Transport a Vincent by air freighter
- Thread starter Michel
- Start date
I shipped a motorcycle from the US to Ireland twenty years ago using BERKLAY Cargo Services (Tel: 516-872-3335; Fax: 516-872-3331), and used Berklay again to ship my Ariel across country to the start of the Cannonball in 2018 and home again from the end. My Ariel originally came to me from England in 2017 using Air Menzies International Ltd (0208-564-5050 fax). Both did a fine job and I wouldn't hesitate to use either again.
It's been a long time, but the last time I did it 'customs' or at least a couple of officials at Heathrow
informed me there would be a charge of (about $100 I recall) to get it released...and or it could take
hours...I told them I'd wait...and about an hour later they said the bike could be picked up. Ask every
question you can when shipping. Is there a difference in price if I crate the bike (probably). Do you know
where you can store the crate once it arrives, and how to get the crate to the storage facility so you
can re-use it. And or, how much will a crate cost you nearby the airport? Any extra charges once the bike
arrives. If it is not crated what is the price difference? More than likely they'll ask you to drain the fuel, so
if you're planning on riding it from the airport you'll need fuel. You can walk to a petrol station (from Heathrow
as I recall in half an hour). What are you doing about insurance, prices are all over the map. Do you need an
International driver's license (good idea, I got one). Take several photos of the bike as it is being loaded. The
trucking company dropped mine off a forklift, and when they came to unload it, I noticed the rear mudguard
bracket was bent, then saw some other damage. The driver said, "They didn't say nothin' to me, I'm unoading it
right now." I grabbed his keys out of the ignition and told him to call his boss. The boss arrived and agreed
the bike had been dropped and he gave me insurance forms. The insurance company said, "Oh no, you are a
racer, we checked on you. You damaged the bike." I told them my racing days were over and I was a book
publisher who published books about racers, such as the Indy 500. In the end I did collect, and I was very
honest about the damage, but if I hadn't noticed it, I would have been stuck.
informed me there would be a charge of (about $100 I recall) to get it released...and or it could take
hours...I told them I'd wait...and about an hour later they said the bike could be picked up. Ask every
question you can when shipping. Is there a difference in price if I crate the bike (probably). Do you know
where you can store the crate once it arrives, and how to get the crate to the storage facility so you
can re-use it. And or, how much will a crate cost you nearby the airport? Any extra charges once the bike
arrives. If it is not crated what is the price difference? More than likely they'll ask you to drain the fuel, so
if you're planning on riding it from the airport you'll need fuel. You can walk to a petrol station (from Heathrow
as I recall in half an hour). What are you doing about insurance, prices are all over the map. Do you need an
International driver's license (good idea, I got one). Take several photos of the bike as it is being loaded. The
trucking company dropped mine off a forklift, and when they came to unload it, I noticed the rear mudguard
bracket was bent, then saw some other damage. The driver said, "They didn't say nothin' to me, I'm unoading it
right now." I grabbed his keys out of the ignition and told him to call his boss. The boss arrived and agreed
the bike had been dropped and he gave me insurance forms. The insurance company said, "Oh no, you are a
racer, we checked on you. You damaged the bike." I told them my racing days were over and I was a book
publisher who published books about racers, such as the Indy 500. In the end I did collect, and I was very
honest about the damage, but if I hadn't noticed it, I would have been stuck.
I have shipped my bike twice to Canada using Air Canada, who could not be more helpful. Ride up to the charge depot at Heathrow and they put it in an alloy crate for you.
The hoops and jumps that you have to jump through are now on the Air Canada web site dedicated to shipping bikes into Canada. I realise Canada may not be your favoured choice of destination but my experience of trying to get into
The USA was too difficult.
The hoops and jumps that you have to jump through are now on the Air Canada web site dedicated to shipping bikes into Canada. I realise Canada may not be your favoured choice of destination but my experience of trying to get into
The USA was too difficult.
I used this company to fly my Shadow from UK to Australia. They were beyond excellent and their Australian agent was also excellent. I would use them again. https://www.motofreight.com
That's why it's not good to use a wooden crate, or a crate at all.
I have shipped Canada to UK return 2X, Canada to Germany return, Canada to Perth Aus and back from Sydney, Canada to Melbourne one way and Canada to UK one way. Never been crated, always strapped into/onto airline supplied equipment. Canadian Airlines before they were bought by Air Canada, Air Canada several times, Cathay Pacific and a couple of time using an agent.
You pretty much always end up paying a small fee at the landing terminal to get the paperwork sorted. To fly a bike used to be about the same price as an extra passenger ticket. I haven't tried/priced since covid but I undersatnd, like everything else in the mad, mad, F'n new world the pricing has gone ballistic
I have shipped Canada to UK return 2X, Canada to Germany return, Canada to Perth Aus and back from Sydney, Canada to Melbourne one way and Canada to UK one way. Never been crated, always strapped into/onto airline supplied equipment. Canadian Airlines before they were bought by Air Canada, Air Canada several times, Cathay Pacific and a couple of time using an agent.
You pretty much always end up paying a small fee at the landing terminal to get the paperwork sorted. To fly a bike used to be about the same price as an extra passenger ticket. I haven't tried/priced since covid but I undersatnd, like everything else in the mad, mad, F'n new world the pricing has gone ballistic
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I used a crate from a Honda dealership (metal and wood slats with cardboard sides) to ship my BSA C15S to Ireland c2000. My 1928 Ariel came to me from England in 2017 in a bespoke wood crate, which I filled with supplies and used again in 2018 to ship it to and from the Cannonball.
The round hole in the side of the crate, at the front of the bike, is covered by a piece of wood in the above photograph. Apparently, shipping regulations required an inspection port.
Purple paint is on the inside because it was used as my granddaughter's play house in the interim (they gave me permission to reuse it).
The round hole in the side of the crate, at the front of the bike, is covered by a piece of wood in the above photograph. Apparently, shipping regulations required an inspection port.
Purple paint is on the inside because it was used as my granddaughter's play house in the interim (they gave me permission to reuse it).
sometimes I think we go backwards
www.vincentownersclub.co.uk
Once apon a time transport abroad was easy....
i Thats the way to go to a sprint pop down to Lydd and the jobs done! I remember loosing a clutch on my Vincent on the way to the Isle of Mann. slipped all way back home. A boat to catch( I was mechanic is the TT so cant be late) grabbed my AJS Trials bike rode to Train Station, poped it in...
www.vincentownersclub.co.uk