California to Nebraska Motorcycle Shipping

California to Nebraska Motorcycle Shipping Rates by Bike Type

A standard cruiser or sport bike from Los Angeles to Omaha runs about $625 to $850 on an open carrier, and about $875 to $1,200 enclosed. San Diego comes in at about $625 to $875 open, and a San Francisco pickup runs about $650 to $900.

Lincoln is about 60 miles southwest of Omaha, so the two cities are usually one leg for a driver. Los Angeles to Lincoln runs about $600 to $850 open. Grand Island and Kearney sit on I-80 and are simple stops for any carrier heading west.

Bike type moves the price. A touring rig or Gold Wing tends to add $50 to $100, trikes and sidecars add $150 to $300, and a dead bike needs a winch.

Spring and summer bring severe storms to the plains, and hail from May through September is a good reason to think about enclosed for a new or custom bike. Early August is the Sturgis wrinkle, since riders cross Nebraska to reach the rally and quotes on busy lanes can run higher. See our money-saving tips for more.

I-80 and the Platte River Road

I-80 is the only interstate that crosses Nebraska end to end, and it follows the Platte River valley for much of its length. The same corridor carried the Oregon, California and Mormon trails, and today it carries the trucks. Omaha sits at the eastern end, where I-80 crosses the Missouri River into Iowa and meets I-29 at Council Bluffs. Rural I-80 has been posted at 75 mph since 1995, and the 455 miles from Omaha to the Wyoming line make a single long driving day when nothing goes wrong.

Omaha has its own loops, I-480 along downtown and I-680 around the northwest side, and a driver can reach almost any part of the metro without trouble. Lincoln has a short spur, I-180, into the middle of the city.

Beyond Kearney the choices thin out. North Platte, Ogallala and Sidney see fewer trucks, and the farther you are from the interstate, the more likely you are to meet the driver at a lot on the highway. The scenic byway through the Sandhills follows Highway 2 for 272 miles from Grand Island to Alliance, through grass-covered hills with few towns.

Winter snow can make I-80 slow and has closed stretches of it in the west. Leave a day or two of slack for the western end of the state.

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.

Hail is the Nebraska risk for an open trailer, and an enclosed trailer protects a new or custom bike from it. Open carriers are still the standard choice for most bikes. At pickup, inspect the bike with the driver and read the condition report together. Save it with your dated photos, and check both when the bike arrives in Nebraska.