I want to transport my motorcycle from Queensland to Victoria in a couple of months time. What is the most cost effective way for me to do this? Can you still put a motorbike on the train? I got a quote from a motorcycle transport company quoting $800. This seems outrageous.
Lowest Price to Transport a Motorbike Interstate
BluebirdV on 15/08/2013 - 17:48
Comments
I rode down last year and back up again this year. The bike is a Honda CB125e and barely sits on 90km/hr. It takes about 4 days to do 1700km and boy do you get sore. My plan this time is to get the bike shipped down and take the plane. Much safer and comfortable. I like my bike, but only for short commutes. It's definitely not designed with highway travel in mind.
Do you have any truckie mates? :)
Or slip them a few bucks.Thats way too expensive. I got my bike shipped from adelaide to sydney for $300 and one from qld for the same.
Look up the Just Bikes mag for a few numbers to get quotes.
If you can't get a deal like ^this or even cheaper, consider this option…
Sell the bike with whatever Qld rego is left (or not) and buy the same or better in Vic.
Is spending >10% of the market value on crating it really worth it?
Unless you really love that particular bike?Hey Katana. Do you remember which company you used?
Its actually got Victorian rego on it. But I could sell it once I get to Vic.
Just got a quote from Bike Move for $445 from Brisbane to Melbourne……still expensive. Also Hunter Transport (A courier company) reckon they can ship it, but sounds complicated. They wrote:
Hi David
We can ship this for you, however we would suggest that the bike either be placed into a crate or securely strapped to a pallet. To be able to assist you with your quote you will need to advise which way that you are going to send it along with the weight and dimensions. All fuel and oil needs to be completely drained prior to depot drop off.
Kind regards
Narelletake it, $445 is cheap, to put it into perspective it wouldn't even cover the fuel for the truck.
but when is a motorbike a full load in a truck???
is that $445 for backloading in a truck thats already half full???
im going to assume youve looked into backloading.. if not google backload brisbane to melbourne
i work in the shipping industry.. your bike may get damaged if you ship it..people who pack the container may put heavy stuff on top of you bike and it will squash your bike.
Do a tally of your costs should you ride it and then consider whether the difference is worth it:-
Have no idea what size bike. Of course, if you ship it then you still need to pay for a flight but these can be very cheap if timed right.
Some basic estimates:-
Assume 1700km (Bris to Melb)
fuel …100 litres = $160
tyres, chain/sprockets and service costs, but tyres especially… at least $150 for the distance travelled.
2 or 3 nights accomodation and food ….at least $100
Sore bum ailments including:-
a. haemorrhoid treatment
b. anti-chaff creamchiro/physio
2-3 days spent riding when you could have been earning money at work instead of eating into a weekend/holiday pay by riding.
There are perfectly valid reasons why it would be enjoyable/preferable to ride to Melb however if this is not an option then it's going to cost dollars and butt time whatever way you do it.
The style of bike is going to factor in plenty on butt-time and neck pains.
Yes, get some quotes but don't expect anything too cheap around MotoGP/superbike time when everyone has the same idea.
Comparison on distance with other locations is not always valid as there are specials to cater for spare capacity
nb. a small bike is going to take up almost as much room in a specialist bike carrying truck as almost any other bike, apart from very lengthy Harleys etc. Their costs are less about engine capacity/weight than how many bikes fit into the transporter.
I noted now you estimate 4 days for the trip. Up goes the costs. That $445 quote sounds realistic.
Forgot to add in roadside assistance and whether you are on a tight schedule to get to Melb.
The bike transport companies also structure their costs according to whether it's door to door or depot-depot. You may also not have much flexibility on when it's sent. ie. if you need the bike for commuting, don't expect them to arrive on your doorstep next morning to collect the bike. They run loosely to a schedule and it could be several days wait to get the bike shipped.
Thanks for the advice alxr0101. The bike uses about 3 litres of fuel per 100km so that would be about 51 litres of fuel. So lets say $80 for fuel. My back tires also getting rather bald & I'm looking at replacing it soon. I've done over 10,000km on it. Hope that's not pushing my luck!
I would be camping and eating cheaply. The real factor is possibly loosing a few days work, plus exhaustion factor & recovery time. I'm a fruit picker & really need to conserve my energy. Believe me, riding that thing 10hrs a day is much harder than picking oranges or cherries!
Butt Alley! oh I've been there! Sydney to Benalla (672km) on a 250cc kwaka in high summer. Thank gawd there was a cold beer awaiting for me as I staggered off the bike.
edit: the days off work and recovery days, fatigue risks is going to be the real costs involved. It's a long and lonely trip by oneself.
You could try companies that transport boats and caravans. They may have a free space that your bike can get strapped down on. I've sent unregistered cars this way for about 1/2 the price of the car carriers door-to-door.
