Towing
Motorcycle towing that will not mark your tank or fairing
The short answer
Motorcycle towing carries the bike upright on a flat deck, held by a front wheel chock and soft straps that compress the forks without touching the bodywork. No hook, no chain, no lifting by an exhaust or a fairing. Say when you book that it is a bike, so the truck arrives with a chock aboard.
When a bike needs a deck
It will not start and will not be fixed at the curb
A dead battery on a fuel-injected bike, a failed regulator or a cooked stator is a shop job. A tow is the short route, and it protects the paint in a way that pushing a heavy bike along a shoulder does not.
A flat, a dropped chain or a locked wheel
A tubeless plug is sometimes a roadside fix. A torn sidewall, a chain wrapped into the sprocket or a seized rear wheel is not. Say which one it is, so the operator brings the gear to load a bike that will not roll.
The bike went down
After a spill the bars can be bent and the levers gone, so the machine will not steer onto a chock without help. Two people and a set of soft loops is the difference between a clean tow and a second set of damage.
You are moving a bike you just bought
A private-sale machine with no plate, no insurance yet, or a battery flat since the fall can be moved on a deck without anyone riding it. A tow is often cheaper than a day of van rental, a ramp and a set of straps.
How a bike is loaded
Tell dispatch it is a motorcycle, and which one
Make, model and rough weight, whether it rolls and steers, whether the front brake holds, and whether it has a center stand. A cruiser, a sport bike, a scooter and a dressed tourer need different straps and a different chock setting.You approve the estimate
A bike is quoted like a light car: a hook-up fee plus loaded mileage, sometimes with a small equipment line for the chock and soft ties. The operator confirms the number with you, and nothing moves before you have agreed to it.The bike is walked up and chocked
The deck comes down, the bike goes up the ramp under control, and the front wheel drops into the chock. A machine that will not roll goes onto a wheel dolly instead of being dragged up on a locked tire.Soft straps go on and the forks compress
Straps run through soft loops to the fork tubes or the frame, never over a fairing, a bar end or a plastic panel. The forks are pulled down partway so the suspension cannot pump on the road. Photograph the bike before it is strapped.
Upfront pricing
What a motorcycle tow costs
A bike is priced like a light-duty car: a hook-up fee plus a rate for every loaded mile, with the same floor below which nothing is dispatched. Some operators add a short equipment line for the chock and soft ties. These are indicative estimates rather than a quote, and the operator confirms the final price before anyone is dispatched.
| Service | Typical range | What is included |
|---|---|---|
| Hook-up fee | $50 – $125per call | Loading the bike and securing it, before any mileage is added. |
| Local tow, up to 40 miles | $3 – $7per mile | |
| Medium haul, 40 to 120 miles | $2.5 – $4.5per mile | |
| Minimum charge | $95per call | Nothing is dispatched below this, however short the move. |
Estimates only. Final price confirmed by the local operator before dispatch.
What moves this price
- How far it goes. The hook-up fee is charged once, so a move across town is mostly that fee, and mileage takes over from there.
- Whether the bike rolls and steers. A machine that can be walked up the ramp loads in minutes. A locked wheel, a bent fork or a wrapped chain means a dolly and a slower, more careful load.
- What the machine is. A dressed tourer, a heavy cruiser or a trike needs more strap points, more hands and sometimes a wider chock than a naked middleweight.
- Whether the truck carries motorcycle gear. Not every rollback has a chock and soft ties aboard, and saying it is a bike when you book is what routes the job to one that does.
- When and where you call. Overnight and weekend work carries the after-hours rate, and a bike down in a live traffic lane changes both the priority and the setup.
Where these ranges come from
- Connecticut DMV — Towing procedures and ratesChecked August 30, 2026
- CT Mirror — CT DMV raises towing rates, but tow companies say it is not enoughChecked August 30, 2026
A rollback against loading it yourself
Most riders weigh a tow against a rented trailer and an afternoon. Here is what each one actually asks of you.
| What matters | Rollback with a chock | Trailer you load yourself |
|---|---|---|
| Who loads the bike | An operator with a chock, soft ties and a winch. | You, on a ramp, usually with nobody spotting. |
| What holds it upright | A front wheel chock and straps to the frame. | Whatever the rental came with, often bare tie-downs. |
| A bike that will not roll | A wheel dolly and a winch line. | Close to impossible without a second person. |
| What it costs | A hook-up fee plus loaded miles. | Rental, fuel, ramp, straps, and most of a day. |
| Who carries the risk to the paint | The operator, who does this daily. | You, including the trip to collect the ramp. |
For a bike that has stopped where it stands, a rollback with a chock is the safe answer and usually the cheaper one once a rental day is counted honestly. A trailer earns its place on a planned move, when you own the straps, have a second pair of hands, and are not standing on a shoulder.
Frequently asked questions
Will a tow truck damage my motorcycle?
Not if it is loaded the way a bike should be: up the ramp, front wheel into a chock, soft loops around the fork tubes or frame, straps drawn down until the forks compress partway. What causes damage is a hook, a chain, a strap over a fairing, or a bike left leaning on its side stand while the deck moves.
Do I need to be there when the bike is picked up?
Usually, and it helps. You know where the frame is solid, whether there is a center stand and whether the front brake holds. If you cannot be there, tell dispatch exactly where the bike is, whether the steering lock is on, where the key will be, and who at the destination is able to receive it.
Can a scooter or a moped be towed the same way?
Yes, and it is usually easier: less weight, a smaller chock setting and fewer places to mark. A step-through frame offers fewer strap points, so the operator may run straps through the frame tubes or under the floorboard rather than to the forks. Say which machine it is when you book.
Can a trike or a sidecar rig be towed?
Yes, but not in a standard chock and not by every truck. The track is wider than a bike and the weight sits differently, so the machine usually rides on the deck like a very small car, strapped at the frame. Tell dispatch the layout and the overall width before a truck is assigned.
What should I do while I wait with a bike on the shoulder?
Get yourself and the bike off the traffic side of the guardrail if there is one. Leave the hazards on if it has them, keep your helmet on until you are clear of the lane, and do not try to walk a heavy machine along a shoulder. If you are in a live lane, say so when you call.
Last updated
Tell us which bike, and where it is standing
Make, model, whether it rolls, and whether the front brake holds. Those four answers are what put a chock and a set of soft ties on the truck that comes out.
Estimates only. The local operator confirms the final price before dispatch.