Motorcycle shipping companies - any recommendations?

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en7jos
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Motorcycle shipping companies - any recommendations?

Post by en7jos »

Morning all,

Does anyone have any recommendations or suggestions for shipping companies to ship a bike back to the UK please?

I'm thinking of sending my Matchless back home for storage whilst we're away. Hong Kong is not really a good location for riding a temperamental old bike with crappy brakes - the hills are too steep, the roads too congested and the taxi / minibus drivers too aggressive. So the bike is not really getting ridden very much at all, and the tax and insurance is very expensive for a strange foreigner on a strange foreign bike. Plus the humidity is playing havoc with my existing patina, and adding new patina where I don't want it!

Any thoughts please?

Thanks, James
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sjr
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Re: Motorcycle shipping companies - any recommendations?

Post by sjr »

James

I have used Chas Mortimer more than once, if you google him his website will come straight up.
Advantage - very approachable chap, actually does the business himself.
Possible limitation - not sure if he has experience working as far afield as you.

Over the years I have moved a few bikes when we did some globetrotting. The last one was crated and put into a container coming back from the US with our removals. There was nothing special about the shipping company but I made sure that the bike was substantially boxed up. I think you did something similar from India.

My suggestion would be to talk to another expat in HK. There are lots of them, and many have sent things home before. If you are worried about getting careful enough attention from the shipping company, how about an introduction from someone local who ships things regularly. There are lots of them too.

Congratulations on the website, please keep up the good work.
en7jos
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Re: Motorcycle shipping companies - any recommendations?

Post by en7jos »

Thanks Steve.

I'll check out Chas later and drop him a message. I'm also asking around the local bike club guys here in HK at the moment so hopefully that will turn something up.

James
TexasChas
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Re: Motorcycle shipping companies - any recommendations?

Post by TexasChas »

Can't help with shipping outside of the United states but I can offer a product to prevent patina running wild.
It's a product Breakfree CLP. Stands for Cleans Lubricates Protects. Designed for the cleaning and preservation of metal firearm parts.
Clear liquid, not expensive at all, viscosity close to light engine oil, slight odor, harmless to paint and plastic, available as a spray or a liquid in quantities from a few ounces to half a gallon (in liquid form).
It will stay in place for many months wiped on as a very thin film and will protect against any and all corrosion and oxidation.
Finding it where you are may be another matter but it would be worth the effort and expense.
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bigwol
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Re: Motorcycle shipping companies - any recommendations?

Post by bigwol »

I've used Chas Mortimer to transport bikes here in the UK and found him pleasant to deal with and as an ex racer he knows bikes and how to take care of them.
I know he ships bikes to foreign parts, (damn Johny foreigner stealing our history and heritage) not sure how he is with importing.
Not sure how you'd get on with duty on it James, I was told a while back if you can prove it was made in good old blighty and you are "repatriating it" there are exemptions, but I'm not sure how reliable that info was or what hoops you have to jump through to make it happen. Perhaps others on here will know more.

ps, the "Johny foreigner" bit was tongue in cheek :D

pps, where will the bike be stored once here in the UK, and do you want someone to kick it over and take it for a spin once in a while? Mates rates of course! :lol:
It's all just riding motorbikes
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Colin F
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Re: Motorcycle shipping companies - any recommendations?

Post by Colin F »

There is the other way to do it, pay my flight out to HK, and "reasonable" :rofl: return expenses and I will ride it back to the UK :beer:
en7jos
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Re: Motorcycle shipping companies - any recommendations?

Post by en7jos »

Colin F wrote:There is the other way to do it, pay my flight out to HK, and "reasonable" :rofl: return expenses and I will ride it back to the UK :beer:
Already thought of that, but sadly there's no way into or through China on an old bike. Pity really, that was going to be our escape plan from HK if my other half was ever made redundant. Pack up the flat in a shipping containing except for a few clothes and a tent, and start riding. Wouldn't that be great! But the only way out is via China and little chance of getting it in, or back out again. I guess you were joking Colin, but actually I was quite serious! :P

I'm awaiting a quote from Chas Mortimer so let's see what happens. Any info on importing a bike greatly received, particular import taxes and the like.

James
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Colin F
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Re: Motorcycle shipping companies - any recommendations?

Post by Colin F »

It was a half joke James, If you could get it out to somewhere like Mongolia by ferry etc should be a breeze back to the UK. They run the Mongolian rally each year to there with "older" vehicles.

Hopefully Chris Read will pick up on this thread, I remember him telling me about importing a bike from the US and by doing it right getting import duty, VAT ect down to petty cash levels.
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sjr
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Re: Motorcycle shipping companies - any recommendations?

Post by sjr »

If it comes back as "part of the household" then I think it will be importation tax free if you are repatriating yourselves and the household to the UK at the same time.

Worked for us anyway. More than once.

Steve
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