The Best Motorcycle Shipping Company in Virginia: What Riders Should Look For

What the best motorcycle shipping company in Virginia does

A good motorcycle transporter is easy to spot once you know what to ask. Whether you are shipping a touring bike out of Richmond or bringing a new purchase home to the coast, these are the things to look for before you book:

• A fully enclosed trailer the whole way. Your bike stays out of rain, road salt, rock chips and public view from pickup to delivery. Read more about enclosed motorcycle transport.
• Soft tie-down straps. Soft loops go around solid points on the frame so no metal hooks touch paint or chrome, and the bike rides upright without stressing the bars, levers or bodywork.
• Door-to-door pickup and delivery. The driver comes to your home, dealer, shop or storage unit, so you do not have to haul the bike to a terminal and collect it from another one. See how it works.
• Insured carriers. Ask who carries the coverage and how a claim works, and make sure the bike’s condition is written down at pickup and checked again at delivery.
• A clear quote for your exact bike and route. The price should reflect your motorcycle, both addresses and your dates, and it should spell out what is included. Our prices page explains what goes into a quote.
• Live agents you can call. You should be able to reach a real person 7 days a week, 8am to 8pm ET. Ours answer at (866) 216-7742.

For a deeper checklist, including red flags and the questions to ask before you hand over the keys, read how to choose the best motorcycle transportation company.

Shipping a motorcycle within Virginia, into Virginia, or out of Virginia

Because we are based in Richmond, a lot of the bikes we move start or finish close to home. Around the Richmond area we pick up and deliver in Richmond, Henrico, Chesterfield, Midlothian, Glen Allen, Mechanicsville and Petersburg.

Within Virginia: riders ship bikes from one end of the state to the other all the time. It might be a bike bought in Roanoke heading to Virginia Beach, or a project bike moving from Fredericksburg to a shop in Charlottesville. Door-to-door service means you do not lose a weekend towing a trailer across the state and back.

Into Virginia: if you bought a bike out of state or are moving here, we pick it up from the seller, dealer or your old address and bring it to your door, whether that is in Norfolk, Chesapeake, Newport News, Hampton, Williamsburg, Lynchburg or anywhere else in the state.

Out of Virginia: bikes leave Virginia for every part of the country, from neighboring North Carolina and Maryland to Florida, Texas and California. Riders in Arlington, Alexandria and Fairfax often ship to and from Washington, DC as well.

See every city and state we cover on our service areas page, or start with the Virginia motorcycle shipping page.

Common reasons Virginia riders ship a bike

• Buying or selling online. The right bike is often several states away, and shipping lets you close the deal without a long round trip. We can pick up from a private seller, a dealer or an auction; see our guide to buying a motorcycle online or at auction.
• Moving or relocating. When a job or a family move takes you into or out of Virginia, shipping the bike on its own keeps it off the moving truck and lets it travel enclosed and strapped down properly.
• Military PCS moves. Many service members are stationed in Virginia, and orders do not always leave time to ride a bike to a new duty station. Read our military PCS motorcycle shipping guide.
• Shop or restoration work. Some riders send a bike to a specialist builder, paint shop or restoration shop that is not nearby, then ship it home again when the work is done.
• Rallies and events. Shipping the bike ahead means you arrive rested and the bike arrives clean and ready to ride. See rally and event shipping.
• Seasonal storage. Some riders send a bike south for the winter or bring it home for the riding season. Our snowbird motorcycle shipping page covers how that works.

It is not only two-wheelers, either. We also ship trikes and Slingshots, and a dealer shipping service for shops moving inventory.

How to get your bike ready

A few minutes of prep makes pickup faster and keeps the condition report accurate:

• Wash the bike, then take photos of every side so its condition is on record before it is loaded.
• Leave about a quarter tank of fuel or less.
• Empty the saddlebags and remove loose accessories such as tank bags, phone mounts and luggage.
• Turn off the alarm and have the keys ready for the driver.
• Tell us up front if the bike is lowered, custom or does not run, so we can plan the loading before the truck arrives.

Our step-by-step prep guide goes into more detail.

Why riders call Motorcycle Transporters

We are based in Richmond, VA, so Virginia is home ground for us, and we ship motorcycles nationwide. Every bike travels door to door in a fully enclosed trailer, held with soft tie-down straps, and moves with insured carriers.

When you call, a real person answers. Live agents are available 7 days a week, 8am to 8pm ET, to talk through your bike and route before you book and to tell you where things stand while it is on the road. When you are ready, request a free quote and we will give you a straight answer on price and timing for your exact shipment.