How to crate a bike for shipping

[Danger4u2]

If your shipping a bike your local bike shop would most likely give you a used crate.
Here's how my AF bike was crated.  I found that it's cheaper to send a motorcycle than to send a rolling chassis.  Why I have no idea.  One shipper said it's 100 bucks more to ship chassis parts than shipping a motorcycle.  When I told him it did not have a motor he said I could not call it a motorcycle.

So wrap the crate up with stretch wrap and then cover it with black contractor's plastic just like you would wrap a present and tape it with packing tape.
The lady at one shipper told me to use the black plastic, said they don't uncrate but if they wanted you to prove it was a motorcycle just cut a small slit at the back wheel so they can see the knobbie.

[kxpegger]

My crate had an even bigger dent than yours did. We must have had the same fork lift driver and he has had no fork lift training!

[Danger4u2]

I'm trying to by a CR500 rolling chassis that was use as a donor bike for an AF conversion.

I've call a bunch of shippers.  Pricing any where from $689 to $438, then I found these guys for $190.
http://www.bestpricefreight.com/?gclid=COrB2L-h36ICFWE45wod6Sx49w

All quotes were business to business with fork lifts at both locations.  Or drop it at the freight company and
shipped to a business.  It gets real pricy if they have to send a smaller truck with a drop gate.  And more pricy if
it's picked up or delivered at a residence.

[Danger4u2]

My crate had an even bigger dent than yours did. We must have had the same fork lift driver and he has had no fork lift training!

There was a small scuff on the tire.  An inch or 2 more and it would have damaged the rear wheel.

[flyingfitz]

Awesome CR Frame

[The Flyin Hawaiian]

Back in 03 we shipped my girlfriends KX250 to Brazil for the ISDE. I used a motorcyle crate from the dealership she worked at. We partially disassembled the bike, mounted it in the crate and then stuffed all our spare parts, tools etc into it. We had to have it fully enclosed so I sheet metal screwed 1/4 plywood to the frame, leaving about 3-4" open around the top of the sides so customs could see in it. The crate was shipped to Oregon so that it would go into the US team container, then Long Beach Ca. Where I was told that they missed the freighter by a day! It was then shipped to Miami and loaded on a ship there. When we shipped it back, it came into the states in the port of Elizabeth NJ, about an hour from my house. We werent allowed to get the crate and it was shipped back to Oregon then back to us in NJ. The bike was gone for 7 months! When we got it back, the top of the crate was ripped open and some couch cushions were stuffed in it. Nothing was missing but the bike was starting to rust and the chrome fork tubes started pitting, probably from the salt air. Cant wait to do it again someday!

[NZ500]

Nice bikes. Wow that CR is in real good condition.

Gee sounds like a lot of hassle for the isde trip. I bet that was a great experience though. I'm pretty sure I've got that one on dvd. I really like the enduros.

[bruuuuup]

Thats a sweet bike to race in the non-current class and whoop on all the youngsters!