Vacation Motorcycle Shipping: Send Your Bike Ahead and Fly In to Ride

Why ship your own bike instead of riding there or renting

• You save your days off for the good roads. A cross-country ride can take most of a week each way. Shipping turns those travel days into riding days. Read more about cross-country motorcycle shipping.
• You ride your own bike. Your seat, your bars, your luggage and your tires. No getting used to a rental on a mountain road.
• You arrive rested. No long highway days in the heat or rain before the trip even begins.
• Fewer miles on the bike. Interstate miles add wear and odometer miles without adding any fun.
• Your bike stays protected. In a fully enclosed trailer, weather, road grime and rock chips stay outside. See enclosed motorcycle shipping.

Where riders send their bikes for vacation

We ship bikes to riding destinations all over the country. These are some of the most popular:

• Daytona and the Florida Keys. Ride the beach towns and island roads in warm weather, or time it for a rally week. See our Florida motorcycle shipping page.
• The Tail of the Dragon and the Smokies. Tight mountain curves on the line between Tennessee and North Carolina.
• The Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive. Long, scenic mountain rides close to our home base in Virginia.
• The Pacific Coast Highway. Ocean views and coastal curves in California.
• The Colorado Rockies. High mountain passes and big summer views in Colorado.
• Arizona and the Southwest in winter. Warm, dry riding when it is cold back home. See Arizona motorcycle shipping and snowbird motorcycle shipping.
• Sturgis in South Dakota in August. One of the biggest rallies there is. See rally and event shipping.

Timing: work backward from the first day of your trip

Transit is typically 10 to 15 business days. Start with the day you want to ride, count back at least that far, and add a little room for pickup. In practice that means booking three to four weeks before your trip.

• Book three to four weeks ahead for most vacations.
• Book earlier for rally weeks such as Daytona Bike Week, Biketoberfest and Sturgis, since trucks heading to big events fill up first.
• Give us the day you need the bike, not just the day you land.
• Plan for the bike to arrive a day or two before you need it, so a short delay does not cut into your trip.

Where we can deliver your bike

We deliver door to door, so the bike can meet you close to where you are staying. Common delivery addresses include:

• A rental house or cabin, as long as the truck can reach it safely or we agree on a nearby spot.
• A friend or family member who lives near your destination.
• A dealership or shop that agrees to receive the bike and hold it for you.
• A hotel, but only if the hotel agrees in advance to receive the bike.

Whatever the address, you or someone you trust should be there to receive the bike and go over its condition with the driver at delivery, the same way as at pickup. If you will land after the bike arrives, put the name and phone number of the person receiving it on the booking.

Shipping your bike home again

The trip home is a second booking. Set it up at the same time as the trip out if your dates are firm, and tell us where the bike will be and the day it is ready. Many riders ask for a pickup the morning after their last ride, then fly home and let the bike follow. The same rules apply at both ends: someone should be there to hand over the keys and go over the bike with the driver.

What vacation motorcycle shipping costs

Most shipments, each way

$750 to $1,200

Coast to coast, each way

About $1,300

Transit time

10 to 15 business days

Remember to budget for both directions. Your price depends on distance, the size and type of bike, whether it runs, how easily a truck can reach each address and how flexible your dates are. These are typical figures, not a quote. Our motorcycle shipping prices page explains how quotes are built.

Palletized shipping: an option most shippers do not offer

We can palletize a motorcycle. It is rolled onto a pallet, set in a wheel chock and held with soft tie-downs, then moved as one secured unit. For a vacation bike, this is mostly useful for a vintage or high-value motorcycle that should be handled as little as possible, or for a bike that is waiting on parts and will be finished at a shop near your destination. Tell us about the bike when you request a quote and we will say whether it ships palletized or rolled into the trailer.

How to get your bike ready for a vacation shipment

Do your trip prep before pickup, so the bike arrives ready to ride. Our guide on how to prepare a motorcycle for shipping covers every step. In short:

• Check tires, battery and fluids before pickup, since you will ride as soon as it arrives.
• Wash the bike and take dated photos of every side.
• Leave about a quarter tank of fuel or less.
• Empty the saddlebags and pack your riding gear in your own luggage.
• Turn off the alarm and have the keys ready for the driver.

Cycling vacation? We ship mountain bikes and e-bikes too

Not every vacation is on a motorcycle. We also ship mountain bikes and electric bikes, so you can ride your own bike on trails and bike paths far from home. See mountain bike and e-bike shipping for details, and request a free quote when you know your dates.