International Motorcycle Shipping

How international motorcycle shipping works

International motorcycle shipping has more moving parts than a move across the United States, but it follows a clear order. Your bike is collected from your door, prepared for ocean freight, taken to the port, and loaded for the sea leg of the trip. Paperwork travels alongside the bike so it can clear export and then import at the other end.

Motorcycle Transporters handles the part we know best: safe, door-to-door transport of the bike inside the United States, and help coordinating what comes next. Because every international move is different, a live agent walks you through your own route instead of handing you a one-size-fits-all package.

1. 1Call or request a free quote and tell us the make and model of the bike, where it is now and where it needs to end up.
2. 2A live agent explains the options for your move and gives you a custom quote.
3. 3We schedule door-to-door pickup in the US and confirm the pickup window with you.
4. 4The bike is rolled onto a pallet and secured, then prepared for ocean freight.
5. 5The bike is delivered to the port, and we help coordinate the export paperwork.
6. 6The bike travels by ocean freight to its destination, where it clears import and is released.

Door-to-door pickup in the US and delivery to the port

The first leg is the one you can count on to feel familiar. A driver comes to your home, dealer or seller, inspects and photographs the bike with you, and secures it on a large enclosed truck with a wheel chock and soft-tie straps. The bike is protected from weather and road debris on its way to the port, just like any other Motorcycle Transporters shipment.

From there the bike is delivered to the port for loading. Skipping the drive to the port yourself saves you a long day, a trailer and the risk of handling a loaded bike near busy freight yards. If you are not sure which port makes sense for your move, ask your agent when you call.

Palletizing and crating a motorcycle for ocean freight

Ocean freight is rougher on cargo than a road trip. Containers are lifted by equipment, stacked, and carried through weather and swell, so a bike that rides uncrated on an enclosed truck for a domestic move usually needs more protection for the sea leg.

Every bike we ship is palletized as standard. It is rolled onto a pallet and strapped down with soft ties, so the whole unit can be moved and loaded as one piece. For the sea leg, that palletized bike is then prepared for ocean freight, for example in a crate, which is a box, usually wood, built around the motorcycle. Our motorcycle shipping crate and pallet guide explains how palletized shipping works, and your agent can talk through what your bike and your destination need.

Motorcycle shipping container vs. crated shipping

When you ship a motorcycle overseas, the bike usually travels in one of two ways. Which one fits depends on your bike, your destination and how many vehicles or items are moving together.

• Crated shipping: the bike is built into its own crate, which protects it and makes it easy to handle as freight.
• Motorcycle shipping container: the bike is secured inside a shipping container, either on its own or shared with other freight, and the container is loaded onto the ship.
• Palletized (standard): the bike is secured to a pallet, which can then be crated or placed in a container.
• Group moves: more than one bike, or a bike plus parts and gear, can sometimes share a container, so tell us everything that is going.

Export paperwork you will need

Every country and port has its own rules, but a few documents come up on nearly every international motorcycle transport. Start gathering them early, because a missing title can hold a bike at the port.

• The motorcycle title, in the name of the person shipping the bike. If a lender holds the title, ask them about export requirements first.
• A bill of sale, if you recently bought the bike or are selling it to a buyer overseas.
• A valid government-issued photo ID for the person shipping the bike.
• Any additional forms the destination requires. Your agent will tell you what to expect for your route.

We help coordinate the paperwork

You do not have to figure out export paperwork alone. We help coordinate it, tell you which documents to have ready and keep the pickup, port delivery and paperwork lined up so the bike is not waiting on a missing page. Rules differ by destination, so we will point out what to confirm for your own move.

Choosing among motorcycle shipping companies international

When you compare motorcycle shipping companies international moves call for a different checklist than a domestic one. Ask who handles the US leg and how the bike is secured, how the bike will be protected for ocean freight, who helps with the paperwork, and what is and is not included in the quote.

Ask for the coverage details for your own shipment in writing, and make sure a live person answers the phone when you have a question mid-move. Our guide to choosing a motorcycle shipping company covers the same points in more depth.

International quotes are custom

We do not publish set prices or transit times for international motorcycle shipping, because they depend on your bike, the pickup location, the port, how the bike is prepared and where it is going. A custom quote is the only honest way to price the move.

To get one, call (866) 216-7742 or send a free quote request. Tell us the make and model of the bike, whether it runs, where it is now and where it is headed, and any parts or gear that should travel with it. An agent will come back to you with a quote built for your move, with no obligation to book. For a sense of how domestic pricing works, see the cost to ship a motorcycle.

Get your bike ready to ship overseas

• Wash the bike and photograph every side, the tank, the fenders and the odometer.
• Leave about a quarter tank of fuel or less, and check that the battery is charged.
• Remove saddlebag contents, loose accessories and anything you do not want to travel.
• Keep the title, bill of sale and photo ID together, and keep the keys ready for the driver.
• Tell us about aftermarket parts, a lowered suspension or anything unusual when you ask for a quote.