Trying to Escape From USA to Europe via Air

[extsieg]

I have read back two years on the Transport thread and can not find anyone who has put a Motorcycle on a Airplane and flown it to Europe. I see a lot of info on ship but not much on planes anymore. It would seem TSA has put up a paper work fence in this country when trying to expedite freedom of movement with a motorcycle.

Soo. short of driving my bike 2000miles out of my way to Toronto Canada has anyone flown a bike to Europe from the East Coast in say the last 12 months. Cost? how too's? links and what not would save me a few grey hairs.

[Mehmet Zeki Avar]

one of our guests in turkey has done it last month. İstanbul to canada.
box sizes 120 x 220 x 70 weight 330 kg. DHL worldwide aircargo price was 2,136 euros. He made the box in our club garage.Also customs expenses was about 300 euros and needs you personally 2 days at the airport customs.

[CourtFisher]

Originally Posted by extsieg

I have read back two years on the Transport thread and can not find anyone who has put a Motorcycle on a Airplane and flown it to Europe. I see a lot of info on ship but not much on planes anymore. It would seem TSA has put up a paper work fence in this country when trying to expedite freedom of movement with a motorcycle.

Soo. short of driving my bike 2000miles out of my way to Toronto Canada has anyone flown a bike to Europe from the East Coast in say the last 12 months. Cost? how too's? links and what not would save me a few grey hairs.

(You don't say, but I'll assume you're a USA citizen, with a personally-owned & USA registered bike.)

Try here for starters:
http://www.shipmybike.com/
call/ contact Greg or any Berklay staff person for current pricing & details

Berklay does bike airfreight from NYC/ JFK to several Euro gateways;
Recommends delivery of bike to JFK; they can also book supplemental truck
transport from any USA origin to their JFK depot. JFK is recommended because airfreight tariffs ex-JFK to EU have historically been much lower than other US gateways; even factoring extra land transport costs to JFK

As of Aug 2009, airfreight + fees from JFK was ~US$1500-2000 one way depending on bike dimensions (+ any transport cost to JFK);

Yes, TSA has paper procedures/ "fences," but that's essentially
1) bike approx 3-5 days onsite at JFK to clear US Customs export cross-check against US stolen vehicle database before airfreight;
2) "Dangerous Goods" prep & documentation (gas to <1/4 tank; battery disconnected).
Berklay may use Lufthansa airfreight, which normally does not require separate crating of bike. LH is most experienced airfreight carrier in loading bikes palletized & tied-down, rather than crated. Airfreight carriers other than Lufthansa may--or not--require separate crating of bike, an extra cost.

TSA airfreight security rules since 9/11 require that bikes/ vehicles be transported on separate aircargo flights, rather than as "belly" cargo on passenger flights; so you can no longer fly as passenger with your bike on same plane, ex-USA.
Ex-USA, it's also no longer possible to book aircargo directly with any airline; you must use airfreight broker like Berklay who is TSA-certified.
In theory, any USA TSA-certified airfreight broker can do all this for your bike, and might even possibly do it cheaper, but most brokers don't have the detail experience--including TSA--with bikes per se.

If your Euro gateway is open, recommend that you consider aircargo JFK-Frankfurt, and using www.knopftours.com to help clear your bike in Frankfurt. Yes, you can deal with inbound German Customs clearance yourself, but Stefan Knopf can simplify this considerably; Stefan also offers separate B&B and short or longterm bike storage in Heidelberg at reasonable rates.

Don't forget the min required Euro liability bike insurance for a US-registered bike, also available thru Knopf and other sources, or optional comp coverage thru Motorcycle Express - Ship Your Bike (who also do the Toronto option).

good luck

[Mehmet Zeki Avar]

DHL.worldwide costed 1800,- euros to istanbul from canada.
dimensions of the box was 120 x 220 x 70 and weight 363 kg.

IATA terms for air delivery.

no battery permitted in the box.front and rear tyres must be no airpressure.
gasoline- oil tanks clean and dried.

Wish you all the best.

zeki avar

[farqhuar]

Originally Posted by extsieg

Soo. short of driving my bike 2000miles out of my way to Toronto Canada has anyone flown a bike to Europe from the East Coast in say the last 12 months. Cost? how too's? links and what not would save me a few grey hairs.

Whereabouts are you on the east coast? - Miami is 1,500 miles and even LA is only 2,500 miles away. :confused1:

Surely the whole idea of an international bike ride is to see and experience as much as you can, in which case a detour to Toronto is all part of the fun.

[judgejoe]

Hi Extsieg:
We are preparing for departure for Europe in May 2011. My information gathering reflects CourtFisher's reply. I contacted the same carriers. Prices were generally $1900-2000USD, for a 1150GS-oneway. There were some that were higher. I also contacted James Cargo. I do have an email from Berklay (ShipMyBike) detailing out their services, cost, and document requirements-NY service. If you would like me to send it by PM, let me know. Regarding Knopf Tours, Stefan has been very helpful to me. In the end, I decided to go with Stefan. Just for your information, they have surface vessel space available leaving Florida at the begining of March. I need to drop my bike off with him before February 28th. He will take care of all the export and importation requirements (customs, green card, etc.). I will fly over in May and pick the bike up in Heidelberg. If you would like the details of that email, which includes costs and document requirements, I can also send that to you by PM. As CourtFisher said, he has a B&B, warehouse storage, and a small work shop.

