A motorcycle doesn't go on a hook and chain — it gets strapped down with soft ties on a flatbed or trailer, wheels secured so the bike can't shift or tip in transit. Detroit Towing runs this as a standard call, available 24 hours a day most of the week, with a shortened Sunday window from 12:30 to 5:30 PM.
Chains and hooks are built for a car's frame, not a motorcycle's — clamp one onto a swingarm or forks the wrong way and the bike pays for it, not the truck. A soft-tie setup, wheel straps run through the flatbed's rails rather than around any part of the bike, is the only way Detroit Towing moves one, whether it's a cruiser, a sport bike, or something too damaged to roll under its own power. Fifteen Google reviews and a perfect 5.0 average back the same dispatch that handles every one of those calls.
What usually puts a motorcycle on the back of a truck?
A flat or blown tire tops the list — a bike can't limp to a shoulder the way a car can on a spare, so a rider with a flat is often stuck exactly where it happened. Dead batteries, chain or belt failures, and drops that bend a lever or peg enough to make riding unsafe make up most of the rest.
Wet pavement and the first cold snap of the season bring their own share of calls — a bike that handled fine in August finds less grip once the temperature drops, and a low-side on a curve usually means the bike isn't rideable even if the rider walks away.
Can a non-running motorcycle still be picked up?
Yes — if the bike won't start or can't be safely ridden, it gets winched up a ramp onto the trailer rather than ridden on. The same soft-tie method applies whether the bike is running or dead on arrival. That's true whether the call comes from inside Detroit or from any of the other 20 towns and neighborhoods in the service area.
Let dispatch know the bike's type and whether it's upright or down; a bike already on its side needs to be righted before it can be strapped, which changes what the driver brings. The phone is covered day and night six days out of seven, and Sunday narrows to a single afternoon block, 12:30 to 5:30.
Will towing damage the paint or bodywork?
Soft ties are designed to avoid it — no chain or hook touches the bike itself, and straps run through padded rail points on the flatbed. Aftermarket parts like frame sliders or custom exhaust should be pointed out to the driver so they're accounted for when the bike is loaded.
Do you tow motorcycles at night or in bad weather?
Yes, dispatch runs 24 hours a day most of the week, with hours trimmed to 12:30–5:30 PM on Sunday. A breakdown after dark or in rain gets the same flatbed-and-soft-tie treatment as a daytime call.
What if the bike is down on its side after a crash?
It still gets picked up — the driver rights the bike safely before strapping it, rather than leaving that to the rider. Mention on the call that the bike is down so the driver knows what to expect on arrival.