Shipments done by Travellers

The folks at Girag are friendly and the process went very smoothly. It took about an hour or two to process everything.

The fuel was on the reserve and they did not require draining. Nor did they require the battery to be disconnected. I left the panniers and top case on.

They did require me to remove the windscreen and mirrors.

I'd recommend getting to their office in the morning, though they said that I could drop the bike off up until 4pm

They are very expensive, however.

Once you get your paperwork from Girag, you'll need to get it stamped by the guards at the gate.

Picking the bike up at the Bogata Terminal was more work, however. Take a airport shuttle to the Cargo Terminal. Look for the Girag Office. THe lady at the window will hand you a packet of paperwork. You'll need to take this a half mile accross the roads to the Aduana office. They'll make copies of the paperwork, have you fill out some paperwork etc. Then you'll need to go back to the original Girag office and she'll sign or stamp the documents. Then you'll need to go back tot he Aduana Office for some more stamping and signing. Then you'll need to go back to the Girag Warehouse to pick up your bike.

They have a set of stairs steel stairs that they lay planks down. You can either ride down the steep ramp or wheel the bike down with the helping hands of the staff.

Good luck.

Also please see http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/tstories/alex/004386.php for dealing with the shipping agents.

Eastern Cargo get a 3/5 because they were expensive and promised some things that didn't happen:

1. That the bike would be held in the crate with straps - the packers didn't have straps.
2. That I would be present when the bike was taken through customs - I was denied entry to the Cargo complex of the airport because as a foreigner I was deemed a security threat.
3. That the bike would be shipped on day X. It was shipped two days later, quoting a problem of Emirates (the carrier) and then a Dangerous Goods Regulation that they had not furnished before, contradicting the timescales they had given me.

Having said that, they were EXCELLENT to deal with in comparison to 5-6 other agents I tried to do business with. In comparison, much more professional, much more knowledgeable, much better English was spoken, there were no ""hidden costs"" etc.

I was annoyed when a currency conversion fluke resulted in a +130 EUR cost for me, but by that point that was just a drop in the ocean.

Come prepared with latest exchange rates, be prepared to be told you'll be charged +2,50% to use any plastic card (credit OR debit), do your own math...

Be prepared for two full days with them at their offices and/or packers' premises. I spent 7 hours with the packers (Eastern had told me it would take 2-3 hours) and then 10 hours the next day at Eastern Cargo offices (they had said 4-5 hours) while the bike was customs cleared. As Indians, remember they're optimistic with time estimates.

Export Air (based near the Perth International Airport) were great. Tim Hawdon organised everything except crating, which I had done by the local KTM dealer (Causeway KTM - contact Ram Wertheim +61 8 9355 0500). Very professional service all round.

On the South African side Export Air had recommended that I use a company called U-bag (Contact: Justus Britz, Tel: +27 11 394 5411, based in Kempton Park, Jhb), ) to do the custom clearance for me. They too were great and there were no issues. It cost me R1000.00 (approx AUD$ 120.00) for the custom clearance services of U-Bag. I believe that U-Bag also deal with international motorcycle freighting out of Johannesburg.

I got this information by contacting the Malaysian HUBB Community. Assir is a great guy and a fellow biker.

just call him and he will take care of everything for you, first class service..

We needed to get two KLR's to Buenos Aires for February 2, 2010. Following a number of initial quotes for air shipments (some as high as $17,000.00CDN) we were forced to consider a sea shipment, although with a tight itinerary and concerns about potential delays and corruption on the docks in BA, this was not preferred.

Having seen a thread from a HUBB member in Calgary dealing with an air shipment with Hellmann, we gave them a call...

...the result - two KLR's in one crate 78""Lx48""Hx50""W (545KG with assorted gear tucked into the nooks) shipped overland from Toronto to Miami, and then by air from Miami to Buenos Aires arriving February 1, 2010.

The shipment leaves January 26, 2010, so we will update you on how it goes later on, but for now we can say Hellmann has been incredibly helpful, knowledgeable, professional and AFFORDABLE.

Total cost on the ground in Buenos Aires - $2910.00 CDN.