California Motorcycle Shipping

Ship a Motorcycle to California and Pick Your Corner of the State

Start with where in California the bike is going. Southern California, meaning Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego, is one end of the state. The Bay Area and Sacramento are the other, reached on I-80 and I-5. If you are on the north coast, in the Sierra foothills or in the high desert, ask the carrier how long scheduling will take.

Cities add their own trouble. A full-length trailer may not be able to climb a steep hillside street in San Francisco or the Hollywood Hills, or squeeze into an older neighborhood. Expect the driver to ask you to meet at a wide commercial street or a big parking lot. Someone has to be there to sign the condition report and check the bike before the driver leaves.

If you are coming from the Southwest, the trip is short. Phoenix to Los Angeles is about 370 miles and runs $350 to $500 on an open carrier, usually 1 to 3 days on the road. From the East Coast, plan on a week or more.

Moving across the country is the usual reason for a long haul. Texas to California, New York to California and Washington to California are lanes carriers know well. The Los Angeles and San Diego city pages have local pickup notes.

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California Motorcycle Shipping Rates and Transit Times

Last updated: October 2026

Short Southwest hops such as Phoenix to Los Angeles run about $350 to $500 on an open trailer. At 1,000 miles the range is about $500 to $675, and a 2,000-mile trip lands near $725 to $1,000 for a stock cruiser or sport bike. Distance drives most of the price.

Want it enclosed? Budget 30% to 50% more. Extras stack on top: a crate is $150 to $400, a trike or sidecar $150 to $300, and a Gold Wing-size tourer often $50 to $100. The lanes in the table are typical for California. Every price assumes an open trailer and a stock bike. Days are counted from pickup, and scheduling can add one to three more.

*Estimates for a standard motorcycle, updated October 2026. Distances are approximate road miles. Real prices depend on your bike, the pickup and delivery locations, open or enclosed transport, and the time of year. Complete the form at the top of this page or call 1-800-590-6492 for free, no-obligation quotes so you can compare prices for your exact route before you book.

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How Getting Quotes Works

You don't have to call company after company. One request goes out to the carriers that run California lanes, and the offers come back to you.

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Shipping a Motorcycle From California to Anywhere Else

Booking a bike out of California is the easy part. Crossing the country takes a while. Los Angeles to San Francisco is about 380 miles, $350 to $500 open, and takes 1 to 3 days. San Diego to Chicago is around 2,075 miles at $725 to $1,025 open, with 6 to 9 days on the road. Los Angeles to New York is about 2,790 miles and runs $900 to $1,225 open for 7 to 10 days.

The short hops east are the cheap ones. California to Nevada and California to Arizona are both quick, and Los Angeles to Las Vegas is a short haul. Riders heading to Sturgis from the Bay Area can ship the bike out and fly, or ship it one way and ride home.

If you live in Fresno, a mountain town or anywhere else off the main corridors, say so when you request quotes. Ask each carrier whether dropping the bike at a shop or lot near I-5 would change the price.

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California Motorcycle Transport on I-5, I-10 and the Sierra Passes

I-5 is the longest Interstate in the state at 797 miles, and it is the road most trailers use between Southern California and Sacramento. South of Bakersfield it climbs to Tejon Pass at 4,144 feet and then drops about 12 miles to the town of Grapevine. When it snows there, the CHP usually closes the whole stretch, and trucks sit in line or detour for hours.

I-80 is the way out of the Bay Area and Sacramento to Reno and Salt Lake City. It crosses the Sierra at Donner Summit, around 7,200 feet, where chain controls are common in a storm. That is the reason a winter pickup in the Bay Area bound east can slip by a day or two.

Out of the Los Angeles area, I-15 heads northeast through Cajon Pass and the Mojave Desert to the Nevada line at Primm, then on to Las Vegas, and I-10 runs east to the Arizona line near Blythe. San Diego has I-15 too, which runs north from there through the Inland Empire.

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Motorcycle Shipping to California by Season

Coastal California barely has a winter. Rain does show up in the cooler months, and riders with fresh paint sometimes pay for enclosed to keep the bike out of it. The weather that actually stops trailers is up high. Snow closes the Grapevine now and then, and storms put chain controls on Donner Summit.

Tioga Road through Yosemite normally closes for snow from sometime in November until late May or early June, so a bike meant for that ride should be delivered after it reopens.

Late fall and winter are often cheaper outside the snowbird lanes. Spring and early summer are the busy stretch, and peak weeks usually cost more. Summer is hot in the Central Valley and the desert, and a dark seat that sits for days in the sun gets hot enough to matter.

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California Riding Events Worth Planning Around

The big track weekend is MotoAmerica's Superbike Speedfest at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca near Monterey, held in July. The track has hosted the U.S. motorcycle Grand Prix (2005 to 2013) and World Superbike rounds in the past. For a bike going in or out of the Monterey area that week, get quotes early.

Give the carrier a window of several days, and ask for quotes at least three weeks before race week.

Event weeks push prices up. For a bike headed to Daytona or another far rally, ask each carrier for a pickup window and not a single date.

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Military Moves to and From California

Camp Pendleton, Naval Base San Diego, Edwards Air Force Base and Travis Air Force Base all send people on orders in and out of the state. If you have a report date, ask for quotes as soon as you have it, because the better pickup slots go first. Some carriers offer a military or multi-bike discount and some do not, so put the question to each one.

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California Shipping Problems and How to Handle Them

Weather up high and tight streets down low cause most of the delays here.

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Motorcycle Shipping Routes From and To California

Pick the route that matches your trip to see estimated rates, mileage and transit time for that lane.

Ship a Motorcycle From California

Ship a Motorcycle To California

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Motorcycle Shipping in Nearby States

• Oregon Motorcycle Shipping
• Nevada Motorcycle Shipping
• Arizona Motorcycle Shipping

Related Guides

• How to Ship a MotorcycleThe full process from quote to delivery.
• How to Prepare a Motorcycle for TransportA checklist for the day before pickup.
• Money-Saving Tips for Motorcycle ShippingWays to lower the price of a quote.

Helpful Links for Your California Shipment

• FMCSA SAFER System - Carrier Safety CheckVerify any carrier's safety record, licensing, and insurance status before you book.
• Caltrans QuickMap - California Road ConditionsLive traffic maps, chain controls and road closures from Caltrans, helpful for I-5 and mountain-pass pickups.
• California DMV - Register a Vehicle From Out of StateThe DMV's how-to brochure for registering a vehicle last registered in another state.

Call now, 24 hours a day, at 1-800-590-6492 or complete the quote form on this page to find the best California motorcycle shipping rates and when a truck will be in your area.