FIND THE BEST
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Yes, riders are shipping motorcycles to shows, rallies, to their new owners and their new homes should they be moving from one side of the country to the other, but how do they find the best companies and the best rates? Well, here are some tips on shipping a motorcycle, finding a good company, shipping crates and other stuff.
FINDING THE BEST MOTORCYCLE SHIPPING COMPANY
Once upon a time, if we needed to haul a motorcycle we would hop on our bikes and go eyeball the guy at the local freight company or motorcycle trailer rental place to see if he looked shifty. If he looked shady, we said screw it and left. In today's world, we are forced to visit websites where our instincts do us no good!
The best way to proceed is to get quotes, make a list of companies with the best shipping rates and then ask other bikers either in person or by posting in forums if they know anything about the companies. If somebody’s motorcycle got busted during shipping or if somebody’s saddlebags were stolen when being shipped by a particular shipping company, the owner probably complained (read: raised hell) about it somewhere to warn other bikers.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO SHIP A MOTORCYCLE
Some websites offer instant motorcycle shipping rates where you post the zip codes for the pickup and destination which is nice but you may not want to consider this a concrete estimate until you’ve spoken with a representative of the company or for that matter get the paperwork.
When speaking to the rep be sure to tell him the EXACT DATE that you plan to ship because some companies will change the fee on you citing the reason that it’s more expensive to ship on a particular day, time of year, etc. Asking the right questions on the front end can keep you from being worked into a corner.
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS TO ASK
You would think that by using a transportation company that specializes in shipping motorcycles that we could rock back and know that our wheels would arrive unscratched and in one piece, but sadly that’s not always the case. But the more questions you ask and the better prepared you are, the less problems you may have. Here is a checklist of some questions to ask motorcycle shipping companies that you are considering:
- Is your transport company licensed and insured and ASK FOR PROOF and just to be sure, have your own insurance in force.
- Do you charge additional fees for motorcycle insurance?
- Is the price quoted for an open or enclosed motorcycle trailer?
- Is it required that my motorcycle be in a crate and do I provide the motorcycle crate or do you?
- Does your shipping quote cover custom bikes like trikes, choppers and motorcycle sidecars or is there an extra charge for these vehicles and custom delivery?
- Will you deliver my motorcycle directly to my home, a local dealership, a freight terminal or an airport terminal?
Taking the above tips under advisement and asking these questions should help you find the cheapest motorcycle shipping rates. You will want to use a motorcycle shipping company that is safe and reliable so that after you find the perfect bike in Strike Lightning's Used Motorcycles for Sale, Used Motorcycle Parts and Motorcycle Classifieds that you will get what you paid for with the least amount of hassle.
