Top tips for shipping your bike overseas

So you’ve planned that great American road trip, or maybe you decided to bike across Australia… how do you get your bike to where it needs to be?

Here’s everything you need to know about shipping a motorbike from the United Kingdom.

Why ship a motorbike from the UK?

Congratulations! You’re embarking on an exciting new biking adventure. Whether you’re moving abroad and want to take your trusted road partner with you, or you’ve recently found yourself the perfect new bike. Perhaps you’ve bought a new bike on eBay, at a vintage bike auction, or from one of the UK’s best motorbike manufacturers. Whatever the reason, you need to get that bike from the UK to where it needs to be. And you want it in pristine condition.

What you need to know

When shipping a motorbike from the UK, to prevent any damage, the quickest and safest way to ship it is by container or air freight.

But this isn’t always the safest method of transport, as bikes are treated as loose freight, incurring costly damages during transit. Preparing the necessary documents and paperwork for customs can also be difficult and time-consuming.

That’s why choosing a reliable shipping company, committed to ensuring the safe and secure delivery of motorbikes across the world, is the best way to ensure complete protection and peace of mind.

Based near Bristol shipping port, AutoShippers is a reliable motorbike shipper offering daily collection across the UK, and safe delivery to over 144 countries. They’ll carefully transport your bike to their packing facility or port of departure, take care of all documentation, and individually package your bike to keep it in mint condition.

A certified member of the British International Freight Association (BIFA), AutoShippers is dedicated to ensuring your motorbike arrives safely at your door, with crates built to fit your bike’s exact measurements.

How to crate your bike

To ensure your bike’s wellbeing, it should be crated so it doesn’t move or get damaged en route. When you opt for a trusted company like Autoshippers, they take extra care to ensure your bike is secure.

It will be strapped onto a heavy-duty base where the wheels and stand are tightly secured with wooden chocks, and the paintwork protected with padded foam to avoid scratches or damage.

Once inside the crate, your bike should be braced with timber supports, and extra padding be added to any area of contact to ensure maximum protection.

Lastly, the top of the crate should be firmly fixed into place and the whole crate strapped in and given a unique seal, so it is safely stored and tamper-proof, ready to reach its new home.

You can see exactly how it’s done in a recent video by Autoshippers here.

How much does it cost?

Shipping costs are calculated based on size, weight and destination. For example, shipping an average-sized motorbike (such as a HONDA CBR 600) to New York, USA, will cost £294, whereas shipping the same bike to Wellington, New Zealand, will cost £411.

These prices do not include the costs to make the individually built timber crate to protect your bike. But when it comes to your pride and joy, you want to pay that little extra for the bespoke service. You can add £320.00 to the overall price for packing and crating and around £40.00 for export paperwork. Crates for larger bikes are £420.00, and shipping costs increase according to the size of your bike.

When shipping a motorbike from the UK, it’s worth paying for quality service to ensure it’s delivered safely. That way, you can rest safe in the knowledge that your bike is protected from any eventuality, from rough handling to saltwater damage. Then when it arrives, it’ll be ready to ride right away.