KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Get yourself off the roadway first; the bike can wait.
- Tell us your direction of travel and the nearest exit or cross street.
- Bikes ride upright on a flatbed in Bridgeport, chocked and soft-strapped.
- Leave the key with the bike so the steering lock can be released.
- Price is confirmed on the phone before the bike is loaded.
Your bike stopped on a bridge approach or Hwy 99. What now?
Commuters who ride through Bridgeport cross the Knight Street Bridge to Vancouver or join Hwy 99 west of us toward the Oak Street Bridge. Both carry fast traffic, and Knight Street is described as the busiest truck route in Vancouver, so a stopped motorcycle is easy to miss beside a loaded truck. Walk away from the bike and get behind a barrier or well off the shoulder before you do anything else.
Many commuter riders use HOV lanes, which BC allows motorcycles to use unless a sign says otherwise. If the bike quits in a left-hand lane, do not try to push it across traffic to the right shoulder. Tell us exactly where it is, and call us once you are safe. Our 24 hour roadside assistance in Bridgeport covers riders at any hour.
- Your direction of travel and the last exit or interchange you passed
- Which lane or shoulder the bike is in
- Make, model and roughly how heavy the bike is
- Whether the bike is upright or down on its side
- Where you want it to go
How chock-and-strap loading works for Bridgeport motorcycle towing
On the roadside the driver rolls the bike up the ramp, sets the front wheel into the chock and holds it upright while the straps go on. Soft straps loop around solid points on the frame and bars, not around levers, mirrors or bodywork. The suspension is pulled down a little so the bike sits firm for the ride over the bridge deck or highway joints.
A wheel-lift truck is the wrong tool for a motorcycle, which is why every bike rides on a flatbed. If the bike went down in a crash, the driver stands it up first and checks that both wheels turn. For collisions, our accident towing in Bridgeport page sets out the ICBC steps.
| What happened | What to do while you wait | How we load it |
|---|---|---|
| Engine quit on the bridge approach | Get off the deck or behind the barrier | Rolled up the ramp into the chock and strapped |
| Out of fuel on Hwy 99 | Stay well off the shoulder | Fuel brought out, or the bike is loaded if it still will not run |
| Flat tire on River Rd | Pull well clear of yard entrances | Flat wheel chocked, bike carried to a shop |
| Bike down after a slide | Leave it where it is once you are safe | Stood up, checked and strapped clear of damage |
| Will not start in a parkade | Note the level and posted clearance | Walked or dollied up, then loaded at street level |
Where can a motorcycle tow from Bridgeport go?
Home, your shop or a dealer in Richmond, BC or Vancouver are the usual drop-offs. Many riders meet the truck at the destination. If you ran dry on the highway, fuel delivery in Bridgeport may get you riding again without a tow. For a trip out of the Lower Mainland, ask about long distance hauling.
What if your motorcycle is in a parkade or a store lot?
Bikes parked in a low garage near Bridgeport Station or a condo on River Drive may need to be walked or dollied to the exit, because the flatbed stays at street level. Our underground towing in Bridgeport team handles the tight spots. In big lots like Costco on Bridgeport Rd, say which entrance you used. For a dead battery anywhere, try a battery boost before booking towing in Bridgeport.
Inside Bridgeport, each pocket brings its own kind of call, so we also cover motorcycle towing in Tait, where the 1940s streets mean driveways and kerbside pickups, motorcycle towing on River Drive for the condo parkades along the North Arm, motorcycle towing on Mitchell Island with its single way on and off at the Knight Street Bridge, and motorcycle towing on Number 5 Road for the warehouse and business-park lots north of Bridgeport Rd.
Motorcycle towing on Bridgeport's commuter routes
Riders heading north to Vancouver leave Richmond on the Knight Street Bridge, which also has an interchange at Bridgeport Rd. A bike that stops on the climb up the approach is the call we plan most carefully, because the truck needs room to stop and load out of the flow of traffic. Tell us whether you were northbound or southbound, and whether you got off at the Bridgeport Rd ramp before the bike died.
Hwy 99 sits just west of Bridgeport. Riders coming off it at Bridgeport Rd sometimes nurse a bike to the first gas station or lot entrance before it quits completely. That is a good place to stop, so long as you are clear of the driveway. Tell us the business name and we load it there.
River Rd, along the North Arm, runs past warehouses and yards where trucks pull in and out all day. If a bike quits there, stand well off the road and keep clear of yard gates while you wait for the flatbed.
Questions drivers ask
Can you pick up a motorcycle on the Knight Street Bridge approach?
Yes. Get yourself to safety first, then tell us your direction and the nearest interchange. We load the bike upright on a flatbed once the truck is set up safely.
Do I have to ride in the tow truck?
No. Many riders meet us at home or at the shop. Leave the key with the bike or hand it to the driver at pickup.
Will the straps mark my paint?
We use soft straps on solid frame and bar points, away from paint and chrome. Point out anything you want us to avoid.
Can you tow a scooter or an electric motorcycle?
Yes. Scooters and electric bikes are chocked and strapped the same way. Tell us if the bike is locked or the battery is flat.
Do you tow bikes after a crash?
Yes. We check the wheels turn, strap around damaged parts and take the bike where you and ICBC agree. See accident towing in Bridgeport for the claim steps.