Get Solid Grip on Delivery Time:
The auto transport company will provide you with a general range between dates when you can expect your bike to arrive. This is because several factors are involved when shipping a motorcycle. Is your bike being consolidated with other bikes? Is there a chance of the weather getting unfavorable like facing a tornado or blizzard? Are there any mountains or long bridges for the trucks to cross? These factors can affect the time of your bike delivery.
Therefore, make sure to provide your auto transport company with the exact date you want your bike to be delivered so they can arrange its shipping accordingly.
Drain-All Fluids:
Once you are done with hiring the company and setting the date, the next step should be to drain out all the fluids inside your bike. This means that the hydraulic fluids, oil, gas, and anything else that flows inside it should be taken out. Freight containers have a policy to not ship the motor vehicles that have any fluids inside. This is because most of these fluids are flammable and are considered safety hazards.
There can also be rules on borders, especially if you are shipping from the US to Canada or Canada to the US that might give you trouble when transporting something that is considered a safety hazard. To avoid all of the trouble, we suggest that you just drain the fluids of your motorbike.
Reduce Pressure in Tires:
Once the fluids are out, you need to get the air out of your bike’s tires as well. The reason is that leaving a little bit of room inside the tires will allow them to better absorb the shock from vibrations and bumps during the journey. It will also preserve the tires because if there is room for the air to flow inside, then they won’t easily bust.
We are not suggesting that you deflate the tires entirely as it could actually damage them and the metal rims. We are just saying that take the pressure down a little bit so that the tires are softer than usual to be able to support the weight of the motorcycle and absorb the shocks better.
Remove Valuables and Battery:
Gone are the days when motor bikes were just a mode of transportation. Now people install all sorts of things like high-quality spotlights, a GPS system, powerful horns, expensive mirrors, and exotic tail lights, and so on. We suggest that you take out anything valuable installed in your motorcycle so that there is no chance of it getting stolen during the journey.
Also, take out the battery from the motorcycle to ensure that it does not get damaged during the transit because of adverse weather. Furthermore, removing the battery is beneficial because it will prevent the electrical systems from turning on accidentally and draining out your battery during the transit.
Get a Custom Crate:
When everything is done, crate up your bike because most of the car transport companies will not take it on board if it is not properly crated. So when you are crating your motorcycle, make sure that to do it in a way that makes it impossible for your motor bike to fall over during the transit.
Secure the crate’s sides to keep the bike upright; you can also add some bubble wrap or foam padding inside for further protection.