How To Ship A Motorcycle

[MoversNShippers]

I used to be in the motorcycle shipping business and have moved a ton of bikes. I just wanted to share a couple of tips for anyone looking to move their own bike. As I had been shipping customer’s bikes (many were very valuable), damage of any kind was not an option. Here are some tips:

1. Use a combination of soft ties with ratchet tie-downs. I also used a locking wheel chock on the front tire. Soft ties are cheap and can be found easily online. Only the soft ties should come in contact with the bike. Sometimes, I would loop two together to further prevent the metal ratchets from getting too close to the bike.
2. Do not secure cruisers by the handlebars. Many have rubber bushings that are not meant to withstand the forces generated when hauling a motorcycle. My favorite spot to secure the front of a cruiser is on the lower triple tree. I would loop the “soft ties” through and then connect the open end to my ratchet straps, which would then be secured to the floor. You can use the handlebars on sport bikes, but I would recommend using a Canyon Dancer, which secures nicely over the bars and will help you to avoid scratches when secured properly. As for the back of the bike, I would loop a strap through spoke or mag wheels. You can also use the pegs or lower frame of the bike. The main purpose of the rear straps is to prevent the tire from moving around.
3. In a perfect environment, all of the straps should come off the motorcycle at a 45 degree angle with a slight angle toward the front of the bike (this helps to hold the bike securely in the wheel chock).
4. You should compress the front suspension when ratcheting down the straps. There are different schools of thought on this but I preferred to compress about 50%.
5. Do not put a cover on the bike if you are using an open trailer. This will lead to scratches.
6. Within the first 10-20 miles, stop and tighten your ratchet straps. You would be surprised to see how loose they can get in such a short period of time. After that, check every 100 miles or so to ensure everything is still secure.
7. Make sure your straps are rated correctly for your bike. Do not assume that each strap will only be supporting ¼ of the weight. In fact, the forces produced when turning may exceed that of the bike itself.

For long runs or for delivering a bike to a new owner, I strongly recommend using a professional (plus you’ll save on gas money). I told you that I used to ship motorcycles. I now own and operate a website that allows you to find motorcycle shipping companies or to post your motorcycle shipment for motorcycle moving companies to bid upon. You can go to www.moversnshippers.com and search our directory of motorcycle moving companies. If you would like to list your shipment, and get bids, click on 'post an auction'.

Thanks,

Michael Muscarella
Owner
MoversNShippers.com