A classic motorcycle that was kept dry for fifty years can be damaged in fifty minutes by bad transport. Shipping is where careful buyers lose their advantage if they leave it to chance. These are the choices and the steps that matter.
The main options
- Enclosed van, door to door. The bike travels alone or with a few other bikes, protected from weather and stone chips. This is the safest and the most expensive choice, and the usual one for valuable classics.
- Open trailer. Cheaper, and fine for short distances in dry weather. The bike is exposed to rain, salt and debris.
- Shared or groupage transport. Several bikes travel on one vehicle on a route. It is cheaper and slower, and the bike may be handled more than once.
- Sea freight in a container. The usual way to move a bike between continents. The bike is secured in a crate or strapped inside the container, and handled at both ports.
- Air freight. The fastest and the most expensive. Airlines have rules about fuel and batteries, so ask the forwarder what they require.
- Collecting it yourself. With a borrowed or hired trailer or van. It saves money and gives you control, but you need the right tie-downs and the experience to use them.
Preparing the bike
- Photograph the bike from all sides, close up on the tank, chrome, frame number and any existing damage. Date and keep the photos.
- Agree the condition in a written condition report with the carrier at pickup, and sign it.
- Follow the carrier's rules for fuel. Many carriers ask for as little as possible in the tank.
- Disconnect or remove the battery if the carrier asks for it.
- Remove loose items, such as a tank bag, mirrors that fold, a luggage rack with a bag, and keep them in a box with the bike.
- Give the carrier a set of keys, and keep a spare.
- Check the tyre pressure and brakes so the bike can be rolled on and off safely.
How the bike should be secured
The bike should stand upright on its wheels, held by soft straps (loops that go around the frame or fork legs) rather than hooks on the handlebars, levers, mirrors or other parts that bend or break. The front wheel should sit in a chock or rail. The straps should compress the suspension a little, and no strap should touch paint or chrome without a pad. If you are not sure, ask the carrier how they do it, and watch.
Insurance
- Ask the carrier for their insurance certificate. A carrier's liability by law is often limited, and may be far below the value of the bike.
- Ask for all-risk cover for the agreed value, door to door, including loading and unloading.
- If the carrier's cover is not enough, buy a separate transit policy or ask your classic insurer.
- For international road transport the contract is usually a CMR consignment note. Ask for a copy.
Epic Motor Trading explains on its shipping and pickup page that its partners are vetted and include basic insurance, that you can buy extra cover, and that you are free to use your own carrier. If you do, you are responsible for coordination, insurance and claims.
Customs and paperwork
For a transport within the EU there is no customs. For a non-EU origin or destination, customs duties, import VAT and other government fees are not included in a transport quote: see importing from outside the EU.
At delivery
- Inspect the bike before you sign for it, in daylight if possible.
- Compare it with your photos and the condition report.
- Write any damage on the delivery note, or the CMR note, before the driver leaves, and photograph it.
- Report a claim to the carrier and their insurer quickly, with the photos.
A signed delivery note without remarks makes a claim much harder. If you are in a hurry, accept the bike with a written reservation and check it properly later.
On Epic Motor Trading
The handover rules for a collection in person and for collection by a carrier differ. In short, the payment is held until both sides have confirmed the handover. Read the shipping and pickup page before you choose, so that you know at which moment the risk passes to you and the seller is paid.
