Shipping a motorcycle across the country works the same way as shipping a vehicle does. However, professional auto and motorcycle shipping companies require special care to transport them across the country, since bikes are much more fragile than common vehicles and require special ways of hauling in transport carriers.
Now, when it comes to vintage motorcycles, shipping in transport carriers by auto transport companies is even more special, and requires much more time and care no matter the distance between points.
Most motorcycle owners, especially when it comes to classic bikes, spend a lot of money and time on maintenance. For vintage motorcycles, there are tons of classic bike contests across the country, making their owners frequently travel long or short distances, depending on the contest or festival location. However, the majority of these owners won’t consider driving their classic motorcycle to their destination. Therefore, shipping them with a professional motorcycle transport company is the best option.
Shipping your motorcycle depends on many different factors that will produce your final price. The weight and size of the vintage bike, plus the distance of the shipment are the main elements that determine the total cost to ship. However, the cost of transporting a vintage Harley Davidson motorcycle from Texas to New York, will approximately cost $1,500. However, that’s just an estimate, since as mentioned before, this varies among other shipping features. You can get an estimate of your shipping cost by requesting a free quote. Most professional auto and motorcycle transport companies provide free shipping quote calculators, so that movers can get a clearer vision of the total amount you’ll have to pay in order to transport your motorcycle to your desired destination.
Most professional auto transport companies like AmeriFreight, ship different types of motorcycles anywhere across the country, no matter if it's a short or long distance transport. Most of these vintage bikes owners, belong to one of the following groups:
Since your motorcycle will be carried in a hauler the entire trip, there are certain things you should do to make your shipping experience great, and avoid any kind of mistake, damage, or unexpected situation along the way.
Remove all kind of objects like side bags or hardshell cases
Prepare all your shipping documents (driver’s license, shipping information, BOL)
Unplug or remove your motorcycle’s battery if you can
Drain all the fluids of your motorcycle
Wash your motorcycle, this will help you notice any newer scratches or damages along the way at the end of the trip.
Take good quality pictures before loading your motorcycle into the hauler.
There are several shipping methods on each auto transport company. Each of them have different purposes, prices, and availability. Since shipping your motorcycle requires special care and time, the best shipping method recommended is enclosed auto transport.
However, in case you probably don’t know what enclosed shipping is, here we will show the main 3 transport methods available in the auto transport industry:
Open Transport - The most traditional way of auto transport, where motorcycles are loaded into shared, open haulers. Each carrier can carry around 8 to 9 vehicles. Open transport is the most affordable and available transport method for bike movers.
Enclosed Transport - Perfect for luxury, new, exotic, and vintage motorcycles since they will be shipped in a completely private enclosed trailer. This method offers you loading and unloading services at your doorstep. It’s the most popular option for most car movers since it saves you time and is much more comfortable.
Door To Door Transport - This method offers you loading and unloading services at your doorstep. It’s the most popular option for most bike movers since it saves you time and is much more comfortable.
Shipping your motorcycle on open carriers although is a more affordable option, it doesn’t protect your motorcycle from the outdoors. Therefore, hiring an enclosed shipping service plus door to door shipping will make your experience much better and successful.
Now that you know some of the best tips to ship your motorcycle across the country, you’re ready to take your vintage bike to the next level!
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