How Do You Transport a Dirt Bike to Races?

Dirt bikers during a race

Dirt bikes are made for sports and adventures. Sometimes, the races and competitions may be far away, so you need reliable transportation for the bikes. Transporting dirt bikes requires reliable transport options to ensure they arrive at their destination without damage. For convenience and safety, dirt bike transportation companies like EMO Trans may be necessary.

How to Transport a Dirt Bike

A dirt bike can weigh 200 pounds or even more, making it challenging to transport like regular luggage in a car trunk. So, how do you ship a dirt bike if it’s that heavy? Fortunately, there are several options for dirt bike transportation, from hitch carriers to pickup trucks.

Truck Beds

One of the least expensive ways to transport a dirt bike is using a pickup truck. However, you’ll need a quality ramp to get your bike from the ground to the truck bed. Never try to ride a bike up the ramp to load it on the truck bed — this could endanger yourself, the bike and the vehicle.

You may need an extra ramp to walk on as you push the bike up the other ramp, and always have an extra set of hands present to help when loading the bike onto the truck.

Remember, not every truck is big enough or has the capacity to transport dirt bikes. The average length of a standard truck bed is 77 inches, which may not be long enough to safely store a dirt bike for transportation. Don’t risk the safety of other drivers and your bike by leaving your tailgate down to get more room. You need heavy-duty or full-size trucks with long beds to transport one or more dirt bikes.

Adding a Trunk Hitch

If you don’t have a truck bed, a better solution is to attach a hitch-mounted carrier to the back of your vehicle, whether it’s a truck, van or sedan car. These carriers are easy to install and have a convenient loading ramp that attaches to the dirt bike carrier when not used. Load your dirt bike on the rack and secure it with tie-down straps.

Ensure your bikes are positioned in a way so they don’t block the taillights.

Renting a Box Truck

If you have more than one dirt bike to transport, a truckbed or trailer will not be sufficient. A box truck is an option if you need to move a couple of dirt bikes at a time, but there are a few things to keep in mind. Most importantly, standard box trucks will not come with any equipment to help you secure the bikes within the truck. You’ll need to use tie-down straps and other equipment to keep the bikes from falling over or moving during transport. While a box truck will protect the bikes from the elements, you will need to bring all the equipment to load, secure and transport your dirt bikes.

Hauling on a Trailer

A muddied dirt bike helmet sits on a dirt bike seat

Sometimes, you may wish to transport a dirt bike along with motocross gear, accessories and equipment. You need more space for these additional items. In such scenarios, a trailer is a suitable option for supercross bike transport. Use a dedicated motocross trailer that has anchor points. The anchor points make it easy for you to secure the bike. There are two main types of trailers you can use for shipping a dirt bike:

  • Utility or flatbed trailer: This trailer has a short railing around the side and front. A ramp door is attached at the back. This door folds to a locked vertical position, creating a back wall while in transportation.
  • Enclosed trailer: This is ideal for protecting the bike from the elements or thieves. This trailer also comes with additional storage space for gear. However, enclosed trailers are expensive and require higher towing capacity.

When using a trailer for shipping bikes, ensure the weight is evenly distributed so the trailer is stable while driving. In addition, ensure the trailer is locked to the hitch properly. The hitch should also be securely attached to the vehicle.

Using a Moto Van

A moto van is a modified and custom-built van for transporting bikes. Most vans also include a few comforts, like sleeping areas and extra storage. Although you can convert any van for transportation, you must choose the right one that suits your needs. You should also consider mileage, roof height, reliability and convenience. The type and size of van you convert will depend on the number of bikes you’ll be transporting. However, most moto vans can only transport one to two dirt bikes at a time.

EMO Trans Dirt Bike Transportation Services

While DIY methods can be convenient when transporting a couple of bikes over short distances, you need a professional dirt bike transportation company to move several bikes over long distances. Whether the team is going cross-country for a competition or across borders for international races, EMO Trans offers reliable transport and logistics services.

We are the reliable choice for hassle-free bike transportation across the United States and internationally. Our international network includes Canada, Japan, Germany, New Zealand, Poland, Australia, Chile, Hong Kong, Korea, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Vietnam, Bangladesh, China, India, Malaysia and Peru. Other countries we operate in include Taiwan, Belgium, France, Indonesia, Netherlands, Philippines and Thailand. Overall, we have 250 offices in 120 countries, ensuring you can reach every corner of the world right from your front door.

Our extensive global presence and wide range of transport vehicles and facilities make us your ideal partners for dirt bike shipment. With our convenient door-to-door delivery, you don’t have to coordinate pick up and drop-off points.

If you’re in the dirt bike business, you can trust EMO Trans as your single point of contact for our 250 global offices. As a compliant consultant, we ensure your business avoids costly violations.

Transport Your Dirt Bikes With EMO Trans

Finding a reliable bike transport partner can eliminate the headaches of arranging all the logistics by yourself, especially when transporting more than one bike for long distances. If you’ve been looking for reliable transport solutions for shipping dirt bikes, EMO Trans is the solution.

Our solid infrastructure ensures we can deliver reliable logistics services to our customers, large and small. We are a privately owned multi-national company invested in understanding customer needs, including offering customized services for their specific needs. Visit our global logistics page for more information.

Transport your dirt bikes with EMO Trans