Motorcycle Towing Tips

Motorcycle towing is different from towing other vehicles or trailers and can be done by yourself or by a motorcycle towing company. To avoid damaging your motorcycle or injuring others on the road, follow these motorcycle towing tips.

Your motorcycle will have to be ready to be towed. To get it ready, unlock the steering, fold in your mirrors and remove any loose accessories.

Next, you have to prepare the trailer and hitch. The hitch ball should be the same size as the trailer coupler. You'll have to securely tie your motorcycle down (double-check it before you hit the road to make sure it's safe).

You can always have a motorcycle towing company transport your motorcycle for you. Although this option is more expensive than towing your motorcycle yourself or having a car shipping company do it for you, it's probably the safest option for motorcycle towing.

When you're having a company transport your motorcycle for you, you need to be careful to protect your motorcycle from damages. Make sure that you inspect your motorcycle before you have it towed and report any damages that your bike already has. Take photos, if possible, to help you in the event that your motorcycle is damaged during transportation.

Make sure that your motorcycle is insured and consider getting special insurance to cover it while it's being shipped. Whether you should opt for additional insurance will be dependent on what your standard motorcycle insurance covers.

Many motorcycle towing companies will require that you drain the gas tank before shipping, especially if your motorcycle will be crated. This is for safety purposes and should not be ignored. If you're towing your motorcycle yourself, you should definitely do this.