When you're arranging motorcycle transport, it's perfectly reasonable to compare prices. If one transporter is £50 or £100 cheaper than another, saving the money can seem like an obvious choice.
But are you actually comparing the same service?
Recently, one of our customers sold a motorcycle from his collection. The buyer arranged their own transporter to collect it.
This is what turned up to collect the motorcycle.
The motorcycle being collected from one of our customers after he sold it. The individual and motorcycle registration have been deliberately obscured.
Our customer later showed the photograph to Eric when ETS arrived to transport another motorcycle from his collection.
He was surprised by the difference between what he'd recently witnessed and the way ETS operates. From the professional setup inside our dedicated motorcycle transport van to Eric's knowledge of motorcycles, specialist equipment and electronic collection documentation, he could immediately see that he was looking at two very different approaches to motorcycle transportation.
And that's really the point of this article.
Motorcycles aren't designed to be transported lying down
As you can see in the photograph, the motorcycle has been laid down in the back of a general-purpose van amongst rolled carpet, wheels and other items.
This isn't how we transport motorcycles at ETS.
A motorcycle is designed to remain upright. Laying one on its side during transportation can place its weight against components that weren't designed to support it in that position.
Depending on the motorcycle plus how and where it is resting, this can put bodywork, fairings, handlebars, levers, mirrors, indicators and other vulnerable components at risk of damage.
There is also the potential for fluids to move or leak when a motorcycle is left in an abnormal position.
Then consider what happens once the journey begins.
The van accelerates, brakes, corners, travels around roundabouts and encounters potholes or uneven road surfaces. The motorcycle needs to remain properly positioned and restrained throughout the journey.
Getting a motorcycle into the back of a van isn't the same thing as professionally transporting a motorcycle.
The difference our customer noticed
When Eric subsequently arrived to transport another motorcycle from the same customer's collection, our customer was surprised by the difference.
He could see that our van had been specifically designed and equipped around the motorcycles we transport. He was also impressed by Eric's motorcycle knowledge plus the systems we've put in place around the physical transportation itself.
We use electronic collection and delivery forms, record the condition of the motorcycle, obtain signatures at collection and delivery plus provide photographic confirmation.
Customers are kept updated throughout the process. Eric also messages when he's approximately 30 minutes away.
For us, these aren't optional extras.
They're simply part of providing a professional motorcycle transport service.
What should you compare when choosing a motorcycle transporter?
When comparing motorcycle transport quotes, it's very easy to look at the final price and assume you're comparing like for like.
You're often not.
Running a professional motorcycle transport business involves considerably more than owning a van and putting fuel in it.
At ETS Motorbike Transport, we've invested specifically in transporting motorcycles.
A van specifically equipped for motorcycles
Our van has non-slip flooring, providing a secure surface when motorcycles are being loaded, secured and transported.
We use motorcycle wheel chocks plus specialist motorcycle straps selected to secure motorcycles without damaging fairings or other vulnerable components.
We have a full-width, three-metre loading ramp. This gives Eric plenty of room to safely control a motorcycle when loading or unloading rather than trying to manoeuvre a bike along a narrow ramp.
The van has internal lighting so Eric can clearly see motorcycles, securing points and equipment when working in poor light.
We've also fitted external lighting so the van is more visible when we're parked while loading or unloading in the dark.
We can monitor the motorcycles throughout the journey
Our investment doesn't stop once the rear doors are closed.
We have a camera fitted inside the motorcycle load area, allowing Eric to monitor the motorcycles from the cab throughout the journey.
Rather than securing the bikes, closing the doors and having no idea what's happening behind him, Eric can see the motorcycles while he's travelling.
If something doesn't look right, he knows about it.
It's another layer of reassurance that most customers will never see, but it's there because we've designed our setup specifically around transporting motorcycles safely.
Our van isn't simply a van that happens to have motorcycles in it. It's been specifically equipped for professional motorcycle transportation.
The right insurance matters too
The equipment inside the van is only part of the picture.
Insurance matters.
Don't simply assume that because somebody has an insured van, your motorcycle is appropriately insured while they're being paid to transport it.
At ETS, we have Goods in Transit insurance specifically covering the transportation of motorcycles.
