Motorcycle Shipping

Motorcycle shipping moves your bike on a truck rather than under you. It is what people use when the ride itself is not the point — a relocation, a purchase from three states away, a bike going to a restorer, or a route you have no interest in riding in February.

Genius Auto Trans is a licensed and bonded property broker — USDOT 3674601, MC 1274912, Broker Property, ACTIVE with the FMCSA, arranging transport since 2021. We do not own trailers. We source your shipment from a vetted network of more than 10,000 carriers.

When a motorcycle-only specialist is the better answer

Worth saying before anything else, because you will meet them in this search and some of them are very good.

There are companies that ship nothing but motorcycles and powersports. Enclosed trailers, motorcycle-specific strapping, no mixed loads, drivers who ride. If you are moving a single high-value collector or custom bike and nothing else, that focus is a real advantage and we would tell you to consider it.

Where a broker is the better answer:

• You are shipping a bike and a car in the same move. One conversation, one booking, one point of contact, rather than two companies on two schedules who do not talk to each other.
• Your lane is awkward. Specialists run the routes their own trucks run. We are sourcing across the whole market for your specific corridor.
• Your timing is tight. A wider carrier pool means more chances that someone is already running your route this week.
• You are moving several bikes, a dealer batch, or a mixed powersports load.

We would rather tell you that plainly than pretend one model wins every time.

How motorcycles actually travel

A bike is not simply strapped to a car deck. It is secured upright on its wheels using motorcycle-specific tie-down points and soft straps, with the suspension partially compressed so it cannot rock loose over a long run. Done properly it is uneventful. Done by someone treating a motorcycle like a small car, it is how bikes get dropped.

Enclosed is the standard recommendation for motorcycles. Walls and a roof mean no road spray on chrome, no stone chips on tank paint, no weather on leather or exposed components. Given how little of a bike is protected by bodywork, the case for enclosure is considerably stronger than it is for a car.

Open transport is available and cheaper, and it is a reasonable choice for a working bike, a project, or a non-running machine heading to a restorer. It is not the choice for a bike you care about the finish on.

Crated or uncrated — most domestic road transport moves bikes uncrated and secured directly. Tell us if your bike is already crated or needs to be.

Non-running bikes are routine but need equipment that can load them without the engine, which is a narrower carrier pool.

What we need from you: make, model, whether it runs and rolls, and any modification that changes the dimensions — bagger fairings, sidecars, oversized screens, trikes and aftermarket luggage all change how it fits.

What motorcycle shipping costs

We do not publish price bands or coverage figures, and you will find both published by competitors on this search. A published range cannot know your bike, your corridor or what capacity looks like this week.

What moves your quote:

• Distance and lane density — how many carriers routinely run your corridor matters more than raw mileage
• Open or enclosed — the largest single choice on a motorcycle
• Bike size and weight — a full dresser touring bike, a trike or a sidecar occupies far more deck than a standard machine
• Running condition — non-running needs specific loading equipment
• Whether it ships alone or with other vehicles — a bike moving alongside your car on the same lane usually prices better than two separate bookings
• Timing flexibility — a wide pickup window gives us more carriers to work with
• Season — riding season, rally and auction calendars all concentrate demand on specific corridors at specific times

Cost detail across services: FAQ — Cost & Pricing.

Preparing your bike

• Wash it first. You cannot document damage on a dirty bike, and the condition record at pickup is what protects you.
• Photograph everything, dated, from every angle. Tank, fairings, pipes, wheels, mirrors.
• Leave roughly a quarter tank of fuel.
• Disable the alarm and note anything the driver needs to know to move it.
• Remove or secure loose items — screens, luggage, saddlebags, GPS units, anything that unclips.
• Note existing leaks. Say so upfront rather than letting it become an argument later.
• Take your personal belongings out. Federal regulation prohibits carriers from moving household goods in a shipped vehicle, and cargo insurance does not cover them. Panniers are not luggage space on a transport.

More: FAQ — Vehicle Preparation.

