If you try to transport your motorcycle to the other part of the country simply because you are removing or you need to transport your motorcycle to the rally, you will most likely use a shipping service rather than riding your motorcycle to the other part of the state.
With that being said, you may ask what the motorcycle shipping cost is.
So what is the cost of motorcycle shipping? As a general rule, you need to consider many elements when calculating the cost of motorcycle shipping. The mileage is the biggest factor in the shipping cost. Other elements like transport type, the size of your motorcycle, and additional services will also impact the cost of motorcycle shipping.
Stay with us to learn more about motorcycle shipping. In this article, we will cover everything related to motorcycle shipping so you have every information needed and you are ready.
Table of Contents
Average Cost to Ship a Motorcycle
If we look at a price chart and look for the average price to ship your motorcycle, we will see that the average price of shipping a motorcycle in an enclosed trailer secured to a specialized pallet is 996$ or 0.53$ per mile.
You need to be aware that the cost can vary, mainly depending on the shipping lane and the origin state. Here are the following examples of the average cost of motorcycle shipping in the most commonly used shipping lanes:
- California to New Jersey: $1,450 ($0.41/mile)
- Florida to California: $970 ($0.36/mile)
- California to Texas: $937 ($0.58/mile)
- New York to California: $925 ($0.33/mile)
- Texas to California: $979 ($0.65/mile)
- Florida to Washington: $958 ($0.30/mile)
- Virginia to California: $1,047 ($0.40/mile)
- Texas to Washington: $1,226 ($0.54/mile)
Average Motorcycle Shipping Cost by State
Average motorcycle shipping cost will be affected by your origin state, but the distance and your sending and receiving location is the factor that has the most significant effect on the shipping price. It is characteristic that shipping a motorcycle from a rural area will cost more than if you are shipping near some major highways. If you don’t use the shipping company’s holding facilities, it will also increase the shipping price.
Here is the average shipping cost by state:
- Alabama: $1,600 ($1.03/mile)
- Arkansas: $841 ($0.65/mile)
- Arizona: $923 ($0.50/mile)
- California: $1,012 ($0.47/mile)
- Colorado: $1,009 ($0.66/mile)
- Connecticut: $1,036 ($0.50/mile)
- Washington, D.C.: $803 ($0.61/mile)
- Delaware: $790 ($0.66/mile)
- Florida: $937 ($0.48/mile)
- Georgia: $924 ($0.59/mile)
- Iowa: $830 ($0.53/mile)
- Idaho: $803 ($0.54/mile)
- Illinois: $918 ($0.70/mile)
- Indiana: $1,062 ($0.70/mile)
- Kansas: $1,370 ($1.01/mile)
- Kentucky: $999 ($0.62/mile)
- Louisiana: $990 ($0.66/mile)
- Massachusetts: $959 ($0.40/mile)
- Maryland: $987 ($0.46/mile)
- Maine: $1,185 ($0.47/mile)
- Michigan: $930 ($0.65/mile)
- Minnesota: $925 ($0.62/mile)
- Missouri: $847 ($0.64/mile)
- Mississippi: $1,053 ($0.90/mile)
- North Carolina: $1,037 ($0.54/mile)
- Nebraska: $783 ($0.70/mile)
- New Hampshire: $1,037 ($0.51/mile)
- New Jersey: $1,022 ($0.52/mile)
- New Mexico: $791 ($0.45/mile)
- Nevada: $1,090 ($0.55/mile)
- New York: $925 ($0.49/mile)
- Ohio: $874 ($0.47/mile)
- Oklahoma: $873 ($0.62/mile)
- Oregon: $1,207 ($0.55/mile)
- Pennsylvania: $1,262 ($0.72/mile)
- Rhode Island: $1,014 ($0.72/mile)
- South Carolina: $1,002 ($0.47/mile)
- South Dakota: $1,509 ($0.94/mile)
- Tennessee: $1,151 ($0.92/mile)
- Texas: $978 ($0.65/mile)
- Utah: $1,098 ($0.69/mile)
- Virginia: $992 ($0.49/mile)
- Vermont: $1,054 ($0.54/mile)
- Washington: $958 ($0.40/mile)
- Wisconsin: $1,076 ($0.68/mile)
- West Virginia: $946 ($0.67/mile)
- Wyoming: $1,519 ($0.91/mile)
What Elements Have the Most Effect on the Motorcycle Shipping Cost?
Many factors affect the cost of shipping your motorcycle. The most significant effect has the distance from the sending point and the location you will send your bike to. You all need to consider the size and weight of your motorcycle.
Here are the significant factors that will be taken into account when calculating the shipping cost of your motorcycle.
Here is an excellent article about Shipping a Motorcycle Cross Country with a detailed, explained step-by-step guide.
