4 Steps for Transporting Your Motorcycle
When you purchase your motorcycle, you’re probably already dreaming about hitting the road for your first ride. However, if you can’t ride it right off the dealership lot, you have to figure out ways to transport it home. Knowing how to tie down and transport your bike is essential if you ever want to move it yourself, but can’t ride it. Whether you’re hauling your bike a few miles away or cross country, check out Cycle Trader’s four steps for transporting your motorcycle.
1. Choose How You’ll Transport Your Bike
The first step to transporting your motorcycle is deciding if you want to use a vehicle or a trailer. If you decide to go with a vehicle, such as a truck, make sure it has the cargo capacity to carry your bike. If you have a heavy touring motorcycle, you’ll want your transportation vehicle to handle the weight.
Your other option is to use a trailer (or a toy hauler RV). If you don’t have your own trailer you could borrow one from someone you know or rent one from a moving or truck company. Similarly, you’ll want to ensure that the tow vehicle has the capacity to pull the trailer with your bike.
2. Load Your Motorcycle
Compared to a trailer, it can be more challenging to load a motorcycle into a vehicle because it’s much higher off the ground. Even if you use a ramp, the steeper angle can make it harder to move your bike onto the bed of a truck. You might even be tempted to turn the bike on and drive it up the ramp. Don’t do this. The power of your motorcycle will be too much and could damage your bike, your truck, or yourself.
If you do use a ramp, it will be helpful to have someone with you to give you an extra set of eyes and hands if you need it. If you’re pushing your motorcycle up the ramp, ask a friend or family member to stand at the top of the ramp to receive your bike. Make sure the ramp is sturdy enough to handle the weight of your bike and has good grip to prevent a roll back.
A trailer is typically the better option for transporting a motorcycle. Motorcycle trailers have components that will make tying down and stabilizing your bike easier. Many trailers have a ramp system that makes it more efficient to load your motorcycle, along with tie-down points and wheel channels to keep it in place.
3. Tie Down Your Bike
A secure tie down is essential for safely transporting your bike. This starts with using quality, sturdy tie downs. Next, you’ll want to lay out your tie-down straps so they’re ready and in position. Instead of simply hooking the end of the strap through the tie-down point, thread the strap through the point and return it back through the hook for extra support.
Exactly how you tie down your motorcycle will depend on the type of bike you have and transportation vehicle you use. There are a few tips you can generally follow for any type of motorcycle. You’ll want to avoid wires, brake lines, and the handlebars when you’re tying down your bike. Make sure the straps don’t apply pressure to the fenders and body work to avoid damaging your motorcycle. When you tie down, you’ll want to apply enough force to the straps so your bike is secure, but not too much.
4. Get Motorcycle Insurance
If you just purchased your motorcycle and haven’t gotten insurance yet, you should do so before you transport your bike. Motorcycle insurance can help cover you and your bike if you get into an accident during the move.
Whether you’re transporting your motorcycle to bring it home for the first time or to take it on a trip, you’ll want to take every step possible to deliver it safely. These tips can help you get your bike securely to your destination so you can hit the road once you’re there.
If you just purchased your motorcycle from a dealer, be sure to ask if the dealership offers a delivery option, which could save you the trouble of transporting the motorcycle yourself altogether. You can also utilize third-party transportation services to safely deliver your motorcycle if you don’t feel comfortable transporting it yourself. And, if you’re searching for a bike, or a motorcycle trailer to transport it, browse the nationwide inventory on CycleTrader.com.
Arielle Patterson
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