If you've just bought your new motorcycle or scooter from your mate around the corner, it's fairly self-explanatory how to get it home.
But what if you found the perfect bike hundreds of miles away? How do you go about sorting everything out for your maiden voyage?
If you've followed our other guides on the Lexham blog about buying your new or used bike, you might also be wondering how best to transport it home, and there can be more to it than you first think!
Brand new purchase:
To get the basics out of the way first, if you’re purchasing your bike brand new from a dealer, they will typically sort everything out for you and make the process really quite luxurious – bar sorting out the insurance which is in your hands (speaking of, if you need a quote you can get one online with Lexham).
Once everything is sorted, arrange your transport to the dealer to collect, or organise delivery to your home address, if possible, which they may even do for free, locally.
Brand new vehicles are MOT exempt for 3 years, and tax and registration can be sorted out via the dealer – simply put, it’s all fairly straightforward, and you’ll be on the road having a blast before you know it.
Second-hand purchase:
But if buying a bike or scooter second hand – particularly if purchasing privately – there are often more difficulties.
You’ll have to think about: the bike’s current MOT status, sorting out road tax, insurance, and your transport to and from the vendor’s location.
As mentioned earlier, if you’re buying John’s old Vespa T5 from around the corner, you’d probably get away with wheeling it down the road and into your garage, sorting out the documents over a cup of tea and worrying about other details it later.
But if you’ve been trawling the various selling sites for months and reluctantly increased the search radius to 250+ miles only to find the perfect machine at the other end of the country – you’ve got a bit of a task on your hands to collect the prize.
Viewing your new bike/scooter:
I’d always recommend travelling to view the vehicle and giving it a thorough inspection before transferring any money (we've even got a handy tick list guide to buying a new motorcycle).
In fact, generally we’d advise not sending money for something you’ve not seen in any situation, unless from a reputable seller - or you’re able to verify otherwise that it’s the real deal.
Whether it’s a deposit, holding fee or otherwise, we wouldn’t consider letting your hard-earned cash leave your wallet unless you’re certain the listing is real.
Whether you travel to check it out and purchase on the same day, or view it then return another day to collect the bike/scooter is entirely up to you. But factoring in both distance and how much you want the bike, it seems most buyers will travel with the full intention of making the purchase that same day – so if you’re seriously considering a bike or scooter, it’s worth acting fast.
Just remember: too much haste can impair judgement. Never be afraid to walk away!
Man with van need not apply:
If you have the luxury of a van or bike trailer or similar, you’re already well placed to turn up and secure it in the back of the van, driving away the same day without necessarily having to scramble to arrange tax, MOT and insurance (and maybe even breakdown cover).
If you haven’t got a van, you can hire one – just remember to take fasteners (ratchet straps are the best) and ensure the van has fastening hooks/points. Also bear in mind that weekend rentals may mean limited opening times, and you could be stuck paying for three days rental (Saturday van pickup – Sunday bike collection – Monday van return), which isn’t great!
You could also hire someone with a van to do the work for you. There are plenty of specialised bike delivery companies out there who would be more than happy to arrange this for you, which you can find online.
Any tips on fastening your bike down safely in a van?
There’s plenty of online tutorials out there which I’d recommend as there’s an art to fastening a bike down securely and much more involved than just pulling it tight. The last thing you want is arriving home to find your sparkly new bike upside down in the back!
But, to summarise:
Keep the Bike Secured Evenly
Make sure to balance the bike on its own weight, and not free to lean left or right. At minimum, try to have four independent ratchets – one for each corner, avoiding using handlebars and plastics as tying points.
Compress the Front & Rear Suspension
Try to compress the front and rear suspension whilst pulling the ratchets or fasteners tight in the opposite direction. If it has a centre stand, use it for extra stability.
If it has a side stand, it’s worth sticking that out – but absolutely do not tie the bike down whilst tilted to the side stand.
Connect the Bike to Fastener Hoops
I recommend using fabric loops to connect to the ratchet/fastener hooks to the bike - as you’ll want to limit scratching from the hooks and ensure it is pulling the bike down from the best position.
Make Sure the Bike Can't Move
You know it’s secured well when you can’t move the bike side-to-side or backwards and forwards.
Protect with a Blanket
If you’re really worried about damage if it falls over, you could always throw an old duvet or blanket over the top, or on both sides of the bike – something to keep it warm, comfy and cushion any blows.
Take it Easy Round Bends
Lastly, when driving back, take care on the roundabouts and sharp bends! The less sound you hear from the back of the van, the better.
I prefer two wheels on the road, thank you!
If you’re keen on riding your new bike home – and, let’s be honest, who can blame you? - there is some important stuff to remember.
First, you’ll need to ensure it's road legal, but hopefully you’ve done this before handing over the cash. Once happy it makes all the right noises and the wheels are going in the right direction, it leaves just the legal stuff left to arrange.
Picking up your new bike checklist:
- Ensure you have the green new keepers slip (V5C)
- MOT – hopefully the bike already has a valid MOT - if not, you can’t tax it!
- Road Tax
- A Valid Insurance Policy – to do this, you’ll need all the vehicle details including registration number and start date & time.
- Breakdown Cover – not essential, but if it’s a second-hand bike you’ll be thrown in the deep end if you ride away on a bike/scooter that breaks down 100 miles from home.
What about my riding gear? Plus, how will I even get there?
This depends on where you’re picking up the new bike/scooter from.
Obviously, you can get a lift from a friend/family member or use public transport (maybe a taxi from the closest train or bus station). The risk here is that the purchase ends up being a lemon and you’re filled with disappointment and anger stranded miles away, with a return journey to look forward to.
If possible, take someone with you so they can follow you home (or lead the way) and ensure everything goes well.
If so, take your gear in the car, or, if you’re riding pillion, simply wear it. Public transport may be more of a chore but if you take a rucksack to carry it in, you’ll be alright.
None of this will work for me, because: I am not old enough to ride it / I have not got the right licence / I cannot insure it yet
Other alternatives are:
If you can’t get there but can otherwise legally ride and insure the bike, get someone you know (and trust) insured on the policy when setting it up, who won’t mind riding your bike back.
If you’re not old enough to ride the bike (and therefore don’t have the correct licence so can’t insure it and get someone else to ride it) you can look at temporary insurance policies for someone else to ride it. However, given the circumstances you’re probably best avoiding this. The ideal solution here is to transport the bike home or get it delivered.
Anything else?
If you are looking for transportation for your newly bought two-wheeler, check out Move Motorcycles. You can arrange collection or delivery by giving them a call on 01865 590521 or simply book online.
Or, if you're after bike insurance, you can get a motorbike insurance quote directly with Lexham!