Transport Type: Cost for Enclosed vs. Open Motorcycle Transport Services
You can choose between two shipping options, and this has a significant role in the motorcycle shipping cost. You can ship your motorcycle with opened or enclosed transportation.
If you choose an open carrier, you need to know that your motorcycle will be exposed to all kinds of elements like rain or snow, for instance, which means that it can do some sort of damage to your motorcycle. Although the open transportation option may be the cheapest, it is also the riskiest because of these potentially harmful elements.
Tip: I advise you not to use open transportation because you don’t want to have your motorcycle damaged once it arrives at the destination. It is better to pay now for transportation a little bit more than to pay for any possible needed repair later just because you decided to save a couple of dollars and choose the open trailer instead of the closed one.
Although the enclosed transportation costs a bit more, it will offer the best protection possible for your bike. The enclosed transportation shields your motorcycle from all sides, and you won’t have to worry if your motorcycle will be protected all the time because it will.
On average, you will need to pay around 150-200$ more for enclosed transportation.
Is Your Motorcycle Oversized or Heavy?
Motorcycle type is another significant factor that impacts the shipping price, especially motorcycle’s size and weight. If you ship a heavy and oversized motorcycle that needs more space, the shipping price will automatically be higher.
Standard motorcycle specifications are used to measure the space needed for transportation, and the space is based on standard motorcycle specs, which occupy around 4’x9’. If you ship longer, taller, larger, heavier motorcycles than the standards, or even if you have a sidecar, it will increase the shipping cost.
CAUTION: Do not select the company that sends you the lowest quote because many low-cost shipping companies use low-quality equipment or they don’t pay so much attention to your bike as they should.
What Is the Mileage of the Transport?
Transportation distance (mileage) is the biggest element that affects the cost of motorcycle shipping. The average price is 0.30-0.70$ per mile depending on the state. If you ship your motorcycle using a popular transportation route, you will probably need to pay less. Within the lower 48, you will also have to pay less.
Example: If you want to ship your motorcycle to the state of Hawaii, you will need to transport your bike to San Diego and pay for this transportation route; you will have to pay additional supping to the island of Hawaii.
Fuel Surcharges & Motorcycle Shipping Cost
Depending on the date of your motorcycle loading, fuel surcharges may be changed. Fuel price changes are considered in these surcharges, although every shipping company should guarantee the shipping price and stick to it. Fuel surcharges can and don’t have to be included in the motorcycle shipping quote, depending on the shipping company you choose.
If you want to learn How to Ship a Motorcycle, click on this link, where we explain the easiest and most detailed step-by-step guide on how it needs to be done.
Pick-up/Drop-off Location
Your motorcycle picking and dropping location is also an important element that significantly affects the cost of motorcycle transportation. If you ship your motorcycle from areas close to major highways and urban areas, you will pay less than if you ship the motorcycle from the area far from the urban center or highways; you will need to pay additional “beyond” or rural fees. You also need to know that the location of pick-up and drop-off needs to be easily accessible with a semi-truck because some motorcycle shipping companies can’t deliver your motorcycle to high-density downtown areas or smaller streets.
You can choose door-to-door shipping and get your motorcycle delivered to any location you want it. You only need to ensure that the location can be accessible if you decide on door-to-door motorcycle shipping. This option can cost more and doesn’t have to, depending on the location. You can choose that your motorcycle is shipped to the motorcycle transport company’s warehouse near your location, and this option can save you some money.
Here is a nice video from Dirt Bike Channel about motorcycle shipping:
Do You Need Express Motorcycle Shipping?
If you want your bike to be delivered as soon as possible, you can pay extra for it to be a priority or express shipping. You can select expedited pick-up or delivery or both if you wish so, although it can happen that your bike won’t arrive on a specific date or any time sooner. Expedited shipping refers to your shipment being placed at the front of the line.
Motorcycle Insurance: Do You Need Additional Coverage?
There is an option of adding more coverage. You shouldn’t count that your motorcycle insurance policy will cover your motorcycle while it is being transported, but instead, you should look for the insurance level that is included in your quote. 15 000$ is the amount that a motorcycle transport company may offer in coverage included in your quote.
Tip: You should ask if the basic coverage is enough and about the valuation coverage. Another thing you should ask is deductible since most of the policies have a deduction.
You need to be aware that the transit coverage that can be included in the price of your motorcycle shipping is not created to substitute your motorcycle’s total value.
Tip: You should get extra coverage in the event that something terrible happens, like an accident that involves the transport vehicle and your motorcycle gets damaged.
Do You Qualify for a Motorcycle Shipping Discount?
Some motorcycle shipping companies offer you a discount on the cost of your motorcycle shipping.
- Multi-Motorcycle Discount: This shipping discount refers to shipping two or more motorcycles simultaneously, and you can save 65$ with some companies.
