Transporting bikes in and out of where you want to ride always seems to be the biggest problem. Even just crossing borders can put a real snag in plans. It has been stated many time in this forum that the best way is air freight if you want to make sure it is there on time. The problem I have found is cost of air freight has gone through the roof, to the point that the only option left is to ship by sea. Anyone traveling should learn to bend with the flow or stay home and that applies to much more than shipping.

I am now riding around Australia (our 20th country) and had Get Routed bring our bikes over. Dave and Maggie did a great job IMHO. Ya Dave can be a little blunt but that may be needed to keep the yuppies who never crossed a border or dealt with customs in line. I would rather be treated like I was back in school than find someone screwed up the whole load because they thought they were above the rules.

Yes you can do most of this yourself if you have the time to muddle through it, me I would rather pay a fair rate to someone who understands the system. Still with sea freight nothing is a sure deal but those that are whining about delays in Portland would probable have waited longer without someone working within the system. Maybe someday when I don't have a date I need to be back home I will do it myself, but for now I will find someone like Dave at Get Routed to help muddle through the bureaucratic BS.



RJT

I hope you're getting a cut for the plug. Otherwise you'll be nicknamed the yankee mug.

Still it's kinda nice to see someone believes in Dave Milligan's service (if it can be called that) even if it is a yank!

To be fair to the thread Road Hog, did you ever experience inflation of quoted prices with Dave?

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TurboCharger + Francois (our BMW R1200gs) '07
www.riding2up.net, blog.riding2up.net

Price I was quoted did not change, nor did I get a cut. The real shock has been how much the US$ has fallen due to our brilliant economic policy, and that increased my costs but not in AU$

When I shipped from Canada to Chile the price was very volatile and did not lock in till bike was delivered to shipping point and port charges on the other end were just a guess. I see it as take a risk and ship by sea or pay three time as much and go by air.

Have a question though, why if it is so easy and lucrative are there not more people doing it?


Yankee Mug

There are 1000s of people doing it - they call themselves international freight forwarders.

AND Road Hog (Yankee Mug) also has a sense of humour (or should that be humor??)

But not to discredit Crappybiker in anyway or put Road Hog on a pedistol but it is true that when you get ripped off it hurts not just the hip pocket because money usually is the first thing we forget but mostly the pride.

I've been ripped off countless times and well now I see them as lessons in what not to do. At the time I was hurt, angry (read furious) mostly at myself for being conned but also because the reality bites hardest when you are honest and put your trust in someone just to have them spit in your face.

In time I've learnt to cut my losses and swallow my pride but it doesn't make the unprofessionalism or dishonesty of certain individuals any less acceptable. Think what you will but knowing this, if you want something done well then you have to do it yourself. I am much more likely to organise all freight forwarding and logistics as much as possible by myself to take out the likelihood of having a middle-man sting me for his/her fees when they add little or no value.

When money is concerned we're all at fault, just some more than others.

__________________
TurboCharger + Francois (our BMW R1200gs) '07
www.riding2up.net, blog.riding2up.net

Im going riding....

Best thing to do.

Crappybiker, you're not helping your case by attacking another member. I don't know Road Hog personally, but I know he's been around here for a while and has often offered hospitality and support. The fact that his perspective is different from yours merely means that his perspective is different from yours. Nothing more.

Safe journeys!

Mark