A Day In My Life: Motorcycle Towing Toronto

If you told me a few years ago that I’d have spent today towing four motorcycles around Toronto on a custom-made motorcycle lift system that cost more than my truck, I would have laughed at you. But there I was, early enough that it was still cold out, loading up the first of four motorcycles and scooters I would tow all over the city of Toronto that day.

This is what a day in the life of Motorcycle Towing Toronto looks like.

Click the unmute button in the bottom left corner for audio.

9:50 AM – Strapping down the first bike

I start around 10 AM. I do this because I often get phone calls from motorcyclists who broke down as late as 10 or 11 PM, which means I don’t get home until after 1 AM sometimes. A late start the next day helps me to help riders get their bikes home safely the night before.

10:07 AM – On the road

The first drop-off is actually my own bike, a Piaggio MP3 250ie. Usually I do a lot of my own motorcycle maintenance and motorcycle service, but when my MP3 started throwing a computer error, I decided to draw the line and bring it to Lou at Vespa Toronto West.

10:14 AM – 1st drop off – my Piaggio MP3 at Vespa Toronto West

The Piaggio MP3 is a three wheeled scooter with independent front suspension allowing it to be leaned aggressively. It’s my winter beater bike that I take out for a ride, even on days of light slow as long as the ground is clear. The MP3s are very popular in Europe because of how well they handle cobblestone roads, and the fact that you can ride them with a car driver’s license in many countries in Europe.

10:26 AM – On route to Etobicoke

Along the way to Etobicoke to pick-up my second motorcycle of the day I realized that even though I had all of details for everyone else’s motorcycles sorted out, I had forgotten to bring Vespa Toronto West the keys for my own bike. Luckily, my route for the day would take me close to home and later close to the dealership, so I could grab my key and drop it off along the way.

10:44 AM – Honda CM400T pick up in Etobicoke

The Honda CM series of motorcycles came in a variety of engine displacements and style variations. The CM series was the daddy of the 1980s Honda Rebel 250 and 450 motorcycles, and the grand daddy of today’s Honda Rebel 300 and 500 motorcycles. It was also the bike that Prince rode in the movie Purple Rain.

11:03 AM – 2nd drop off – Honda CM400T at Wildside Motorcycles

The owner of the Honda CM400T is new to street riding, but he’s a cool guy with off-road riding experience so I’m not worried about him. I dropped off his motorcycle at Wildside Motorcycles for a safety certification and let him know they did top-notch work on a custom motorcycle wind screen for me several years ago.

11:18 AM – Running early on my way to Toronto’s east end

At this point I’m running 30-60 minutes early. It’s probably the best problem a guy can have. I called up the guys who asked me to help them with a dead scooter in the east end, they said not to worry so I continued my route.

12:04 PM – Chinese scooter pick up in Toronto’s east end

Years ago I wrote an article about whether or not you should buy a Chinese scooter, specifically the ones sold here in Toronto. The prices were pretty cheap, but was it a deal, or a case of getting what you pay for? I talk about this in the video. The original article is here.

12:24 PM – 3rd drop off – Chinese scooter at Fada Scooters

Fada Scooters is one of few motorcycle shops in Toronto that will work on Chinese scooters. When it comes to scooters, Dave and Patrick at Fada know their stuff, but who knows whether or not they’ll be able to make something good out of the mess I dropped off.

12:47 PM – Headed to the west end to pick up my MP3 keys

Heading back to the west end I picked up my keys, and found that my new Macho Man Randy Savage t-shirt had arrived. It made me laugh and I was running early so I stopped to try it on.

1:17 PM – Back on the road

My buddy Justin told me he was getting a Kawasaki KZ400 motorcycle for free. Whenever I hear this it usually means that the bike is seized up, the tires are flat, the brakes are seized, and it’s generally going to be a pain in the butt to move around. This bike has been sitting for 14 years, so I was prepare for the worst, luckily, it wasn’t so bad.

2:31 PM – 4th drop off – Kawasaki KZ400 at Justin’s

I’m dropping off the Kawasaki KZ400 in Justin’s front yard while he’s at work. The KZ400 was a produced for a full decade and sold a lot better than Honda’s 400s did. The bike was manufactured both in Japan, and in Nebraska, USA. This made Kawasaki the first non-American vehicle manufacturer to produce vehicles in the United States.

3:15 PM – Home for lunch

Time for some food, some rest, answering your emails and voicemails, and telling my dog what a good girl she is. Once I’m all caught up, I’ll switch over to working on creating more motorcycle content for YouMotorcycle.com.

This site is over 10 years old, and some of you have been around since Day 1. A lot has changed over the years, so I wanted to give you ladies and gentlemen, old and new, a glimpse into what a day in my life looks like.

Thank you all for being a part of my adventures over the years. I wouldn’t be here without you.

And of course, if you’re looking to get your motorcycle towed in Toronto, or anywhere in Ontario, reach out to Motorcycle Towing Toronto. I’d be happy to help you out.

UPDATE

A second motorcycle towing vlog is now online, go and check it out here .