Warning...if you are importing from the UK

[Ninja51]

I guess this thread is really aimed at any Pom bikers registered here who are thinking about shipping their bike(s) to NZ. But fellow KBers may be interested in this tale or indeed amused at the attached photograph. I used a shipping agent in the UK called Frontier Forwarding - I had found a link to their website having typed " international motorcycle shippers" into Google. They seemed ideal. As I was here in NZ, all initial communication was by phone or email. They picked the bike up from my old man's place and did all the necessary paperwork before I had paid a single penny of my £680. I was really impressed with progress. I was given all the relevant container number, bill of lading, vessel and voyage numbers etc. and the bike left Southampton in November. I was particularly anal (according to Mrs Ninja51) and checked most days on the net to track the container. Silly me to think that it was on a ship bound for Wellington via Singapore as originally informed. Oh no! First stop Le Havre in France, then Singapore, then change ship and go to Oz, then to Tauranga, then (six weeks after leaving the UK) put on a truck to Wellington. I had to attend its arrival because I was to meet up with MAF at the depot in Wellington. I took the camera "just in case" I needed evidence for an insurance claim. Imagine my horror as they pulled it off the truck!!
Miraculously the bike was OK... not a scratch. But as for the crate! Customs said it was the worst example they had ever seen. So my advice to any Brits is to avoid Frontier Forwarding like the plague. Efficient, friendly, and helpful they may have been, but their carpentry and joinery expertise is crap!....

[ManDownUnder]

I'm sorry dude - I haven't laughed so hard in a while!

Glad to hear your bike is ok - I am amased it's ok, but I'm glad. I guess they must have had a tot (aka BOTTLE) of rum and nailed that thing up while at sea in a major storm or something.

Looks like they were thoroughly pissed when they built that thing (and I guess you should be grateful the nail gun didn't hit your bike while they built it).

You might want to pass that picture back to them and let them know they're not up to scratch !!!!

Nice one, and enjoy the ride now that it's finally here!
MDU

[Ninja51]

[QUOTE=ManDownUnder]I'm sorry dude - I haven't laughed so hard in a while!
You might want to pass that picture back to them and let them know they're not up to scratch !!!!

Hehe...yeah MDU, Even I laugh at it now too but there was a minute or so of terror in my eyes when they pulled the side panels back on the truck.
Ive already done what you suggest...naturally they expressed horror and concern and said they would "look into it" - blaming all but themselves and claiming that they have never had a complaint before!

[Biff]

I bet your arse flapped in tune to Ravel's Bolero in D minor when you saw the state of that crate!!

Thankfully no damage was done. If you don’t mind I'm going to steal your story and send it off to a UK forum I sometimes frequent as the topic of transportation companies to OZ and NZ often arises.

[bugjuice]

geeezz... lucky the create held up and didn't get to the bike. I thought things like that were put in metal creates..? Or is that just how manufacturers send their bikes around?

[Ninja51]

I bet your arse flapped in tune to Ravel's Bolero in D minor when you saw the state of that crate!!

Thankfully no damage was done. If you don’t mind I'm going to steal your story and send it off to a UK forum I sometimes frequent as the topic of transportation companies to OZ and NZ often arises.

Be my guest BB :-) Which forum is that then? Arse flapping?? Yep! Good job I had bicycle clips on!!

[Ninja51]

geeezz... lucky the create held up and didn't get to the bike. I thought things like that were put in metal creates..? Or is that just how manufacturers send their bikes around?

Metal or wood... it should have been a sealed box construction. I even had soft luggage etc stowed in there lol.

[Biff]

Which forum is that then?

Thanks.

I'm a member of a few other forums, and active to varying degrees in all:

SuperBlackbird
GBBikers
Welsh Rideout
UKBikeForum

[Blakamin]

I've never seen a bike fully boxed in... and the freight forwaders are just that.. the pick it up, pack it, do the paperwork and give it to someone else.... when it was trucked to you it wasn't by PBT was it? or Mainfreight? Mainfreight wont ship our jukeboxex coz they broke so many their insurance wouldn't cover them anymore.... anyone that continually wrecks $14,000 worth of equipment shouldn't be in business
PBT are an ongoing concern I cant explain for legal reasons...

[Ninja51]

I've never seen a bike fully boxed in... and the freight forwaders are just that.. the pick it up, pack it, do the paperwork and give it to someone else.... when it was trucked to you it wasn't by PBT was it? or Mainfreight? Mainfreight wont ship our jukeboxex coz they broke so many their insurance wouldn't cover them anymore.... anyone that continually wrecks $14,000 worth of equipment shouldn't be in business
PBT are an ongoing concern I cant explain for legal reasons...

I cant remember mate. Just looked at my other pics and I can just make out "???? and O'Brien Ltd" on the back of the truck. I guess the crate could have fallen apart anywhere en route. It clearly wasnt made to withstand the rigours of containerisation, port handling and road transportation! Gilco International were the handlers in Auckland(Tauranga) and to be honest, there werent many complimentary words said about them here at the depot in Seaview.

