In an attempt to find a great motorcycle the potential to ship grows with distance. Especially if fly n ride, or owner riding to you is not an option. Reaching out to the collective regarding Motorcycle Shipping resources, experiences, thumbs up or down, luck had with various companies, costs incurred etc. If you could chime in i would greatly appreciate it. I've searched around and did not locate any sort of shipping thread or collection on here. If i missed it i'm sure y'all will be quick to point me in the right direction. This seems like the right place to post, since this has the most relevance to people buying bikes. Thanks for the help.
Uship is going to provide the best bang for your buck. BUT!!!!!! you have to do your homework!!!! DO NOT go with the "Cheapest" guy. Go with someone that has a proven track record with MANY successful deliveries. Feedback is everything. That said, I have went with the "cheapest guy" when having a project or parts bike shipped because well... its probably already in crappy condition so who cares, right? lol Another option is Forward Air, which ships from terminal to terminal (usually located near major airport) They have steel motorcycle shipping containers. I haven't used them in a few years, so cannot speak to their current pricing, but the service has always been good.
My friend works at a high end motorcycle shop and he turned me onto Keyboard Motorcycle Shipping. Top notch delivery service. West coast service not so great, but anywhere in the Central/Eastern time zone is $625 one way. http://keyboardmotorcycleshipping.com/index.php
I've used Uship twice. Once for an old Triumph motorcycle and once for a Triumph GT-6 coupe. Been happy with both experiences. As previously said, pay attention to the feedback. Also, if you have the time and can be flexible, give yourself a couple of weeks to watch the bids. They tend to get quite a bit cheaper as the bidding process goes and you might find a great hauler that just wants to add one more bike to fill his trailer and shoots you a decent price.
I would add; have the shipper take pics. of any damage to the bike with the seller present. That way if that perfect condition bike arrives with a scratch somebody has some splaining to do.
^^This. I have used uship 4 or 5 times now with great success. Keep an eye on the feedback and communicate directly with bidders to ensure that you expectations are met!
+1 This is how to do it , the longer the bid goes the prices will drop . You will also notice that some of the bids will expire quick or be pulled . The shipper is just trying to find one more bike or car to fit in the trailer so he has a full load . So the price will drop quite a bit toward the end to just try and fill the space . Hope that helps . Good luck .
^^this + 1 more I've used them twice as well .... make sure you are on top of communication the whole time and check feedback. Uship works great as long as you are paying attention.
Used Uship a couple of times and good experience (3 to be exact : NC to MA; KS to MA; MA to CA). Shipped my GS from Boston to SF last year ($~700). Have to admit I was not super comfortable when I saw the very old RV with the open trailer behind... Ken (shipper, nice guy) assured me that the rear view camera + one of his dog sleeping under the trailer at night was the "ultimate" security :huh :
I've heard good things about both of these: http://www.forwardair.com/prepaid/MCmainpage.jsp http://www.alliedmotorcycleshipping.com/ I'm shipping a BMW to Seattle and the dealer there recommended Allied/Federal. He said they do this all the time and Allied/Federal sends two guys to your home to make sure the weight of the bike can be handled properly. The dealer also gives a weeks free storage if you use Allied/Federal.
