Vincent
Technical
Sections: -Serial
Numbers/Production-
Photo Gallery of Models - Brakes
- Engine
Overhaul - Vincent
Engines - Wheels/Fenders
- Instruments -
Transmission
- Clutch - Magneto
- Tank/Seat - Suspension
-
Tools - Norvin
-
Electrics-
Carburetors
- Misc - Links
-Vincent
Parts/Services Suppliers - Polishing/Cleaning
- Shipping Vincents-Electric
Starter - Paint/Transfers
Shipping
Vincent
Motorcycles
(Please send your
info/experiences
!!)
Enquired about shipping a Vincent twin
engine a
couple of months ago. About $540 plus cost of crate. West
coast to Manchester air freight, not a lot less by sea. The
complication regarding stating it is for repair and return is that
HMRC might check to see that it goes back.
The VAT is chargeable @ 20% of value Inc. shipping. The price you
have set on the valuation is between you and the sender, but be
sensible!..... do you have a mate/company that is vat registered to
absorb the vat? Neil 11/29/2011
Shipping back and forth:
I ship Goldstar flywheels back and forth across the pond pretty
regularly. I find the US Postal Service the most economical,
and have never lost one. (touching wood) I always get a quote from
UPS also, is usually about twice the USPS amount. If they will
be sent back to the US, always put on customs form "for repair
and return", that way your party won't have to pay a duty.
Stuart 11/28/2011
http://www.motorcycleexpress.com/
Jacqualine
Bickerstaff reports positive experience shipping from
Toronto to Gatwick in the UK.
I have
personal experience as my bike was shipped
from Sydney to London when I bought it, I made all the
arrangements
myself remote through Brian Moxham at CH Robinson,
C H Robinson
(UK) Ltd
Egham, Surrey
Tel : (0) 1784 228550
Fax : (0) 1784 228555
They are UK based but operate through a
network
of contacts worldwide - they arranged to have the bike collected
from
an
address in Sydney and crated and freighted by ship. Stuart
Metcalf
12/14/09
I just shipped a Comet from
Californina to WV
with www.haulbikes.com
after a couple not-so-fun experiences with discount
shippers.
Steve
Allen, a Ducati man at Bevelheaven, has arranged some sort
of
"favorable
terms" contract with them...so my recommendation is to call
to
check
rates and arrange shipping through him. Phone: (925)
798-2385
or E-mail: http://www.bevelheaven.com/
Since
motorcycle
shipping is HB's specialty, your bike is never transported with
any
other
type of freight. Your bike goes on its own custom form with soft
ties
and
6 tie-downs....no crating is necessary. My last "discount
shipper"
brought my Vincent shoved against a couple mattresses and a
refrigerator
in a ratty high cube van. HB also can handle custom trips/
tours
and shipping from auction houses. Their rates depend on whether
picked
up or delivered to a business or residence. Mine was billed
from
a business to a personal residence, although I like to meet them
to
pick
up a bike at either a big truck stop or local Wal-Mart parking
lot.
HB uses 53' tractor trailers....not handy in a small touristy town
with
many No Truck Turns signs. My no discount price was $638
coast to
coast. Jim 8/3/09
Update 12/14/09: Although Haul-Bikes is an excellent
shipper,
my latest experiences have not been so pleasant. 4 times
they
delayed
pick-up.. Now scheduled for almost 6 weks later than originally
promised
when I paid their dues. Seems once Any contractor gets your
credit
card number, they forget about you. Their work is
done. I
sense
an opportunity here for someone with a large truck and trailer
that
would
carry say...10 bikes to haul Vincents and other high dollar
Classics
around
the USA for $1000 or so and pick up and deliver on-time with
regular
phone
calls to keep customers up to date where they are in the
process..
Jim 12/14/09
After
6 delays in pickup date....Haul Bikes just wrote: "
As far
as the delays, it states clearly in our contract on page 2 that
we
are
not responsible and that the timeframes we give are
estimates."
In other words, pay no attention to their description of when
the bike
will be picked up and delivered. My take: Not good enough.
Freight Center: A
person wrote a harsh review of Freight Center which I posted and
the
company
wrote back 2 letters of policies and explanations. Make
your own
judgement on that company.
I just got my
two
Vincent
engines shipped by Berklay
and they did a great job. Dennis Klainberg handled it and it
came
from Mike White’s house near Toranto Canada to Texas. Mike
wanted
it shipped one day after he had them crated and ready. After
we
got
shipping arranged, Mike said they made contact with him, and they
were
there when he wanted them, had them loaded up and gone exactly
when he
wanted it. They shipped them to NYC for customs, then to me
where
I picked them up at the Dallas Fort Worth Airport. No
problems,
no
damage, easy to deal with, very reasonable prices (cheaper than I
could
have driven there!). The crates looked like they didn’t have
a
mark
on them. No damage to anything, and a great, quick
job.
