Shipping from Oz to Cape Town
 

I want to ship my bike (BMW F650) to Cape Town next year. Does anyone know of a shipping agent, and would there be a big difference in the cost as from Sydney or Fremantle?

Thanks

Shipping Bike
 

Hi,
Why not try flying the bike? Just sent my R1200GS home from LA to Brisbane and cost about $1500.00. Sitting in LAX at the moment waiting for my flight.

Better to have a definite time that your bike arrives in SA at the start of your trip. Fly it over and ship it back at the end of your trip.

Cheers Ben

When and if, you shipped from Oz, how did you pack, or where did you get the crate to pack your bike. I just had a quote of $1000 for the crate only. There must be a cheaper way to do it.

Thanks

If flying - you can go uncrated ... that also saves drianing fluids. There is heaps of info on this over on the left .. go read it rather them make us type it all out agian? See Planning - shipping the bike - http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/tripplan/transport/

See http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...cles-air-21880 for the rules.

Johansberg is the trasport hub in SA .. so cheapest to fly the bike (and you) there.

I'm pretty sure that someone posted some info about this maybe 18 months - 2 years ago - have a search of the HUBB maybe. If my memory serves me right the advice was that there is/was no general cargo services ex Freemantle to SA.

Thanks for the links guys, lots of good info there I will get into. It looks like shipping by air might be the best all round way to go.

Cheers

Actually it depends on the airlines whether you have to crate your bike or not. I flew my bike from Johannesburg to Perth with Quantas and had to crate the bike (plus fumigation for OZ). Whereas from Munich to S.A. the airlines offered a free pallet.

Try the M/C shops for a free crate. Nowadays the new bikes usually come in oneway crates and the shops are happy to get rid of the crates. You might even persuade them to give you free straps :innocent:

Shipping your bike isn't much cheaper than airfreight. The pros for air are
a) better timing
b) much safer than ship (lots of stealing going on in the ports :nono: )
c) airports are way better organised than seaports.
d) many fees come as a surprise at the final seaport which are NOT listed in the quote of the freightforwarder :eek3:

Oh, before you rack your brains about the destination: Cape Town airport is much safer than Johburg airport (and surroundings). Besides that: CT is smaller, laid back and offers far more scenery than Johburg area.

If you need any more infos, feel free to PM or email me.

Good luck!
Hans