How to transport a motorbike across the UK

There are three ways to get a motorbike from one place to another in the UK. You ride it, you put it in a van yourself, or you have it collected and delivered by a transport company. Which one is right depends on the distance, whether the bike is taxed and insured, whether it runs at all, and how much of your weekend you want back.

Riding it yourself

Riding is free if the bike is road legal, taxed, insured and you hold the right licence. It stops being the obvious choice the moment any of those is missing, or the journey is long, the weather is poor, or the bike is a new purchase you have not insured yet. A SORN bike cannot legally be ridden on the road at all, which rules riding out for most off-road, project and non-runner moves.

Hiring a van and doing it yourself

A van gives you control, but it adds up. You are paying for the hire, the fuel, the ramp, a set of proper tie-down straps and a wheel chock, and you are taking on the risk of loading a heavy bike single handed. Strapping a bike down badly is the most common way people damage one in transit. If you only move a bike once, the maths rarely beats a transport company once you count your time.

Having it collected and delivered

A dedicated motorbike transport company collects the bike from your door and delivers it to the destination, loaded and secured by people who do it every day. It suits non-runners, project bikes, new purchases, track day machines, long distances and anyone who would rather not spend a day on the road. Bladespeed runs this as a scheduled service across mainland Britain.

What a weekly scheduled route means for the price

Bladespeed runs weekly scheduled routes across England, Scotland and Wales rather than sending a van out on demand for a single bike. Because the van is already going your way on a set day, the cost is shared rather than carried by one job, which keeps prices sensible. You enter your postcode in the booking tool and it shows your collection day and a firm price before you pay. There is no phone tag and no quote that changes later.

Northern Ireland

The weekly scheduled routes cover the GB mainland. Collections and deliveries to or from Northern Ireland are arranged on request rather than run as a standard scheduled route, so they are handled case by case. The booking tool will flag a Northern Ireland postcode and confirm the arrangement with you.

Getting the bike ready

Whoever moves it, the same basics apply. Note any existing marks before it goes, fold the mirrors if they are vulnerable, leave the steering unlocked so it can be wheeled, and keep the fuel low rather than brimmed. If the bike is a non-runner, say so when you book so the right kit comes on the van. None of this takes long and all of it makes the handover smoother.