Shipping a bike to the US of A

[KiwiRat]

Anybody have any recommendations regarding shipping a bike to the states for a riding holiday?

And back again, obviously.

Thanks in advance.

P.S. Mods - Feel free to move this to "Coming and Going"

[Cajun]

pm hitcher, he send his fjr1300 across few months back for a big tour.

He can most likey give you some ins and outs and pointers

[ManDownUnder]

He worked out it was cheaper to buy and resell than to ship one I think - although his ended up a bit more pricy due to a slight (read TOTAL) mechanical failure

[Hitcher]

I shipped mine over and back as part of a group. The logistics for this are considerably different than for just one bike. Have a chat to a friendly freight forwarder. You can ride in the USA and Canada for 90 days on NZ rego, etc, although how they would know if you had exceeded that is anybody's guess.

Buying over there? The US bureaucracy grinds in strange ways. It's best that you have a USA address for paperwork purposes, so this would be easier if you had friends who were normally resident somewhere in the Red White and Blue.

[toycollector10]

I have only ever imported. The last time I did it I used Mainfreight here in Christchurch. A pretty seamless operation and I have no complaints.

Keep in mind the exchange rate at the USA end. With the NZD at .55 USD at the moment your timing isn't too good. It might pay to put your plans on hold for a few months and see how it all pans out.