Shipping a motorcycle

 

This information is for the use of all, including you. Please help me keep this uptodate and pass on information to place on this page. Your name plus the date will be placed in the column at the end of each line.

To ship a motorcycle is not difficult whether you choose to crate the bike or place it on a pallet secured with straps, keep in mind that shipping by sea is charged by volume whilst airfreight is usually charged by weight or volumetric weight (whatever is the greatest) length x width x height x 6000

 

Example: a BMW Twin may be crated up at 200 cm x 90 cm 100 cm (x 6000) = 108 kg
the bike weighs a min of 230 kg plus the weight of the crate thus normal weight is charged. , there is no advantage to make the bike smaller by removing for example the two cylinders and cylinder studs.
Placing 3 bikes on an aircraft pallet works out equal to seafreight in some cases as there is no weight of the crate
If you would could make use of a workshop at "the other side" there would be a substancial saving for seafreight.
The Bike with the cylinders removed would be half the volume, about 300 hundred dollars saving between the US or Europe and Australia. (this is worth taking into consideration as it represents only about 3 hours work in total (if that) and that is 100 bucks an hour.
 Seafreight: Cheaper, by sea in Aus. $ per Cubic meter. but total crate volume is charged, all your gear can be placed inside the crate; high release cost ; the bike often doesn't arrive as promised ,add min catage $50.00, Documentation $50.00, Cartage to harbour $17.50 per cubic meter
Airfreight: Speed, Shipping by air in Aus. $ per Kg less hassle with documentation (but this depends on your location i.e. India is a big hassle no matter which way you go.) If the bike has to be crated you have to pay for the weight of the crate.
(International Airfreight out of Australia is relatively cheap as freight is subsided by the Australian Gov't.

From Aus. add approx. $80 for a dangerous goods certificate. $55 for documentation plus transportation to harbour / airport where applicable

When calculating costs keep in mind that when shipping by sea there are port charges to be paid at the receiving end which in most cases are substantially higher than charges incurred at airports.

Ref. Are listed at the bottom of this page, with regard to the freight forwarders these are recommended companies who have shipped motorcycles before (mine) and I do regular business with in my function as Export Manager.

Ref By: these are the persons from which I have obtained information, most of them are world travelers themselves.

Please feel free to send me information to add to this page for the benifit of all.

Kg = Per Kilogram, M3 = Per Cubic Meter, B = Complete Bike about 2 cub meter, ref =Shippers

As you can see this list is getting out of date a bit, so add a few $ , if you have some more information please mail  me.

From City

C'try

From City

C'try

Air/Kg

Ref

Sea

Ref.

Day

By

Bris.

Aus.

Antwerp

Belg.

-

-

Au$145M3

1

34

RW '99

Bris.

Aus.

Bankok

Thai

           

Bris

Aus.

Madras

India

 2.95AUD  2        RW'99

Bris

Aus.

               

Bris.

Aus.

L.A

USA

   

AU$170M3

1

26

RW'99

Bris.

Aus.

L.A.

USA

2.70AUD

2

-

-

2

RW'99

Bris.

Aus.

London

GB

3.00AUD

2

-

-

2

RW'99

Bris.

Aus.

Rott

Holland

-

-

AU$145M3

1

42

RW'99

Bris.

Aus.

S.Fran

USA

   

AU$280M3

1

34

RW;99

Rott.

N.L

Boston

USA

   3

AU$275M3

3

 

AB

 Rott

N.L

Bris/Syd

Aus

     745 Gld Bike  4    RW "97
                   

 Sing

Sing

Darwin

Aus

     ? 5     A v N '99
                   

 Hamb.

Germ

Buen Air. 

Argentina      850 DM Bike incl insurance 6    J B S '96,'97

 Buen. Aires

Argent-tina

Hamburg

Germany

    600 DM no insurance  6    J B S '96,'97
                   
  Rotterdam                      NL                             Adelaide 

 

             Aus               €200.-         7      39   RW 12/05