Something I have been wanting to do is a sort of shipping tutorial of what I have found to be a pretty good way to ship bikes. this may not be the best way on some peoples eyes, but I buy just as much as I sell I can tell you its a better way than most of the bikes I have received over the years!
Shipping standard size bikes is actually pretty easy and pretty affordable, I'm my area mini bikes are uncommon and not much of a collector scene so I have found that the only way I can actually get rid of a bike or parts most of the time is to ship it out. And the only way to find needed parts is to have it shipped in so I hope some people that refuse to ship will maybe rethink that :wink:
first tip is size of the box can me more important that weight when it comes to cost. I always found boxes to be hard to find to fit frames, Used to spend hours dumpster diving and cutting appliance boxes up etc trying to make something. I was Walking though Home depot one day and noticed they had boxes and moving supplies, and dirt cheap I might add.
their "large" size is 18x18x24, of course not long enough, unless you slide 2 together. and at well under $2 a piece. That's cheap for a new box and turns into a double lined box when slid together :thumbsup: Also note that their bubble wrap rolls are about the cheapest as well, the bigger the roll the cheaper it is so I buy the big roll since I ship alot and it saves quite a bit. I like the stretch film roll you can get at staples better than the home depot roll but if you don't want to drive all over town the HD one is fine, that cost is about the same between stores. packing tape, well that stuff is really pricey wherever you go, I get it wherever there is a sale when I see it.
So heres what I am shipping, a 1969 CCS charger:
started by dissasembling of course, since I recently "built" the bike all the nuts and bolts cooperated and the bike is clean to work with. Time 20-30 minutes
I took the complete roller into my office and I wrap everything loose with bubble, and then wrap that tightly with stretch wrap, this only takes about 10 minutes to do and everything is pretty well protected.
Now I take one of the 18x18x24 boxes and tape up one side and I test fit just the frame/forks in there to see what kind of room I have spare to work with. this particular frame gave me enough open space to get everything for the roller into the box and since this is a fairly light bike I decided to ship it this way (about 50 LBS), I can tell you a full suspension bike like a 'nanza is alot heavier so you may choose to ship wheels or other parts separate on bikes like that.
So now I used the stretch film again to attach all the individual pieces onto the frame in a safe manner making sure that potential sharp edges etc. are in spots where they don't pose a threat and also that everything remains tight so nothing comes loose in the box.
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as you can see this is actually a pretty good fit all around, A square of cardboard or in this case I had a big thin sheet of styrofoam board that I cut to size and put in the bottom of the box to give the taped end a touch more strength.
so now I take the 2nd box and tape up only one end (one strip of tape, just to keep it "built") and take the open end and slide it over the top of the other box with the frame in it. the hardest part is when the boxes come together they may want to tear as the boxes are the same size. Its a good idea (I think) to make sure to position the boxes so the one seamed corner on each box is on different sides as you slide them together. I also sort of push in the in the inner box and sort of dent the corners which help keep it from ripping or tearing the outer box as you slide them together.
Push them together till you start to see the top of the box move when it comes in contact with the bike frame. I now cut the tape and insert the square piece of cardboard or foam and and push it all back together and tape it up tightly, and also make note of position of the frame and which side would make the strongest/safest bottom during delivery so you can put the label on the oppssite side. Flip the box over and tape the loose ends up etc..
this gives me a box thats now 18x18x35" @ 53 lbs total weight. This size puts you right on the verge with USPS, if you go any bigger than this or if they want to be douche bags and and do some measuring and its comes in a little bigger your shipping price may almost double so keep that in mind!!!!!
Personally I use fedex on the bigger stuff, its cheaper usually. they give you some more room on the dimensions till it goes oversize and I am fortunate that I have 2 places I can drop the packages within 10 miles that are fedex locations so there is no charge. but Ultimately I shop around as to who is the cheapest unless the buyer specifies a shipping choice. I also pay for my postage and labels online, which you actually get a discount on, less time standing in line somewhere as well and I think you actually can setup pickup at your home although I don't know if there is cost involved with that.
So the big question is whats the cost, well this particular package is going up the east coast into Maryland, actual ship cost is $37, thats with insuring for the full amount of the purchase price (which was over $500). it is going to a MC dealership so the cost would have been about $5 more if it was a residential address. Add, $4 for the 2 boxes, I guess about $10-12 in bubble, stretch film and tape, so roughly $15 in supplies. and roughly and hour of my time.
