Motorcycle shipping 101

 
To ensure you can ship your motorcycle as easily and stress-free as possible, you should understand the entire process from start to finish first. The process will begin with you planning your shipment by determining your preferred shipping dates and researching potential motorcycle shipping companies. After that, you must call your selected motorcycle transport company and book your shipment. Beyond that, you will just need to prepare for your shipment.
 

How to prepare for motorcycle transport

 
To ensure that you are completely ready for your motorcycle to be shipped and that there are no unnecessary delays with it hitting the road on the carrier, you will need to complete a few simple steps of preparation first. To prepare for shipping a motorcycle, you must:
 

• Clean the bike – Your motorcycle will need to be as clean as possible before your motorcycle transport driver arrives to pick it up. The reason for this is that your driver is required to conduct a visual inspection for preexisting damage to make a note of it for shipping coverage purposes.




• Remove all accessories and personal items – If you have anything on your bike that is considered to be an accessory, such as a phone mount, saddlebags, or luggage racks , it must be removed. If you have any personal items in the top-box or trunk, such as gloves or sunglasses, these must also be removed. If any accessories or personal items are lost or damaged during shipping, these things will not be covered by the motorcycle shipping coverage.




• Ensure the motorcycle is running correctly – You can ensure your motorcycle is running correctly by simply taking it out for a quick ride. However, you should also ensure that the battery, fluids, and tire pressure are in working order. Your driver may need to operate the bike to place it properly on the carrier truck.

How motorcycle crating works and what it does

 
When shipping a motorcycle, people will often choose to crate their bike. This is when a motorcycle is placed securely in a crate while it ships. These special crates are built to the size and specification of every motorcycle. The benefit that these crates will offer is that they not only do the best possible job of ensuring that your bike does not move around when it is in transit but a crate can also protect your bike from inclement weather and small road debris (if you are shipping on an open-air carrier). Most motorcycle shippers can accommodate a motorcycle shipment when it is crated.
 

Shipping a motorcycle across country

 
Shipping a motorcycle across country is as easy as shipping a motorcycle anywhere else. It will cost more and take more time, but the process will be as simple as it would be if you were only shipping it 200 miles. Either way, you will just need to research motorcycle shipping companies, choose which one is best for you and your shipment, book your shipment, and then prepare for your shipment just as you would for any other motorcycle or vehicle shipment.
 

Motorcycle shipping cost

 
The cost of shipping a motorcycle will vary based on several variables. However, the average cost to ship a motorcycle will usually fall between $0.40 and $1.00 per mile. So, if all variables were at their exact average points, and you shipped a motorcycle 1,000 miles, your final cost would be $700 at $0.70 per mile. However, it is nearly impossible that all the variables determining the cost of shipping your motorcycle will simultaneously be at the exact average point. So, it is best to understand the variables determining motorcycle shipping costs.
 
If you are in search of cheap motorcycle shipping, there are several things that you can do to keep your shipping cost low when dealing with motorcycle movers. You can always opt for open-air transport if given the option between that and enclosed transport, as doing so will likely save you well over $100. You can also book your shipment as early as possible because when you book a shipment with a motorcycle hauler with over four weeks’ notice, the demand for a spot in that specific shipment will be at its lowest thus price will be at its lowest as well. Finally, do your best not to ship a bike during the busiest times of the year for vehicle transport companies. Prices tend to be at their highest during these times, generally from late spring through early fall.
 
Be aware that the best motorcycle shipping companies tend not to offer the cheapest motorcycle shipping services. This is because their reputation precedes them in such a way that allows them to charge a bit more without sacrificing much or any business. You will likely need to decide what is more important to you: cheap motorcycle shipping or reputation and service.
 
The variables that will affect the cost of shipping your motorcycle will include but not necessarily be limited to:
 

• The size and model of the motorcycle – The weight and model of your motorcycle matter primarily because when heavier motorcycles are placed on vehicle carriers, the vehicle carrier’s engine has to work harder to operate. As a result, the engine will then burn more fuel at a faster rate. Another reason that the size or model of your motorcycle could matter in terms of the overall cost of your shipment is that if it is oversized and too big for a typical motorcycle carrier, you might be required to ship it on a special type of carrier equipped to haul motorcycles of a larger size. This will almost always cost more.




• The type of shipping you selected – Believe it or not, you will almost always be able to select open-air shipping or enclosed shipping for a motorcycle shipment just as you would with a car shipment. If you opt for enclosed shipping of your motorcycle, which offers the maximum amount of protection for your bike, it will likely cost you a few hundred dollars extra.




• The overall distance of your shipment – The amount of overall mileage that your shipment takes your carrier truck will likely be the biggest determining factor in the cost of shipping a motorcycle. Shipping a motorcycle coast to coast will always cost more than shipping it a couple of hundred miles. This is because the more time and effort required for your shipment, the longer it is.




