Hey Dennis, Uncle Sam boxes up my bike somewhat similarly when I move across the pond. Can't say it doesn't end up without 2 or 3 scratches at destination. How's the riding in New Zealand?
--- On Wed, 9/9/09, Dennis <[email protected]> wrote: > From: Dennis <[email protected]> > Subject: [Nighthawk Lovers] A better way to ship a bike > To: [email protected] > Date: Wednesday, September 9, 2009, 9:14 PM > > > > > > A better way to ship a bike > > > > > Two years ago, I > shipped my '85 700SC down to New Zealand and I built the > crate myself entirely out of 3/4" plywood. > It was a lot of work and it was heavy and > expensive. > > I'm going to > ship my other bike, an '86 700SC, down there this > November and I was thinking I was going to have to do the > entire crate building exercise all over again. > > But, several weeks > ago a group of us went on a big ride (235 miles - that was > pretty long for me) and along the way we stopped into a few > motorcycle places to ogle the new bikes. Up in > Bellingham, we went into a Triumph place and, while everyone > else was looking at the bikes, I was over on the side of the > building staring at a pile of metal pallets - used to ship > motorcycles. > > I went inside and > talked to the owner and asked if they were his to sell, or > if he had to swap them back to the factory. He said > they were his and he'd sell them for $25 a > pop. Zowie - it was a deal! > > Since then, I've > been back up in my pickup and sorted through his stack and > got one which was the best of the bunch and brought it > home. I've attached a photo which I hope you > can see. I've also attached a photo of the > beauty I am going to ship on this pallet. Have I > mentioned I love these 700SC bikes? > > So, there will still > be some building required as I'm going to make a box > (sides and top) to put over the bike to protect it and so I > can stuff other stuff inside so I get my money's worth > on the shipping. > > And, if anyone is > wondering what it costs to ship a bike to the other side of > the world, it is $814, if you go direct to the shipping > company. But to get this rate, I have to > transport the bike and pallet down to the harbor myself all > packed up and ready to go and, on the other end, I'll > have to go down to the harbor and unpack it all and show it > to the New Zealand Customs and Biosecurity folks and pay > them some fees as well as paying some money to the folks in > the freight yard where it arrives. > > I've be moving > down permanently to New Zealand at the end of November and > so I'll be our furthest south member then for > sure. And, when ever I post anything after that, > my writing will always be upside down which is going to make > it a bit hard for all of you to read > <smile>. > > Cheers, > > > Dennis G. > > > - Seattle / '85 > & '86 CB700SCs > > > > <<...>> <<...>> > > > > > > > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Nighthawk Motorcycle Lovers!" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/nighthawk_lovers?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
