Shipping bikes to the USA

It's definitely tricky out there. We were due two bikes shipped to Capetown in late Sptember or early October and they got bumped off the ship at the last minute. Just as well as said ship arrived in Capetown a month late! Bikes were then put on a plane (what we'd normally do, but prices were a bit silly at the time, to say the least), one was delayed for about 10 or 12 days on the way, while the other was sent to Johannesburg and had to be trucked to Capetown arriving three or four days late. The bikes are still in Capetown waiting for a ship seven weeks after we arrived home - of course Xmas got in the way, but bad weather has caused many hold ups at the port, and there have been covid related problems as well. This is all highly unusual - shipping normally goes pretty smoothly, but at the moment it's all over the place. Send your bikes early and pay for storage if necessary!

For any trip of over 4 weeks I'd always ship - it's at that point you normally break even (we once shipped to New Zealand and broke even at around the fortnight mark - bike was there for two months touring - worked out at about £26 per day :thumb2 ), and it is so much better having your own bike and not being terrified of damaging a rental, and having your familiar machine set up the way you want it, decent shocks, footpegs, seat etc. as well as your own luggage is well worth it IMHO.
 
Shipping the USA Update

Ok So Moto Freight are my new best friends. (If you are that Excel show at the weekend pop in and see them on their stand)

I’m all booked, Final price is - Outbound by Air freight to New York is £2525 - Home by sea from Los Angeles is £1045

Total price £3620 (Including all port, customs and handling fees in the UK and USA)

I am going for seven weeks so this is well within the “cheaper than hiring” price band. Bonus is i can pack the bike with all of my kit, camping kit, helmet, jacket etc so i only need to take hand luggage on my flight.

Next on my list is sort out USA foreign rider insurance and travel insurance. Just had a quote from “Motorcycle express” that is considerably cheaper than Fernet.
 
Ok So Moto Freight are my new best friends. (If you are that Excel show at the weekend pop in and see them on their stand)

I’m all booked, Final price is - Outbound by Air freight to New York is £2525 - Home by sea from Los Angeles is £1045

Total price £3620 (Including all port, customs and handling fees in the UK and USA)

I am going for seven weeks so this is well within the “cheaper than hiring” price band. Bonus is i can pack the bike with all of my kit, camping kit, helmet, jacket etc so i only need to take hand luggage on my flight.

Next on my list is sort out USA foreign rider insurance and travel insurance. Just had a quote from “Motorcycle express” that is considerably cheaper than Fernet.

Make sure you take some evidence that your bike is being shipped with your luggage. US border control gave me and wife a decent grilling about how we could be travelling to the USA for 6 weeks with just hand luggage.

Also be sure to have some dollars to hand to pay duties and other costs in the US when you pick up your bike. I thought I’d paid an “all inclusive” fee to James Cargo but needed to shell out about $100 to actually get my hands on the bike. And then I had to I uncrate it myself too -which is right PITA as they are bloody well wrapped up. And the tyres were flat. And then I was straight out onto busy New York City streets. It was an experience.
 
That’s a bloody good point. Thank you so much.


Make sure you take some evidence that your bike is being shipped with your luggage. US border control gave me and wife a decent grilling about how we could be travelling to the USA for 6 weeks with just hand luggage.

Also be sure to have some dollars to hand to pay duties and other costs in the US when you pick up your bike. I thought I’d paid an “all inclusive” fee to James Cargo but needed to shell out about $100 to actually get my hands on the bike. And then I had to I uncrate it myself too -which is right PITA as they are bloody well wrapped up. And the tyres were flat. And then I was straight out onto busy New York City streets. It was an experience.
 
Also be sure to have some dollars to hand to pay duties and other costs in the US when you pick up your bike. I thought I’d paid an “all inclusive” fee to James Cargo but needed to shell out about $100 to actually get my hands on the bike. .

Aah, James Cargo..........never quite what they say it is. I was chatting to a guy in Anchorage a few years ago who's bike was 2 weeks late as James Cargo failed to do their job properly.

They aren't the company they once were that's for sure.
 


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