-
Enjoy XS650.com? Consider making a donation to help support the site.
XS650.com receives a small share of sales from some links on this page, but direct donations have a much greater impact on keeping this site going.
Motorcycle Transportation
- Thread starter 350GUY
- Start date
I'd guess that U-ship https://www.uship.com/ may be the cheapest, but I'd also check with Haul-bikes
https://haulbikes.com/
https://haulbikes.com/
Use a specialist bike relocation firm like as mentioned above. General carriers are usually not geared up to move bikes without damaging them.
I have told this tale before. I contracted Haulbikes to bring my new to me XS650 in August 2021. They picked up the bike in Ohio and hauled ot to Pittsburg(?). When a full shipment to Milwaukee was attained, it was shipped to Milwaukee. I was delivered 5 or 6 days later in early/mid October. The enclosed delivery vehicle was designed to Haulbikes, the delivery person skilled and very carefull. The bike arrived in perfect condition. That is my only experience with a contract bike hauler. Others may be that good. I paid ~$700 for the service. I would have spent almost that much on gas, hotels, food if I hooked up a trailer and picked it up my self. To that end I feel HaulBikes is a good deal. Sometimes you need to balance $ against what you need to achieve. We exist on XS650s that are not expensive to obtain and a hired hauler can add a big percentage of upfront cost. If you are mulling over the total cost rather than the joy of the experience, I imagine you could/can do it cheaper...
Haulbikes has been great for me 3 times now.
Reasonably priced & carefully shipped....not super fast, but they'll get er done.
Reasonably priced & carefully shipped....not super fast, but they'll get er done.
Your "Reasonably priced & carefully shipped" comment is a good one. It seems they gather bikes to a central/regional location and when a full shipment is assembled they ship them to a distribution point. My bike took IIRC 6 weeks to make it into my joyfull loving handsHaulbikes has been great for me 3 times now.
Reasonably priced & carefully shipped....not super fast, but they'll get er done.
On the other hand I've had buyers use Uship and the experience was HIGHLY variable. Translation; from OK to VERY sketchy leaving here. Was real happy the shipper wasn't MY choice.
Yeah I know guys that have been very happy with them, the only time I used them to bring me my ‘77 from Colorado. The guy was hauling it in the front of a horse trailer that he also had a load of furniture in. When he got to my house he had to drag all that furniture out of his trailer in front of my house to get the bike out. Also when he picked up the bike in Colorado, he tried to drive it into the trailer, he didn’t know how to start the bike, he ran the battery dead, left the petcocks open and ran gas all over the motor.
Yeah Uship prolly OK for restoration candidates, or daily riders, but not the best for a creampuff.Yeah I know guys that have been very happy with them, the only time I used them to bring me my ‘77 from Colorado. The guy was hauling it in the front of a horse trailer that he also had a load of furniture in. When he got to my house he had to drag all that furniture out of his trailer in front of my house to get the bike out. Also when he picked up the bike in Colorado, he tried to drive it into the trailer, he didn’t know how to start the bike, he ran the battery dead, left the petcocks open and ran gas all over the motor.
Hmm I’ve used both haul bikes (great service with nothing negative to say) and Uship (over 10 times). I never had a bad experience. Some experiences were better than others when it came to communication but all got me a bike under a week, never arrived damage and were pretty nicely priced. You can certainly get a feel for the delivery service in your bidding stage communication.
I believe Uship got mailman’s Xs2 to my house if my memory serves me correctly.
Used them to ship a jeep CJ7 once too.
I believe Uship got mailman’s Xs2 to my house if my memory serves me correctly.
Used them to ship a jeep CJ7 once too.
This!
go for low bid and..........
Guy showed up (a day late) to haul away an XJ1100 with a big a$$ 5th wheel flat bed, a milling machine in the middle of it and NO ramp or straps. WTF? We used my ramp and I gave him enough straps to get to a store to buy more.
Yeah I remember you telling me that’s who you were using. I don’t believe I ever sent you these photos. Frankly I was a little afraid to!
I don’t know how the bike was delivered to you , but this is how it left my house. I just about had a heart attack when I saw him strapping that bike on the tail end of about twenty other bikes! 
It just looked so exposed back there!
Yeah I remember you telling me that’s who you were using. I don’t believe I ever sent you these photos. Frankly I was a little afraid to!
View attachment 255973
View attachment 255974View attachment 255975View attachment 255976View attachment 255977View attachment 255978
Ha!
Well it arrived without a scratch! I will say it had some dust though.
It was pretty much, pick up and deliver same day. It would have cost me more in gas than he charged.
I think your bike is actually the only one I’ve had delivered on an open trailer.
He only transports motorcycles though.
The one downside to haul bikes is that they won’t take extra parts, Uship guys will. If you have to ship an extra couple bins of parts, seat or pipes, it can cost a few hundred bucks.
Last edited:
WideAWAKE, you sure got a FINE motorbike there I must say again. I remember that morning being so shocked that machine was for sale, quickly musing about how I could buy a one way ticket to Arizona and show up at Bob's with my riding gear and my wallet... My rationalization was that Arizona is SORT OF close to BC. Needless to say, reality got in the way.
Oh no, no, no...no way mine would go on an open trailer.
I wont even personally transport my own classic bikes that way, let alone someone I dont even know...yikes.
I wont even personally transport my own classic bikes that way, let alone someone I dont even know...yikes.
To each their own, but to me it seems pretty illogical.
Do we not fly them down the highway at 70mph when we ride em??
What’s the difference? The inherent nature of a motorbike is open air transport.
Ride em, don’t hide em. Trailer queen, putt putt show bikes ain’t for me.
Do we not fly them down the highway at 70mph when we ride em??
What’s the difference? The inherent nature of a motorbike is open air transport.
Ride em, don’t hide em. Trailer queen, putt putt show bikes ain’t for me.
Debris, rain/road/salt spray is my concern. Its far worse on an open trailer than when I'm riding on the road.Oh no, no, no...no way mine would go on an open trailer.
I wont even personally transport my own classic bikes that way, let alone someone I dont even know...yikes.
