RORO Motorcycle Shipping

Just like other wheeled vehicles that are transported overseas, roll-on/roll-ff transport is one of the primary ways that motorcycles are shipped around the world. The benefit of RORO transport is that it’s a very easy and quick way to load and unload a bike before and after it’s been transported on a cargo ship. By comparison, bikes that are transported in a shipping container require more time and labor to load and unload, which typically increases the time from arrival to when the bike is in your possession.

Getting Your Motorcycle To A Shipping Port

Before your bike can be loaded onto a transport ship, it must first be delivered to a shipping port. This can either be done by driving it there yourself, or you can opt to have it transport by an overland motorcycle transport company. This is important to keep in mind because it adds an additional cost onto the price of shipping internationally. Overland motorcycle transport is generally fairly inexpensive, but it is important that the bike arrive at the specified time so that the loading process isn’t delayed. Take into account that transport ships are very large and, as a result, there are a lot of other vehicles and cargo that need to be loaded as well.

Contact us today to find out why A-1 Auto Transport is one of the premier worldwide motorcycle shipping companies in the industry! We provide transport services for any type of bike shipped to or from any location around the world! Call us at 1-888-230-9116 to learn more about what we offer, or if you’d like a FREE instant price quote! All estimate are 100% FREE and no obligation is required to get a price quote!

Other Transport Options

There are other options for international motorcycle shipping besides RORO transport. Essentially, there are two other choices you can explore: air freight or container shipping. When using air freight, the bike is typically crated (see below) and loaded onto an aircraft for transport. As you can probably surmise, air freight is very expensive and is not frequently used because of the prohibitive price tag attached to it. Air freight is, however, the quickest way to transport a bike, but you’ll have to weigh that benefit against the cost of shipping.

Container shipping is also done on a cargo ship, but instead of loading the bike directly onto the ship, it is first placed and secured in a shipping container. Most of the cargo shipped around the world is done using with shipping containers, which makes it easier for the transport company to load a containerized bike along with other cargo using the same process. It is certainly more convenient from the perspective of the shipper, but it does take longer to load and unload the bike.

Last Updated: a few hours ago
Quick Answer: RoRo motorcycle shipping costs around $1,000 for international routes and takes 3–6 weeks.
Local trend: Enclosed container use increases in winter to protect motorcycles during overseas transport.
See local transport rates and delivery estimates in the table below.

Crating Your Bike

Crating a motorcycle just means that it is attached to a wooden pallet or secured inside a box like structure so that it can be loaded onto the ship more easily. Crating also provides some protection against possible damage since it provides an opportunity to cover the bike on all sides should you choose complete crating. Palletized transport is more common and only requires a wooden pallet underneath the bike so that it can be moved on and off with equipment that’s designed to move pallets. It should also be noted that even with RORO motorcycle shipping, some ports may require that the bike be palletized or crated.