Motorbike Shipping from the UK — Crated, Air & Container Worldwide

Crated sea freight is the most cost-effective method for most international motorcycle shipments. Your bike is wheeled into our warehouse, fluids are checked and drained to compliant levels, the battery is disconnected and a timber crate is built around the bike to its exact dimensions. The crate is then loaded into a shared sea container with other bikes and cars travelling to the same destination port.

Crates protect the bike from handling damage, salt spray and prying eyes. Inside the crate the bike sits on its wheels with soft straps to fixed anchor points, plus padding around exhausts, fairings and mirrors. Hard panniers and top boxes can stay on (empty) to fill crate volume usefully.

When time matters more than money — track days abroad, race events, AOG-style urgency or a relocating rider who can't wait six weeks — air freight gets a motorbike across the world in 3–7 days door-to-door. The bike is strapped to a certified IATA pallet, shrink-wrapped and netted, then loaded into the cargo hold of a passenger or freighter aircraft.

Air freight costs roughly 3–5× sea freight on the same route, but for race teams chasing the next event or buyers who've already sold their existing bike, the speed is worth it. We book through London Heathrow, East Midlands and Manchester depending on the destination network.

If you're already shipping a car in a 20ft or 40ft container, your motorbike can travel with it — usually for the cost of crating only (no additional freight). We secure the bike upright at the rear of the container behind the car, or in the gap between cars on a 40ft load. The bike, the car and any household effects all travel under one Bill of Lading.

This is by far the cheapest way to get a bike overseas if you're moving a car anyway. Even buying a £400 cheap car to fill the container can sometimes work out cheaper than crated sea freight for a single bike on certain routes.

Vintage and rare motorcycles need specialist crating with extra internal bracing, climate-aware packing for pre-war machines, and tie-downs that won't mark soft chrome or alloy. We've shipped Brough Superiors, Vincent Black Shadows, MV Agustas and works race bikes worldwide using custom-built lined crates and high-value declared cover.

For race bikes travelling to and from overseas circuits, we offer round-trip crating that ships the empty crate back home for re-use, plus tightly-scheduled door-to-circuit delivery windows.

IMO and IATA rules treat motorbikes as dangerous goods because of fuel and battery hazards. For sea freight: drain fuel to no more than a quarter tank, disconnect the battery and tape the terminals, secure or remove loose parts. For air freight: drain fuel until the bike won't start, disconnect and remove the battery (or use lithium-compliant packing).

We carry out all of this at our warehouse if you'd prefer to drop the bike off in road-going condition. There's no charge for fuel draining or battery work on a standard shipment.

Sea freight (port-to-port): UK to USA East Coast 12–18 days; UK to UAE 18–24 days; UK to Australia 35–45 days; UK to Cyprus 10–14 days; UK to South Africa 20–28 days. Add 2–4 days for crating and warehouse loading at the UK end and 5–10 days for destination clearance and delivery.

Air freight (door-to-door): typically 3–5 days to North America, the Middle East and most of Asia; 5–7 days to Oceania and remote destinations.

UK export needs your original V5C, photo ID and proof of ownership. We lodge the HMRC C88 declaration electronically. Destination paperwork varies by country and bike age — historic bikes over 30 years often qualify for reduced duty as collector vehicles in the USA, EU and Australia.

Marine and aviation insurance is strongly recommended at the bike's full market value. Carrier liability without an upgrade is capped well below most bike values. Premiums run 1.5%–2.5% of declared value for sea freight and 0.5%–1% for air.