Bike Shifting in Banashankari 6th Stage

The Banashankari 6th Stage packers page is about packing materials and what each is actually for: bubble wrap on a wardrobe and newspaper round a wine glass is how most self packed households get it backwards. Bikes get the same treatment.

The instinct is to cover the whole bike. A full cover, a plastic sheet or a wrap of stretch film over the tank and panels, tied on before the crew arrive. It looks protective. But on a carrier, the bike vibrates and sways slightly for the whole journey. A cover that isn't tight moves against the paint the whole time, and any dust or grit caught underneath acts like fine sandpaper. At delivery, the owner lifts the cover to find fine swirl scratches everywhere it touched.

What actually protects a bike is different.

Padding at the contact points. The places that can touch something in transit are few: the handlebar ends, the mirrors, the footrests, the levers, and wherever a strap crosses the bike. Those get soft padding, foam or folded blankets, held firmly so they don't move.

Straps at the frame. Straps go round strong parts of the frame, the fork lowers or the rear frame, never across the tank, the seat or a plastic panel. A strap on a panel cracks it; a strap on the frame holds the bike without touching the paint.

Soft loops under hooks. Where a strap hook would touch metal, a soft loop goes round the frame first, so the hook never touches the bike.

Ask whether the carrier is covered. If it is, rain and road grit hardly reach the bike, which removes most of the reason people reach for a cover in the first place.

Clean paint. If the bike is clean, there's no grit to grind in. A wash a day or two before, or at least a wipe of the tank and panels, does more for the paint than any cover.

Tight, not crushing. Straps are pulled firm enough to hold the bike upright with the suspension slightly compressed, not cranked down until the forks bottom out. Over tightening can bend a mudguard or strain a fork seal on a long run.

Mirrors folded or removed. A mirror sticking out is the most likely thing to catch.

Think about what's on the bike, too. A tank bag, a phone mount, a seat cushion or a luggage rack bag all rub and rattle. Take them off and pack them in a carton. A helmet locked to the bike swings and dents the tank; take it off as well.

And look at old damage before loading. Existing scratches and chips are noted and photographed with the crew, so nobody later blames the strapping for marks that were already there.

So, should you cover the bike at all?

A clean, close fitting cover, tied so it can't flap, is fine for a covered carrier on a short run. A loose cover, a plastic sheet or stretch film directly on the paint is not. If in doubt, leave the bike clean and uncovered, and let the crew pad the contact points.

In Banashankari 6th Stage the crew pad each bike and strap it at the frame; after the survey, one written price, and from loading onward the bike is in our hands.

Our Banashankari 6th Stage packers page covers what each packing material is for. This page applies the same honesty to the bike.

And keep the crew's padding on until the bike is unloaded and parked. It comes off at the new address, not on the carrier.

If the bike has new paint, a fresh wrap or a ceramic coating, tell us. Those need even more care at the strap points, and a little extra padding where loops sit.

An electric scooter's panels and display are as easy to scratch as any other's. Wipe it clean, leave the plastic off, and keep the charger with you. At booking, say which model it is.