Insurance

We are a licensed and bonded broker, not the carrier. Every carrier we assign is required to hold active cargo insurance, and we will provide that carrier's certificate on request.

For a bike worth more than market rate, our own published guidance applies: consider a special insurance rider or enclosed transport. Request the certificate and read it against the bike's actual value before you ship — on a collector or custom machine that is twenty minutes well spent.

More: FAQ — Carriers, Insurance & Safety.

Who ships bikes

• Riders relocating — the bike arrives without a multi-day ride in whatever weather the calendar supplies
• Buyers collecting a bike bought online, at auction, or from a private seller several states away
• Sellers delivering to a buyer they will never meet
• Dealers moving stock, singly or in batches — see the car dealer discount
• Restoration and custom shops moving projects in and out, often non-running
• Riders heading to rallies and events who would rather arrive fresh than after a thousand miles
• Seasonal residents moving a bike between two homes — see seasonal car relocation
• Military families under orders — see the military and veteran discount

Where we ship

Motorcycle transport throughout the 48 contiguous states and Washington, DC. Alaska and Hawaii are not served, and we do not arrange international or overseas motorcycle shipping — including container or roll-on shipping. Said plainly because a great deal of the search traffic around motorcycle shipping is looking for exactly that, and we would rather you know now.

State pages: Motorcycle Transport Florida · Motorcycle Transport California

Locations Hub · Routes Hub · Services Hub · Door-to-door collection

Frequently asked questions

How do you ship a motorcycle? The bike is secured upright on its wheels using motorcycle-specific tie-down points and soft straps, with the suspension partially compressed so it cannot shift in transit. It travels in an enclosed trailer in most cases, or on open transport if you choose that. Collection and delivery are at the addresses you give us.

How much does it cost to ship a motorcycle? It depends on distance and lane density, open or enclosed, the size and running condition of the bike, whether it ships alongside another vehicle, and your timing. We quote your actual shipment rather than publishing a band that cannot know your corridor.

Should I ship my motorcycle enclosed or open? Enclosed for most bikes. A motorcycle has very little bodywork protecting it, so weather and road debris reach far more of it than they would on a car. Open is a reasonable economy for a working bike, a project or a non-running machine.

How do I prepare my motorcycle for shipping? Wash it, photograph it from every angle with a date stamp, leave about a quarter tank of fuel, disable the alarm, remove or secure loose items and luggage, and note any existing leaks. Take all personal belongings out.

Can you ship a motorcycle that does not run? Yes. It needs a carrier with equipment to load it without the engine, which is a narrower pool and a different price. Tell us at quote stage whether it rolls and steers.

Does my motorcycle need to be crated? Not for domestic road transport in most cases — bikes travel secured directly with motorcycle-specific equipment. If yours is already crated, or you want it crated, say so at quote stage.

Can you ship a trike, a sidecar or a full dresser? Yes, and tell us at quote stage, because all three change the footprint significantly and therefore which trailers can take them.

Is my motorcycle insured during transport? The assigned carrier holds the cargo insurance that applies to your shipment, and we will provide its certificate on request. We are a broker and do not insure vehicles ourselves. On a high-value bike, read the certificate against the bike's value before shipping.

Can I ship my motorcycle and my car together? Yes, and on the same lane it usually prices better than two separate bookings. This is the situation where using one broker rather than a motorcycle specialist plus a car company genuinely saves you something.

Do you ship motorcycles internationally? No. We arrange domestic transport within the 48 contiguous states and Washington, DC only. No overseas, container or roll-on shipping, and no Alaska or Hawaii.

How far in advance should I book motorcycle shipping? Earlier in riding season, around major rallies, and during the summer relocation peak. Enclosed capacity is the tighter part of the market, so flexibility on dates is worth real money.

Can I leave things in the panniers or top box? No. Federal regulation prohibits household goods in a shipped vehicle and cargo insurance does not cover them.

More answers: Car Shipping FAQs · FAQ — Specialty Transport

Questions first? Call (800) 780-1113 — answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Related pages

• Car Shipping (core hub)