Travelling by motorbike is easily one of the best ways to get about. The openness and freedom of a motorbike are what attracts most people to buy them, and it seems a shame not to ride at any opportunity.

However, it is not always possible to ride your bike. It may need repairing or be midway through some work, or if you are moving house, it may not be practical for you to ride your motorcycle to your new home if you have other vehicles to drive too.

So how do you transport your motorcycle and make sure that your pride and joy is safe and secure during transit?

GET THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT

Whether you are using a truck, a trailer or a moving van to transport your motorcycle in there are some pieces of equipment which are essential to ensure safe loading and transporting of your motorcycle. Without these, you are likely to cause damage to the bike or yourself as you attempt to load and secure your motorcycle.

Loading ramp –to get your bike into the truck, trailer or van you are using you will need to use a proper ramp. This will ensure safe loading for both your bike and you. Wooden planks or similar may bend, bow or sink causing the bike to tip or fall during loading.

Ratchet straps –these are used to secure the bike during transit. Bungee cord or ropes have too much give allowing the bike to move in the van and they may also cause damage to the paintwork of your bike. One of these ratchet straps should be a soft loop strap.

Chocks –you will need to place chocks in front and behind your tyres to prevent the bike moving and to reduce the stress of the ratchet straps.

Canyon Dancer Bar harness –this harness is used to secure the handlebars of your bike during transit and protect them from damage.

Someone to help –loading your motorcycle onto the van, trailer or truck should be at least a two person job to ensure the safety of your bike and also to prevent injury to yourself.

LOADING YOUR MOTORCYCLE

While it may sound simple to push your bike into the back of a van, the loading process offers plenty of opportunities for your motorbike to be damaged. It is also the time which poses most risk of injury to yourself if you try to load it alone or don’t load it correctly as you could hurt your back, neck or limbs trying to lift it.

Secure the ramp –the ramp should come with a rubber end which will rest on the van and the metal end should rest evenly on the ground. Most ramps have a hook to which you can fasten a ratchet strap. Fasten the other end to the back of the van and tighten. This will prevent the ramp from slipping when under the weight of your motorcycle.

Put your bike into neutral –if you usually leave your motorbike in gear to stop it moving then you will need to shift it into neutral to roll it up the ramp.

Grab your help –when loading your motorcycle, one person should have hold of the handlebars while the other pushes from behind the bike. When the bike is near the top of the ramp and at its heaviest and most vulnerable to damage, you will have to have someone to push and pull the bike in the van, so it is stable and steady, and importantly you are not under the entire weight of the bike reducing the risk of injury to yourself.

SECURING YOUR MOTORCYCLE

Once your motorcycle is in the van, truck or trailer, it will need to be secured. If your motorcycle is allowed to shift or move about during transit you are risking a great amount of damage, not only to the motorbike itself but also to everything else it is travelling with.

Kickstand up –you cannot travel with the kickstand down as this risks damage to the bike. Your bike should be transported upright and will be supported by the straps.

Put the chocks in place –to prevent the wheels of your motorcycle from moving or rocking you should place chocks in front of the front wheel and behind the back.

Attach the Canyon Dancer harness –while you can put ratchet straps directly on to your handlebars, you can risk damage during transit this way as the handlebars may snap or be pulled with the strain of the straps. The canyon dancer bar harness should be attached to the bike and the ratchet straps attached to the harness.

Ratchet straps –attach one to each side of the harness and affix to the floor or wall of the van. Tighten to ensure there can be no movement from the bike.

Soft loop strap –the soft loop strap is designed to go over the body of the motorcycle without causing damage to the bodywork. For extra protection, you can put a rag or cloth between the strap and your bike. The soft loop is attached to another ratchet strap and fixed to the van.

MOVE WITH CONFIDENCE

For professional help with the loading, securing and moving of your pride and joy, call the team at SCOT REMOVALS. We have years of experience moving a huge range of motor vehicles including motorcycles and scooters and we know just how precious your two-wheeled treasures are. Call us today on 07472 212 321 to see how we can help you move your motorcycle safely and securely.