Bike Shifting in Neelasandra

Moving a bike that won't start

We don't need it running. What we need is for it to roll and steer. If the key turns and the steering lock releases, the wheels go round and the brakes work, the crew can push it as far as it needs to go.

So check those three things before you book. If the tyres are flat, get them pumped up at the nearest puncture shop if you can. If the key is lost and the steering is locked, tell us, because that changes the job entirely and may need a locksmith first.

Older bikes that haven't been started in a while sometimes have a seized brake, a wheel that drags because the pads have stuck to the disc or drum after the rain. The crew can usually free it gently by rocking the bike. If it won't free at all, that's a two-person lift onto the ramp rather than a push, and we'd want to know beforehand.

A chain that's gone rusty and stiff from standing is another common one. It'll still turn, it just makes the bike heavier to push. A little oil the day before, if you're comfortable doing it, helps.

Please don't spend money trying to get it running just for the move. Leave that for a mechanic at the other end, who'll want to look at it properly anyway.

Pushing through a Neelasandra lane

In most of Neelasandra's cross streets no vehicle larger than a tempo can get in without blocking the whole lane, and often not even that. So the bike is pushed out to a wider road where the carrier, or a smaller vehicle shuttling to it, can stand.

Some of the lanes have a slight slope towards the main road, which helps on the way out and makes the crew careful about the brakes. Others have a step or a gutter to cross at the corner. Small things, but with a bike that can't power itself they decide where the crew pushes and where they lift.

That push is the slow part. Two people, one steering and braking, one pushing, moving past stalls, kids, parked scooters and the occasional cow. It's done at walking pace and it's best done early, before the shops open and the street fills, when the only people about are the milk and newspaper deliveries.

Neighbours here are usually patient, but a dead motorcycle being pushed down a busy lane does block it for a minute or two at a time. The crew moves in short stretches, stepping aside to let people through, and doesn't park the bike anywhere it'll be in the way of a shopfront.

If the bike is upstairs, in a passage, or behind other bikes in a building entrance, tell us. Getting a dead bike down a tight staircase is careful work and needs extra hands.

Scooty shifting when the scooter has died

Scooters are the most common non-starters we collect here, usually because the battery has gone flat after weeks of short trips or no trips. The good news is they're light and easy to push, even in a crowd. It's loaded on a ramp, padded at the mirrors and handlebar, wrapped and strapped upright, and generally comes out a little cheaper to send than a motorcycle.

Scooters with a kick-start are easier still. Even with a weak battery, some will start with a few kicks, which saves the push altogether. Worth trying the evening before, if the scooter has one and you're comfortable doing it.

Before collection, open the seat and empty it. Scooters that have been standing tend to collect water under the seat in the rain, along with whatever was left there.

Bike and two wheeler transport from Neelasandra

Getting out of central Bangalore is the next challenge. Hosur Road and Richmond Road bottleneck badly through the day, so a carrier loaded early has the best run. Within the city, the bike is delivered the same day.

For longer trips, Chennai and Hyderabad have frequent departures and the Kerala routes are regular. A small town at the far end gets fewer, and we'll mention that up front. The delivery day is agreed before loading, and a non-runner is unloaded with the same care it went on with.

Whatever fuel is in the tank comes out before loading. Papers for the trip are copies of the RC and the owner's ID. If the bike belongs to an older family member who's moving away, a short signed note from them helps.

If the house is moving too

When the household is moving as well, the bike can share the shuttle and the main vehicle. Our Neelasandra packers page covers the walk-ups, the shuttles and the early starts for a full load.

Either way, you'll know the price before anything moves. A free survey, a video call with the bike and the lane is usually enough, then a single figure in writing with GST.