I seen a few unboxings on youtube, half of them came in a cardboard "crate", mine came in an angle iron crate. I prefer the metal crate only because who cant use a little angle iron laying around the shop? There is more assembly when they are out of the metal crate, the entire fork assembly is in pieces. The fork tubes take some abrasion damage the way they are stored in the crate, suspended in metal tubes. The card board box crates only require the handlebars to be put on. Mine coming out of the metal crate had warning tags to put oil in it, there was oil residue in the motor but nothing that would drain out. I did pull the belt cover off and i wish that process was a little quicker, on our coleman ct200u all i have to do it pull 4 spring pins off and i have access. That will be a modification i do to this to make belt inspection easier, I may even build a metal cover, if I do i will document and share the process.