Why Shipping Your Motorcycle is Safer Than Riding Long Distances

You’ve experienced the joy, freedom, and power of taking your motorcycle Choose Safety and Peace of Mind With ShipLux!on adventures. If it were possible, you would choose that all the time. Sometimes that’s not the best idea, though. As much as you might want to ride your bike thousands of miles to your next destination, practical concerns like safety and time may suggest that shipping would be the better option.

You might be thinking: “I can ride my own motorcycle across the country. I want to ride; I can do it! Don’t tell me no.” Here at ShipLux, we understand how you feel, because we love motorcycles too.

There are times that you simply have to think about the safety of both yourself and your motorcycle—after all, you want both of you in good shape to ride together again.

Accidents Happen

While we don’t want to be harbingers of doom, let’s be real. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 5,014 motorcyclists died because of a fatal crash in 2019. In 2020, during the pandemic, that number increased 9%. While there are many reasons for motorcycle accidents the NHTSA writes:

“If you ride a motorcycle, you already know how much fun riding can be. You understand the exhilaration of cruising the open road and the challenge of controlling a motorcycle. But motorcycling also can be dangerous. Per vehicle miles traveled in 2019, motorcyclists were about 29 times more likely than passenger vehicle occupants to die in a motor vehicle crash and were 4 times more likely to be injured. Safe motorcycling takes balance, coordination, and good judgment.” (NHTSA, Motorcycle Safety)

If you are an experienced motorcyclist, you know the risks. But did you know that there are certain days and times that are riskier than others? According to an article called “When Not to Ride Your Motorcycle” posted by Marsalisi Law, the most dangerous times for riding are between 3-6 pm on weekdays, and 6-9 pm on weekends.

What does this have to do with shipping your motorcycle? It’s simple, really—if you are riding the bike, you need to be aware of when it is safe to ride. If you’re getting ready to take your dream Motorcycle Diaries sojourn, that’s one thing. (Like getting ready for a marathon, you must train and have a plan!)

Otherwise, if you’re thinking about riding as a way of saving money on shipping because you need your motorcycle somewhere far from where it is now, give shipping another thought. Shipping with a professional shipping company who includes White Glove Treatment on every motorcycle shipment, you can be sure that your bike will arrive in the same condition it left you, and you can plan your next ride at a safe time, location, and distance – leaving you with total peace of mind.

Long-Distance Rides Take Preparation

As much as we might be tempted to join the extreme motorcycle riders known as the Iron Butt Association who earn their name with challenges like riding 1000 miles in 24 hours, the truth is that can be dangerous and riders need to build up endurance if they want to attempt anything that extreme. General recommendations for long distance riding are that most riders can handle 250-300 miles a day maximum, depending on things like the type of bike, riding experience, road conditions, and the length of the trip.

To put it another way, driving too many hours a day can be a safety risk if you’re trying to move your bike across the country. Planning a road trip on your bike can be awesome and exciting—but you have to be able to plan practically so that you’re not fatigued and taking unnecessary risks for you and your bike.

That’s not going to happen to me, you think, because I am an experienced rider.
Perhaps, but even the most experienced riders can have accidents, especially on unfamiliar roads or while experiencing fatigue from overestimating their long-distance motorcycling endurance. Becoming an experienced rider takes time, patience, and years of practice. Do you really want to take that chance?

“Becoming an experienced rider doesn’t happen automatically, or by accident. It’s more than a simple accrual of years or miles. It’s a conscious and continual process, one that is carefully nurtured to maturity, and then maintained.” (Pete Hitzeman, “What Makes an Experienced Rider?” RideApart.com, September 17, 2014).

Besides the toll it’ll take on your body, what about on your bike? Riding long-distance means needing to be prepared for any roadside dilemma, and recovering from the added mileage. Why not put on the wear and tear on trips you can enjoy?

Save Your Bike, & Your Butt – Hire the Experts

Ultimately, though you may miss out on a little adventure, and it may cost a little more depending on where you’re headed, your best and safest option to move your bike across long distances is to talk with a company experienced in shipping motorcycles, like ShipLux. The no-obligation price quote process is there for you to interview the company before making a final decision.
So start with a quote, and go with your gut!

Here’s a handy chart showcasing the safety advantages of hiring a motorcycle shipping company over riding long-distance:

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Choose Safety and Peace of Mind With ShipLux!

Seek advice from a company that loves motorcycles and knows how to ship them, like ShipLux. Contact us any time, day or night, to get a no-obligation, transparent quote. Our agents are available 24/7 on your favorite platforms to answer any question. (Really, any question.)

The communication doesn’t end there. Our enclosed motorcycle transportation is completely personalized, with White Glove Treatment and 24/7 customer service included from start to finish. Whatever you need, we make it happen so that when you see your motorcycle next, your ride can truly and safely begin.