Getting Your Bike From There To Here

So, you’ve been scanning all the online sites and you finally located your dream bike. You’ve contacted the owner and you’re satisfied it is in its advertised condition. The price is right. Just one problem: It’s 2,000 miles away.

Sure, it would be great to hop in the pickup, swing by and get your buddy and set out on a road trip to make that bike yours. But you are working, your vacation time is nil and your significant other is asking who’s going to help with the kids, the house and the yard while you are away.

Time to check out a motorcycle transport company.

“There are some people who have all the time in the world and who can take a week to travel to pick up a bike,” said Clint Lawrence, founder and CEO of Motorcycle Shippers. “But then there are busy executives and people who are working five days a week to support a family, who just don’t have that kind of time.

“We want motorcyclists to know that there is an option that is easy to use.”

Motorcycle transport companies ship street bikes, dirt bikes, racing bikes and vintage bikes. And special arrangements can be made for trikes and sidecar rigs.

Jennifer Gibbs, manager of Federal Motorcycle Transport, said that, once loaded, motorcycles remain in a locked trailer or a secure warehouse. And the bike is inspected by an agent before loading.

“If you are buying a motorcycle from out of state, we can help you transport your motorcycle,” she said. “We will set load and delivery dates with you. The origin agent will call the origin contact at least 24 hours in advance. Once the driver is onsite, he will walk around and do an inspection. The origin contact will then sign off on this inspection and receive a copy. There will be a copy that stays with the motorcycle. The motorcycle will be loaded onto the lift gate and then rolled onto a pallet specifically made for motorcycles. The agent will then update the order for tracking.”

Lawrence said transport companies can be more cost-effective than taking a trip to pick up a bike.

“We ship a lot of vintage bikes,” he said. “And we help the rider who switches up bikes every year or two. They turn to us when they just can’t bridge the gap to get the bike.”

For example, if you take a Ford F150 to pick up one bike 500 miles away, it’s costing about 52 cents a mile for fuel and wear and tear on the vehicle, he said. That’s $520, not counting the time spent or a hotel or meals.

“We can ship that bike for $750 to $800,” Lawrence said.

Gibbs said Federal charges $725 to $920 for a “normal motorcycle.”

When To Ship

For short distances it may be more cost effective to ride, unless shipping is necessary for some reason, Gibbs said.

“At Federal, anything from 1 mile to 799 miles is a flat rate, plus any remote fees,” she said. “If the order is more than 400 miles, we suggest shipping with us.”

Gibbs and Lawrence said people use their companies to ship motorcycles for job relocations, vacations or organized rides with a starting point too far to ride to.

Lawrence said specialized service is ideal for getting your bike to your new home in another state.

“Moving companies are not equipped to handle motorcycles,” he said. “And loading it yourself can be disastrous. Don’t end up as one of those ‘fail’ videos on YouTube. It can be done. But you are assuming all the risk yourself.

“Four of every five bikes require some serious thought about the best way to strap them down without damage. We are the experts at that.”

Some motorcycle owners ship their bikes to big rallies in Sturgis, S.D., or Daytona Beach, Fla., then fly to the destination, giving them more time to enjoy the event.