[extsieg]

Originally Posted by farqhuar

Whereabouts are you on the east coast? - Miami is 1,500 miles and even LA is only 2,500 miles away. :confused1:

Surely the whole idea of an international bike ride is to see and experience as much as you can, in which case a detour to Toronto is all part of the fun.

A little embellishment on my part with the distance More like 1100 miles door to door.

[extsieg]

Club Voyages Tourbec
This is who I booked my air thru. I also went with Motorcycle Express to arrange the shipping of the bike for me. I will have it on the same flight with me and will be flying into Paris. ( I want a photo with the Eiffel tower and my bike in the back ground Thats the only must do for me is get the photo after that I'll just let the wind take me around Europe for a bit.

It's going to cost me $1995 for the shipping. A little over $500 for the airfare and another $150 for a hotel at CDG. (I will need to get some sleep after the flight before I jump on a bike in Paris) Also looking at 4 nights in Toronto as I have to drop the bike off Saturday and was told they have to have two days to prep it. So there is another $300 easy just in hotel bills if I don't want to wait in a box. The nice part is that I grew up over on the US side near a town called Port Huron so I will have friends and family in Toronto for some company.

So Im already up to 3K and I have not even got out of the states yet. Turning into a nice little junket I also plan on staying in guest houses and hotels during my travels. I'm not up for the camping as I'll be with myself and want to be able to walk around towns with out worrying about all my crap on the bike.

So stay tuned this whole trip kicks off on 1 April with a 1100mile ride from Alabama up to Michigan....

[extsieg]

Quick update on my trip. I got my shipment paper work in the mail today. Two copies of the Hazmat stickers and some how to info on where and when to have the bike. I do customs 3 days before fly day

[PanEuropean]

Originally Posted by extsieg

I also went with Motorcycle Express to arrange the shipping of the bike for me.

I have shipped my bike to and from Europe many times with Motorcycle Express, and I have always been very satisfied with their service.

Originally Posted by extsieg

Club Voyages Tourbec - This is who I booked my air thru.

That company is quite closely associated with Motorcycle Express, and they have always done a good job of handling my passenger tickets. Here's a tip for you: If your air carrier is Air Transat (and my guess is that it will be Air Transat), be aware that they offer sort of a 'first class' section on many of their charter flights. You don't get fancy meals, but you do get larger seats that recline a bit more and allow you to get some sleep on the way over. Here's a link to the air carrier's website: Air Transat Club Class. It is well worth the money to pay a bit extra for the upgrade - it saves you paying for a hotel to sleep in the morning you arrive in Europe.

Originally Posted by extsieg

I will have it [the motorcycle] on the same flight with me...

Uh, you mean, you hope to have the motorcycle on the same flight as you. Read the fine print in your contract - the motorcycle travels standby, not positive space. This is because if the winds are a bit worse than forecast on the day of your flight, the pilot will add extra fuel, and your motorcycle will be the first thing to get off-loaded if the aircraft is close to MTOW and the pilot wants more fuel. On the Toronto or Montréal to Paris route, it is unlikely that the moto will get bumped, but still, be aware of this possibility.

Originally Posted by extsieg

...and another $150 for a hotel at CDG. (I will need to get some sleep after the flight before I jump on a bike in Paris)...

Uh, actually, I wouldn't do things that way. Your aircraft will arrive very early in the morning (probably sometime between 6AM and 8 AM local time). Pick up your checked baggage at the carousel, then get your butt over to the freight warehouse (on the other side of the runway) as fast as you can. The motorcycle will be in the warehouse within 2 hours of the plane landing - which will be faster than you can grab your bags and take a taxi.

Clear the motorcycle out of customs IMMEDIATELY, the same morning, otherwise, you will get hit with some pretty painful warehouse storage fees. The French warehouse operators take no prisoners - you will have to pay for a day of storage even if your bike is only in the building for 20 minutes. Under normal circumstances, it should not take you longer than a couple of hours at most to get the bike out of customs. The customs office at the freight area is only about a 5 minute walk from the warehouse. Bring your ownership, your passport, and (most important of all), proof of your European insurance coverage. The customs people have never bothered to inspect my motorcycle (their rationale being that they don't inspect cars coming over the land border to France), but they do take a very close look at your ownership, registration, and insurance.

Once you get the bike out of the warehouse and on the road, you can go to sleep then. You will be able to find all sorts of small hotels around CDG airport for a lot less than $150 a night, so, don't bother making a reservation.

Originally Posted by extsieg

Also looking at 4 nights in Toronto as I have to drop the bike off Saturday and was told they have to have two days to prep it. So there is another $300 easy just in hotel bills if I don't want to wait in a box...

