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Motorcycle Towing in Chicago and Suburbs
A motorcycle on a flatbed is a completely different job from a car, and the failure modes are unforgiving. A bike strapped down wrong arrives with blown fork seals, scratched triple clamps, a bent lever or a dented tank. There is no bodywork to absorb a mistake.
- from $99 · Chock, soft straps and dedicated bike ramp included.
- 25–40 min city · 30–50 min suburbs
- Licensed & insured
We transport bikes with a wheel chock, soft straps at the correct anchor points, and a ramp built for two wheels rather than four. Harleys, sportbikes, adventure bikes, scooters and trikes are all routine for us — but tell dispatch what you ride, because a heavy tourer and a 125 scooter need different handling.
Included as standard
How a bike is loaded and secured
Dedicated motorcycle ramp
Narrow, ridged and long enough to keep the approach angle shallow. Walking a bike up a car ramp is how they get dropped.
Front wheel chock on the deck
The wheel is held upright and square before any strap goes on. The chock does the work; the straps only hold it there.
Soft straps at proper anchor points
Around the lower triple clamp or the frame, never over the bars, the levers, the plastics or the exhaust.
Compressed but not bottomed suspension
Enough tension to hold the bike, not so much that the forks sit fully compressed for the whole journey — that is how seals blow.
Know before you call
What we move
- Cruisers and touring bikes, including full-dress baggers. Heavy, tall and long — say so on the call so the right deck and ramp come.
- Sportbikes with damaged fairings. Fragile plastics and low ground clearance need a shallow ramp angle and careful strap placement.
- Adventure and dual-sport bikes. Tall, top-heavy, often with panniers that should come off before loading.
- Scooters and mopeds. Small enough to be easy, light enough to be badly secured by someone in a hurry.
- Trikes, sidecars and non-running project bikes. All doable, all need the driver to know in advance.
Step by step
How the call goes
- 1
Tell us the bike
Make, model and whether it rolls and steers. A seized engine or a locked front brake changes the loading method entirely.
- 2
Say whether it has been down
A dropped bike may have bent bars or a leaking tank. The driver plans for that rather than discovering it on the ramp.
- 3
Loading, with photos
Photographed before it goes on, chocked, strapped, photographed again. Fifteen to twenty minutes for a straightforward bike.
- 4
Delivered upright and unloaded carefully
Second set of photos at the destination. Dropped at your shop, your garage or a dealer.
Riding season in Chicago
The season here is short and busy. From April to October, Lake Shore Drive, the lakefront routes north toward Sheridan Road, and the runs out west past Elgin and Barrington carry most of the recreational traffic — and most of our motorcycle calls. In the city itself, a large share of what we move are bikes that would not start after sitting through winter.
The other seasonal pattern is storage. Riders bring bikes out of storage in spring and back in autumn, and a bike that has sat on a battery tender for five months still frequently needs a lift rather than a ride. Those are scheduled jobs and we quote them flat in advance — no urgency, no premium.
Transparent rates
What a tow costs in Chicago and the suburbs
Starting rates for standard passenger vehicles. Your exact total is confirmed on the call, before a truck is dispatched. No after-hours, weekend or holiday surcharge.
| Service | Starting price | What's included |
|---|---|---|
| Local tow (hook-up) | $89 | First 5 miles, loading, strapping, unloading |
| Each additional mile | $4.50 | Charged pickup to drop-off only |
| Jump start | $65 | Boost + charging-system check |
| Lockout | $65 | Non-destructive entry, no damage |
| Tire change | $75 | Your spare fitted & torqued |
| Fuel delivery | $65 | Plus fuel at pump price, up to 3 gal |
| Winch-out / recovery | $110 | Single-line pull, up to 30 minutes |
| Heavy-duty | $350/hr | Portal to portal, 1-hour minimum |
Straight answers
Motorcycle Towing — your questions
How do you secure a motorcycle so it isn't damaged?
Front wheel in a chock on the deck, soft straps at the lower triple clamp or the frame, tension enough to compress the suspension slightly but never fully. Straps never go over the handlebars, levers, plastics or exhaust — that is exactly how bikes get damaged in transport.
Can you tow a bike that won't roll?
Yes. A seized engine, locked brake or flat-spotted tyre means we winch it up the ramp with skates rather than walking it. Tell dispatch when you call so the right equipment comes.
Do you move more than one bike at a time?
Depending on size, a deck will usually take two bikes safely. Tell dispatch how many and what they are and you will get a combined quote, which is cheaper than two separate calls.
Can you collect a bike from storage in spring?
Yes, and those are among our easiest jobs because nothing is urgent. Book it in advance, get a flat quote, and we work to your window.
Related
Often needed at the same time
Coverage
Motorcycle Towing where you are
We run this service across the whole coverage area — Chicago and every suburb within about 40 miles of the Loop.
Need it now? Call and we roll.
Live dispatcher, honest ETA, price agreed before the truck leaves. 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.