Charlie
7/24/06
UK to USA:
I had the Comet shipped from north of London to New York City last
month.
The shipper arranged pick-up at the residence, crating, customs
and all
paperwork and I picked it up at the Port of Elizabeth in New
Jersey.
Total
cost was $2170 plus an additional $50 for lift loading at the
depot. I
was hoping to spend less, but would have had to be more involved
with
US
Customs, DEP, NHTSA, and the various other Homeland Security
issues
regarding
importation.
Berkley Carrier
800-254-4422
Denis
www.shipmybike.com
He's a fast talking New Yorker, and tough
to
pin
down, but he did take care of everything. Which is what I was
paying
for.
It took 5 weeks from start to pick-up.
John 5/17/05
UK to USA: If the motorcycle was
499cc or less, there is no customs duty. I shipped my Comet
from
UK to USA last year by air myself for 700 pounds sterling or about
$1300
US. It took 10 minutes in Customs in Denver - filled in a
form,
showed
some paper work and then went to the airline and picked it up.
Peter
5/17/05
Importing to the US:
I've
imported
a couple of bikes, one from Australia and another from the
UK. I did all the paper work, customs, etc. myself when they
arrived
and found it no problem. The biggest hurdle is the EPA junk
but
that
only applies if the bike was built after those regulations went into
effect
(I think 1975).
My experience has been that arranging with a shipper at the
departure
end is less expensive than working with someone in the US who in
turn
must
work with someone in the departure country. Everyone has to
make
a dime and in that case and the price increases. Larry
Carlson
5/17/05
I am having a Comet shipped
from London area to NYC as we
speak.
It
is a complete machine, and the shipping
broker is arranging all of the
pick-up,
crating, and documents for it to clear the UK and arrive, ready to
pick
up at the Port of Entry (in this case, Elizabeth, NJ).
Berklay Cargo Services
1-800-254 4422
www.Berklay.com
This is not the cheap way, if fact it is
bloody
expensive. But between the customs, and MOT in the UK and all of
the
other
paperwork, it probably is a wash with doing it myself.
John
3/12/05
Shipping a Petrol tank or other item to
Australia:
You can not use wood unless it's of the type approved by the
Australian
customs, which has been chemically treated to prevent any types of
insects
parasites plant life etc from hitching a ride. Even if you find a
sheet
of this stuff, then cut it up to size to build a box, they wont
accept
it because the freshly cut ends have not been chemically
treated.
Your options are then to have the whole box fumigated and
quarantined.
I would strongly recommend an oversize plastic or
Rubbermaid/Tupperware
'tote' container of some type. I know this because I went through
most
of these steps when shipping my Norton/Norvin chassis off to Aussie.
No
wood or wood product materials are accepted, unless it bears an
manufacturers
stamps saying it meets or exceeds the Aussie shipping
requirements.
In the end the plastic totes are about as much as building a proper
crate
from scratch. Marc 2/16/04
http://www.popupcrate.com/freight_pop-up_crate_standard.htm
10/24/03
Federal Allied:
800-747-4100
ask for Jackie x210. Federal ships all around the USA and
now
into
Canada. Vincent Twin, uncrated, door-to-door, private
parties at
each end, about $700 for 2800 miles. Bike is tied down onto a
special
pallet.
Good personalized tracking system with 24 hour advance warning of
delivery.
In Canada, you may want to get another estimate from a
second
local
associated Federal Allied agent as I have been quoted different
rates
even
though same parent company. jim 11/17/02.
Interesting option to building a shipping
crate.
http://www.popupcrate.com
Bruce 11/17/02
forwardair.com
is the website for Forward Air. They basically are a biker
friendly
trucking
company that will ship a crated Vincent and parts USA
coast-to-coast
in less than a week for approximately $100 per 100 pounds (about
$500
for
crated Vincent). They have 75 terminals in the US and Canada
near
major airports with good US coverage except for Montana, Nebraska,
the
Dakotas, and Idaho. Local Harley dealers seem a good source of
suitable
crates. You can start with a basic large crate from any bike
dealer
and reinforce it with plywood sides and top. If you are
sending
just
an engine or a large crate of parts, it is a good idea to start
with a
strong shipping pallet and build your crate attached to the
top...fork-lift
friendly and a strong non-twisting base. Also the pallet base is a
standard
shipping size. jim 4/16/02 ( updated 8/2009)
MotoTrans:
is a door-to-door shipper of uncrated motorcycles.
