Cycle-Tow

These guys are always professional and helpful. Definitely my go to.

Rich saved my butt AGAIN on Cinco de Drinko when I was involved in a hit & run collision on 580-​E. He dropped what he was doing and hopped in the tow truck and braved the Maze at rush hour to come collect my damaged motorcycle so I could take a light with the nice men in the van with flashy lights for an xray.
The EMTs and CHP were amazed at how efficiently he had the motorcycle loaded up — and then he turned around to return to Berkeley and face the traffic again going in the other direction!
Rich and his crew have always been polite, professional, friendly and supportive. They know what they are doing and are careful with the precious property of others in often emotional situations — definitely the «go to» motorcycle towing service in the Bay Area!

My 700lb cruiser went down on my neighborhood street overnight under mysterious circumstances. After getting her back upright I noticed the throttle was jammed and unrideable so a tow was my only option to getting her repaired. I called Cycle-​tow and Rich immediately answered the phone. I explained what had happened and said he would be right over after his next call. True to his word Rich showed up in the pouring rain to load my bike up. He made it look easy and was cheerful and didn’t rush the whole process. I felt like I was in good hands with him. He called the next day and let me know the damage was less than expected. The repair went smoothly and they changed the oil too. I would HIGHLY recommend Rich and his cycle towing service. It’s a comfort knowing they are available ²⁴⁄₇ and can get your ass out of a jam even if you break down on a busy freeway! If you are a rider Cycle-​Tow has your back!

I crossed paths with Cycle Tow a while back and felt compelled to write a review. Having owned a street bike for over a decade, I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to «take care of business» without needing a tow… Until then. The wife and I decided to rent a large cruiser for the weekend but the pickup spot was over 30 miles away so I BARTed to the spot, got my ride, and was heading home… and it happened– lost the clutch halfway home– damn! Stranded off the 24 at Fish Ranch. (If there’s an «ideal» spot for a bike to break down, this is it– at least 5 motorcycle enthusiasts stopped to ask if I was ok– Thanks biker dudes!) A call to the rental company, who were extremely apologetic (and very professional and courteous– that’s for another thumbs up review), and Cycle Tow was on their way! Fast, efficient, expert service all around. The driver was a bike fanatic which made the drive back to the rental shop quite enjoyable! (Sorry for not remembering his name at the moment, but a shout out for your commitment to delivering excellent service). New stead saddled up and waiting for me upon arrival was icing for what could seem to be a horrible experience. «Got» AAA. Now «got» Cycle Tow!

After some wrangling (I live out of the way, and wanted someone to pick me up early, so I wouldn’t miss work), I convinced myself that Cycle Tow was going to flake on me.
So I called another motorcycle tow place. «Whaaat, no way, Rich is your man!» So I called back, and my scooter was on the truck less than 40 minutes later.
The truck is set up for two-​wheelers. Way easier and faster than the time AAA sent a flat bed truck slick with antifreeze. I’m glad I forwent AAA this round, and called someone with the right equipment. (I think I can get a reimbursement from AAA anyways.)
So thank you very much Rich and Cycle Tow! Will definitely call again when I’m in a jam.

Came and rescued me a couple of weeks back. Great service, and fun conversation. Almost makes breaking down worthwhile.

The guy who came to pickup my bike was super cool. Very friendly and showed up fast. I was expecting a 3 — 5 hour wait, and they come within 1 hour. I highly recommend their service.

Rich has always responded promptly, with very clear communication about his ETA. You know if he says that he will be right there, he will! He is friendly, efficient, careful and sympathetic. I am very happy to do business with Rich, and to recommend him to you!

These guys saved my ass when I had a flat on 24. Bill came quickly, was super friendly and efficient, and got me to my mechanic in no time. He even gave me a ride to Berkeley afterwards. I could not be happier. I recommend these folks to anyone needing a tow in the Bay.

Rich was great. Friendly and very careful with my bike. Arrived in a very timely fashion. A tow truck driver that arrived when promised! Solid guy and full of good stories and even sage marital advice.
Would absolutely use them again.

My boyfriend had his motorcycle towed from Oakland to Sunnyvale.
Bill, the tow truck driver, was SUPER FRIENDLY, PROFESSIONAL, POLITE and VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE.
When Bill strapped the motorcycle to the truck, he triple checked all of his work and was extra careful when handling the bike. He was also SMILING throughout the whole encounter! The whole experience was fantastic.
One really cool thing about the truck was the equipment. The truck was equipped with special mechanics to load/​unload the motorcycle. (I will post a video/​pictures.)
We highly recommend this company!

I gave the shop 4 stars instead of 5 because Though I did receive all that I had asked for including excellent service from an expert staff, pricing that beat other local estimates, and the fact that my bike was squeezed in to their work schedule when I had an emergency – I did not receive a laté nor did I receive a massage while waiting for my bike. They also did not provide baby sitting services for my child, or my cat while I waited. I was extremely disappointed that I wasn’t given comic books to read, or a feather pillow for my ass while the technicians installed my awesome new battleaxe tires and powercomander. If you’re looking for a shop that is accommodating for your motorcycle and towing needs, this is your place. If you need pampering or perhaps counseling services, this is not the place.

Rich and his crew completely hooked me up today. I am leaving tomorrow morning for a two week Moto trip to Montana and back. Crossing the bay bridge today, my BMW started pissing fuel off the starboard side; broken plastic fuel connector. Once I got towed to the toll booth parking lot, Rich came and got me. I told him my dilemma and he started working the phones. He found a set of metal connectors and we picked them up on the way to his shop. At his shop the Moto went directly on the lift and was fixed within the hour. That was some serious service.

