Motorcycle Towing
Your Motorcycle Rides Upright, Strapped at the Frame, and Arrives Without a Mark
A motorcycle is the easiest vehicle to damage with a careless tow and the simplest to move correctly. Macarthur loads bikes onto a flatbed with the front wheel in a chock and soft straps over the triple tree and the subframe, compressed just enough to hold the bike upright. Nothing touches the tank, the fairings, or the bars. Call 516-362-5350 with the make and model and the flatbed comes.
Reviews and credentials
What Riders and Drivers Say About Macarthur on Google
Riders judge a tow company by one thing: did the bike arrive the way it left. The Google reviews below come from drivers Macarthur has towed, and the pattern in them, careful hands and a driver who explains what he is doing, is the same standard the bikes get.
I got locked out my car on a cold snowy night and Alex came and unlock my car. He was very quick and professional. I would definitely use this towing company again.
Great timing and professionalism. The tow truck driver Carlos was experienced and helpful. I would recommend this company and Carlos to anyone.
Not the usual experience with a towing company. Everyone that I spoke to was polite and respectful and they towed my car with care. Hopefully I never need my car towed again, but if I do, this is who I will be using!
- 1,800+Google reviews, 5.0 average as of Oct 2026
- 24/7Our own trucks, our own drivers
- 16Certifications on the shop wall
- I-CARGold Class training recognition
- 1 ShopTow fleet and body shop, Valley Stream
- LicensedDMV # 7110205 · DCA # 1389419
Every review here came from a towing or roadside call. If Macarthur has carried your bike, a few words on Google tell the next rider on the shoulder who to call.
Straps on the frame, never on the tank.
- Motorcycle Towing
- Motorcycle Tow
- Bike Towing
- Flatbed
- Scooter Towing
- Trike Towing
- Sport Bike Towing
- Cruiser Towing
- Touring Bike Towing
- Motorcycle Recovery
- 24 Hour Towing
- Towing
Why a Motorcycle Cannot Be Towed Like a Car, and What Goes Wrong When Someone Tries
A motorcycle has no frame rails to hook, no four tires to strap, and a center of gravity that wants to fall over the moment it is not held. Towed wrong, it scratches the tank, cracks the fairings, bends the bars, or goes over on the deck. Towed right, it rides upright on a flatbed in a wheel chock with soft straps compressing the suspension just enough to hold it.
Most of the damage riders complain about after a tow comes from three mistakes. The first is strapping to the handlebars, which bends them and loads the fork seals. The second is a ratchet strap with a bare hook laid over a painted tank or across a fairing, which leaves a mark the first time the deck bounces. The third is no chock, so the front wheel turns, the straps go slack on one side, and the bike leans or falls.
Macarthur loads a bike the way a rider would load his own. The front wheel sits in a chock bolted to the deck so it cannot turn or roll. Soft loops go over the lower triple tree or the frame, never the bars, and the rear straps go to the subframe or the passenger peg mounts. The straps are tightened until the forks compress a little, which holds the bike upright through bumps, and no further, because over-compressing damages fork seals and leaves the suspension topped out when it is released. The bike never lies on its side, and nothing with a hook touches paint.
This page covers how each type of bike is loaded, what to tell us about yours, breakdown and accident tows, where the bike can go, what affects the quote, and the towns we cover. For the rest of the fleet, the towing page is the place to start.
Chock, soft straps on the frame, light compression, upright. That is the whole method.
How a Motorcycle Is Loaded on a Macarthur Flatbed, From the Ramp to the Last Strap
The deck is lowered, a ramp is set, and the bike is walked up the ramp under its own power or with the winch and a second person steadying it. The front wheel goes into the chock. Soft loops go on the frame at the triple tree, the straps run to the deck rails at an angle, the rear is secured at the subframe, and the straps are tightened in pairs until the forks compress slightly. The driver checks every strap before raising the deck.
