Federal Motorcycle Transport's...
Federal Motorcycle Transport's motorcycle wranglers seemed experienced and careful and had the equipment needed to safely load and secure our big Vulcan 2000.
People frequently ask us what the best way is to get their cruiser to a rally or other motorcycle destination that is simply too far to ride (or trailer) to in their allotted vacation time. It's not that these folks wouldn't love to ride the distance. They've just got, you know, jobs. Our Kawasaki V2K project gave us a great opportunity to sample a shipping service and find out how easy it really is to ship your bike cross-country.
We decided to try Federal Motorcycle Transport, a division of Allied Van Lines, as our shipper. We had heard positive reports about the shipper, and it has been around for long enough to have worked out the wrinkles.
Our Vulcan even had company...
Our Vulcan even had company on its excursion to Texas.
The preparation couldn't have been easier: We just drained the bike's fuel. If V2K had saddlebags, we'd have needed to empty them, too. On the appointed day, a truck showed up at our address, the driver strapped the bike in place on a motorcycle pallet, and off it went to Texas. No muss, no fuss. (Of course, if you are attending a rally or taking a ride, you'll need to have arranged a destination address where the bike can be delivered and stored until you arrive to take it. Your hotel or a motorcycle dealer are likely choices.)
The cost for this eight-day, 1600-mile trek was $638 (discount price if you are a member of one of the motorcycle organizations listed below) or $707 (non-member price). Round-trip shipping costs the same both ways. Federal offers member discounts to the following organizations: American Motorcyclist Association (AMA), Harley Owners Group (HOG), Honda Riders Club of America (HRCA), Buell Riders Adventure Group (BRAG), and STAR Touring & Riding (STAR). Since the cost of joining these organizations is significantly lower than paying the full shipping price, join one before you contact Federal.
For more information and exact shipping costs for your destination, see Federal's Web site or call (800) 747-4100, Ext 217.
For additional evaluations of, comparisons of, and shopping advice for motorcycle gear and accessories, see the Accessories and Gear section of MotorcycleCruiser.com.