That's a good suggestion, subject to caveat. You may have no oversight on the expertise/method of securing the bike for the trip.
Bike transport is a specialist industry, partly because it's vital to have an efficient, safe and reliable means of securing the bikes (without the expense of crating).
At least a 125cc bike is going to be easier to handle but be aware of the risks of assigning a bike to a non-specialist transporter. An incorrectly secured bike may not only break loose, but blow fork seals, break fairings and leave scuff marks on paint and plastic. 1700km of vibration can leave quite a mark on the bike (and the wallet) by a belt chaffing against metal, paint or plastic.
Consider insurance. Confirm with your current insurer if they cover the bike during 3rd party transportation.
Thanks for the idea Herbsman. Do you remember which caravan/boat transport company you used?
Another thing, the bike is a Honda CB125e & they cost just over $2K. It's hardly worth insuring. Main thing is it still rides OK when it gets there & there's no major damage.
I'm pretty sure it was bikes only I used for melb-Adel in 2008. Great service
I just got my lowest quote from Hunter Transport. Total price $278.19, including a $35 fee to palletise. This is a freight company which seem to have a very good name so I might take my chances with them. If anyone has any further ideas, feel free to share. I've included a copy of the quote below:
Hi David,
You would need to add this freight to a pallet which you can obtain yourself, or you can drop this to your local depot and they can palletised and strap the freight for a further fee of $35.00. Please note the pallet dimensions and weight must be added to the item for the correct quote.
Pallets are generally 120x120 W & D and 20cm H. They weight around 15kg and this must be included in the booking details. I can provide a rough quote, based on the dimensions and weight.
Door to door service:
Altogether 1 items from CABOOLTURE, 4510 to MELBOURNE, 3000 weighing 152 kg
Service Type Est. Delivery Time
(Guide Only) Your Price
Road Freight 2 - 3 Days $243.19- Prices include GST
- Transit times are listed in working days and should be used as a guide only.
Deliveries to country towns can sometimes incur additional delays.
Kind Regards, Kalina
My plan is to keep on getting quotes over the next few weeks.
If I can get a specialist company to do it for $350 or less it's probably worth it. Courier company sounds cheap, but like alxr0101 said, "An incorrectly secured bike may not only break loose, but blow fork seals, break fairings and leave scuff marks on paint and plastic. 1700km of vibration can leave quite a mark on the bike (and the wallet) by a belt chaffing against metal, paint or plastic.
If via Hunter, I guess ideal time to do an oil/filter change. Drain oil, replace filter, put a huge reminder tape on the key that you need to refill with oil before starting it at the other end.
Is that pallet size big enough though? Given it's empty of fluids, you could lay it on its side on some thick rubber mattress material and strap it down. Else you need some sound webbing skills to strap it on upright.
Yes, I wonder if the bike would fit on the pallet. They asked me for dimensions which are:
Kerb weight: 137kg
Seat height: 767mm
Size: 2.03m (L), .76mm (W), 1.1m (H), 1.3m (WB)They said Pallets are generally 120x120 W & D and 20cm H. I can provide a rough quote, based on the dimensions and weight.
Hope it fits, they went ahead with the quote?
If it doesn't fit on a single pallet they might charge you for 2 pallet spaces.
How about sell it here and another when you get there?
The problem with selling it here is I would be stuck without transport for a while. Also it has Vic Rego so would have to change it over.
Yes, I'll have to quiz them further on the pallets. Also got to find out how to drain the fuel tank & how to get it started when I get there.
I got my motorbike (185cc) sent from Perth to Sydney for fifty dollars. But I can't remember who the company was. Mind you, that was in 1962.
via steam train?
:-)
Nice to see someone at least 60+ to look for bargains here.
Try these guys - http://www.1300bikemove.com.au/.
They moved my bike, door to door, from the suburbs of Sydney to Melbourne for $315. Really good :) Strapped in the back of a huge bike trailer, they even let you send your gear with it (strapped to the bike).
I have a teleportation device
Pm me and we can work something out
Veedka, already got quoted by http://wwww.1300bikemove.com.au
Price:
The price to move your Motorbike through our Premium service and at our discounted trade rate from Brisbane QLD Metro to Melbourne VIC Metro (Door to Door) of $445 inc GST and full insurance.Full insurance is definitely a plus.
Ceva moved my car from the Gold Coast to Melbourne, door to depot for $580. I would imagine a bike would be much cheaper, very professional company.
You would think so, but bikes require specialised handling, sufficiently different from a typical drive-on/drive-off car carrier.
Ceva offer motorcycle transportation; you can usually fit two bikes per car slot and the weight would be a lot less
Ive used bikenut transport before (Toowoomba - Mel) and the service was good:
http://www.bikenutmotorcycletransport.com.au/Just emailed Ceva for a quote. Thanks DrStinge.