[Sniper]

Bloody hell, no wonder they seemed cheapish (680Pounds??)

But lucky the bikes ok

[Ninja51]

Bloody hell, no wonder they seemed cheapish (680Pounds??)

But lucky the bikes ok

Hi Snipe!

I didnt get too many quotes so I didnt really compare. Is that cheap then?
I did have the option of air freight... it would have been here in four days from Heathrow. Cost? £2400 I decided to wait. Cant think why...

[crashe]

Just as well you had so much bubble wrap around your bike....
Hells teeth even the kids at kindy have better carpentry skills than that..lol
The reason it collapsed is that there was no bracing on the sides.. Angle bracing to hold it firm.

But its a miracle that it arrived in one piece...
I hope you are now enjoying being back out on her....

[Juan]

Oh my god..... My Mv's are in hiding!!!!! quivering and looking rather worried...

Might just manage to fix then in an overhead locker :niceone:

Glad yours is ok, enjoy

[Ninja51]

[QUOTE=Juan]Oh my god..... My Mv's are in hiding!!!!! quivering and looking rather worried...

Might just manage to fix then in an overhead locker :niceone:

Are you shipping them out to ride while you are over here?

[Juan]

Are you shipping them out to ride while you are over here?

No, will be saving that till we come to stay.... can't really afford to bring then over twice, and if we did we might not have time to do anything else :banana:

[Ninja51]

No, will be saving that till we come to stay.... can't really afford to bring then over twice, and if we did we might not have time to do anything else :banana:

Ah so this coming visit is a recce is it? Well take it from me ya wont want to go home and you'll be gagging to get here for good! I came out on spec.
Although friends and family had all said how wonderful it is here.
The earth tremors will keep you amused too!

[Biff]

I work with a guy whose parents rode "some old bike he re-built" to NZ from the UK. UK > Singapore > Sydney > Auckland, with ferry hops over the wet bits. Apparently it took them three months and they had the "time of thier lives".

Now that's what call a road trip. Now his father has shares in Anusol (http://www.chemist.co.nz/product.cfm?ProductID=312&GroupID=1&CategoryID=150&SubcatID=22).

[Juan]

Can't wait to ask Ruth..... "did the earth move for you love?????"

[Rainbow Wizard]

I bought a UK metal crate for mine. It cost me 40 quid plus another 50 to get it freighted to the bike and then another 120 quid to have the dealer take off the fairing etc to fit it in and wrap the crate in carboard to hide the bike from prying eyes. The bike arrived no less damaged than the state it was left in by the prick that stole it in the first place.

Yesterday at the Merkel/Rees/Bernard/Linburn riding school at Taupo there were 4 or 5 Danes that did a deal with Red Baron. They bought bikes on a guaranteed buy-back of $1500 less than they paid, for that they get 3 months use! Much better than a daily hire rate.

[Fordy]

:eek: I'm toying the idea of shipping my bike over, but shipping and wof or whateva it is to get on the road will probably be less than the depreciation on the bike so probably better off selling it here. And as there's less choice in the 2nd hand market and bikes depreciate less I ought to get a new bike there. That's what I've been telling the missus anyway :whistle:

[moko]

At least you can knock yourself up a couple of book-shelves with the wood from that "crate" and get a warm feeling all over that it had hardly any effect on world de-forestation.

[Bob]

Glad to see it made it in one piece... even with that sorry attempt at crating.

Daft little fact:- Did you know that when you buy a new bike, technically speaking, you are also paying for the crate (it forms part of the p&p costs)? So in theory, you can demand that they give you the crate as well.

Not that I'd want the one your bike came in mind you...

[jrandom]

:eek: I'm toying the idea of shipping my bike over, but shipping and wof or whateva it is to get on the road will probably be less than the depreciation on the bike so probably better off selling it here. And as there's less choice in the 2nd hand market and bikes depreciate less I ought to get a new bike there.

I dunno, that'd really depend. I know a chap who brought over his lovely minty XJR1300, which was probably a good move, because it wouldn't have been too easy to find a good 'un like his straight off in the second-hand market.

I reckon the rule of thumb should be, if you have a bike lined up to buy second-hand before you arrive, or you can get one new, buy it when you get here. But if you love your two-wheeled baby, and it's not that easy to replace, ship it.

If I were you, I'd just sell the sixxer and buy a new one when you get here, seeing as they're common as muck anyway...

[Ninja51]

At least you can knock yourself up a couple of book-shelves with the wood from that "crate" and get a warm feeling all over that it had hardly any effect on world de-forestation.

It'd be an insult to my books, Moko. I did think of offering it to the Te Papa
here in WGTN as a museum piece, but it fell completely apart before I got it there. I think it was only the bike's tie-downs holding the crate together!!

Anyway... some further before and after pics attached.