Can a Motorcycle Be Towed Without the Key in Steveston?

How does a motorcycle get on the flatbed with no key in Steveston?

On most bikes the gear lever works with the ignition off, so we click it into neutral and the bike rolls. We push it up the tilted deck, lock the front wheel in the chock and run soft loops around the frame. The key never comes into it.

What the key does change is the steering lock, and that decides how easy the next ten minutes are. Our guide to how motorcycle towing works shows the normal loading from start to finish.

What if the steering lock is on and the front wheel is turned?

Most riders lock the steering with the bars turned to one side when they park. Without the key, the front wheel stays pointed that way, and the bike wants to roll in a circle instead of straight up a ramp.

We can still load it, with more care and more hands, so it counts as a bike that won't roll: a published $40 extra on top of the $30 for no key. You hear both before we book.

Can a bike with a disc lock or chain lock still be towed?

A disc lock through the brake rotor stops that wheel turning, and a chain lock round the back wheel does the same. If the key for the lock is lost too, the bike won't roll, and we need to know before the truck leaves our yard on No. 1 Road.

If the lock key is at home in Steveston, it is often worth fetching. The five checks before you call for a bike tow puts locks on the list for exactly that reason.

Does a keyless or smart-key motorcycle tow any differently?

Only when the fob is missing or flat. If the steering was locked when you parked, a smart-key bike behaves like any locked bike. Many have a backup way to start or unlock when the fob battery dies, and your owner's manual shows it.

Here is how each key problem changes the tow:

Where do Steveston riders usually lose a motorcycle key?

On a walk. Riders park at Garry Point Park, head off along the water, and a key slips out of a jacket pocket on the grass or the West Dyke Trail, which runs north from Garry Point toward Terra Nova.

The village is the other one: a key left on a café table on Moncton Street, or dropped on the waterfront boardwalk by Bayview Street on a busy weekend.

Should you wait for a spare key or book the tow now?

If someone can bring the spare from home within the hour and you are parked safely, waiting can save the extras. If it is getting dark, raining off the river or the bike is somewhere awkward, book the tow and sort the key out at the shop.

Either way, read how to prepare your motorcycle for a tow while you wait, and can a standard tow truck handle a motorcycle explains why only a flatbed comes.