Motorcycle Towing Differences

The cost to tow a motorcycle can change depending on how far you're going and the company you call. As a rule of thumb, you can expect to pay a "hookup" fee somewhere between $75 and $150, plus a rate of $3 to $7 for every mile you travel. 

So, for a standard 50-mile tow, you're likely looking at a total bill between $300 and $500.

These prices are also shaped by the kind of truck that's used. Flatbed towing is the gold standard for motorcycles, and it often costs a bit more than standard wheel-lift towing because it requires special gear like soft straps and wheel chocks. 

As the experts at Fatehtowservice point out, paying for a professional flatbed ensures your bike is completely secure, which easily justifies the extra cost compared to cheaper, riskier methods.

If you haul your bike all the time, those single tow fees can add up to more than the cost of just buying your own trailer. But for a one-time emergency, that service fee is a small price to pay compared to the potential repair bills from a DIY haul gone wrong.

Hands down, the safest way to move a motorcycle is on a professional flatbed tow truck that's decked out with motorcycle-specific tie-downs and wheel chocks. This method lifts your bike completely off the asphalt, protecting it from road vibrations and saving your drivetrain from any wear.

The safety numbers back this up. A survey mentioned by Fatehtowservice showed that 62% of riders believe flatbed safety is "excellent," especially after an accident where the bike’s frame might have been weakened. The flat, stable surface of the truck bed keeps the bike from tipping or swaying, which is always a risk on an open trailer.

At the end of the day, keeping your bike still and upright is the best way to prevent damage. A trained professional knows how to secure the frame without cranking down on the suspension so hard that it causes problems, a common mistake for those new to towing.

Yes, you absolutely can tow a motorcycle with a car, but only if the car is rated to handle the weight and has a properly installed hitch. Most modern sedans can easily manage a lightweight motorcycle trailer with a single bike, since the total weight is often under 1,500 lbs.

The key is to check your car's manual for its Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and specific towing limit. As the folks at MaxBuilt Trailers will tell you, going over these limits can seriously mess with your car's ability to brake and handle safely. You'll most likely need a Class I or Class II hitch installed on a standard car.

While it's possible, towing with a smaller vehicle means you need to be extra careful. A car's shorter wheelbase can make the trailer more prone to swaying, especially when it's windy or you're cruising at highway speeds.

Yes, it's incredibly bad for your bike to tow it with the rear wheel on the ground. When you do this, you're forcing the transmission's output shaft to spin without the engine running, which means the oil pump isn't circulating any lubricant.

Think of it like sprinting on a treadmill that's turned off; it's a recipe for disaster. This lack of lubrication can lead to catastrophic transmission failure and cause internal parts to overheat. On top of that, as Dirt Bike Magazine points out, this method chews up your rear tire for no reason and is far less stable than putting the whole bike on a flatbed.

If you absolutely have to use a system that leaves a wheel down, like a tow dolly, you're supposed to disconnect the drive chain or driveshaft first. That's a messy, time-consuming job that's not practical for a roadside emergency.

You don't technically need a trailer built only for motorcycles, but using one is a whole lot safer and easier than trying to make a standard utility trailer work. Motorcycle-specific trailers, like the ones made by Zpro or Kendon, come with features like built-in wheel chocks and lower loading ramps that make a world of difference.

You can use a regular utility trailer, but you’ll need to add proper tie-down points and a good wheel chock to keep the front wheel straight. However, the team at Zpro Trailers makes a great point, specialized trailers are often designed so that one person can load a bike by themselves, which drastically reduces the risk of dropping it.

Trying to use a generic trailer without these features is asking for trouble, as the bike is much more likely to shift or fall during the trip. Plus, the suspension on motorcycle trailers is often tuned to provide a smoother ride for your bike than the stiff suspension on a general-purpose utility trailer.

The best setup is a combination of high-quality ratchet straps and soft loops (also called "soft ties"). The ratchet straps let you compress the suspension just enough to keep the bike firmly in place, while the soft loops go around your handlebars or frame, preventing the metal hooks of the straps from scratching anything.

Don't even think about using standard rope or bungee cords. They can stretch and snap, or come loose when the trailer hits a bump, leaving your bike unsecured. The experts at Dirt Bike Magazine recommend always checking the Working Load Limit (WLL) on your straps to make sure they're rated for well over the weight of your motorcycle.

Using the wrong straps is one of the top causes of damage during transport. Soft ties help distribute the tension evenly, so you don't end up bending your handlebars or crushing sensitive cables and brake lines.

Loading a motorcycle by yourself safely requires either a very wide ramp or a trailer specifically designed for ride-on loading. The safest way is to use the engine's power in the "friction zone" (gently engaging the clutch) to walk the bike up the ramp while you walk alongside it, always keeping a hand on the front brake.

