If a towing company does not have the right gear, training, and knowledge of bikes, they can ruin your bike badly in the process of transportation. At Southern Towing, we know that your motorcycle is more than just a vehicle, it's an investment and a passion. That's why we provide you with a fully dedicated professional roadside services 24/7 motorcycle tow service. We have dispatch lines open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year to help riders who get stuck. From vintage cruisers to high-performance sportbikes, heavy touring machines to custom choppers, our top-notch team has the expertise and precision gear to get your bike to safety without a hitch.
The Risks of Improper Motorcycle Towing
Many towing companies do not consider a bike when it comes to towing; they try to secure it with a standard tow strap on a standard flatbed or even worse: with a hook and a chain that only lifts one wheel.
- Bent Handlebars and Damaged Frame: Improperly handling your motorcycle by pulling down too hard on the handlebars, or attaching the motorcycle straps to weak points on the frame, can cause permanent damage to critical components in the bike, thus affecting the alignment.
- Blown Fork Seals: When there is excessive compression of the front suspension using the standard tie-down straps, the front forks will be subjected to excessive pressures. This often causes expensive oil leaks and poor handling due to failure of the fork seals. Expensive custom paint, dent fuel tanks, rip leather seats, or crack the aerodynamic fairings, all of which can be cosmetic scratches and dents, are the result of rough hooks, abrasive straps, or letting the motorcycle rock side-to-side as it is transported.
- Tip-Overs on the Flatbed: A motorcycle is really very unstable without a separate front wheel chock. When the bike tips over completely on the bed, it may have happened because the tow truck driver was not experienced enough and applied the brakes too rapidly or suddenly.
With Southern Towing, these risks are avoided. Special equipment and comprehensive training programs that are tailored specifically for two wheelers have been invested in to ensure your pride and joy is given the special care it deserves.
Specialized Motorcycle Transport Equipment
Our fleet is equipped with the industry leading technology that is specially designed to handle damage free motorcycle towing. Isolating the front wheel is the key to a safe towing of a motorcycle. Heavy duty, adjustable motorcycle wheel chocks are firmly attached to our flatbed decks on our trucks. When the front wheel rolls in the cradle, the chock automatically keeps the wheel locked in its upright position. This will ensure that the motorcycle is completely stable, even before any strap is attached, and will prevent a tip over accident when setting up. No bare metal hooks or abrasive nylon is allowed to touch your motorcycle's paint, chrome or polished aluminum. Only top quality soft-strap tie-downs are used on our operators. These soft loops gently engage strong, secure anchor points like the lower triple trees or the swingarm and ensure the ratchet straps pull against the structure (which is important) but not against delicate bodywork. Riding a motorcycle onto a steep ramp is a recipe for disaster! If it is too steep, the bottom of a sportbike or low-riding cruiser's undercarriage or exhaust pipes or lower fairings will skim along the edges of the bed.
Today's flatbed trucks have very low loading angles, which provide a smooth, near horizontal slide between asphalt and flatbed. We take your bike up the hill in a smooth, controlled manner.
24/7 Roadside Assistance for Riders
Rider 24/7 Roadside Assistance is comprehensive coverage, not necessarily towing to a repair shop. In many cases a small problem can be solved on the shoulder of the road. Southern Towing offers an extensive range of 24/7 roadside services designed specifically to the needs of motorcyclists. Fuel tanks on motorcycles are small and it is easy to underestimate the distance between the remote locations of highway rest stops.
Do not walk away from your bike to get gasoline in the dark if your engine fails to fire. Call us and we'll supply your destination with the best quality correct octane petrol right to your doorstep and you'll be back on the road in no time.
Don't leave the ignition or accessory lights on during a rest stop or during any other time the battery may be drained quickly. Motorcycle batteries are small, and are so tightly integrated into the frame, that they need to be jump-started with accuracy. Our technicians employ low amperage jump packs that are specially made for powersports use. This helps keep your bike's electronic control unit (ECU) and digital dash display from being damaged by the frying. If your motorcycle accidentally skids off the road and into a ditch or soft mud/sand, you can try to push it back but it can overturn resulting in injury or damage. We have delicate winch out and recovery methods that safely bring your bike back onto firm ground without damage to the finish or transmission.
Our Streamlined Recovery Process
From the initial call to the dispatch team, we go through a streamlined procedure designed to be as fast and safe as possible.
- Seamless Recovery Process: We have dispatchers who ask specific questions about the make and model of your bike, and what the situation is: is the steering locked? Do the wheels roll freely? This means you get the chocks and straps that are just right for your ride, when our operator shows up.
- When we arrive, our driver will park the tow truck in front of oncoming traffic to serve as a physical barrier between your bike and other vehicles. High visibility strobe lights to set up a safe work zone.
- Meticulous Securing Process: The driver will manhandle your bike onto the low-angle bed, secure the front wheel into the special chock and apply soft-strap tie-downs. Our motorcycle stabilization is a four-point process, where we apply enough compression to the suspension so as not to bounce, while still maintaining fork seal integrity.
- Final Transit Inspection: Our operator conducts a second walk around inspection prior to shifting into drive to double check strap tension and clear boundaries around all body panels. From there your bicycle is gently moved into your home, a dealership or the shop of your choice.
Whether it's a late-night pickup, inclement weather or a location that leaves you stuck, Southern Towing is on call to provide the top-notch, specialized service your motorcycle deserves.
More Southern Towing Services in Melbourne
If four wheels are more your situation, our 24/7 car towing service covers breakdowns, flat tyres and lockouts, while our caravan towing and recovery service looks after larger touring rigs. For a broader look at how we respond to breakdowns across the region, read our emergency towing and roadside care page, browse the forklift transport service we run for local businesses, see our full range of Melbourne towing services, or contact our team directly.