Could not be happier with the Service that Rich provided! Super nice guy and professional. Had great conversion about bikes during the drive back home and he even gave me some opinions on resolving the issue with my bike. Price was very affordable, Not that I was happy that I broke down, but I couldn’t be happier with the situation as a whole and meeting someone from a local shop in case I need them in the future.

As an update, after reading the previous reviews, it seemed to me that my experience may have been an anomaly. While it was clear that I was ripped off by cycle tow, since others did not have that kind of experience, and per the reviews other people who were towed were charged a reasonable $ 120 as opposed to the $ 205 I was charged to be towed 2.9 miles at 6 p.m. on a Friday. So I called the owner to discuss the incident. The owner, who would not identify himself by name, was angry and hostile. He had read my review and was furious that I had described his business as predatory. I re-​stated what had happened and the charges. I asked him if it was normal for his business to charge this fee for the short tow distance and he did not answer. At this point, I thought I was offering him a chance to save his business’s reputation or at least come to a mutually agreed upon understanding of some sort. In the event that it was an employee and not company policy who ripped me off, as a business owner he could correct the situation. He refused to comment on the charge or provide an explanation, or discuss what his normal rates are for this service. He asked several questions to determine if additional charges applied (they did not), but then would not comment on the amount I was charged. By the way the bike was rollable… I had picked it up and moved it to the side of the road after I was hit by a car.
He did say that he would review the case and get back to me for further discussion. I thanked him for his willingness to do so, and told him that I understood he was upset about the poor review, and if we could come to an understanding I would be happy to take the review down or change it. He never followed up. Therefore, I will have to say he’s responsible for the poor customer service in addition to the rip off rate. $ 205 for 2.9 mile tow at 6 p.m. on a Friday is ridiculous. If I hadn’t just had a head injury, I don’t think I would have gone for it. At that point I just wanted to get the hell home and I think that’s what predators take advantage of. I will never know if this was the work of one crappy employee or the business owner’s general attitude, however I gave him a chance to clear things up and he chose not to, therefore he’s responsible. Use at your own risk; or better yet call CC Rider. Those guys have always been great.

Richard and Cycle Tow provide the best, fastest, friendly service for a Cycle Rider that you could ever ask for. I am actually ashamed it’s taken me this long to write them a terrific review, cause I don’t know what I would have ever done without them! Very reasonably priced, always picks up the phone, and will give you a realistic estimate on timing.

I would give 7 stars if I could… I pulled in with a flat rear tire on my 1994 Honda xr650l, the guys jumped on it instantly, and alerted me to the fact that my rear tire had sidewall damage upon inspection. I always ride with extremely low air pressure in the mud, so that was my doing ! They had a tire and tube in stock at a fair price. As a buisiness owner, I again cannot express how glad I was to get such quick response and friendly service. I was used to driving the rim to #%*# and waiting a day or two to get it repaired (meaning two trips to Concord). Nice to know high levels of service without attitude are still available locally !

As nice a guy as you could hope to meet after you’ve spilled. Put the bike on its side on gravel going around a windy road on a weekday night. Rich was there quickly, got the bike loaded up, and traded a few of his own crash stories to take the sting out. Price was very reasonable.

Super fast, friendly service at Cycle Tow. Richard and Susie are wonderful and have helped many a rider out of a jam. Rich picked up two bikes from two different locations and delivered them to my front door for a verrry reasonable price. He’s professional, fast, and if he can’t help you he will refer you to another service (thankfully I didn’t require that). They’ve been around for 25 years and have a great reputation for being reasonably priced, courteous, and fast.
So glad to know they’re around.

I haven’t actually used Cycle Tow in years, but saw a question on Craigslist recently for someone seeking work on an old Honda and I immediately thought «Cycle Tow». Great shop, professional work, and they know how to get inexpensive parts when OEM parts are overpriced and when it’s wise/​not wise to use the replacements.
Looks like they’re still around and haven’t changed.
Fantastic place for any bike, but perhaps your last resort if you ride an older bike that is rad but considered ‘untouchable’ by the dealerships, who try to push you to buy new.

Rich is the man! I had to get my bike towed after a car had hit me. I thought the quote was reasonable but was hard up on cash that I declined. I told Rich that the bike still ran but the shifter was bent. He came out anyways to take a look. He bent the shifter and foot brake lever back and removed the lower fairing so I could ride home safely. He even took a quick look over and told me everything that was wrong so I could report it accurately to the insurance company. I absolutely appreciated everything he did. All of my business and referrals will now go to him.

Rich was fantastic. It felt like he went out of his way to make me feel comfortable. He towed my machine all the way from Berkeley to San Jose for a very reasonable price, and dropped it off at a shipping terminal without me being there. Went off without a hitch. Unfortunately, I moved out of the area or I’d use Cycle-​Tow every time. Professional and confidence-​inspiring.

Talked with them today.
Very nice, helpful, responsive, reliable and decent pricing.

Today I had to help a client whose husband and daughter were injured when a minivan struck his Harley in Oakland. We had to get it moved from A&B tow yard in Oakland to a private residence. (It’s another story about how the City and tow yard profit off victims’ misery.)
I had no idea on the size of the Harley. The operator quoted me $ 125 earlier in the week and stuck to the quote. So Cycle Tow, on short notice, sent two men down to the tow yard. The bike did not role. The two employees wrestled with the bike but got it stationary and up on the lift without doing further damage.
They then drove the bike to the residence and gently off-​loaded it from the lift. Not only did the company honor its quote but they were efficient, polite and understanding of the client’s suffering.
It’s rare you get this service, value and decency, especially on short notice.