Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

OK, so I get my bike picked up last Thursday, due to it blowing an oil seal, making it unrideable.

NRMA uses a contracted towing company to pickup the bike, on a nice hydraulic flatbed that goes flat onto the ground.

All good, then the bloke straps the bike down.

Get home, unload the bike, and he leaves.

Just this morning, after fixing the bike last night, I see oil on the forks, the seal is blown due to them ratcheting the bike down too tight

So I called NRMA, and they are looking to talk to the towies, then get back to me.

Has anyone else had the same dramas, and did anyone get a payout to fix the damage ?

If I was him I would blame your seals........ Im assuming only one broke...
Look at it this way, if he had not tied it down as tight it might have fallen over...

Tying down a part of the bike that is above the suspension is always going to be a problem since as long as the suspension still has room to move the bike can move.... he should really get some "tire me down" ties and some "superbike ties" if he is going to do this for a living...

Believe me when I say, that tying the bike down hasn't broken the seals. They were obviously on the way out anyway and this just finished them off. Consider it lucky that it happened then and not while 1000klms from home!

Haven't had a problem with a bike being towed but we have had damage done and a tire gone missing when having our car towed after accident, we pushed back really hard (which apparently is gay on this forum ) with NRMA and we got the stuff fixed but it took a lot of the I will keep giving you crap till you do, I always get my own way!!!

I prefer to around the forks around the calipers and from the swing arm. that way the bike rides entirely on its own suspension and you need never worry again. Ofcourse it depends on the geometries you have available to tie with whether that will be possible for you to do.

Thx for that everyone

Ah well, it's good to know what other people think on the subject, I was told once that if the bike gets strapped down hard until the forks are fully compressed, the extra movement from the truck going over bumps causes the seals to pop.

Does'nt matter now, I had a smash at 17:00 in the Sydney CBD, car decided to do a U turn over double whites in the middle of the city rush hour, I locked the front and lost it, lowside here I come .....

usual cosmetic down left hand side, had the side fairings off due to me fixing a seal problem last night, tank and frame copped a small dent.

I had full gear on, my right forearm looks like popeye's, and my hand is a tender, but not a scratch - Leather jacket, kevlar trousers, boots and gloves on - Thank God.....

This is my second decent smash, both from stupid fools doing stupid shit.

I wonder if the bike (1996 ZX7R) is going to be a write off .....

Ummmm the fork seal/s were obviously about to shit the tin with or without the towie.
It is quite common for cops/towies to literally tear fairings off , kick the bike on it's side and unceremoniousely skull drag the poor wounded thing up the tray then throw a 2500kg ratchet strap over (seat normally) to stop it moving / inflict maximum damage!?
Very effectively taking a bike from a few cosmetic bits replaced at reasonable cost with the aid of a beer or three to pretty much a write off!!

Sounds like you had someone who actually gave a shit!?



PS if the ride on a back of a tilt tray is gonna worry your bike in Sydanee best not to take it over the Northern NSW border ....