Eh? That's the first I have ever heard of that. I used to live in Toronto, and I would just take the bike to the freight warehouse the day before the flight and drop it off. Two days of prep sounds kind of excessive - but maybe times have changed. Just make sure that you don't have any dirt or dead insects on the bike (so the European agricultural people don't get upset), and show up with a 1/4 of a tank of gas or less.

Be aware that there is no 'ramp' to let you get the bike from road level up to the loading dock at Toronto airport. Back in the good old days, the freight guys would just let me in through the airside gate, and I would ride the bike around (to the airplane side of the building) and then straight in the back door of the warehouse. But, I doubt if this can still be done in the present climate of fear, uncertainty and doubt. So, allow yourself enough time to mooch a 'lift' off of a airfreight truck driver who has a power liftgate on the back of his truck - and have a $20 in your pocket to express your appreciation with (not a US one, they ain't worth sh*t anymore).

-------------------------------

Send me an email (paneuropean *at* hotmail *dot* com) if you need more info about the process - I think I have done about 5 round trips to Europe now with the motorcycle, all via Air Transat and Motorcycle Express.

Below are some photos showing how the motorcycle fits into the freight can, and how it is tied down. The strap across the seat is the most important of all. Bring along something (e.g. an old blanket, a moving pad, or what I used - a very sturdy cardboard tube) to prevent the strap from blemishing your seat. Note also that the bike gets tied down with the sidestand deployed, not with the centerstand deployed. It is much more stable on the sidestand than it is on the centerstand.

The Air Transat freight guys in Toronto and Montréal handle dozens of motorcycles every year, you can trust them to do a good job. Be aware that they will do a much better job if you bring along a couple of boxes of Tim Horton's donuts when you drop the bike off.

Michael

[PanEuropean]

PS: Just a postscript - it is NOT necessary to disconnect the battery on the motorcycle anymore, that requirement was dropped from the DGR (Dangerous Goods Regulations) back in 2006.

It is also no longer necessary to put a Dangerous Goods sticker on an uncrated motor vehicle, because it is obvious that the object is a motor vehicle. Dangerous Goods stickers are only required on vehicles that are boxed or crated such that it is not possible to determine at first glance that the thing is a motor vehicle. The ULD (uniform load device, which is the proper name for the aluminium freight can) is not considered to be a box or crate.

Not too many people are aware that the above changes have been made to the DGR, which is why you will sometimes still get requests to disconnect the battery and/or put a DG sticker on the bike.

Below is an extract from the DGR that specifically addresses motorcycles (otherwise known as a 'vehicle, flammable liquid powered'). This extract is a few years out of date, so, consult a current issue (2011 issue) of the DGR book for the latest rules.

Michael

DGR Extract from 2006 - Shipping Motorcycles by Air

[moineau]

Hi,
I start a tour from Anchorage to Ushuaia this May and I had big problems to find a company to ship my bike from Munich/Germany to Anchorage/Alaska but now I found a company in Munich which manages it with FedEx. Everybody told me it's more simple to ship the bike from or to Canada.
The cost: about 2200 €

good luck

[PanEuropean]

Originally Posted by moineau

...Everybody told me its more simple to ship the bike from or to Canada.

I think that statement is generally true. Our neighbors to the south (the USA) have got a lot of fears and concerns about air transportation, foreign goods entering the country, etc., and these fears are often magnified when the shipper or receiver is not an American citizen.

That notwithstanding, you did pretty well to get a €2,200 rate with FedEx on the Münich to Anchorage sector. Canada to Western Europe (typically this means Toronto or Montréal to either France or Germany) averages around €1,500.

What size and weight of motorcycle are you shipping by FedEx? Do you have to dis-assemble and crate it, or can you just put it into a ULD (an aircraft shipping container) as shown in the photos above?

Michael

Originally Posted by PanEuropean

I think that statement is generally true. Our neighbors to the south (the USA) have got a lot of fears and concerns about air transportation, foreign goods entering the country, etc., and these fears are often magnified when the shipper or receiver is not an American citizen.

We 've just imported a tourist bike Air shipped from Barranquilla, Colombia to Miami. The cost was very affordable and both ends reliable. (US$440 cargo).
Air Cargo and Customs 'A+" in Miami.
The tourist in this case was a Britt heading to Canada and custom rushed him with a great welcome on a Sunday morning.

Don't get wrong still U.S. have nice eyes to tourists and motorcycles and all in South East Florida.

We also are exporting tourist bikes out to Colombia and other destinations in S.A. . As far I've seen , nothing else that a straight forward service.

Gaston E.
SAmericaXplorer samericaxplorer@gmail.com

[moineau]

Hi Michael,

my bike is a BMW 1200 GS Adventure. I have to crate it but not to dis-assemble it (see the photo attached). Ijust have to remove the windshield. I'd prefer "roll on - roll off" but it seemed not to be possible on this route.

Peter