Just curious what did they end up quoting you?
Here is my quote from Ceva:
Vehicle Details
Quote No.: 1323627
Vehicles
HONDA HONDA MOTORCYCLE (Service: STANDARD)
Quote Charges: AUD 426.36
GST: AUD 42.64
Total Charges: AUD 469.00Pickup From Deliver To
CEVA Depot - ACACIA RIDGE (VL) QLD CEVA Depot - BROOKLYN (VEH LOG) VIC
Emailed Bikenut Motorcycle Transport for a quote….thanks datfreak.
Contact a local bike shop to see if they'll sell you a crate…or maybe give you one?
Assuming you can get one:I did a hypothetical quote from these guys
http://www.e-go.com.auThe settings I used:
Depot to depot (Caboolture-Melbourne)
Crate
170kg
W220 H90 D60$129.38
Just a guide as I was guessing the crate dimensions. Also at e-go, deopt-to-depot results in a 50% saving. It's needed too, because choosing door-to-door or door-to-depot (or any door) requires a forklift or second person to assist.
I used this company a few years ago to freight a set of rare mags Mel-Tas and they were great.
Worth a look.Edit, forgot this
For an additional fee of $44.00, we can offer you up to $1000.00 cover, with $50.00 excess1K is the most listed.
How did you get such a low price? I already got a quote from http://www.e-go.com.au
That's their website. The company is Hunter Transport. Here is the quote they gave me:Hi David,
You would need to add this freight to a pallet which you can obtain yourself, or you can drop this to your local depot and they can palletised and strap the freight for a further fee of $35.00. Please note the pallet dimensions and weight must be added to the item for the correct quote.
Pallets are generally 120x120 W & D and 20cm H. They weight around 15kg and this must be included in the booking details. I can provide a rough quote, based on the dimensions and weight.
Door to door service:
Altogether 1 items from CABOOLTURE, 4510 to MELBOURNE, 3000 weighing 152 kg
Service Type Est. Delivery Time
(Guide Only) Your Price
Road Freight 2 - 3 Days $243.19Prices include GST Transit times are listed in working days and should be used as a guide only. Deliveries to country towns can sometimes incur additional delays.Kind Regards, Kalina
Ah, I see they quoted me door to door service! I asked specifically for depot to depot!
Also, what about the transport costs of getting the crate from the bike shop to the depot?
Err, hadn't thought of that!
The mc crates I've seen in the past use a mild steel frame and pine palings. Often with cardboard around the whole thing. The bike shop may rip the cardboard when removing it, rendering it unusable.If you could partly dismantle one and taxi it across to the depot…then ride there on the day and drain fluids, let it cool and fiddle with whatever else the bike needs for securing it.
But yeah, it's rapidly adding up.
along with fiddling around at the other end with a pallet and materials to dispose of, oil and fuel refill etc.
i have a Honda 250 (Year 2001?), hardly used, excellent condition, can be yours at a very reasonable price, if you're interested. thanks
Hi Bob Wang, I'd definitely be interested in your Honda 250. Can you message me regarding this ?
Take it on a train with you?
I'm pretty sure motorbikes cannot be sent by train. Can anyone else confirm this?
if you drained the fuel tank then maybe.
Cheapest quote so far from professional company Bikenut Transport:
Quote: AU$ 390.00
Includes Full Insurance and G.S.T.Well if you need, the bike for travelling don't expect, them to appear on your front door next morning to gather the bike.
Just offer some kid $50 to ride it down for you..
The most cost effective way is probably crating it and hauling it yourself. $800 does seem a bit outrageous for a company and I'd probably check some others before compeltely writing them off. I've used this one before https://www.a1autotransport.com/international-motorcycle-shi… but it was to ship from the east coast US to Victoria. Obviously cost a bit more in that case, but they were affordable compared to others and definitely operate in the area. May be worth giving them a call just to get a better idea of what it should cost.
This is an old topic I know, but if it helps anyone, as at Jan. 2019, I just did the ring around of removalists and got onto Backload Moving on 1300 738 428.
Perry quoted $325 to transport a small motorbike for roll on / roll off, from Cairns to Coffs Harbour, same price from Sydney to Coffs Harbour - very reasonable, and he could do it within the week when his trucks were next doing this run. This was by far the cheapest option I could find, and no hassles with packing or crating the bike.
Thanks for this, have just been looking at moving a scooter Queensland to South Australia
At work now, but I have the number for a guy who does the Bris-Adel run. He may be able to assist. Will PM you when I can find his number.
Also, if you want to give it a try, get onto truckit.net and just post what you need picked up and dropped off and when and you should get a quote.
Ride. Get a cheap one way plane ticket down there if you have to.