California to Kentucky Motorcycle Shipping

California to Kentucky Motorcycle Shipping Rates by Bike Type

Shipping a standard cruiser or sport bike from Los Angeles to Louisville runs about $725 to $1,025 on an open carrier, and about $1,025 to $1,425 enclosed. San Francisco pickups run higher at about $775 to $1,075 open, and San Diego comes in near $725 to $1,000.

Lexington in the Bluegrass costs a little more at about $750 to $1,050 open from Los Angeles. Bowling Green is slightly closer at about $725 to $1,000, and Covington across the river from Cincinnati runs near $750 to $1,050.

The bike changes the price. Add $50 to $100 for a tourer or Gold Wing and $150 to $300 for a trike or sidecar. A bike that will not start needs a winch, so say so up front. Say so up front.

Kentucky winters are moderately cold and rainy, and ice storms happen. Quotes outside the snowbird lanes are often lower in late fall and winter. Spring and summer run busier. See our money-saving tips for more ways to cut the bill.

Interstates, Parkways and Mountain Roads

I-65 runs about 137 miles through Kentucky, from the Tennessee line past Bowling Green and Elizabethtown to Louisville. I-64 covers about 191 miles, entering from Indiana at Louisville and leaving for West Virginia near Ashland by way of Lexington. I-75 covers about 192 miles from Williamsburg through Lexington to Covington. If your address is near one of those corridors, a truck gets close to the door.

Northern Kentucky is a special case. Covington sits across the Ohio River from Cincinnati and is part of that metro, but it is in Kentucky. State the city and the state when you ask for quotes, so the driver does not end up on the wrong bank of the river.

The parkways are how you get off the interstates toward smaller towns. The Bluegrass Parkway runs 71.1 miles from I-65 at Elizabethtown to US-60 at Versailles, and the Mountain Parkway starts at I-64 in Winchester and runs 43.1 miles to Campton. The old Natcher Parkway from Bowling Green to Owensboro is now signed as I-165.

The east and southeast are where plans change. KY-77 goes through the Nada Tunnel at the gateway to Red River Gorge, a 900-foot tunnel with one lane, and a car hauler has no reason to be on it. Expect to meet the driver at a lot on a main highway or a parkway exit.

How Your Motorcycle Is Loaded and Secured for the Trip

A good driver loads a motorcycle upright. The front wheel goes into a chock so it can't move, and soft straps go around solid points like the frame or the lower triple clamp. The straps are tightened enough to hold the bike but not so much that they bottom out the forks. Hooks stay off your bars, levers and paint.

Enclosed trailers add a roof and walls, which helps over a week of changing weather. Open carriers are the standard choice and work for most bikes. Go over the bike with the driver before it loads and read the condition report. Hold on to that and your own dated photos, so you can compare them when it reaches Kentucky.