Motorcycles are a specialist risk. The appropriate Goods in Transit cover can therefore be different and more expensive than standard Goods in Transit insurance covering ordinary cargo.
If you're comparing transporters, there's nothing wrong with asking:
"Does your Goods in Transit insurance specifically cover motorcycles?"
You can also ask whether the value of your particular motorcycle falls within their level of cover.
If you're handing somebody a motorcycle worth £5,000, £10,000, £20,000 or considerably more, that's a perfectly reasonable question.
You get what you pay for
We sometimes hear:
"Someone else can do it £50 cheaper."
They probably can.
But the more important question is:
"What am I actually getting for my money?"
A professional motorcycle transport business has substantial costs.
There's the van itself.
There's specialist motorcycle transport equipment.
There's the ramp, non-slip flooring, wheel chocks, specialist straps, internal and external lighting plus the load-area camera.
There's commercial vehicle insurance plus specialist Goods in Transit insurance covering motorcycles.
Then there are all the normal costs associated with operating a successful transport business: fuel, servicing, tyres, brakes, repairs, maintenance, breakdown cover, business administration, accounting, communication systems, website costs plus continual investment in equipment.
There's also the driver's time and expertise.
Loading a motorcycle properly takes time.
Securing it properly takes time.
Checking it during the journey takes time.
Recording its condition and completing collection and delivery documentation takes time.
Those aren't corners we're prepared to cut simply to produce the cheapest quote.
What happens if your new motorcycle arrives damaged?
Imagine you've just bought the motorcycle you've wanted for months.
Perhaps you've spent £5,000.
Maybe it's £10,000, £15,000 or considerably more.
You've found someone who will transport it for £50–£75 less.
Then it arrives damaged.
Perhaps there's scratched bodywork, a broken indicator, damaged fairings, a bent lever or another problem caused during transportation.
Now imagine discovering that the person who transported it doesn't have the appropriate insurance to cover your motorcycle.
Suddenly, that £50–£100 saving looks rather insignificant.
You could potentially find yourself trying to recover the cost of the damage directly from the transporter.
The cheapest quote only remains the cheapest if everything goes according to plan.
Cheap doesn't automatically mean bad
We should make something clear.
We're not saying that somebody offering a cheaper quote is automatically a poor motorcycle transporter.
Another professional transporter may be travelling through your area, have spare capacity or simply operate differently to us.
Nor are we suggesting that the most expensive quote is automatically the best.
We're saying:
Compare what you're actually getting.
Before handing over your motorcycle, consider asking how it will be transported, what equipment will be used, whether it will remain upright, what insurance is in place plus what happens if something goes wrong.
Ask whether its condition will be documented at collection and delivery.
Ask who will actually be handling your motorcycle.
A professional motorcycle transporter shouldn't have a problem answering those questions.
How ETS Motorbike Transport does it differently
ETS Motorbike Transport is a family-run motorcycle transport business based in East Anglia, providing professional motorcycle collection and delivery throughout England and Wales.
We don't transport furniture one day and motorcycles the next.
Motorcycle transport is what we do.
Emma manages the bookings, route planning and customer communication while Eric personally carries out every collection and delivery.
Eric is an experienced motorcycle rider and mechanic, so the person physically handling your motorcycle understands motorcycles too.
Our dedicated van has been specifically equipped around the motorcycles we transport. We have invested in the equipment, insurance and systems needed to provide the level of service we would expect if somebody were transporting one of our own motorcycles.
So, is saving £50–£75 really worth it?
Ultimately, that's for each motorcycle owner to decide.
But when comparing quotes, don't just compare two prices on a screen.
Compare the vans. Compare the equipment. Compare the insurance. Compare the experience. Compare the documentation. Compare the service.
Then consider the value of the motorcycle you're entrusting to that transporter.
If you've spent thousands of pounds buying your motorcycle, saving £50–£75 on getting it home may not be the saving it first appears.
A van can move a motorcycle. Professional motorcycle transport is about getting it there safely.
Need professional motorcycle transport?
ETS Motorbike Transport provides fully insured motorcycle collection and delivery throughout England and Wales for private owners, motorcycle dealers, manufacturers and workshops.
Send us the motorcycle make and model plus the collection and delivery postcodes and we'll provide a quote. Here is the Whatsapp Business and contact form.