Recently, we have finished transporting a 1980 Honda CBX from Leander, TX to Cave Creek, AZ. The total distance covered was 1,019 miles and the total cost was $600.00, amounting to $0.59/mile.
The mileage rate mentioned above is the lowest one among those that we have recently published and it should be taken with some reservation. This is a motorcycle and motorcycles do not have the same pricing policy as the cars do. What matters here is the comparison with other motorcycles.
The route
The journey of 1,019 miles from Leander to Cave Creek goes through west Texas and the Sonoran Desert.
As Leander is located northwest of Austin, travelers will have to go down US-183 and switch to US-290 west, passing through Johnson City and Fredericksburg, joining I-10 at Junction.
From that point onward, the interstate handles almost everything. From Junction, it passes through the long and desolate region of west Texas to Ozona, Fort Stockton, Van Horn, and El Paso. Then it moves to New Mexico after Las Cruces and Deming.
I-10 reaches Arizona at San Simon and goes through Tucson and Phoenix. At Phoenix, it shifts to I-17 and leaves I-17 at AZ-74, known as Carefree Highway, to reach Cave Creek Road.
It was only recently that we drove a Triumph T120 in Cave Creek, making the end portion of the journey very familiar to us.
Why motorcycle pricing works differently
Shoppers who have shipped a car before will be taken aback when they receive the motorcycle rate, both ways. This is why:
The deck space is more important than the distance. The car requires a whole spot on the nine-car trailer. The motorcycle needs only a portion of it, because the carrier is able to pack several motorcycles in the space where the car is normally loaded.
Comparing per-mile rates between different vehicle types is also not a good idea. Our recent enclosed Corvette cost us a dollar a mile on a trip much longer than this one. It does not mean that the Corvette is inexpensive and the CBX is even less expensive.
Not to mention that motorcycles are shipped enclosed with us almost every time, hence, there is no way of cheaper rate. A motorcycle shipped open doesn’t have any body protecting it from weather. Everything – engine, exhaust, controls, instruments – will be exposed to weather elements. We don’t provide an open service for motorcycles; therefore, that’s your price right there.
It takes more time to strap down one motorcycle than it takes to secure one automobile. The latter gets four wheel straps and the customer drives away. For the former, we need wheel chock and also straps at bars and triple clamp; the motorcycle should have its suspension compressed under load to make sure it won’t rock.
What makes a CBX its own problem
But the CBX is no ordinary motorcycle, and the explanation for that is right up front.
Honda designed it around a transverse inline-six engine of slightly more than a liter in capacity. And while the width of the bike is not unusual, this engine happens to be the widest part of the bike. The CBX has six exhaust header pipes coming out of the front of the engine in fan fashion. The engine is also the styling feature on the bike.
There are two things about this that affect the loading equation.
First of all, the width means that the bike requires more clearance in the chock. Secondly, the bike requires more clearance on each side of the chock than would an average twin-engine motorcycle.
The header pipes imply that there’s chrome on the entire front surface of the machine without any protection. For a bike that is about forty-five years old and whose pipes are costly to change, corrosion resulting from road debris is not just an aesthetic problem but an economic one.
The CBX, at 600 pounds, is also quite heavy for a motorcycle, which means that it impacts the way the driver maneuvers it onto the lift. Operable definitely helped with this one.
Enclosed transport
Each motorbike that gets booked is covered, and a bike that’s been a collector’s item for forty-five years does well to illustrate this point.
The pipes, as well as the engine cases, are chromed and there is also a painted fuel tank and side panels. Original instruments are in place, as well as exposed controls. Nothing is under body coverings, and so in open air everything receives 1,019 miles worth of dirt and spray from West Texas deserts.
To secure the motorbike, Securit used a chock in front of the front wheel in order to lock it into place. Soft ties were applied to the handlebars and the lower triple clamp of the bike. The suspension was compressed using ratchet straps in order for the bike to remain stable. Nothing was secured around the frame or pipes or the painted panels.
As the bike was operable, the driver walked it up the ramp on the side with both hands on the handlebars. This is the standard procedure for an operable motorcycle.
Transport summary
- Origin: Leander, TX 78641
- Destination: Cave Creek, AZ 85331
- Distance: 1,019 miles
- Service cost: $600.00
- Cost per mile: $0.59
- Vehicle: 1980 Honda CBX
- Condition: Operable
- Trailer type: Enclosed
- Route: Leander, TX → US-183 south → US-290 west through Fredericksburg → I-10 west at Junction through Fort Stockton and Van Horn → El Paso, TX → Las Cruces and Deming, NM → Tucson and Phoenix, AZ → I-17 north → AZ-74 east → Cave Creek Road → Cave Creek, AZ