Here is the load as you will see it, and the points where the driver is being careful.
The ramp. A bike cannot be winched up a tilted deck the way a car can; it needs to be upright the whole way. The driver sets a ramp at a shallow angle and either walks the bike up with the engine running at idle, if it runs, or uses the winch with one person at the bars and one steadying the rear. A bike that does not run and has a seized wheel is lifted onto the deck with a second person rather than dragged.
The chock. The front wheel rolls into a wheel chock fixed to the deck. The chock holds the wheel straight and keeps the bike from rolling forward or back while the straps go on, which is the moment most tip-overs happen.
Front straps. Soft loops go around the lower triple tree, or around the frame on bikes where the triple tree is covered by fairings. Never the bars, never the fork tubes. The straps run forward and outward to the deck rails so they pull the bike down and forward into the chock.
Rear straps. To the subframe, the passenger peg mounts, or a rear tie-down point if the bike has one. Not the swingarm on bikes with soft suspension linkages, and never the exhaust.
Compression. The straps are tightened a little at a time, alternating sides, until the forks compress about an inch. That holds the bike upright through bumps. More than that stresses the seals.
Checks. Every strap, the chock, and the stand position are checked before the deck goes up, and again after it is level. The driver notes the bike's condition before loading and you can photograph it too.
Have the keys and the steering unlocked, and the load takes a few minutes.
Sport Bikes, Cruisers, Touring Bikes, Dual Sports, Scooters, and Trikes: What Changes for Each
Every bike rides upright in a chock, but where the straps go and how the bike is walked up the ramp changes with the type. Sport bikes have fairings over the frame and need loops under them. Cruisers are heavy and low with wide bars. Touring bikes have luggage and a lot of weight behind the seat. Scooters have no exposed frame at the front. Trikes ride like a very light car.
Tell us what the bike is and the driver brings the right loops and sets up for it.
Sport bikes
Full fairings cover the frame, so the soft loops go through the fairing openings to the triple tree or the frame spars. The driver takes care that the loops do not bear on the fairing edges. Clip-on bars are never used as strap points.
Cruisers
Heavy, low, and wide. The weight means two people on the ramp. The loops go to the frame at the neck, under the tank, and the rear to the frame rails or the fender struts. Chrome is kept clear of every strap.
Touring bikes
The heaviest bikes, with saddlebags and a top case. The driver may ask to remove the top case if it is quick-release. Front loops to the triple tree under the fairing, rear to the frame behind the bags. Four straps minimum.
Dual sports and dirt bikes
Light and tall with long suspension. Straps to the lower triple tree and the subframe, and a little more compression than a street bike because the suspension has more travel.
Scooters
No exposed frame at the front. The driver uses the fork lowers or a bar harness designed for scooters, and the rear goes to the grab rail or the frame under the seat. The chock still holds the front wheel.
Trikes and sidecars
A trike is loaded like a small car, winched up the deck with straps at the rear wheels and the front fork. A sidecar rig is loaded the same way with the sidecar wheel strapped as well.
Tell us the make, model, and type, and the right loops are on the truck.
Motorcycle Breakdowns and Accident Recovery: What the Driver Does in Each Case
A breakdown tow moves a bike that will not run: a dead battery, a fuel problem, a chain or clutch failure, a flat. The bike is walked or winched up the ramp and strapped as usual. An accident tow recovers a bike that is down, often with damage to the fairings, bars, or levers, and the driver chooses strap points that are still sound before bringing it to our shop or wherever you direct.
Breakdowns. A bike with a dead battery can sometimes be jump started from the truck; the driver carries a jump pack and will try if you want. If it is fuel, a chain, a clutch, or a flat, it is a tow to the dealer or the shop you use. A bike with a seized rear wheel is lifted at the rear onto a dolly to get it up the ramp.
