As someone who builds crates for shipping everything from motorcycles, to pianos, to sculptures, to artwork, I have a few tips to help improve your crating. If you are shipping international, you have to use treated wood that conforms to international shipping requirements, no regular 2x4s or 4x4s. Use 4x4 instead of 2x4 for your bottom base. This allows fork lift / pallet jack access and gives a stronger anchor point for the eye bolts used to tie down the bike. We allow for a 22 inch spread on the fork lift and create access from all sides by strategically spacing the 4x4s. Stack a few 2x4s or use plywood as a small ramp to get the bike up onto the platform or base. Use 3/4 inch plywood for the base and then 1/2 inch for the sides and top. Do not take the plywood sides all the way to the ground as you will not have access for the fork lift / pallet jack. Place 2x4 blocks around all sides of both tires to help prevent the bike from moving during transport. Make sure the tires are properly inflated. Make sure the tie downs are equally tightened so as to not pull the bike off balance in the crate when it's in transit. Do not over tighten the tie downs. Protect all locations where the tie down come into contact with the bike. The vibrations during transit can cause incredible damage if anything is rubbing. Once you have all four sides attached, but before installing the lid, install four interior 2x4 cross members just low enough to clear the lid. The cross members add much needed support for the crate. Install one 2x4 on each end and space the other two equally. Use lots of screws, spaced approximately every 8 to 10 inches apart. More is always better and helps with rigidity. If possible, have the sides and top banded with steel banding as this really ties everything together and makes for an incredibly solid crate. Make sure you have plenty of space all around the bike when measuring and building the crate. It's awful expensive if you build it too small and have to start over. Remember that the bike will not be as tall once the tie downs pull the suspension down. Have someone that is heavy hold the bike up right and compress the suspension when taking the measurements for the crate. That avoids building a crate that is too tall and having to pay more for shipping. But, building a little too big is better than too small. Make sure to label the crate, install "fragile / this way up" stickers if possible. Buy two shock watches and install them on two seperate sides. These will trip if the crate has been bumped hard or dropped. We also use tip-n-tells with the shock watches. Take detailed pictures of the bike before it goes in the crate and pictures inside the crate before the top goes on. Then take pictures on the other side before the crate is opened, including the shock watches, again once the top has been removed, and again once fully uncrated. The pictures are very important if a claim should arise. Good luck to all. Hopefully this information will be of help.
@@JT203L Unfortunately, the crates are custom built to the specific dimensions of the bike. To my knowledge, no one has pre-built motorcycle crates available for sale. You can search your area for companies that offer crating service and then talk to them about your specific needs. Depending upon where you are, there may be limited or no companies that offer the service. Freighters and Craters is a nationwide company that will handle most anything. But, expect to pay a fair amount for it. For a medium sized Harley or most bullet bikes, I charge approximately $2400. There's alot of labor that goes into properly building the crate and wood is still pretty expensive. If you are shipping within the continental US, you may want to consider the companies that ship motorcycles on trucks the same way cars are shipped. That avoids the expense of a crate, but can still be expensive. Hopefully this helps.
Nice job. I've been considering something like this for shipping a bike to Europe for a long riding vacation. I think that although I would use screws and glue for the sides, bottom, and top (I would reinforce the top like you did with the sides), but I would connect the sides, top, and bottom with bolts instead of screws so that it would be easy to disassemble and store for the next time I needed it.
yea I'm glad it helped someone. Not sure if you already did your project yet Gary, but some casters would definitely help your plan. Sorry for the delayed response..
I would put it up for sale on the Internet. The crate will fit most bikes and should help someone else out. Also, another tip, I went behind Kroger and grabbed two wooden pallets and built the crate on top of them. This way a fork lift could be easily used to move it from truck to truck. Or ship to truck if you are going overseas. They only thing required was a little ramp to get on top of the pallets and in to the wood
Great idea. Can get an extra long skid (they make them), or connect 2 normal size skids. Def want to be able to forklift it, so use skids, and also to pallet jack it at final delivery to the end gate on truck, so be sure to leave spaces for pallet jack wheels to touch ground (needs slots, not solid bottom). Building on top of skids is good, so can access from end and sides... don't want a trucker getting mad and beating up your container... His set up may be ok, and if maybe is ok with you... I'd reinforce d-ring fastening with 4x8" metal plate on bottom, bolt them on, use plywood base, really fasten that crap down. If your crate goes through NYC on I-95, it will be rocking, bouncing, shaking and getting hit by other packages and crates sliding/jostling, or worse, and then getting transferred a few times in warehouses with high forklift operators who occasionally damage stuff intentionally and take it (so don't leave trinkets that can be taken). Be prepared to make a claim and not have your bike when you start your trip... I'd recommend using a reputable moto shipper.
I have a question and I hope you guys give me an answer. I'm planning to ship my bike to another country for the first time. After shipping, where do I put my unassembled crate? Will the shipping company buy it from me? or will I be compelled to throw it? and what will I do when I want to return to my country? build another one? I really appreciate the effort in posting this amazing how-to video . Thank you and cheers.
Excellent presentation,only suggestion is to have some timber blocks on the sides of the tyres and maybe one at the front of the tyre and a removed for the back tyre.
Question, maybe I'm struggling at math, but I don't understand why your center slats are 41". If the plywood is 48" tall and you have a 2x4 on each side then shouldn't your center slats be 40", not 41"? I must be missing something here... but why the extra inch? I'm building my own crate next week, and I want to make sure I understand.
Your crate has a massive flaw bro, a crate built like that would be a shopper's nightmare. YOU DIDN'T BUILD IT FOR A FORKLIFT TO GET UNDER IT and im sure forklift is the machine used to pack boxes
Is there a way to winterize a motorcycle crate for safe keeping to endure all four seasons with my bike now having to be kept outside that wouldn't cost me an arm and leg for someone to build for me, I live in Durham Region and would need to find someone to build one for me. Became paralyzed but not ready to give up the bike hoping one day to not only walk again, but hopefully ride
tyvek cover and then so it doesn't look like an unfinished house, staple some landscaping fabric over it (both breath a bit sort of). you don't want rust/mildew/critters, fill it with mouse bait and traps , spray shock chrome with silicone so don't rust and seize and throw you off later.
bwah ha ha can drag it with some straps and friends, but yeah, build so can pallet jack under it to get to lift gate on level surface, large enough for straight truck to pick it up
