How to prepare motorcycle for transport

Relocations are hard both on your body and mind. You are constantly running around stressed, trying to complete countless tasks before the moving day comes. And all that gets even harder if you have a motorcycle to worry about. Even if you didn’t hire Excalibur Movers Rockville to pack your household you’d manage just fine. But when we’re talking about packing or more precisely preparing your motorcycle for a move then things get more complicated. You can’t just wrap it up and let your movers transport it. You have to prepare motorcycle for transport and if you keep reading you’ll learn how.

One thing to do before you prepare motorcycle for transport

Before you even begin preparing your motorcycle for transport you need to find someone reliable to transport it. I’m sure that I don’t have to tell you just how precious and valuable your motorcycle is. If something were to happen to it, the consequences would be huge. That goes both for moving scams and damages that can occur during transportation. And that is precisely why you need to hire the best moving company there is.

First of all, you have to make sure that the moving company you want to hire is legit. And that means that they must have all the necessary credentials. Every company that offers local or long-distance moving services in Maryland must obtain the USDOT number. You can use the Federal Motors Carrier Safety Administration‘s website to check if a company has it. Apart from that, always double-check what kind of insurance a company offers and if the movers are skilled. If you find reliable movers that know what they are doing then you have nothing to worry about. All you’d have to do is prepare your motorcycle for transport before the professionals come to get it.

Plan ahead and start on time if you don’t want problems

Preparing your motorcycle for transport is not something you can do in a matter of minutes. Not even the best movers in Potomac MD could do it so fast. They will do their job properly and efficiently, but that won’t matter if you don’t do all the necessary things to get your motorcycle ready for transport. And in order to do that without haste, you need to start on time. 

What you need to do is plan ahead and stay organized. If it’ll be easier for you, you can make a list of all the tasks you’ll have to do. Prioritize them and put a little deadline next to each. This will keep you on track if you procrastinate often. That will also help you start on time and do every task thoroughly without rushing it. And that is the best way to get motorcycle prepared for transport.

How to prepare motorcycle for transport

Before I start I just want to tell you that if you get packing services then you won’t have to do most of these things. However, if you’re trying to save some money then do these things yourself. Here comes the most important part of how to get your motorcycle ready for transport.

Check  for mechanical issues

One thing you should do before all other is to check your motorcycle. The reason for this is quite simple. Once you move to another place the chances are that you won’t know any mechanics. Let alone a good and reliable one. So, it’d be wise to do it before you move and have a mechanic you trust check if there are any mechanical issues with your motorcycle. 

Take what you can

When you’re transporting your motorcycle it shouldn’t have any of your personal belongings on it. So, detach everything you can and pack it separately. If you don’t take all the loose items your motorcycle can get damaged during the transportation. I’m not saying that it will, but the chances are certainly higher. Furthermore, your belongings won’t get lost that way and it’ll be easier to clean.

Drain your motorcycle

Most moving companies will ask you to empty your motorcycle from any fluids before the relocation. And they are right for many reasons. First of all, those fluids are flammable and shipping them is not that easy. It will require a lot of paperwork and that’s something you don’t have to deal with. So, do yourself a favor and drain flammables to save both your and your movers’ valuable time. Second of all, if caught fire, these fluids can cause a disaster. And if you’re lucky and they just leak your other belongings will probably get ruined.

One way to empty your motorcycle of fluids if to siphon the gas out. Another, more interesting way if I  may say so, is to ride it till the tank is empty. Just keep in mind that you shouldn’t pack your motorcycle before the engine has cooled down. If you start preparing it while the engine is still hot you can get burned. Or it can burn the packing materials and start a fire. And I’m sure that you don’t want that. So, make sure that the engine is not hot before you start doing anything.

Clean it

If you clean your motorcycle it’ll be easier to see any scratches or dents it might have. This is important both before and after the relocation. Take pictures of any damage and show it to your movers. This way, if something happens during the transport you’ll be able to spot it right away. And more importantly, it’ll be easy to prove it for the insurance.

A reminder for preparing your motorcycle for transport

So, that was all that you needed to know about getting your motorcycle ready for relocation. And if you can’t move in your new home right away, you can use storage services to keep your motorcycle safe during that period. And you’ll be happy to know that you won’t have to do anything apart from what you already did to prepare motorcycle for transport. Furthermore, here’s a little checklist that can come in handy:

• hire a moving company
• start on time
• check your motorcycle for mechanical issues
• pack your belongings and detachable items separately
• drain it from any fluids
• clean it before packing