I have to box up the motor still this afternoon, so I can drop it all off in the AM at fedex. will add to this thread how I do those as well.
Shipping standard size bikes is actually pretty easy and pretty affordable, I'm my area mini bikes are uncommon and not much of a collector scene so I have found that the only way I can actually get rid of a bike or parts most of the time is to ship it out. And the only way to find needed parts is to have it shipped in so I hope some people that refuse to ship will maybe rethink that :wink:
first tip is size of the box can me more important that weight when it comes to cost. I always found boxes to be hard to find to fit frames, Used to spend hours dumpster diving and cutting appliance boxes up etc trying to make something. I was Walking though Home depot one day and noticed they had boxes and moving supplies, and dirt cheap I might add.
their "large" size is 18x18x24, of course not long enough, unless you slide 2 together. and at well under $2 a piece. That's cheap for a new box and turns into a double lined box when slid together :thumbsup: Also note that their bubble wrap rolls are about the cheapest as well, the bigger the roll the cheaper it is so I buy the big roll since I ship alot and it saves quite a bit. I like the stretch film roll you can get at staples better than the home depot roll but if you don't want to drive all over town the HD one is fine, that cost is about the same between stores. packing tape, well that stuff is really pricey wherever you go, I get it wherever there is a sale when I see it.
So heres what I am shipping, a 1969 CCS charger:
started by dissasembling of course, since I recently "built" the bike all the nuts and bolts cooperated and the bike is clean to work with. Time 20-30 minutes
I took the complete roller into my office and I wrap everything loose with bubble, and then wrap that tightly with stretch wrap, this only takes about 10 minutes to do and everything is pretty well protected.
Now I take one of the 18x18x24 boxes and tape up one side and I test fit just the frame/forks in there to see what kind of room I have spare to work with. this particular frame gave me enough open space to get everything for the roller into the box and since this is a fairly light bike I decided to ship it this way (about 50 LBS), I can tell you a full suspension bike like a 'nanza is alot heavier so you may choose to ship wheels or other parts separate on bikes like that.
So now I used the stretch film again to attach all the individual pieces onto the frame in a safe manner making sure that potential sharp edges etc. are in spots where they don't pose a threat and also that everything remains tight so nothing comes loose in the box.
as you can see this is actually a pretty good fit all around, A square of cardboard or in this case I had a big thin sheet of styrofoam board that I cut to size and put in the bottom of the box to give the taped end a touch more strength.
so now I take the 2nd box and tape up only one end (one strip of tape, just to keep it "built") and take the open end and slide it over the top of the other box with the frame in it. the hardest part is when the boxes come together they may want to tear as the boxes are the same size. Its a good idea (I think) to make sure to position the boxes so the one seamed corner on each box is on different sides as you slide them together. I also sort of push in the in the inner box and sort of dent the corners which help keep it from ripping or tearing the outer box as you slide them together.
Push them together till you start to see the top of the box move when it comes in contact with the bike frame. I now cut the tape and insert the square piece of cardboard or foam and and push it all back together and tape it up tightly, and also make note of position of the frame and which side would make the strongest/safest bottom during delivery so you can put the label on the oppssite side. Flip the box over and tape the loose ends up etc..
this gives me a box thats now 18x18x35" @ 53 lbs total weight. This size puts you right on the verge with USPS, if you go any bigger than this or if they want to be douche bags and and do some measuring and its comes in a little bigger your shipping price may almost double so keep that in mind!!!!!
Personally I use fedex on the bigger stuff, its cheaper usually. they give you some more room on the dimensions till it goes oversize and I am fortunate that I have 2 places I can drop the packages within 10 miles that are fedex locations so there is no charge. but Ultimately I shop around as to who is the cheapest unless the buyer specifies a shipping choice. I also pay for my postage and labels online, which you actually get a discount on, less time standing in line somewhere as well and I think you actually can setup pickup at your home although I don't know if there is cost involved with that.
So the big question is whats the cost, well this particular package is going up the east coast into Maryland, actual ship cost is $37, thats with insuring for the full amount of the purchase price (which was over $500). it is going to a MC dealership so the cost would have been about $5 more if it was a residential address. Add, $4 for the 2 boxes, I guess about $10-12 in bubble, stretch film and tape, so roughly $15 in supplies. and roughly and hour of my time.
I have to box up the motor still this afternoon, so I can drop it all off in the AM at fedex. will add to this thread how I do those as well.
he did ask me to tire shine them up and wanted me to mark them as new and of course reduce the price shown on 
