I bought my Triumph Bonneville T100 in Seattle, Washington, Oct 2006.
I registered it in Oregon State (as theres no sales tax)
Rode as far north as I could before being beaten by the ice storms of Vancouver, Canada. Laid some rubber on the Northshore before turning to face south.

Its been close to 11 months now and I´m in Santiago de Chile.
I intially imagined this trip to be about all the places I'd get to see, however I believe I have been influenced greater by the people I have met.
At times I have certainly felt exposed with all I own available to everyone, my bike, my house, my objects of centimental value. I cant carry much but everything has its use in its own special way. The valve cap the californian firefighter gave me, the colombian saddlebags, peruvian sheepskin, repaired boots in argentina, the extra helmet given to me in equador, the lighter, a guitar from bogota, stuff that has a story which is still as fresh as yesterday.
I constantly dreamed of travelling on a Triumph, I also thought this journey would end all of my desires of travelling. How wrong I was. Many more doors have opened, Many more dreams have developed.

However I also realise that the end is comming closer. And like a large majority of my travel I have not organised anything.
I hope to be able to return to the UK for Christmas with my family and friends.
So the question remains of how to return to the UK with my bike. This bike is deffinetly a keeper.

Could I ask if anyone knows a way. Either formally through agencies or a classic car or bike exporter who is always looking for space to be filled in a container (I crossed from panama to colombia by stripping my bike completely apart and fitting it inside a jeep cherokee, an argentinian driving south).
As long as I see my bike roll into a container or on a plane I will be able to fly back.

Also if anyone has experience of how long it takes to process the paperwork, what I need to do, where I need to go, etc.. I would be more than greatful to listen.

Thankyou.
We die only once. and for such a long time.
Respect.

I've no idea tommy, but that is a very good post to read - from the heart!

I suggest that you post your questions into other forums in here; there is one for "trip paperwork" for example.
There you will definitely get the answers!

Good luck,

__________________
Dave

Yes you should post your questions in the south american section but i can share my experience, or at least what i saw while staying at Javier s place in Buenos Aires.

There were two guys there willing to ship their bike back to Europe. A german guy to germany and a swiss guy to switzerland. Both chose air freight and paperwork seemed to be minimal, service fairly fast. I think the cost was about 1,500 Euros.

Tommy

I am shipping a bike back to the UK from BA in mid November this year. I´m using a British shipping company who have impressed the living daylights out of me so far. They are called James Cargo and you can get them on bikers@jamescargo.com . They´ll ship by sea or (a fair bit more expensive) by air. Sea is four to six weeks I think.

Well worth talking to them. If you want, and the timing suits, we could see if there´s anything to be gained from shipping together. (My bike´s a Buell Ulysses, but it won´t mind slumming with a Triumph!) I want to ship by 15 November, when my girlfriend arrives in BA.

Am currently in Panama, flying to Quito on Wednesday, so am only half a continent behind you!

Hope this helps. Good luck!

Alastair