Methods for Shipping a Motorcycle

When shipping a motorcycle, you can choose to do so in a crate or in a trailer. You can do so on a pallet – we’ve seen it done – but we’d heavily recommend a more protective approach. Motorcycles are heavy, tall machines, and while pallets provide a base of support, they don’t secure the motorcycle as well as it could be. Beyond this, even if it’s tarped, the motorcycle will still be exposed to some dust and dirt that can occur during the shipping and handling process.

Crate: An individual motorcycle is ideally shipped in a palleted crate, both strapped tightly to the substructure of the crate for security and blocked inside for added stability. For further protection, a motorcycle can be covered, insulated, or padded inside the crate – though this isn’t needed, and we’d recommend you be very careful about your choice of material. We tend to be wary of certain coverings that can trap condensation against the bike.

Container: You might also choose shipping a motorcycle via container. It can be moved in a small container or palleted and braced inside a larger container with other secured items you’re transporting.

When transporting multiple motorcycles, our ideal recommendation would be to ship them in a container on two tiers. This uses the vertical space in a trailer to save you money Motorcycles can be blocked and braced in a space-saving way. They’ll still be standing upright, but you’ll essentially have an upper “shelf” of motorcycles positioned safely over those stored on the floor of the container. You can halve some of your shipping costs when transporting multiple motorcycles this way, instead of paying for twice the container space.

Cleaning: Make sure that no matter how you ship your motorcycle, you’ve cleaned it. Grime and grit can damage your vehicle in transit, and a clean motorcycle will be exposed to far less abrasion from accumulated dirt. Transporting vehicles are designed to absorb most of the bumps on the road so that the cargo itself isn’t jostled, but there’s still enough to shake dirt loose from tires. This can get redeposited en route or during handling as cargo is moved. Cleaning your bike before transport is the easiest way to avoid collecting this type of damage.