shipping bikes UK to Senegal

[888bart]

Anybody got any experience of shipping bikes out to Dakar in Senegal. i'm trying to arrange a trip at the moment based around shipping bikes to Dakar then riding home. My mate GarryH on a GS100PD and i'm the infidel on a KTM 990.
Any recommendations or advice on shipping/freight gladly accepted.

or even the other way round ride out and ship home?

it'll take to long to ride there and back.

 

[chas820]

You could try these people for a quote.

http://www.jamescargo.co.uk/

 

[Fanum]

There's still a sign up in Harwich that advertises shipping to Dakar.
I know nothing about them though.....it's just a sign outside a dock with lots of destinations listed

 

[888bart]

tried em

thanks chas, i've tried james cargo they are quite expensive compared to others, although i've not discounted them as they sounded very confident about what they could do for me.
air freight so far is out, it's twice if not three times the price of sea freight (about £1250 per bike). i have several quotes in from uk companies that are reasonable (about £500 per bike), transit time 8-14 days uk to dakar.
i'm trying to find a shipping company with an agency office / depot in dakar where we can pick up the bikes hopefullypaperwork done, customs cleared. although i am quite aware that "money talks" when it comes to official paperwork in africa

if we can sort shipping at around 500/bike, flights at 400, that puts us and bikes in dakar for about a K each. which leaves us 4000 miles of pure one way adventure to get home

any thoughts or experience from anyone else still welcomed.

 

[paul nicholls]

dakar.

hmmm Africa,
nothing, and i mean nothing will go smoothly when it comes
to dealing with african customs.
i think shipping home from dakar would be the easiest as when the bikes return to the uk youll be dealing with someone who speaks english.
also riding home wont have the same buzz as riding to Africa.
if you are intent on shipping there you should seriously consider
james cargo, expensive, yes, but they are very good at what they do.
ive recentlly shipped back from mongolia, used a german company.
http://www.paneuropa.de
maybe they can help, found them most exellent to deal with.
there used to be a roll on roll off to south america that stopped at dakar enroute, cant remember the company, but the dakar rally use it.
horizons unlimited has a whole section dedicated to shipping have a look
there.

 

[Blue Sweeper]

Grimaldi Lines do a RO/RO ferry service to and from Dakar to many destinations. You could board at Tilbury or Le Havre (cheaper option) and get off at Dakar.

http://www.grimaldi-freightercruises.com/inden.htm

http://www.net.grimaldi.co.uk/

 

[Crapaud]

Six of the guys on the Calum's Road trip had their bikes flown back from Banjul in The Gambia (Just down the road a bit from Dakar). It was a very simple process, just turn up at the freight terminal, drain fuel from tanks (into my 41 lt tank which just so happened to be empty ) and then they crated them up and put them on the next plane.

Not sure of the costs as they got a special charity rate and discount for 6 bikes together but you might find it is more reasonable than you think. Plus you would be dealing with British people in the freight terminal.

Makes for a good ride down through southern Senegal and around Gambia.
Very easy to get flights for yourself back from Banjul to UK.

Other option is to ride back. It can be done surprisingly quickly if you don't hang around.

 

[Garry H]

Ride down
Fly back
Sounds like a plan
I will get the bike ready

Gaz

 

[carinatauk]

Flying: It was about £1k with everything; from Gambia to London Heathrow

Shipping was a nightmare to sort and meant that you were in the hands of the shipping company [potentially when you're not there!]

The company I used was Redcoat; one of the guys that ran it is a biker and was extremely helpful. Even ended up on the same flight as the bike

Think it was the same company as Crapaud mentioned

 

[LPB]

Can I suggest that you ship the bikes to The Gambia not Senegal.

My company (Redcoat) specialises in The Gambia and Sierra Leone, so we have our own warehouse at Banjul seaport and Banjul airport. We load groupage containers on a regular basis (usually every 10 days) and it would be possible to have the bikes ready for you upon arrival.

The Gambia is much easier to deal with when it comes to customs etc. I am sorry but i didnt notice this thread until just now or I would have answered sooner.

I am actually travelling to Banjul tomorrow for 1 week but will ask the uys in our office upon arrival and post some more info asap.

Lloyd.

 

[paintman]

Can I suggest that you ship the bikes to The Gambia not Senegal.

My company (Redcoat) specialises in The Gambia and Sierra Leone, so we have our own warehouse at Banjul seaport and Banjul airport. We load groupage containers on a regular basis (usually every 10 days) and it would be possible to have the bikes ready for you upon arrival.

The Gambia is much easier to deal with when it comes to customs etc. I am sorry but i didnt notice this thread until just now or I would have answered sooner.

I am actually travelling to Banjul tomorrow for 1 week but will ask the uys in our office upon arrival and post some more info asap.

Lloyd.

Good tip from Lloyd, helpful guy who got our bikes back from the Gambia without any issues.

 

[888bart]

thanks lloyd

theres a coicidence lloyd, we only spoke on the phone today. good chance we'll be doing business through you at Redcoat.
thanks for the help and advice
bart