Sizes and weights
Typical ranges for what we actually meet in Central London rather than one manufacturer's specification. Measure yours before you rely on them.
| Type | Size | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 125cc scooter | about 190cm long110 to 140kg | 110 to 140kg |
| Mid capacity bike, 400 to 700cc | 200 to 215cm long170 to 230kg | 170 to 230kg |
| Large sports or adventure bike | 215 to 230cm long200 to 260kg | 200 to 260kg |
| Cruiser or tourer | up to 250cm long, wide bars and panniers280 to 400kg | 280 to 400kg |
For reference, a standard UK internal door is 762mm. Older Central London stock is often narrower. Full door and van measurements.
Will it fit?
Does a bike fit in a transit?
A long wheelbase transit has about 3.4m of load length and 1.75m of width, so almost any solo bike goes in comfortably with room to work around it. The constraint is height on tall adventure bikes with a screen and a top box, which sometimes need the screen off.
How does it get up the ramp?
Walked up under its own weight by two people on a full width ramp with the bike in neutral, never ridden. A single narrow plank is how bikes get dropped, and it is what a lot of van hire ends up using. We bring a proper ramp.
How is it secured?
Front wheel into a chock, then ratchet straps over the lower yoke or the bars pulling forward and down so the front suspension is compressed by a third or so. Compressed suspension is what stops the bike bouncing. A bike strapped without compressing the forks will work its straps loose over a journey.
Can it go on its side stand?
No. A side stand is designed to hold a stationary bike on level ground, not a bike in a decelerating van. It goes upright, chocked and strapped at four points, and it should be possible to push the van and have the bike not move at all relative to it.
How we move a motorbike
- We ask the make, model and whether it runs, since a non runner needs different handling
- A full width ramp goes down and the bike is walked up in neutral by two people
- The front wheel goes into a chock and the bars are strapped forward and down
- Rear straps go on to stop lateral movement, and the suspension is left compressed
- Straps are checked again after the first few minutes of driving, because they settle
- It is walked down at the other end rather than allowed to run down the ramp
What this is usually for
Three things, mostly. A bike bought online that needs collecting from a seller or a dealer. A bike going to or from a garage that cannot be ridden. And a bike moving house with its owner, which is the one most often forgotten until the day.
All three are the same job in the van and different jobs on the paperwork. For a purchase, we can collect against your reference. For a non runner going to a garage, tell us whether it rolls and steers, because that decides whether two people can walk it up a ramp at all.
Insurance while it is with us
Our goods in transit cover applies to the bike while it is in the van. What it does not cover is the bike being ridden on the road, because we do not ride it: it is walked on and walked off and never started.
For a bike worth more than a few thousand pounds, tell us the value at the quote stage so the cover is declared. It is the same conversation as for artwork and it takes the same one sentence.
Before we arrive
- Run the fuel down where you can, since a full tank is 15 to 20kg of moving weight
- Tell us if it does not run, has no brakes or has a flat tyre, all of which change the loading
- Take off loose luggage, top boxes and anything that will catch on a strap
- Have the keys, because it needs to be in neutral and the steering unlocked
- Say if it has been dropped or has damage already, and photograph it before we load
What tends to go wrong
A single plank instead of a ramp
It is how most dropped bikes get dropped. A narrow plank gives no margin and nowhere for the person on the other side to stand. A full width ramp with two people walking the bike up is the difference between routine and expensive.
Strapping without compressing the forks
A bike held snugly but with the suspension at full extension will bounce, and every bounce lets the straps out a little. By the end of a journey it can be loose. The forks want compressing by about a third and left that way.
Forgetting it is a non runner
A bike that will not start, will not roll or has a seized brake is a completely different loading job, and it is the sort of detail people leave off a booking form. Tell us and we bring what is needed rather than discovering it at the ramp.
Motorbike transport: common questions
How much does it cost to transport a motorbike in London?
Between £150 and £420 including VAT, most near £230. A scooter or mid capacity bike across Central London is £150 to £250. A large or non running bike, or a longer distance, runs £270 to £420. The ramp, the chock, the straps and two crew are all inside the figure.
Do you use a proper ramp?
A full width ramp, always, with two people walking the bike up in neutral. A single narrow plank is how bikes get dropped and it is what a lot of self drive van hire ends up relying on. The bike is never ridden on or off.
How is the bike secured in the van?
Front wheel into a chock, then ratchet straps over the lower yoke or bars pulling forward and down so the front suspension is compressed by about a third, then rear straps against lateral movement. Compressed suspension is what stops the bike bouncing and working the straps loose.
Can you move a bike that does not run?
Yes, and it is a large part of this work, but tell us in advance. A bike that will not roll, will not steer or has a seized brake is a different loading job and we bring different kit for it. Discovering it at the ramp helps nobody.
Should I drain the fuel?
Run it low where you can. A full tank is 15 to 20kg of liquid moving about, and less fuel means less to slosh and less to smell in the van. Fully draining it is not necessary for a normal journey.
Other single items
Moving more than one thing?
This page is about a motorbike on its own. The single item and furniture delivery page covers the service generally, and what a move costs prices a whole flat or house.
Across Central London
We move a motorbike anywhere in the 37 areas we cover. What changes between them is the parking and the staircase, which is what decides where in the band you land.