Ways to transport a motorcycle

Whatever the reason you need to move your motorcycle from one place to another, you’ll need to consider the ways you can transport a motorcycle safely and securely from the collection point to its destination.

For any make or model of motorcycle, whether it is a sports bike, cruiser, quad bike, or scrambler, you’ll want a collection and delivery service that has the right size and type of vehicle, equipment and experience to handle your motorcycle with the utmost care.

What is the best way to transport a motorcycle?

There are numerous options available to you when choosing how to transport a motorcycle. Whether you’ve purchased a bike on eBay or need to send a bike to a specialist service or repair centre, you’ll need to find a suitable way to get your bike to its destination. Whilst the most obvious method of transport would be to ride the bike, it is not always a viable option; especially if your bike needs to be repaired or you want to avoid clocking up the extra miles.

When you’re looking for a door-to-door service, you might opt for either a trailer or van delivery service rather than a larger transporter vehicle, to ensure it can access both the collection and delivery address which can often be residential.

But which is the best mode of collection and delivery service for your motorcycle? And how can you ensure your chosen mode of transport is executed with the utmost care.

How to transport motorcycle in a trailer.

If you choose to transport your motorcycle by trailer, it is useful to instruct an experienced driver who has good quality equipment and can ensure the bike is protected from the bumps and scrapes that can occur during transit. Correctly strapping a motorcycle to the trailer will prevent unwanted bouncing or unhooking of the straps that can result in tipping or slipping of the bike.

Whilst transporting your motorcycle using an open trailer is certainly a safe and viable option, there may be certain instances where you prefer not to leave your bike open to the elements. In which case you might opt for a van service that will ensure your motorcycle is completely protected from the weather.

How to transport motorcycle in a van.

When choosing a delivery provider to transport a motorcycle in a van, there are two key things that you will want to think about before booking. This will ensure you are confident that you have chosen the right transport provider to handle your motorcycle and will put your mind at ease.

Firstly, that the driver has experience of and understands correctly how to load a motorcycle into van using appropriate equipment and secondly that they have correct methods of securing the motorcycle into a van. With SoonAs, we encourage you to communicate directly with drivers bidding on your job, before you accept their bid. This is the perfect opportunity to find out what equipment and experience they have before proceeding with your booking. You’ll also be able to vet each potential driver by viewing their previous customer-ratings, giving you more confidence when choosing a driver for the job.

How to load a motorcycle into van

The safest and most effective way to load a motorcycle into a van is by using a specially designed, heavy duty motorcycle loading ramp. Whilst strong wooden planks should do the trick, a custom-built ramp is designed for the job and its features will provide for smooth and effective loading, preventing damage to the bike from slips and trips. A correctly fitted ramp reduces the risk of the ramp becoming disconnected from the van during the process, lowering any risk of damage to your motorcycle.

Methods of securing the motorcycle into a van

Once loaded safely onto the vehicle, the motorcycle will need to be securely fastened to ensure it is not going to sustain any damage during transit. Whilst strong rope will suffice, your delivery driver will ideally already be equipped with ratchet straps to give better assurance that you bike is securely fastened with reduced movement during transit and without damaging the paintwork of your bike.

Carrying out a few simple checks with the driver before accepting a bid, will pay dividends when the time comes to move your bike. As you can be assured your driver will rrive on the day with the right equipment for the job – avoiding any inconvenience and wastage of time or money.

What equipment is needed to move a motorcycle?

The type of equipment used to move a motorcycle will vary depending upon the motorcycle type and the choice of transporting vehicle. The most common items for moving motorcycles include chocks, ratchet straps and ramps. We’ve made it super-easy to chat to the driver beforehand, just to check they have all of the items you need to move your bike. But here’s a quick run through so you know what to check for:

Chocks

These can be used in both vans and on trailers. They provide added stability through eliminating any side to side movement, keeping the bike nice and secure throughout the journey.

Ratchet straps

These straps have a multitude of uses and one of those is to secure your bike during transit. It’s important to secure straps correctly to ensure they are tight enough without causing damage to the bike.

Ramp

A motorcycle ramp will enable you to load your bike into a van or trailer easily and will reduce the likelihood of damage during loading and unloading.

Send your bike safely on its way with SoonAs. For a stress-free service which starts with an easy booking process and gives you real-time tracking of your items until they arrive safely to their destination.