Top Tips for Preparing Your Motorcycle for Shipping
Need to ship your motorcycle with zero damage?
You already know this, but your motorcycle is an investment that can cost you thousands of dollars to purchase or rebuild.
Shipping your motorcycle unprepared is a fast way to find out if you’ve spent your money wisely.
I mean, it’s a risky way to ship a motorcycle that you want to arrive at its destination in one piece.
So, how do the professional motorcycle transport services prepare their motorcycles for shipping?
In this complete guide to preparing your motorcycle for shipping, I’m going to teach you the same techniques I teach all my staff at AutoTransport. This way, you’ll learn how to prepare a motorcycle for shipping like a pro.
Let’s get started!
What you’ll learn:
- Why Shipping Motorcycle Preparation is So Important
- The Complete Shipping Preparation Checklist
- Professional Shipping Preparation Techniques That Work
- What You Should Never Do While Preparing Your Motorcycle for Shipping
Why Motorcycle Shipping Preparation Is So Important
Shipping Motorcycle Preparation is important not only to prevent shipping damage, but to prevent expensive motorcycle shipping insurance claims.
If you haven’t already figured out that you need to prepare your motorcycle in the correct way before shipment, I’ve listed 3 reasons you should.
Protect Yourself Against Expensive Shipping Damage
If you follow all the correct preparation techniques, and document the preparation and condition of your motorcycle before it leaves for shipping, you are minimizing the risk of damage during shipping.
Motorcycle shipping damage isn’t as unlikely as you may think. In fact, 11% of goods experience damage at distribution centers because they were not packaged or prepared correctly.
By preparing your motorcycle for shipping the proper way, using the steps I will share with you in this guide, and by documenting your motorcycle before shipping, your chances of damage are greatly reduced.
The better you prepare your motorcycle for shipping, the less likely it is to experience damage.
On average, motorcycle shipping claims cost more than $2,000 in repairs. Most claims are preventable, so long as you prepare your motorcycle correctly.
Avoid Shipping Motorcycle Insurance Claim Denials
Preparation is very important when shipping motorcycles, so important that it’s the same as preparation documentation for insurance purposes.
The shipping transport company wants to see that you have taken all of the necessary precautions before they accept your motorcycle and become liable for any loss or damage.
How will they know if the motorcycle has been prepared properly? By following a preparation list that has to be completed and documented before the shipping company will accept your motorcycle.
If something happens to your motorcycle during shipping, and you are not able to provide any kind of proof that your motorcycle was prepared correctly before it left for shipping, then your insurance claim will be denied.
Your motorcycle shipping provider will give you a list of necessary steps to complete before their driver arrives to collect your motorcycle from your location.
Speed Up The Loading Process
When preparing a motorcycle for shipping many people forget to consider the time required for loading.
Drivers love it when their motorcycle shipments arrive ready to be loaded. With a properly prepared motorcycle, the driver doesn’t have to wait while you complete the motorcycle preparation. This means priority scheduling when it comes time to book future motorcycle transport shipments.
Drivers appreciate properly prepared motorcycles, which results in faster pick up times, better care during shipping, and quicker delivery times.
The Complete Shipping Preparation Checklist
Here’s the preparation checklist that professional motorcycle shipping companies follow when preparing a motorcycle for shipping.
Clean Your Motorcycle
When it comes to preparing your motorcycle for shipping, cleanliness is king.
Why? Because the easiest way to document your motorcycle’s condition before shipping is to start with a clean motorcycle. A clean motorcycle allows you to clearly see every scratch, dent and imperfection on your motorcycle before it is shipped.
Start by washing your motorcycle thoroughly. This includes the frame and bodywork, the chrome, the wheels, and engine cases.
Take pictures from different angles. Don’t forget to take close-up photos of every scratch and imperfection. You will be using these photos as insurance documentation, so you want to take as many photos of your clean motorcycle as you can.
Document Any Damage
One of the most important steps of preparing your motorcycle for shipping is damage documentation.
Photograph any and all existing scratches, dents or other imperfections with your smartphone. Make sure the photos you take show the damaged area clearly, and that the date and timestamp are visible in the photos.
Make a written list of any existing damage on your motorcycle. This is to ensure you are protected in the case of new damage occurring during shipping.
Remove or Secure Loose Items
If it’s loose or moveable during shipping, it will move during shipping.
Remove saddlebags, GPS units, loose fairings, and personal items completely.
If you are unable to remove a part or accessory, secure it with zip ties or tape.
Check and Adjust Fluid Levels
Shipping motorcycle companies won’t require you to drain all of your fluids. However, they will need you to reduce fluid levels to a safe minimum.
What do I mean by this? Remove or reduce fuel to 1/4 tank or less, check oil levels, inspect coolant and brake fluid, and look for any leaks.
Emptying your fuel tank lowers fire risk and reduces your motorcycle’s weight for shipping. Your motorcycle requires some remaining fuel for the engine to start after delivery to its destination, so avoid emptying the fuel tank before shipping.
Prepare the Battery
Battery preparation is important to prevent any electrical problems during shipping.
Disconnect the negative battery terminal. If your motorcycle has an alarm system, you will need to turn it off completely before disconnecting the battery.
Handle Mirrors and Accessories
Mirrors are a magnet for shipping damage.
Fold mirrors toward the bike if possible. If your motorcycle’s mirrors do not fold, you should remove them completely and pack them separately.
Remove or secure aftermarket accessories, such as windshields, luggage racks, and decorative accessories.
Professional Shipping Preparation Techniques That Work
The following are more advanced shipping preparation techniques, used by professional shipping companies to prepare motorcycles for transport.
Use Protective Coverings
Smart motorcycle owners use protective coverings when shipping their motorcycles.
Cover these high-risk areas with soft materials: the handlebars, the tank surfaces, chrome and exhaust pipes. Bubble wrap or moving blankets work great. Tape the coverings down with tape that won’t leave a residue.
Create a Preparation Checklist
Professional shipping companies never go by memory alone when preparing a motorcycle for shipping.
Create a written checklist of every preparation step, and then check off each item as it is completed.
What You Should Never Do While Preparing Your Motorcycle for Shipping
Don’t ruin an otherwise good preparation job with these mistakes:
Don’t use cheap tie-downs or straps. Professional motorcycle transport shipping companies will be bringing their own securing equipment to strap your motorcycle down. Yours will only get in the way of their equipment.
Don’t leave the fuel tank full. A full fuel tank only adds unnecessary weight, and increases fuel spillage risk.
Don’t skip the documentation. Your photos and written documentation are your only defense if damage occurs.
It’s Time To Lock Down Success
Shipping motorcycle preparation doesn’t have to be a difficult task. The steps I’ve listed are the same techniques that I use with my staff, and we ship thousands of motorcycles every year safely.
The motorcycle shipping industry is growing 5% each year because more and more people are discovering the convenience of professional motorcycle shipping.
But it’s only convenient if you do your part by preparing your motorcycle properly.
Follow the preparation checklist I’ve provided, document your motorcycle’s condition and preparation thoroughly, and work with reputable motorcycle shipping companies. Your motorcycle will arrive at its destination in the same condition it left in.
The proof is in the preparation, if you prepare your motorcycle properly, you can save thousands of dollars in potential shipping damage costs.
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