Accidents. Check yourself first and call 911 if anyone is hurt. Get the bike off the roadway if it can be moved safely. Photograph the scene, the bike, and the other vehicle. Then call 516-362-5350 and say it is a motorcycle and an accident. The driver looks at what is bent before he straps anything: a bent triple tree or a cracked subframe changes the strap points. The bike goes to our collision shop in Valley Stream for an estimate, to your dealer, or home, as you choose. The accident recovery page covers the scene checklist, and the insurance claim repair page covers your right to choose the shop.
Riding gear and belongings. Helmets, jackets, and anything in the bags ride in the truck's cab with the driver, not on the deck.
Down bike? Say it is a motorcycle and an accident, and the driver comes ready.
Where We Take the Bike: Your Dealer, Your Mechanic, Your Garage, a Buyer, or a Track
The destination is yours: a dealer's service department, an independent motorcycle shop, your garage, a buyer or seller for a bike that cannot be ridden, winter storage, or a track day. Give the office the address and whether anyone will be there. A bike going to our collision shop after an accident is unloaded in our lot and checked in.
Bikes get moved for more reasons than breakdowns. A bike bought from a private seller without plates or insurance yet. A bike going into storage for the winter and coming out in spring. A bike going to a shop for a build. A track bike with no lights going to the track. All of these are flatbed jobs with the same chock and straps, scheduled rather than immediate, and quoted by the two addresses.
For a dealer or shop that will be closed when the truck arrives, say where the bike and the keys should go, or have us hold it at our yard until they open. For a garage, the driver walks the bike down the ramp and puts it on its stand where you want it. The destinations section on the towing page covers the general rules, and the long distance towing page covers bikes going out of the area.
Tell us the address and the bike goes there, on its wheels, on its stand.
What Affects the Quote for a Motorcycle Tow
Distance from pickup to drop-off, whether the bike runs and rolls, whether it is down or damaged and needs recovery, whether it is a heavy touring bike or a trike that needs two people, and the time of day. Macarthur quotes it on the phone before the truck leaves. If the job matches your description, the quote is the price.
A bike tow is quick when the bike rolls and slow when it does not, and that is most of the difference in the quote. A bike that runs or at least rolls is walked up the ramp in a few minutes. A bike with a seized wheel or bent forks takes a dolly or two people and more time. A bike down on a shoulder after an accident takes a careful look before anything is strapped. Night and holiday calls are priced as such. Give the office both addresses, the make and model, and whether the bike rolls, and the number reflects the real job. The cost section on the towing page covers the general factors.
Both addresses, the bike, and whether it rolls. That is the quote.
What to Have Ready When the Flatbed Arrives for Your Bike
The keys, with the steering unlocked and the bike in neutral. Riding gear and anything in the bags removed or ready to ride in the cab. If the bike has a quick-release top case or a tall windscreen, know whether you want it off. If the bike has a known weak point for straps, a carbon subframe, a custom tank, say so before the driver starts.
A few minutes of preparation makes the load faster and safer. Unlock the steering so the front wheel can be guided into the chock. Put the bike in neutral so it can be walked. Take the helmet and jacket off the seat; they ride in the cab. If the bike has aftermarket parts that change where straps can go, a carbon fiber subframe, a bar-mounted screen, a custom paint job on the frame, tell the driver and he will adjust the strap points. If the bike does not run, say so on the phone so the truck comes with a second person if the bike is heavy. And if you want to ride along, ask; it depends on the truck and the situation.
Keys, neutral, steering unlocked, gear off the seat. The driver does the rest.
Motorcycle Towing Across Nassau County and the Queens Line, From the Yard in Valley Stream
Macarthur's flatbeds leave from 170 East Lincoln Avenue in Valley Stream and carry motorcycles from every town in Nassau County, the Queens neighborhoods along the county line, and the Suffolk towns just across it, 24 hours a day. Every town has its own motorcycle towing page.
