A car ships open or enclosed and that is it. A motorcycle gives you a third choice cars never get — crated — and picking wrong means either overpaying or under-protecting a bike you love. Crated vs open vs enclosed is the decision that shapes your whole shipment. We move bikes every week, so here is exactly which one fits your ride.
The short answer: Open motorcycle shipping is cheapest and fine for a standard bike but exposed to weather. Enclosed adds a covered trailer and protection for a valuable or custom bike. Crated immobilizes the motorcycle in a wood or metal crate on a pallet — the highest protection, for vintage, high-value, and international moves — at the highest cost. Match the tier to the bike's value and the trip, not habit.
This is what makes motorcycle shipping different from a car. A bike gives you three protection levels — open, enclosed, and crated — each climbing in cost and protection. Choosing well means matching the tier to the bike's value and the trip.
This guide compares all three. For the full service and how a bike is secured in any of them, see our motorcycle shipping service page. Let us take them in order.
Open transport carries the motorcycle on an open trailer, secured on a front-wheel chock with soft ties. It is the most affordable option and perfectly safe for a standard bike.
The trade is exposure: the bike rides through whatever weather and road debris the route brings, like any open transport. For most riders moving a regular motorcycle, that is a fair deal for the savings. The honest caveat: it is not the choice for a show bike or a fresh custom paint job.
Enclosed transport puts the motorcycle in a covered trailer, shielded from weather, debris, and prying eyes, and individually secured inside. It costs a moderate premium over open.
It is the right call for a valuable, custom, or vintage bike, or any motorcycle facing a long, exposed haul. It shares the principle of car enclosed transport, scaled to a bike. The downside: for a standard motorcycle on a short route, it is often more than you need.
Crated is the tier cars never use. The bike is built into a wood or metal crate on a solid pallet, the front wheel chocked, the frame strapped at anchor points, and foam padding wrapped around mirrors, handlebars, and bodywork. It cannot move at all.
This is the most protective method, reserved for vintage, high-value, and international shipments. It costs the most, because of the materials, build labor, and trailer space. We tell riders to crate only when the bike is truly irreplaceable or going overseas — for a standard domestic move, it is overkill.
A proper crate starts with the bike's measured dimensions and weight. Sturdy wood or metal is built around it on a pallet base, the wheel seated in a chock, and the frame anchored. Foam padding protects every protruding part.
Done right, the result is a fully immobilized motorcycle that customs can handle and freight can stack. Done poorly, a flimsy crate is worse than enclosed transport. We tell owners to have it built properly — by the carrier or a pro — rather than improvise. International moves almost always require it.
Decide on value and trip. A standard bike on a domestic route ships open and saves money. A valuable or custom motorcycle goes enclosed. A vintage, irreplaceable, or international bike gets crated. The method does not set your insurance, so confirm the carrier's coverage either way.
See how each tier moves the price in our motorcycle shipping cost guide, follow the full process in how to ship a motorcycle, and price your route on the calculator.
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Open carries the bike on an open trailer — cheapest, exposed to weather. Enclosed puts it in a covered trailer, protected and individually strapped. Crated immobilizes it in a wood or metal crate on a pallet — the highest protection. They climb in cost and protection in that order. We match the tier to the bike.
The motorcycle is secured inside a wood or metal crate built around it, fixed to a pallet, with foam padding around mirrors and protruding parts. It cannot shift at all. It is the most protective method, used for vintage, high-value, and international moves, and it costs more because of the materials and labor.
For a vintage, rare, high-value, or international shipment, where maximum protection justifies the cost and prep. For a standard domestic move, crating is usually overkill — open or enclosed protects the bike at a lower price. We tell riders to crate when the bike is truly irreplaceable or going overseas.
Yes, for a standard bike. The motorcycle is still secured on a front-wheel chock with soft ties; it is just exposed to weather and road debris like any open transport. We tell riders open is perfectly fine for most bikes — the trade is some exposure for a lower price.
For a valuable, custom, or vintage bike, usually yes. Enclosed blocks weather, debris, and prying eyes, and the bike is individually secured inside. For a standard motorcycle on a short route, it is often more than you need. We help riders weigh the bike's value against the moderate premium.
A crate is built from sturdy wood or metal around the bike's measured dimensions, on a solid pallet base. The front wheel sits in a chock, the frame is strapped at anchor points, and foam padding protects mirrors, handlebars, and bodywork. The result is a fully immobilized bike that cannot move in transit.
Yes, it is the priciest option, because it adds crate materials, build labor, and trailer space. The cost is justified for a rare or overseas bike but rarely for a standard domestic move. We tell riders to choose crated only when the protection genuinely matches the bike's value or the trip.
Almost always. Overseas transport by sea or air requires the bike immobilized and protected, and crating is the standard. It also helps with customs handling. We tell riders that an international move is the clearest case for crating, where a domestic one usually is not.
You can, with pressure-treated wood, a solid pallet, heavy hardware, straps, and foam padding, but it must be done right to protect the bike. Many riders leave it to the carrier or a professional. We tell owners that a poorly built crate is worse than enclosed transport, so do it properly or have it done.
The method does not set the insurance — the carrier's cargo coverage does, and you should confirm it regardless of tier. That said, crating and enclosed reduce the risk of damage in the first place. We tell riders to ask for the certificate of insurance and check their own policy for any transit gap.
Tell us where you're shipping — we'll handle the rest. No obligation, no hidden fees.