By cargo type
How to ship a motorbike
Also known as a motorcycle or a scooter.
A motorbike ships either crated inside a container or driven on and secured as roll-on roll-off cargo. Which is cheaper depends on the lane; which is safer is almost always the crate. Either way the fuel and the battery have to be dealt with before it is handed over.
Crated in a container, or roll-on roll-off
Crated, the bike is drained, secured on its own frame and sealed inside a container. Nothing else touches it, it is out of the weather, and it can share a container with other cargo — which makes it the usual choice for a single bike and for anything valuable or restored.
Roll-on roll-off is often cheaper on lanes with a regular vehicle service. The bike is driven or pushed aboard and lashed on a vehicle deck, which means it is handled by the terminal rather than by you, and it is exposed to the deck environment for the voyage. It also cannot carry anything: RoRo vehicles must travel empty.
Fuel, battery and paperwork
A motorbike is treated as a vehicle, and vehicles have their own requirements at both ends. These are the ones that stop a shipment rather than merely delay it.
- Drain the fuel tank to as near empty as the carrier requires, and run the engine dry where possible. A full tank is a dangerous-goods problem, not an inconvenience.
- Disconnect and insulate the battery terminals. A lithium battery has to be declared separately and may need to be removed entirely.
- The original registration document and proof of ownership travel with the shipment. Customs at the far end will ask for both, and a photocopy is often not accepted.
- Clean it properly, underside included. Soil and plant material on a vehicle is a biosecurity issue in several destinations and a common reason for an inspection charge.
Preparing the bike itself
Most damage to a shipped motorbike happens while it is stationary and secured, not while it is moving.
- Strap through the frame and the triple clamp, never through the handlebars alone, and compress the front forks slightly so the suspension cannot pump against the straps.
- Remove or pad mirrors, screens, panniers and anything projecting.
- Photograph it from every side before it is handed over, with the odometer visible. That record is what settles a damage claim.
- Take the loose items off. Anything not bolted to the bike travels as separate cargo or not at all.
Shipping something else?
Shipping motorbikes? Get a quote.
Any country to any country, import or export — send us the origin, destination and cargo details and we'll come back with a competitive rate within one business day.