How Much Does It Cost To Ship A Motorcycle?

Nothing quite compares to the sheer thrill of that unmistakable roar of the wide-open throttle, and the robust growl of exhaust notes escaping from a revving motorcycle! These bikes are the best for getting your blood pumping and your heart racing on a hide-speed adventure. Many bikers love to enjoy life traveling miles on end on their bike, exploring every corner of the earth!

Does this sound like you? Well, to achieve certain pathways and terrains, you may need to ship your bike! Read on to determine how much it will cost you to ship your beloved motorcycle. 

Shipping Your Motorcycle 

Depending on where you are heading, you do not have the same luxury of a covered vehicle to traverse miles in bad weather. Plus, this causes unnecessary wear and tear on your bike, expending miles and causing a lot of wear on the tires. Worst of all, accidents absolutely happen, even to the most experienced bikers. General recommendations highlight that one should not exceed 250-300 miles a day, maximum, depending on the type of bike, road conditions and rider experience. Going past that is a major risk to yourself, and to others on the road. 

Luckily, to avoid all of this, there is an answer: shipping your motorcycle! There are some shipping companies out there that will offer open and enclosed shipping. If you aren’t super familiar with this, open shipping is when your bike is placed on a completely open trailer without any covering. 

The thing is, many motorcycles have critical elements to their functionality that are exposed, making it a risky choice to place your bike on an open trailer. 

Knowing this and being total motorcycle encaustics, we want to offer 100% top service, so we operate with a strict enclosed-only policy for motorcycles! We know that by doing this, we are protecting your bike from issues, making the process simpler and safer. 

Opposite to open shipping, enclosed shipping protects your bike 365 degrees, completely covering it from any weather elements, theft and other issues that can happen on the open road. Your bike will be escorted into its temporary trailer home for the ride via a ramp! Importantly, all of the trucks our carriers use have air ride suspension so your bike will not bounce will in transit!

Normally, it will be accompanied by a number of other bikes, depending on the trip and distance your motorcycle is going.  It will be carefully and precisely strapped in, using at least four straps, without any hooks touching the bike itself. When your bike makes it to you and is taken out of the trailer you’ll be ecstatic to not only be reunited with your favorite toy but that it’s looking brand new and exactly how you left it. 

So, what will this cost ya?

What Is The Cost Of Shipping A Motorcycle? 

There are a number of factors to be aware of when shipping your motorcycle. These are:

1. The Type Of Motorcycle You Have

One of the first questions in the price quote you’ll complete with us will ask you this. It’s partially because we’re obsessed with motorcycles and would like to know for our own interest, but it’s also important that we know for planning and safety purposes. As the shipping is enclosed, your bike will be put into a trailer and with that, size and weight are important as it ultimately impacts the price. The heavier and bigger it is = the higher the price. Plus, if you have a brand new, high-spec motorcycle, we will need to know so we can help with recommending additional travel insurance. Like any insurance, the price will vary. 

2. The Time Of Year You Want To Ship

Do you love discounts?! So do we and we’d love to help our customers out as much as we can! So, if you have the flexibility and can change up your schedule to ship your bike out in less busy seasons, it means you will likely save some money! 

The busiest and therefore most pricey seasons are first, summer: May – September. It’s a combination of people taking vacations, students being off from school and a popular time to move. The roads are busy and this impacts prices. 

Second is winter! It’s a double-edged sword because there can be quiet times but with the holiday season, time off, and bad weather, it can result in complications and surcharges. The weather can be a real bummer this time of year, resulting in detours, which in turn means a longer delivery time and more gas, all equaling more money. 

There’s another thing that happens in winter: snowbirds. No, these are not a funky type of winter bird you have never heard of, but a nickname for retirees who move to southern states seeking sunshine and lower living costs. While that sounds lovely for them, for you, it can mean additional traffic on these popular routes, which means it is common to see a higher price on your shipping quote during this time period.

Here is a little hint:  If you are going in the opposite direction (from a warmer state to a colder state) there is a chance you’ll get a stellar discount since you’re going against the grain and therefore it’s cheaper! 

All of this is to say, if you have flexibility at all, go for the fall! September – November, the demands pummel, and you can get a discount. Score! 

3. Is your Motorcycle Running?

We ask this because of the safety of course, but also the cost. The thing is, if your motorcycle is not running, it will require additional hands, effort and maybe even specific special equipment to get the motorcycle from the road and into the trailer. This increased attention and need, you guessed it, is going to cost you!

4. Flexibility Of Pickup and Delivery Time 

We do our best to provide all of our customers with an accurate timeframe for the pickup and delivery of your bike. This includes updates on the route if there are any delays.

If you have some flexibility with the timing of your shipment, you will be rewarded with a potentially decreased price for your shipping. This is because the more time we have to plan to work with, we can plan routes better and aim to complete multiple deliveries at one time, which can result in decreased costs!

We strive to pick up your motorcycle at your location between 24-72 hours after you place your order with us. This may vary depending on demand, time of year, and pick-up location. What really helps, is if you book a time in advance! 

Due to restraints and regulations from the Department of Transportation, a cross-country shipping journey can take anywhere between 5-7 days for enclosed transport. Enclosed transport is often quicker, as there are fewer vehicles on the delivery route meaning fewer stops for the driver.  

In the instance you want your bike expedited, it is possible to buy a strict pickup or delivery window where your bike’s shipment becomes the top priority above all other pickups or deliveries. For this service, we do our utmost to abide by the window, but sometimes there are factors out of our control that can impact timing. 

Flexibility is your friend when it comes to savings! 

5. Location 

Where your bike is heading matters! 

When you work with ShipLux, we proudly offer door-to-door service and are pleased to drop your bike off at your desired location. However, if this location is extremely rural and not often traversed, that can come with a bigger cost. Naturally, the opposite is true too. 

6. Hidden Costs 

Hidden costs!? Sounds awful. Well, we’re here to warn you about the truth behind shipping a motorcycle and the hidden costs associated. They include

• Government fees:  such as Diesel Fuel Prices
• Oversize fees: which may apply if a bike is larger than 4’ x 9’ or takes up more than one spot on a carrier. 
• Attempted Delivery fees: this can happen if you don’t meet the driver, the driver cannot access the location and/or the bike cannot be rolled into the carrier.

As much as we’d love to give you a flat cost of how much it will cost you to ship your motorcycle, that would go against our transparency and honest model. At ShipLux, we believe in fairness and never have a single hidden fee. To get your most accurate price tag, we encourage you to fill out a simple—and fast!—quote here. If you work with us, you don’t have to worry about being scammed out of money or finding yourself trapped with a sketchy company that can’t follow through with its promises. 

Conclusion

We hope you’ll trust us, a company that genuinely adores motorcycles and knows how to ship them safely and properly! All of our enclosed shipping is tailored to your needs. We look forward to chatting with you about your requirements, needs and shipping details so we provide you with a realistic quote! Let’s work together to get your bike to your dream destination.