Shipping a Motorcycle Overseas from Canada

Motorcycles cross oceans well. Unlike a car, a bike fits in a crate a two-person crew can build in a morning, ships as a compact LCL unit on its own pallet, and costs a fraction of what owners expect — which is why so many riders moving abroad take the bike instead of selling it at a loss and rebuying at a premium.

The work is in the preparation and the paperwork, not the distance. This is the process we run for motorcycle shipping from our Toronto warehouse, and the two questions to answer before you commit.

First, the two questions that decide everything

Can the bike be registered at destination? Every country has its own rules on importing vehicles: age limits, emissions standards, left-hand-drive rules do not apply to bikes but roadworthiness inspections do, and some countries tax imported vehicles heavily even in a household move. Check the destination's vehicle import rules before spending anything — our destination guides cover the common routes, and your move coordinator confirms the specifics for your country.

Is it worth the duty? Many countries admit household goods duty-free for a returning resident or new immigrant but treat vehicles separately. If the bike attracts 30 percent duty on its assessed value, the math may still work for a loved machine — but it should be math you did in advance, not a surprise at the port.

How the bike is prepared and crated

1. Fuel drained to a quarter tank or less (ocean rules); some destinations and consolidations require it near empty.
2. Battery disconnected, and on some routings removed — a connected battery can reclassify the shipment as dangerous goods.
3. Fluids checked for leaks; a leaking bike will be refused at loading.
4. Mirrors and windscreen removed or padded; handlebars turned or loosened to narrow the profile.
5. The bike is strapped upright onto a custom wooden base by its frame and wheels — never by the bars — and a crate is built around it.
6. The crate is labelled, photographed inside and out, and the VIN recorded for the customs paperwork.

How it ships, and what it costs

The crated bike travels as LCL (shared container) ocean freight: it rides in a consolidator's container alongside other freight, but as a singly handled unit — its own pallet or crate, loaded and braced so nothing rests against it, with its own customs file — and the price follows its volume: a typical crated motorcycle runs 2.5 to 3.5 cubic metres. A bike that cannot wait for a ship can fly instead, at several times the ocean rate. Either way it is loaded at our warehouse by the same crews that build the crate, which is what keeps the insurance valid — professionally packed and loaded goods are covered all-risk; owner-crated vehicles usually are not.

At destination, customs clears the bike against the VIN and your documents, and the local agent delivers the crate or the uncrated bike depending on the service booked. Registration and inspection at destination are the owner's side of the deal — budget time for it.

Documents to have ready

• Ownership / title in your name (a financed vehicle needs the lender's export letter)
• Bill of sale or a valuation for customs
• Your passport and visa / residence documents for the destination
• The bike's VIN, make, model, year and mileage
• Export declaration from Canada — filed as part of the move paperwork