Getting bike from Algonquin area to TO - Best Option

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Even the ones that use a flat bed are using car straps and strapping down bikes roughly as if they were cars... Lou at Vespa Toronto West took a picture a few years back of a Vespa delivered on a CAA flat bed, the bike arriving on it's side, because you can license stupid, but you can't fix it.

You're flipping a coin with those guys...
 
Relax said:
For all those recommending CAA - make sure they actually use a flatbed, and not the traditional tow truck and lift the bike in the "bag" as I've seen done in the past. Also make sure they know how to properly tie down the bike, and doing it on the kick stand is not properly. Unless they are owning the liability when the stand breaks.
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It doesn't have to be a flatbed. The last CAA truck that towed my bike wasn't a flatbed, but was equipped with a thingamajig for bike transport that was way more secure than any flatbed I've seen (I'd be very weary of a flatbed without a front wheel chock, although it can be done without one).

+1 on paying attention to tie-down points - you (should) know your bike better than anyone (I would never let them tie it by handlebars/grips). Also for not doing it on the kickstand. Upright only and not on centerstand either.
 
Long before Canyon Dancer existed, we just tied down around the grips and never had them ruined or bars bent. Not even sure how you can dent a tank by tying down from the grips??? If the bars were bent, someone tied down way past the suspension travel and kept going... So OK, don't let someone tie down around the grips if they don't know what they're doing. There's a right way to do things, but doing something the "right" way wrong is still wrong.
 
If I was getting a tow truck to take my bike somewhere I would see if I can use my own straps instead of the tow truck operator using the improper straps.

Whether they allow that or not is a different story.

OP is notably silent on the update though.

@J_C_K did you get it back home yet?
 
Relax said:
Long before Canyon Dancer existed, we just tied down around the grips and never had them ruined or bars bent.
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Long before Canyon Dancer existed, the owner's manual used to tell you how to adjust your points and valve clearances, nowadays the owner's manual tells you not to drink the coolant even though it looks delicious.

Never underestimate the capacity of stupid people, especially stupid people who don't ride and are used to strapping down 3000 lb machines.
 
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Update: I snagged a pickup rental at a decent price a few weeks ago.
Rented some loading ramps from Home Depot for $20 and bought a set of ratchet straps from Amazon.

Despite the sketchiness factor of loading the bike solo, I managed to get it up onto the truck, strapped down, and back home (nervously looking out the back window to see if the setup is holding the entire time).

Offloading was a whole other story... the ramp angle was still quite steep even though I parked on an incline and the lack of front brake didn't help matters. Bless my friend for rallying to the cause at 12am and recruiting another helper. Might have had to return the truck with the motorcycle still attached to it otherwise...
 

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