare-metal hooks that scratch paint, never ratchets that can over-tighten and bend hardware. We loop a soft strap around the tie-down point first as a buffer, then attach the cam strap to the soft strap rather than directly to the bike.

What we don't do

• Strap through the frame. Straps that run over the frame backbone scratch the paint, gouge the powder coat, and on bikes with frame-mounted wiring (almost all modern sport bikes) can chafe through wiring harnesses.
• Strap over the seat or fuel tank. Compresses the seat foam, scratches the tank paint, and on bikes with a plastic tank cover (Ducati, Triumph) can crack the cover.
• Chains. Chains belong on flatbed cars at hardpoints, not on bikes anywhere.
• Lay the bike on its side. Oil migrates into places it shouldn't, fuel can leak from the tank vent, the side fairing scratches against the bed, and starting a bike that's been on its side can hydro-lock the engine if oil got into a cylinder.
• Tow with a wheel-lift hooked under the bike. Bikes go on flatbeds. Wheel-lift towing of a motorcycle is unsafe at any speed.

Bike types we routinely move

Sport bikes

R6, R1, R3, GSX-R 600/750/1000, CBR 600RR/1000RR, Ninja 400/650/ZX-6R/ZX-10R, RC8, RSV4, Panigale 959/1199/1299/V2/V4, MV Agusta. The fairings make access tighter; we use carabiner straps for clean attachment to the lower triple clamp without rubbing the upper fairing. For race-spec bikes with one-piece front fairings, the front strap reaches through the steering stem access opening.

Cruisers and standards

Harley Sportster, Softail, Dyna, Touring, CVO. Honda Shadow, Rebel. Yamaha Bolt, V Star. Indian Scout, Chief, Roadmaster. Triumph Bonneville, Speedmaster. Triumph Street Twin. Royal Enfield. Cruisers don't have a conventional triple clamp accessible — the front strap routes around the lower frame rail or the engine mount, both designed for that load. Same chock approach.

Adventure and dual-sport

BMW R 1250 GS, GS Adventure, F 850 GS. KTM 1290 Adventure. Triumph Tiger 1200, 900. Yamaha Tenere 700. Honda Africa Twin. Ducati Multistrada V4. Tall, top-heavy, often with full luggage attached. The chock handles them fine; straps go around the lower frame and rear luggage rack. Heavy adventure bikes with luggage hit the upper end of motorcycle pricing.

Scooters and mopeds

Vespa GTS 300/Sei Giorni, Honda PCX150, Yamaha Smax/Zuma, Kymco AK 550, generic 50cc-150cc scooters used by delivery riders. Lighter and easier to load — sometimes two operators just lift them onto the bed. Bodywork is more delicate; straps go around frame and engine mount, never over the leg shield or seat.

Electric motorcycles

Zero SR/F, SR/S, FX. Harley-Davidson LiveWire. Energica Eva, Ego. Cake Kalk. Same chock-and-strap approach as gas bikes. Electric bikes are heavier per equivalent class because of battery weight (Zero SR/F is about 485 lb vs ~410 lb for a comparable gas naked bike), but well within chock load ratings. We don't run the bike — it's transport mode only.

Trikes and sidecars

Harley Tri-Glide, Honda Gold Wing trike conversions, sidecar rigs. Different load arrangement — three contact points means the chock isn't strictly necessary, but the bike still needs proper tie-down at multiple frame points. Quote varies by configuration; tell dispatch what you have.

Common Queens motorcycle scenarios

Sport bike won't start in a Forest Hills garage

Battery dies on a bike that's been sitting through winter. Lithium starter packs sometimes work, but the more common call is a tow to the dealer for a battery replacement and tender install. We pick up from condo and apartment garages with low ceilings — the chock keeps the bike low enough to fit under almost any clearance.

Crash recovery on Cross Bay Blvd

Cross Bay Blvd through Howard Beach and Broad Channel is a popular sport-bike route on summer weekends — and a frequent crash site. After NYPD clears the scene, we recover the bike. Damaged bikes that can't sit upright in the chock ride on their side on moving blankets with straps to undamaged frame points. Photos of damage at intake. Direct insurance billing for major carriers.

Vespa or scooter that won't restart

Common in Long Island City, Astoria, Sunnyside — commuters and delivery riders on small scooters that conk out mid-route. Often a flooded carb on older bikes or a battery issue on newer fuel-injected scooters. We tow to the rider's preferred shop or dealer. Pickup and unload in tight spots is easier with a scooter than a full-size bike — fits almost anywhere.

Long-distance haul to a track day

Track riders going to Pocono, NJMP, or Loudon ask about transport. We move bikes one-way for $4/mi (hookup waived 50+ mi) on weekdays when scheduled in advance. Round-trip same-weekend transport is usually a custom quote. We don't run a specialized motorsports trailer — just a flatbed with the chock — but it works fine for street and lightly-modified track bikes.

Electric bike battery dead in Astoria

Zero or LiveWire battery completely depleted with no nearby charger. Same as a gas-bike empty tank — the bike goes on the chock and rides to the nearest fast charger or to the rider's home/garage Level 2 setup. We don't carry a portable EV charger, but the transport solves the immediate problem.

What you can do before the truck arrives

• Confirm the bike type and weight class. "Motorcycle" doesn't tell dispatch enough. Year, make, model, and any luggage attached gets you the right truck and the right quote.
• Note any damage. Bent forks, broken clip-ons, snapped lever, dropped on either side. Helps the driver plan the loading approach.
• If the bike has aftermarket parts, mention them. Frame sliders, stunt cage, custom luggage racks, seat covers — they affect strap placement.
• Have the key with you. Most motorcycles need to be in neutral and the steering unlocked for clean loading onto the chock — both require the key.
• For electric bikes, note the state of charge. A fully-dead Zero may need to be put in transport/freewheel mode at a specific battery level — driver has the procedure.
• Photograph the bike's existing condition. Phone photos of all sides, panels, and key components before transport. Standard for any tow on a vehicle you care about.