- Motorcycle Rally Discount: If you transport your motorcycle to major rallies like Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and it is in the range within 100 miles of a rally, there is a chance that you will get a discount.
- Military Members and Emergency Responders: Many shipping companies will offer you a discount of up to 15% for military members and emergency responders.
- Motorcycle Club Membership Discount: You can get a discount of up to 20% if you are a part of a motorcycle club.
If you want to learn about Motorcycle Shipping and How Long Does It Take, click on this link, where we explain the easiest and most detailed step-by-step guide on how it needs to be done.
Motorcycle Shipping Hidden Fees & Additional Costs
A shipping company that has successfully established and has a great reputation in the motorcycle shipping world will be clear with fees upfront, and you shouldn’t expect any hidden fees. There are many shipping fees that you should expect, and they should be clearly explained to you before shipping your motorcycle. You need to know about the fees included in the motorcycle shipping quote and the ones that are not.
Here are some of the fees you should expect, and whether the fees will be calculated or not, depending on the shipping company you choose. Here are the following fees:
- Attempted Delivery/Pick-up Fee: This fee refers to the situation when your location couldn’t be found or if you weren’t able to meet with the driver. This additional fee ranges between 50–200$.
- Oversized Motorcycle Fee: This additional fee is calculated if your motorcycle is bigger than the standard measures, which means that your motorcycle takes more than one carrier spot.
- Fuel Surcharges: This fee should be included in your quote.
- Residential Fees (Door-to-Door Shipping): Some shipping companies will charge additional fees for delivering your motorcycle to a residential address.
- Storage Fees: This fee is calculated if your motorcycle couldn’t be delivered in case of an attempted delivery issue and it needs to be stored.
What Do You Need to Check for When Choosing a Motorcycle Shipping Company?
Many companies on the market will offer you shipping services, and in this section, we will show you what you need to look at when choosing your shipping company. Find a reputable company with the experience and quality equipment required to deliver your motorcycle. Don’t make a mistake and go for the cheapest company just to save some money in the beginning because it can lead you to additional expenses further down the road.
These are the most important questions that you should ask when requesting motorcycle shipping quotes:
- Are they specialized in motorcycle delivery (shipping)? You need to know that your motorcycle will be taken with great caution and care. That is why you should think to ship your motorcycle only with a specialized company and not a general carrier that transports everything. A specialized motorcycle company will have all the equipment needed like straps, crates, and similar.
- Are there any insurance options available?
- Is the transport coverage included in the quote?
- Can you get extra coverage?
- Do you need extra coverage for your motorcycle?
- What shipping options does the company provide? This includes making the decision about choosing enclosed or open shipping, and you need to decide this before selecting the shipping company because if you choose the company first and shipping option later, it could happen that the company you chose doesn’t offer that type of transportation.
- What is the shipping process of the company you plan to use? In this step, you need to find out what safety measurements the company provides so that you know that your motorcycle will be handled carefully.
- Does the company have warehouses or holding facilities? Determine your shipping needs first, and after that, check how many warehouses they have, what their locations are, and if they suit your needs. If the company has warehouses or holding facilities, it will be much easier to arrange your motorcycle pick-up and drop-off, and another nice thing is that you may also save some money on the shipping cost if you use the companies warehouses.
- Is it possible to track your motorcycle shipment? This is also one crucial factor in the transportation process, and you should be able to track the shipping progress at all times.
- Ask for their claims rate; some may think this is inconvenient, but don’t be afraid to ask for it.
- What are their customer reviews? Look on Trustpilot, Google, or any other site with trusted reviews since these are the best ways to find the experience of the previous customers.
Although I have spoken to many riders who had to ship their motorcycle for whatever reason, most of them said that it is not smart to use the cheapest company to ship your motorcycle. The simple reason is that the cheapest companies don’t use the best transportation equipment and their transport practices may not be on the best level.
What I mean by that is that the money that you may save on the transportation will be the money that you will need to use to repair any possible damage on your motorcycle that may occur during transportation (it doesn’t have to happen, and maybe the transportation will be perfect, but there is a much bigger chance that some kind of damage appears on using cheap companies than the quality ones).
There is also a chance of some hidden fees, which will raise the shipping price.
Conclusion
There are many shipping factors that you need to take into consideration when selecting the option of your motorcycle shipping. It is important to look for any possible fees that can occur when picking your shipping option, and you shouldn’t select the cheapest shipping company because it can happen that they don’t use the best quality shipping equipment or their way of transportation may not be the best for protecting your motorcycle.
In this article, we covered everything that you need to know about the cost of motorcycle shipping and what you can expect when you ship your motorcycle. If you have any doubts, return to the section regarding the question that you need to be answered.
I hope that you liked this article and you have found all the answers to your questions.