Some trailers, like the "No-Ramp" models from Zpro, make life even easier by lowering the entire trailer bed to the ground. This lets you just ride or push the bike on without having to fight gravity, which completely removes the scary balancing act on a narrow ramp.

Whatever you do, never try to ride a motorcycle up a narrow ramp unless you're a seasoned off-road pro. The risk of stalling, losing your balance, or slipping off the side is incredibly high and often ends with an injury and a damaged bike.

Yes, AAA does offer motorcycle towing, but it's usually part of their upgraded membership plans, like AAA Plus or AAA Premier. The basic membership typically only covers cars and other four-wheeled vehicles.

The coverage details can vary from one region to another. For example, AAA Plus often gives you up to 100 miles of towing, which can be a real lifesaver for riders who love to travel long distances. As AmeriFreight notes, having a membership like this is often the most affordable insurance you can get for breakdown situations.

It's always a good idea to check the fine print of your specific policy before you hit the road. Some regions might have rules about the types of motorcycles they'll cover, or a motorcycle tow might count as one of your limited service calls for the year.

While a flatbed is by far the safest option, damage can still happen if the operator doesn't know what they're doing.

The biggest risks are using improper tie-down points that could bend handlebars or crush fairings, or scratching the bike while loading it if the ramp angle is too steep.

However, a true professional operator will have all the right equipment to avoid these problems. Fatehtowservice points out that hydraulic tilt beds make the loading angle much gentler, and padded decks keep the bike from sliding around.

Ultimately, it all comes down to the operator's skill. An experienced tow truck driver knows how to compress the suspension just enough to hold the bike securely without blowing out the fork seals, ensuring your ride gets there in the exact same condition it was in when they found it.

A motorcycle trailer is a separate, wheeled vehicle that you tow behind your car. A hitch carrier, on the other hand, is a rack that attaches directly to your vehicle's hitch receiver and holds the motorcycle completely off the ground.

Trailers are great because they can carry heavier bikes or even multiple bikes at once, but they take more skill to back up and maneuver. Hitch carriers, like the Black Widow MCC-600, are wonderfully compact and easy to store, but they're limited by your vehicle's tongue weight capacity, which usually maxes out around 400-600 lbs.

The experts at Black Widow Pro explain that hitch carriers are perfect for dirt bikes and lighter sportbikes, but they generally aren't a good fit for heavy cruisers or touring bikes because of the weight and the amount of stress they put on the vehicle's frame.

The price of a motorcycle trailer can be all over the map, from around $1,000 for a basic open utility trailer to over $10,000 for a top-of-the-line enclosed aluminum model. A really good, specialized trailer from a brand like Kendon or Zpro will typically land you in the $2,500 to $4,500 range.

The cost really comes down to features and materials. Enclosed trailers are pricier, but they give you protection from the weather and an extra layer of security against theft. As the team at Zpro Trailers notes, investing in a trailer with a lower loading angle or a hydraulic lift will add to the cost, but it also dramatically reduces the effort and risk involved in loading your bike.

You can often find used trailers for less, but be sure to give them a thorough inspection to check the wheel bearings, tires, and wiring carefully. The cost of maintaining an older trailer can sometimes close the price gap between used and new pretty quickly.

You don't always need a giant truck to tow a single motorcycle trailer. A mid-size truck or even a capable SUV is often more than enough. A single bike on a lightweight trailer usually weighs less than 1,500 lbs, which is well within the towing range of many crossovers.

However, if you're planning to haul a big enclosed trailer with a couple of bikes inside, you'll almost certainly need a half-ton truck like a Ford F-150 or Chevy Silverado. These vehicles have towing capacities that can exceed 10,000 lbs.

The best advice from MaxBuilt Trailers is to look up the specific tow rating for your vehicle's exact configuration (engine, axle ratio, etc.). Never just guess exceeding your vehicle's limit is dangerous for you, your bike, and everyone else on the road.

Yes, you can certainly tow a motorcycle in the rain on an open trailer. After all, bikes are built to be ridden in wet weather. However, it's good to remember that the spray kicked up from the road at highway speeds is much more powerful and gritty than just falling rain, and it can force dirt into all sorts of nooks and crannies.

To give your bike a little extra protection, you might want to cover any vulnerable electronics or exposed air intakes. Some riders use a full motorcycle cover, but the folks at Dirt Bike Magazine warn that these can flap around violently in the wind, which can scuff the paint or act like a sail and make the trailer unstable.

If you know you'll be towing often in bad weather, an enclosed trailer is a much better long-term solution. It keeps your bike completely clean and dry, protecting it from the corrosive road salts and grime that come with driving in the rain or snow.