What is motorcycle shipping and who is it for?
Motorcycle shipping moves your bike by professional carrier instead of you riding or towing it yourself. Motorcycle is its own vehicle type on our standard quote form, not a catch-all "other."
We're a licensed property broker. We match your shipment to a carrier in our vetted network, and we don't run the truck ourselves. "We transport all types of vehicles including cars, trucks, SUVs, motorcycles, and specialty vehicles" is how we describe the full range we book, not only cars. On the quote form, Motorcycle sits alongside Car, SUV, Minivan, Van, Pickup and Truck as its own option. This is for anyone moving a bike a long distance without riding it: a private seller delivering to a buyer, a rider relocating, a dealer moving inventory, or an auction buyer collecting a purchase.
What does motorcycle shipping cost?
We don't publish a reference range for motorcycle shipping yet. Get a live quote for a real, current price.
A bike's price doesn't scale the way a car's does. It takes up a fraction of the deck space, so a carrier can sometimes combine your bike with a car already booked on the same trailer — a different cost basis than dispatching a truck to move one bike alone. Whether it ships crated, strapped down on an open deck, or locked into a wheel chock also changes what equipment a carrier needs. A live quote through our request form is the fastest way to a real, specific price for your bike.
How does motorcycle shipping work, step by step?
Booking motorcycle shipping follows our standard process: give us your bike's details through the quote form, get matched to a carrier, then hand it off at pickup and receive it at delivery.
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Motorcycle shipping vs. shipping a car
A motorcycle shares little of a car's cost structure: it takes less deck space, gets secured differently, and often rides paired with a car's shipment instead of alone.
Open transport remains the standard, lower-cost default for an everyday sedan or SUV, and the same open-vs-enclosed choice applies to a motorcycle — see open car shipping and enclosed car shipping for how each works. Car pricing comes from our reference ranges by distance and vehicle class; see how much does it cost to ship a car for that data, which doesn't yet extend to motorcycles.
| Factor | Motorcycle | Car (open or enclosed) |
|---|---|---|
| Deck space used | Takes up a fraction of the space a car does, so we can often combine a motorcycle with a car shipment already booked on the same trailer rather than dispatching a truck for the bike alone. | Occupies one full slot on a standard multi-car open trailer. |
| How it's loaded and secured | Ridden or rolled onto the trailer, then tied down at the frame and handlebars with soft straps, or locked into a wheel chock bolted to the deck. | Driven onto the trailer under its own power, or winched aboard if non-running, then secured at the wheels. |
| Open vs. enclosed preference | Has no body panels shielding its engine, chrome, paint and electronics from road spray and debris, which is why we recommend enclosed for a motorcycle more readily than for an everyday car. | Open transport is the standard, lower-cost default for most everyday sedans, SUVs and trucks. |
| How it's priced | Priced per unit, but the economics differ from a car: a bike sharing a trailer with a car's shipment prices differently than a bike booked as the only vehicle on the load. We don't publish a reference range for motorcycles today. | Priced from our reference ranges by distance band and vehicle class where a range is published. |
When motorcycle shipping is NOT the right choice
Booking a standalone motorcycle listing doesn't fit a dealer or auction buyer moving several vehicles together, a wrecked or non-running bike needing specialized loading, or a single bike on a short trip.
A dealer or auction buyer moving a motorcycle alongside cars and trucks doesn't need a separate motorcycle booking. That volume belongs on the dealer program or on an auction pickup, both of which already cover mixed inventory that includes motorcycles. A motorcycle that is wrecked, doesn't run, or is missing a wheel needs the loading equipment and handling that non-running vehicle shipping describes, not the standard ride-on, ride-off process. And for a single motorcycle making a short regional trip with no other vehicle involved, Wave's carrier network is built around multi-vehicle open and enclosed trailers. Dispatching one for a single bike over a short distance doesn't always cost less than trailering it yourself or booking a local, motorcycle-only hauler. A live quote is the fastest way to find out which situation actually applies.
What Wave does and doesn't do for motorcycle shipping
Wave Auto Transport, a licensed broker, matches a motorcycle shipment to a carrier in its vetted network rather than operating the truck itself.
Motorcycle is its own selectable vehicle type on Wave's quote request form, alongside Car, SUV, Minivan, Van, Pickup and Truck, and it is not folded into a generic "Other" category. Crated-motorcycle service depends on the bike, crate and route; a fully crated bike is typically handled as palletized freight rather than through a standard multi-car auto-transport carrier, so confirm the available handling with a live quote before booking. As a broker, Wave does not own the trucks that move a motorcycle. It matches the shipment to the vetted, licensed and insured carriers in its network.
Motorcycle shipping FAQs
- How much does it cost to ship a motorcycle?
Wave Auto Transport does not have a motorcycle-specific reference range today. Every reference range on this site prices a car, SUV or truck. Request a live quote for a real, current price on your specific bike and route.
- Does a motorcycle ship open or enclosed?
Both are available. Enclosed transport is recommended for a motorcycle more readily than for an everyday car, because a bike has no body panels shielding its engine, chrome, paint and electronics from road spray and debris the way a car's shell does. Open transport remains the lower-cost default for a motorcycle that doesn't need that extra protection.
- How is a motorcycle secured for shipping?
A motorcycle is typically ridden or rolled onto the trailer, then either tied down with soft straps at the frame and handlebars or locked into a wheel chock bolted to the deck. A fully crated motorcycle is a different, freight-style arrangement rather than a standard tie-down.
- Can I ship one motorcycle by itself, or does it need to go with a car?
A motorcycle can ship on its own, but carriers often pair one with a car already booked on the same trailer, because a bike takes up only a fraction of the deck space a car does. That combination is a different cost basis than dispatching a carrier to move a single bike alone. A live quote will reflect which situation applies to your shipment.
- Does Wave crate motorcycles for shipping?
Crated-motorcycle service depends on the bike, crate and route. A fully crated motorcycle is typically handled as palletized freight rather than through a standard multi-car carrier, so confirm with a live quote whether your shipment can be booked that way.
- How long does it take to schedule pickup for a motorcycle?
Pickup scheduling for a motorcycle isn't fixed in advance. It depends on which carriers are running that lane when you book, the same as it does for a car or truck. Request a quote for a current pickup-window estimate before committing to a date.
- Can I ship a non-running or wrecked motorcycle?
Yes. Wave's stated policy for damaged and non-running vehicles is specialized loading equipment, with a possible added fee for loading or unloading a unit that can't move under its own power. It applies to any vehicle type it books, including a motorcycle. See non-running car shipping for how that works.
- Is booking motorcycle shipping through a broker like Wave worth it for a single short local move?
Not always. Wave's carrier network is built around multi-vehicle open and enclosed trailers, and dispatching one for a single motorcycle over a short regional distance doesn't always cost less than the alternatives. See when motorcycle shipping is not the right choice for the specific cases where a different option can beat booking through Wave.
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