Shipping a Motorcycle Overseas
A motorcycle crosses oceans the same way our cars do, through our FMC licensed sister company, Royal Port Container Lines, Inc. DBA Cassandra Logistics, with the ocean carrier's actual invoice shown and our commission capped at $100. The bike just needs one thing a car never does: a proper box.
How does a motorcycle ship internationally?
Crated into a container, almost always. The bike is strapped into a wooden crate or steel cradle, the crate is secured inside a container, often sharing it with a car or other cargo to split the cost, and the container sails. The domestic leg to the port runs like any motorcycle shipment, and the ocean leg is booked with full FMC licensing behind it.
Can a motorcycle go RoRo instead of in a container?
Some RoRo lines accept motorcycles secured on the vehicle deck, lane by lane and policy by policy. When your destination's service allows it, we price it against the crated container option and let the numbers and your risk tolerance decide. The container wins on protection every time; RoRo occasionally wins on price.
What paperwork does a motorcycle export need?
Exactly what a car needs: the original title, a lien release letter if financed, the AES filing with its ITN, and customs' 72 working hours with the documents before sailing. The full checklist lives in our export documents guide, and every rule in it applies at two wheels the same as four.
Where do American motorcycles ship most?
Europe leads, with Germany and its collector market at the front, the Gulf follows through Jebel Ali, and West Africa takes a steady flow alongside the car trade to Nigeria. Each destination page covers that country's import rules, which apply to bikes with their own local quirks your receiver should confirm.
What does the overseas move cost?
The domestic leg to port, the crate, and the ocean freight, each shown as its own honest line, with our ocean commission capped at $100 and the carrier's actual invoice in your hands. Email the bike and the destination and the full picture comes back, usually within hours.
Overseas motorcycle questions
Is a crate required to ship a motorcycle overseas?
For container shipping, effectively yes, the crate is what lets a bike travel an ocean immobilized and protected. RoRo lanes that accept bikes are the uncrated exception where available.
Can my motorcycle share a container with a car?
Yes, and it is the classic cost-saver: a crated bike rides in the container's spare space alongside a vehicle, splitting the ocean freight. Tell us everything shipping together and we consolidate it.
Are the export documents different for a motorcycle than a car?
No, title, lien letter if financed, AES filing, and the customs validation window apply identically. The bike's title is the whole show, so have it ready early.
Do destination import rules apply to motorcycles too?
Yes, age limits, duties, and drive-side rules vary by country and sometimes treat bikes differently than cars. Confirm your destination's specifics with a local clearing agent before you buy or book.
Motorcycles are priced by email against carriers who actually haul bikes, usually within hours.
Email us your bike