Mailing a tire
 

Hi!
I got a good deal on a rear tire. The one I have on is maybe good for another 5000 miles. What are the options and rough prices to have it shipped ahead? I have got friends who could ship it when I tell them....Thinking about Central America.

Thanks!

You're trying to be too clever. Forget shipping the tire: carry it or leave it behind, according to preference.

Mark

It is just because I got it VERY cheap, barely used, Heidenau K60. Otherwise I would not have thought about it. If the shipping was around 50$ it would still be a lot cheaper, I would know what I get and I would not have to carry that thing for thousands of km...

hmmmm.... maybe contact a postoffice, shippingcompany, DHL, UPS etc...?

I ship tyres and I have carried them as well. Despite looking kind of hard-core when you push off from home, porting tyres is a royal pain in the arse. The last time I did it, after carrying the damn thing for 1000's of miles and unloading it every freakin' day and the extra weight, it slipped it's moorings and burnt a hole in the side wall from the exhaust. Completely trashed yet still brand new.

Yes it will cost and you will have to do some sweet talking sometimes to get it out of customs but the pain and aggravation that shipping will release you from is worth it in my humble opinion. Timing is the key issue however.

Costs will depend on the carrier and the urgency. I've noticed up to 50% difference between the major carriers such as DHL & TNT.

CJ.

Cheaper - less customs delay..
 

The cheap option - post it to the last place inside the country your traveling in.

Pick it up, take it across the border (no fee...)

Repeat...

Customs fees and delays can be trouble ... avoid if possible.

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The problem with this is the storage time. Some post offices will keep the goods for 2 weeks, some 4 weeks ... alternative post it to a fellow hubber in that country. Have them post it on when the timing is good for the last post office in that country. You can pay them as you pass for costs and have a social chat for there time.

Many times I have picked up shipped items direct from the carrier itself without involvement of customs. Twice I've had to visit the friendly people in customs collection and was able to argue that the tyre was going to be exported anyway so should not be liable for duty (having foreign registered bike and carnet helped). The one time I have paid any kind of import duty, I used the above argument but the guy quickly noted that because I was going to use it before I left the country I had to pay. He got me be surprise and I coughed up 50 Birr.

I had a tyre sent from uk to Iran. Yep it was expensive- £90 with TNT but there was no way I could source a tyre in Iran or the stans. I carried it for another 3000 kms which was a right pain in the arse and not good for the bike carrying an extra 5kg. I did have to wait another 5 days in mashad due to customs problems at the uk end.