California to Nevada Motorcycle Shipping

California to Nevada Motorcycle Shipping Rates by Bike Type

A standard cruiser or sport bike from Los Angeles to Las Vegas runs about $325 to $450 on an open carrier, and about $450 to $625 enclosed. San Diego is a little farther at $350 to $475 open, and San Francisco comes in around $400 to $550.

Reno works differently. San Francisco to Reno is a short run over the Sierra, about $325 to $450 open, and Los Angeles to Reno runs about $375 to $525. Carson City costs about the same as Reno from Los Angeles, near $375 to $500.

On a short lane the price per mile is high and the total is low, because a driver still spends the same hours loading and strapping. Heavier bikes add to the base. Plan on $50 to $100 extra for a loaded tourer and $150 to $300 extra for a trike or sidecar. If the bike will not start, say so, because the truck must carry a winch.

Fall and winter shipments are often cheaper outside the snowbird lanes. Peak weeks around rallies cost more, and in Nevada that mostly means the last week of September in Reno. See our money-saving tips for more.

Across the Nevada Desert Gaps

Look at a map and you will see how little road there is. I-15 clips the southern tip for only about 124 miles, from Primm at the California line to Mesquite at Arizona, with Las Vegas in the middle. It is the main road between Southern California and Salt Lake City, so carriers pass through all week. A pickup in California bound for Las Vegas is one of the fastest lanes on the map.

I-80 is the northern spine at roughly 410 miles, running through Reno and Sparks, Lovelock, Winnemucca, Battle Mountain, Elko, Wells and West Wendover. A bike from San Francisco or Sacramento comes over the Sierra to reach it. The catch is winter, when a storm over the pass can keep trucks parked on either side.

There is no interstate between the two cities. The direct way is US-95 north through Tonopah, Hawthorne and Fallon, which connects to I-80 toward Reno. Either way it is a long day, and Las Vegas to Reno is about 445 miles.

East of Wells, I-80 crosses Pequop Summit at 6,967 feet, the highest point on the Nevada stretch of the road. Winter storms have closed stretches of it. If you live in a small town such as Elko, Winnemucca, Pahrump or Ely, the driver may not detour 100 miles for one bike, so you might be asked to bring it to a larger city or a lot on the highway.

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.

Southern Nevada has two seasons for a rider, the good one and the hot one, and Las Vegas averages highs above 100 degrees in July and August. Heat does not hurt a bike on a trailer, but it makes a black seat unpleasant, so many owners prefer a morning delivery. Before loading, look the bike over with the driver and go through the condition report. Keep the report and your own photos to compare when the bike reaches Nevada.