• The cost of gasoline at the time of your shipment – The higher the price of gas is at the time that you are shipping a motorcycle, the more it will cost. Shipping your motorcycle when the national average cost of gas is $3 versus when it is $4 means a 33% increase in fuel cost for the carrier for those shipments comparatively. If your shipment is 1000 miles, your carrier will spend over $600 in fuel for this motorcycle delivery at $4 versus just over $400 if the gas price was $3. Thankfully, your shipment will have other bikes, so this additional cost is split between each customer. So, do not expect higher fuel prices to add more than $25 to your shipment.




• Where exactly your pickup and delivery locations are – If your pickup and/or delivery locations are in hard-to-reach or remote locations, the cost to ship your motorcycle there will likely be a bit higher. This is because it will take considerable extra time for your driver to get out there, all while likely having no additional pickups along that portion of their route. Thus, the extra time and distance are made up for by the carrier in the form of a slightly higher price for that customer.

Motorcycle shipping quotes

 
Getting a quote for shipping your motorcycle is similar to getting a quote for shipping a car in that it will give you a very good idea of how much it will cost and how long it will take. It is also similar because these two totals you receive through your quote are not guarantees but estimates, so your final price might be a bit higher or lower than your quote originally stated. Your transit time could be longer or shorter in duration than your quoted time. You will also be required to submit some very simple information about your shipment, whether you are shipping a car or a motorcycle. This includes but is not limited to:
 

• The make & model of your motorcycle




• The date that you want your motorcycle picked up




• The address that your motorcycle will be picked up from and the address that it will be delivered to




• Your email address




• Your phone number

 
However, one main difference between getting a shipping quote for a typical passenger vehicle and shipping a motorcycle is how to get one. You can almost always get a quote for transporting a car online from any auto transport company on their website. Regarding shipping a motorcycle, sometimes, on rare occasions, a company can give you an online quote. But, in most cases, you must call a vehicle transport company for a motorcycle shipping quote. This is because many car shipping calculators do not have the various types of motorcycles and motorcycle brands programmed into the calculator.
 

How to decide between motorcycle shipping companies

 
You can use several objective methods to decide between different motorcycle shipping companies. The first is simply to comparison shop based on price. Some people only care about saving as much money as possible; thus, the quality of service or transit time does not matter to them. You can also base your decision on past customer reviews on websites like Google and Consumer Reports. This will give you a great idea of the overall quality of service a company offers. Finally, you can always call each motorcycle transport company you are considering using and decide based on their expertise and ability to answer your questions and whether or not they can meet all of your shipping needs. We recommend that you use each of these methods and base your decisions on a combination of them.
 

Conclusion

 
Shipping a motorcycle is a very easy and stress-free process when you go about it correctly. Ensure that you plan ahead, book with as much notice as possible, are ready to be present for both the pickup and delivery of your motorcycle and take the necessary steps to prepare for your shipment. If you think you might need to ship a motorcycle, you can always get an instant free quote by calling the motorcycle shipping experts at RoadRunner Auto Transport at (888)777-2123!
 

FAQ

How much does it cost to ship a motorcycle?

 
The average cost to ship a motorcycle is $0.70 per mile, and the overall cost of most motorcycle shipments will fall somewhere between $400 and $900. However, this is subject to change based on several important factors, including the complete distance of the shipment, the shipping method selected, the demand for motorcycle shipping, the pickup and drop-off locations, and more.
 

What do I need to take out of my motorcycle when I ship it?

 
You will need to remove anything considered to be a personal item or accessory. To simplify what does and does not need to be removed, ask yourself whether something is necessary for the function of the motorcycle. Anything you would keep in the top-box or a saddlebag would be something to remove before shipping your motorcycle. This can include gloves, glasses, jewelry, earplugs, tool kits, etc.
 

What are the options for shipping a motorcycle?

 
The most frequently used methods for shipping a motorcycle are open-air motorcycle transport, enclosed motorcycle shipping, and transporting a motorcycle yourself. When you elect to ship a motorcycle on an open-air carrier truck, it will help save you money. Shipping your motorcycle in an enclosed carrier will offer you the most protection for your bike. When you transport your motorcycle yourself, you will save money but sacrifice time and effort.
 

How long does it take to ship a motorcycle?

 
Shipping a motorcycle will typically take somewhere from 8 to 14 days. However, the transit time of your shipment could be longer or shorter depending on the following variables: the total distance of the shipment, the traffic & weather along your transit route, how many other motorcycles are shipping alongside yours, and more. Expect cross-country motorcycle shipments to take between 12 and 21 days.