From the yard on the Nassau–Queens line the trucks are closest to the south shore and southeastern Queens: Valley Stream, Lynbrook, Elmont, Franklin Square, Hempstead, Malverne, Rockville Centre, Oceanside, Baldwin, Freeport, Long Beach, Island Park, Cedarhurst, Woodmere, and in Queens, Laurelton, Rosedale, Springfield Gardens, Cambria Heights, St. Albans, Jamaica, and Far Rockaway.
The same flatbeds cover central and eastern Nassau, Garden City, Mineola, Westbury, East Meadow, Levittown, Hicksville, Plainview, Bethpage, Farmingdale, Merrick, Wantagh, Seaford, and Massapequa, the north shore from Great Neck and Port Washington to Roslyn, Glen Cove, Syosset, and Oyster Bay, and the Suffolk border in Amityville, Melville, and Huntington. The full list is on the locations page.
Find your town and its motorcycle towing page.
More Towing Services From the Same Fleet
Towing
24/7 towing for cars, trucks, and everything in between.
Light Duty Towing
Cars, SUVs, vans, and pickups on flatbeds and wheel-lifts.
Heavy Duty Towing
Trucks, buses, semis, and tractor trailers, safely and securely.
Flatbed Towing
All four wheels off the ground for AWD, EV, and low vehicles.
Long Distance Towing
Convenient and economical long distance towing for any vehicle.
Accident Recovery
Ready for any vehicle emergency, including off-road recovery.
One number covers every truck in the fleet.
Questions Drivers Ask About Motorcycle Towing
- How is the bike held on the truck?
- Upright on a flatbed, front wheel in a chock, soft loops on the triple tree or frame at the front and the subframe at the rear, tightened until the forks compress about an inch. Nothing touches the tank, fairings, or bars.
- Will you strap to my handlebars?
- No. Bars bend and fork seals suffer. Straps go to the lower triple tree or the frame, through the fairings on a sport bike.
- Does the bike ever lie on its side?
- No. It rides upright in the chock for the whole trip.
- Can you tow a bike that does not run or roll?
- Yes. A bike that rolls is walked up the ramp. A bike with a seized wheel goes up on a dolly with two people. Tell us when you call so the truck comes ready.
- Do you tow scooters and trikes?
- Yes. Scooters use a harness suited to their fork and a chock. Trikes and sidecar rigs are loaded like a small car with straps at every wheel.
- My bike went down. What should I do?
- Check yourself, call 911 if anyone is hurt, move the bike off the roadway if it is safe, photograph everything, then call 516-362-5350 and say it is a motorcycle and an accident. The driver chooses strap points that are still sound.
- Where can you take the bike?
- Your dealer, an independent shop, your garage, a buyer, storage, a track, or our collision shop in Valley Stream for an estimate after an accident.
- Can you pick up a bike I bought without plates?
- Yes. Give us the pickup address and hours. The driver photographs the bike before loading and delivers it to your garage.
- Will you take my helmet and gear?
- Yes. Riding gear and anything from the bags ride in the cab, not on the deck.
- Can you jump start a motorcycle?
- The driver carries a jump pack and will try if the bike has an accessible battery. If it does not start, the bike is towed to the shop you choose.
- Should I remove the top case or windscreen?
- If the top case is quick-release, the driver may ask to remove it on a heavy touring bike. Tell us about tall windscreens or custom parts so the strap points are chosen around them.
- How is a motorcycle tow priced?
- Distance, whether the bike rolls, whether it needs recovery after an accident, whether it is heavy enough for two people, and the time of day. Quoted on the phone before the truck leaves.
- Do you tow motorcycles 24 hours a day?
- Yes. Call 516-362-5350 any hour.
- Can I ride along with my bike?
- Often, yes. It depends on the truck and the situation. Ask the driver.
Did not see your question? The person who answers can.
Call Macarthur to Move Your Motorcycle Anywhere in Nassau County
Upright, chocked, soft straps on the frame. Tell us the make and model and where it is going.
Call 516-362-5350