How to Choose the Best Motorcycle Transportation Company

Enclosed trailer or open trailer?

This is the first thing to ask. On an open trailer your bike rides in the weather and road spray for the whole trip, and anyone at a truck stop can see it. In an enclosed trailer it is out of the rain, road salt, rock chips and out of sight. For a new bike, a custom build, a vintage bike or anything you just paid good money for, enclosed transport is the safer choice. Make sure the quote says enclosed in writing.

How is the bike tied down?

Ask exactly how the bike will be secured. Good motorcycle transport uses soft tie-down straps that loop around solid points on the bike, so no metal hooks touch the handlebars, paint or chrome. The bike should ride upright and held firm so it cannot shift or tip. If a company cannot explain its tie-down method in plain words, keep looking.

Door to door, or drop it at a terminal?

Some companies make you ride or haul the bike to a terminal and collect it from another one at the far end. Door-to-door service means the driver comes to your home, dealer, shop or storage unit and delivers to the address you choose. It saves you a trip and it means fewer times the bike gets loaded and unloaded, which is when most damage happens.

What does the insurance actually cover?

Every company says the bike is insured. Ask what that means: who carries the coverage, what the limit is, and how a claim works. The bike’s condition should be written down and photographed at pickup and checked again at delivery, with you or someone you trust there both times. Take your own photos too.

Can you reach a real person?

Things come up on the road: weather, traffic, a pickup window that needs to move. The best motorcycle transport companies have people answering the phone who can tell you where things stand. Call before you book. If nobody answers when you want to give them your business, it will not get better once they have your bike.

What goes into an honest quote?

• Distance between pickup and delivery.
• The size and weight of the bike, and whether it is a trike, has a sidecar or has wide bags or fairings.
• Whether the bike runs and rolls.
• How easy it is for a truck and trailer to reach each address.
• How flexible your dates are.

A good quote explains what is included and is given in writing. Be careful with a price far below everyone else’s; that usually means open transport, terminal drop-off, or a number that changes after the bike is loaded. Our prices page explains what goes into a motorcycle shipping quote.

Red flags to walk away from

• A quote that is much cheaper than the rest with no explanation.
• A large deposit demanded before a pickup date is set.
• No written condition report at pickup.
• Vague answers about enclosed versus open transport.
• No phone number, or a phone nobody answers.

Questions to ask before you book

• Is my bike in a fully enclosed trailer the whole way?
• How do you strap it down?
• Is pickup and delivery at my door?
• What does the insurance cover and how do I file a claim?
• What is included in the price?
• Who do I call while my bike is on the road?

How to get your motorcycle ready

• Wash it so existing marks are easy to see, then photograph every side.
• Leave about a quarter tank of fuel or less.
• Empty saddlebags and remove loose accessories.
• Turn off the alarm and have the keys ready.
• Tell the company up front about anything unusual: low ground clearance, a custom front end, leaks, or a bike that does not run.

How Motorcycle Transporters does it

We are based in Richmond, VA and ship motorcycles door to door (see our service areas). Every bike travels in a fully enclosed trailer, held with soft tie-down straps, and moves with insured carriers. Live agents answer the phone 7 days a week, 8am to 8pm ET, so you can ask your questions before you book and while your bike is on the road. Call (866) 216-7742 or request a free quote and we will give you a straight answer on price and timing.