Get Instant Motorcycle and ATV Transport Quotes With Movewheels
Owning a motorcycle or an ATV is much more than just having a mode of transportation – there is a whole lifestyle to it. These sport and pleasure vehicles were made to bring their owners the feeling of freedom, excitement, and adrenaline out there on the road…
We totally share your passion for these bad boys and will be more than happy to assist you in relocating your favorite two-, three- or four-wheeler. Whether you are purchasing it out of state, moving your household to a different location, going on a vacation, or attending a rally, the shipping procedure will not be very different from regular car shipping.
So in this guide you can get info on such topics as:
We understand your decision-making dilemma at this point: on one hand you really need to get your motorcycle to the destination point safely and timely but on the other hand it’s hard to trust somebody with moving your bike especially if you have never done it before.
Speaking from our experience, there are several reasons for hiring a professional shipping company to take care of your motorcycle:
But if you need to transport your vehicle on a short distance, and have a pick up with a special trailer, it makes no difficulties for you to transport your bike or ATV. Nevertheless, we recommend you to pay attention to the process of the loading on and off. Check the video below there are some tips that can help you.
Today you can find a huge variety of motorcycles and ATVs in all shapes and sizes, designed for different purposes: touring, cruising, sport, extreme etc. But the most important criteria that determine the shipping process and cost are:
If it’s a luxurious Harley or vintage World War I veteran bike then you would most likely want to choose an enclosed trailer for relocating it;
Vast majority of bikes comes within pretty standard range of sizes (about 70”-90”L, 30”-35”W, 30”-35”H) and can easily fit in a bike crate or a trailer even if some of them are a little bigger than standard size bikes.
Since the range of motorcycle sizes is not very wide, most of them can be shipped the same way without any restrictions. Moreover, the price is likely to be lower for smaller bikes and scooters as they don’t take up much space in the trailer and can easily be combined with other vehicles.
ATVs (all terrain vehicles) can be divided into four classes based on their size:
Shipping options for large ATVs of Class I, all types of Class II and IV ATVs are a bit different from motorcycles due to their bigger size and weight.
They cannot be crated (as maximum outside dimensions of a crate are 98″L, 47″W, 50″H ) but they can be transported as a regular small SUV (note that the price for shipping such ATVs will be higher than shipping a motorcycle).
When choosing the best option for moving your motorcycle or ATV, such factors as distance, vehicle value and type should be taken into consideration in the first place. Depending on these factors, you can choose between open and enclosed carrier.
Since motorcycles and ATVs are smaller than regular sedans they are much more sensitive to carrier’s maneuvers on the road. That’s why no matter what type of transportation you choose, your vehicle will be safely secured with soft ties on a pallet to reduce any undesirable movement of the vehicle. However, some extra preparations for shipping a motorcycle or an ATV will still be required.
In car shipping enclosed trailers are primarily used for shipping luxurious cars while open car haulers are widely used for all types of cars on both short and long distances. However, the structure of motorcycles and ATVs is much more sensitive to external influence as most of their parts, including engine, are exposed. That’s why open type of transportation is not very common for shipping these types of vehicles
However open carrier can still be considered if:
Enclosed carrier is usually considered if:
*if your vehicle doesn’t meet these size restrictions (i.e. large Side-by-Side ATV) it is considered as oversized and requires a special procedure for oversized vehicle shipping.
Enclosed method of shipping bikes and ATVs has several options to choose from:
This is the most common and safe way of moving motorcycles and ATVs which implies securing your vehicle on a pallet inside a wooden crate. Such crating protects both your vehicle and other vehicles shipped alongside. Crated shipping requires certain preparation: draining all fluids from the bike or ATV, disconnecting the battery, removing the mirrors and sometimes handlebars and the most important – getting an actual crate.
When getting a motorcycle or ATV crate, keep in mind that the outside dimensions of a crate cannot exceed 98″L, 47″W, 50″H. Thus, crated shipping cannot be used for shipping ATVs of Class II and IV as well as large examples of Class I
This type of shipping does not require pallets or crates as the carrier’s trailer is equipped with special harness system which secures your bike or ATV to the walls and the floor of the trailer using soft tiedown straps.
The carrier provides with a metal pallet and soft tiedowm straps to secure your bike inside the trailer, creating a perimeter of protection around your vehicle.
Just the same as metal pallet shipping with the only difference that the pallet is made of wood and costs a little less than the metal one.
ALL MENTIONED TYPES OF TRANSPORTATION ARE NOT ONLY SAFE BUT ALSO COMPLETELY COVERED BY CARRIER’S INSURANCE
Types of loading a motorcycle or an ATV on the truck/trailer are closely connected with the type of shipping you choose to go with.
Planning to sell your motorcycle or ATV abroad? Attend a rally or show in a different country? Go cruising around Europe? We deal with various types of international transportation, arranging shipments to any country and meeting particular needs of every client. There are three common ways to ship a bike or ATV:
The most common and cheapest option for shipping since a container is usually shared between several vehicles. Vehicles are loaded into the container by a forklift.
Short for “Roll on/Roll off”
More expensive than container shipping as a special crate or pallet will be required for each vehicle. A motorcycle or ATV is secured on a pallet or in a crate and rolled up the ramp to the transport ship.
The fastest and most expensive type of transportation. Vehicles are safely strapped on a pallet or inside a crate in a special luggage space inside a plane. We can arrange international shipping from a port if you plan to drive your car there yourself or hire a driver to pick up the vehicle at your front door, take it to the port and proceed with international shipping.
The shipping time consists of two parts: the pick up window and the actual transit time.
The pick up window mostly depends on the type of shipping you chose for your transportation: carriers with open haulers as well as trailers for crated vehicles can be found in 1 day (unless the pick up area is rural or remote) while getting a carrier with a pallet can take up to 1 week.
The actual transit time depends on the distance and road conditions. The drivers typically cover about 300 miles per day. See the table of correlation between time and mileage.
We will be reporting to you on all the options we find for shipping your bike or ATV so that you can choose the one that suits you the best.
As you can see, there are a lot of factors that can affect the price of the shipment:
Nevertheless, the cost to ship a motorcycle or a small ATV is cheaper than shipping a regular sedan as they take up less space and can be combined with other vehicles.
Once you submit a request or contact us directly we will be able to provide you with a customized quote for shipping your particular motorcycle or ATV right away.