California to Minnesota Motorcycle Shipping

California to Minnesota Motorcycle Shipping Rates by Bike Type

A standard cruiser or sport bike from Los Angeles to Minneapolis runs about $700 to $975 on an open carrier, and about $975 to $1,375 enclosed. A San Francisco pickup costs about the same at $700 to $975 open. Rochester, in the southeast, comes in near $700 to $950.

Duluth is the longer reach. It is the end of the line for I-35, about 155 miles up the road from the Cities, so a carrier unloading in Minneapolis has to decide whether to run another 150 or so miles for one bike. Duluth runs about $725 to $1,025 open, and a drop there sometimes costs a little more or waits for a truck that is already headed that way.

The bike changes the price. A big tourer usually adds $50 to $100, a trike or sidecar adds $150 to $300, and a bike that does not run needs a winch. Mention it when you ask for quotes. Mention it when you ask for quotes.

Snow decides the calendar. From about November until the spring thaw, ice on the interstates slows trucks, and a storm can stall a trailer for a day or two. April and May are when bikes come back from the southern states, and trailers heading north fill up. Fall and winter are often cheaper outside snowbird lanes. See our money-saving tips for more.

I-94, I-35 and I-90 Into Minnesota

Three interstates carry most of the traffic. I-94 comes in from North Dakota at Moorhead and from Wisconsin at the St. Croix River, covering 259 miles inside Minnesota. I-35 brings bikes up from Iowa. I-90 crosses the bottom of the state from South Dakota through Albert Lea, 276 miles in all. I-94 and I-35 both run through the Twin Cities, so a delivery in Minneapolis or St. Paul is about as easy as it gets.

A tractor-trailer carrying eight or ten motorcycles does not want to leave the highway for long. In the Twin Cities, suburbs near the interstates such as Maple Grove, Burnsville or Woodbury work better than a house on a dead-end street in south Minneapolis. I-35 splits at Burnsville into I-35W through Minneapolis and I-35E through St. Paul, and drivers pick whichever leg is moving.

Rochester is easier than Duluth. US-52 runs through the city and I-90 skirts its southern edge. Out past Brainerd or around Bemidji, expect to meet at a larger town, and name the nearest city when you ask for quotes.

Road salt is worth a thought. A bike that sat through a Minnesota winter has a lot of it underneath, and it is worth a wash before it goes on a trailer.

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 in snow country and over a week of weather. Open carriers are the standard choice and suit most bikes. Walk around the bike with the driver at pickup and check each line of the condition report. Your photos and that report are the record to check when the bike arrives in Minnesota.