Ask a room full of riders for the best roads in the country and the same names come up every time: the Pacific Coast Highway, the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Tail of the Dragon, Beartooth Pass and the Going-to-the-Sun Road. What the lists rarely mention is that most riders live a thousand miles or more from at least four of them. That is why a growing share of the bikes on those roads arrived on a carrier, with the rider flying in to meet them.

The Rides Worth Traveling For

  • Pacific Coast Highway, California. Big Sur is the famous stretch, but the run from Monterey down to San Simeon is the one that rewards a slow pace and a full tank.
  • Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina and Virginia. Four hundred and sixty-nine miles with no commercial traffic, a 45 mile per hour limit and the Appalachians on both sides. Skyline Drive continues it north through Shenandoah.
  • Tail of the Dragon, Tennessee and North Carolina. Eleven miles and 318 curves on US-129. Ride it early in the morning before the traffic arrives.
  • Beartooth Pass, Montana and Wyoming. Nearly 11,000 feet at the summit, open only in summer, and the approach to Yellowstone’s northeast entrance.
  • Going-to-the-Sun Road, Montana. Fifty miles across Glacier National Park, open from late June to September depending on snow, with a vehicle reservation system in peak season.
  • Overseas Highway, Florida. A hundred and thirteen miles of bridges and keys from Key Largo to Key West, best ridden south in the morning with the sun behind you.
  • Tunnel of Trees, Michigan. M-119 along Lake Michigan, narrow, canopied and at its best in the first two weeks of October.
  • Bear Lake Scenic Byway, Utah. The blue-green lake on the Idaho line, reached over Logan Canyon.
  • Mount Desert Island Loop, Maine. Acadia’s Park Loop Road and the climb to Cadillac Mountain, quietest in September.

Why Riders Ship to the Start Line

Riding from Houston to Glacier is two and a half days each way on interstate, in July heat, on a bike set up for canyons rather than for eight hours of straight road. Most riders who have done it once do not do it twice. The alternative is to ship the motorcycle to a dealer or a hotel near the start, fly in, ride the roads you came for, and either ship the bike home from the far end or ride a loop back to where it was delivered.

The one-way itinerary is the real prize. Ship the bike to Seattle, ride south down the coast for two weeks, and ship it home from San Diego. The motorcycle shipping page covers the details, and a coordinator can set up both legs on one booking so the return is arranged before you leave.

What Motorcycle Shipping Looks Like

A motorcycle ships one of two ways. On an open carrier it rides upright in a wheel chock with soft straps over the triple tree and the frame, never the bars, alongside cars and other bikes. In enclosed transport it rides inside a trailer, out of the weather and away from road grit, which is the usual choice for a touring bike worth more than the car it is parked next to. Enclosed typically adds about a third to the open rate, and the enclosed carrier page explains what that buys.

Before pickup, run the tank down to about a quarter, remove saddlebags, tank bags, GPS units and anything else that unclips, and photograph the bike from every angle in daylight, including the wheels and the underside of the fairing. Note existing scratches on the bill of lading at pickup. Those photos and that document are the whole of your position if a claim were ever needed, and they take ten minutes.

Delivery can be a dealer, a hotel with a lot that takes a large truck, or a friend’s driveway. A hotel on a narrow mountain road will mean meeting the carrier at a nearby lot, which the coordinator arranges before the truck leaves. Bring the key, or leave it with whoever is receiving the bike.

Timing and What Moves the Price

The mountain roads have short seasons. Beartooth and Going-to-the-Sun open in late June and close with the first serious snow, and the Blue Ridge Parkway is at its best in October. Book transport two to three weeks ahead in summer and add a week for the busiest holiday windows. Distance sets most of the price, enclosed adds about a third, and a bike that does not run adds a winch fee because it cannot be ridden onto the deck. Riders shipping two bikes on one order usually pay less per machine than they would separately.

Common Questions

Can I leave gear on the bike? Hard cases that lock can usually stay fitted and empty. Soft bags, electronics and anything loose come off, because they are not covered by the carrier’s cargo insurance.

How long does the bike take to arrive? A regional move is often two to four days on the truck, and a coast to coast move a week or a little more, after a pickup window of a few days. Your coordinator gives you the window for your lane.

Can it be delivered to a hotel? Yes, if the hotel has a lot a large truck can enter. Otherwise the carrier meets you at an agreed nearby location, arranged before dispatch.

Is it cheaper to ship the bike than to ride it? Against fuel, tires, hotel nights and vacation days spent on the interstate, it is often close, and it is always cheaper on the rider. Run your route through the calculator and compare it with an honest count of the alternative.

Do I need special insurance? The carrier’s cargo insurance covers the bike in transit. Ask your own insurer whether your policy covers it during transport as well, since some do.

Get a Quote

Put the bike, both addresses and your dates into the instant quote calculator for a firm figure, or call (866) 821-4555 and tell a coordinator which road you are riding. They will know it. No deposit is taken until a carrier is assigned to your order.