We ship everything from a 125cc commuter to a fully dressed tourer, a race bike on its way to a circuit or a classic being repatriated after restoration. Motorcycles are small enough to move economically by any mode, so the right answer depends on your budget and your deadline rather than the bike itself.
Sea groupage is the cheapest route. Your bike is strapped upright into a purpose-built cradle inside a shared container with other machines, with no fuel in the tank and the battery disconnected. Air freight is the fastest, usually three to seven days door to door, and makes sense for race and rally logistics where the bike has to be trackside on a fixed date. RoRo suits bikes travelling alongside a car in the same consignment.
Every machine is crated or cradled in our workshop. We build to the bike's dimensions using ISPM15-treated timber, remove mirrors and screens where they add cube, protect tanks and fairings with foam and film, and strap through the frame rather than the suspension so the forks are not left compressed for six weeks at sea.
Paperwork is straightforward but strict. We prepare the export declaration, surrender the V5C where the bike is leaving permanently, and provide the frame and engine numbers your destination will check against the shipping documents. Where a market requires an emissions or homologation certificate, we tell you before booking.
Machines we ship
- Road bikes, sports bikes and tourers
- Adventure and enduro machines
- Classic and vintage motorcycles
- Race and track bikes with spares
- Scooters, mopeds and 125cc commuters
- Trikes, quads and side-car outfits
- Electric motorcycles (SoC compliant)
- Parts, wheels, leathers and paddock kit
Preparing your motorcycle
Drain the fuel tank to below a quarter, or completely for air freight, disconnect and secure the battery, and let us know about any aftermarket alarm. Clean the bike thoroughly — Australia, New Zealand and several other markets inspect for soil and organic matter and will charge for a wash at your expense. Remove loose luggage, satnav and toolkits; they can travel in the crate as declared items but not strapped to the bike.
How Your Shipment Moves
Quote & booking
Rates, sailing or flight options confirmed in writing.
UK collection
Nationwide collection or delivery into our Tilbury depot.
Loading & packing
Lashing, crating, palletising and photographic record.
Customs & export
Export entry, NES clearance and documentation released.
Transit & delivery
Tracking updates until the cargo lands with your consignee.
Costs and what drives them
Crated groupage to Europe starts in the low hundreds; long-haul destinations are priced on the crate's cubic metres, so a naked bike costs less than a fully faired tourer with panniers. Air freight is charged on volumetric weight at a 6,000 divisor, which is why we build the crate as tight as the machine allows. Every quotation lists crating, freight, export customs, insurance and destination charges separately.
Arrival and reassembly
At the far end we can arrange import clearance, delivery to a workshop or your address, and uncrating with mirrors, screen and battery refitted so the bike is ready to ride. If you prefer, we release the freight to your own agent and the crate is yours to open. Either way you get the arrival paperwork, the crate dimensions and the frame number on file for local registration.