Rates
are
posted online at www.mototrans.com . Boston to Florida looks like
about
$400. jim 6/23/02
December of 2001 I had my
Norvin
with a spare engine and various other parts sent from Manchester,
England
to San Francisco. Initially I had called several companies from
California
trying to arrange shipping, but it was futile. For example,
Delta would have handled the job for a few
hundred
dollars, but their nearest agent is in London--not
Manchester--even
though
they have "partner" airlines and daily passenger service into
Manchester.
Likewise, Emery (theoretically) would have flown into Sacramento
for a
few hundred dollars--but could not be located at the Manchester
end at
all by Glyn .
Glyn finally used a freight
forwarder, EGL (Eagle Global
Logistics),
from Manchester via London Heathrow directly to SFO, arriving on
a
Virgin
cargo carrier. The bike was on a pallet with a separate
crate
containing
an engine and other bits for a combined weight of some
355Kg.
Glyn
prepaid £537 and I had to pay an additional $35(?), which
was 1/2
of the $70(?) due because they had lost the waybill. For
comparison
sake, Air Transat, which I had a really cheap rate from sending
the
bike
from Vancouver, BC to Manchester two years ago, wanted US$1100
back to
Vancouver and an additional US$800 to San Francisco.
My research established that most freight
carriers
have NO interest in non-commercial traffic--and as noted above,
can be
very
elusive even if you 'qualify' for their
services
(I have a company, and the bike was picked up at a commercial
site).
After my
experience, I suggest going through a
freight
forwarder. In the future I know I shall.
John
2/19/02
Hi there, I just noticed your
web
page and thought I should update and give you new information on
the
intra-Canada and Canada to USA/USA to Canada uncrated shipping service.
We at Allied Mont Bruno/Lakeshore are the company that has this
specialized
service. We are affiliated to Allied, as is Federal, except that
they
service
within the USA only. Heidi Stewart is our Canadian Operations
manager.
We are the official carrier of the HOG group, among many others.
Dave
Urman.
Local Phone: 514-336-1212 and toll free Phone: 877-336-1212.
E-mail:
www.brunolake.com/moto.htm 8/23/01
Crating:
When I shipped my bike to England for the International, I used
Air
Canada
out of Toronto. They shipped it in and out of Heathrow. They
strapped
they
bike onto a pallet going over to England. Coming back, they put it
in a
small container just large enough for the bike. I found their
service
excellent.
Maybe Air Canada can arrange flying in and out of Heathrow also
for you
Limey guys in 2003! Their charge was about $550 American.
Tom
8/23/01
It has been my experience in
shipping
from the US to the UK and back that a "crate"
has different definitions. The shipping companies I have dealt
with
accept
a pallet, as it can be easily lifted by a fork truck. In the US I
found
Harley dealers willingly give you pallets, while in the UK they
told
me,
"Oh, they're quite difficult to build matey, so we'll have to sell
it
to
you." The Harley dealers also have, literally, hundreds of
tie-downs
on hand they have received from the factory. After putting
the
bike
on a pallet it is not a bad idea to wrap it in clear plastic,
cheap and
effective. Carl 8/22/01
None of the companies I have spoken with would
consider
that a "crate".
Some (not all) will ship on a pallet as you described, but it is
considerably
more expensive (and risky) owing to the much-increased possibility
of
damage.
When you are told (as I have been more than once) that the crate
must
enclose
the motorcycle and that it not be visible, a pallet and plastic
wrap is
NOT satisfactory. I can tell you that my bike would NOT have
been
allowed to leave the UK as you described. Furthermore, when
I
shipped
my bike to Oregon and back for the National this year I was
explicitly
told that it had to be crated and the crate had to be either metal
or
plywood
covered, top, bottom, and sides. Along with that, it cost me
a
total
of $440 round trip - a much better price than the $700 or so to
ship it
uncrated ("palletized") one way. David
8/22/01
Try Geologisitics
they are accustomed to "particular" shipping requirements. I
manage
the logisitcs of touring productions which add up to about a
quantity
43-
53' tractor trailers. They've moved time sensitive, delicate goods
for
our company numerous times from the UK, Europe, Asia, to and from
the
U.S
and Canada. They also provide brokerage services and they can deal
with
crating should it be required. You can ship by plane, or boat and
you
can
trust your Vincent to them. www.geologistics.com
Marc
8/22/01
I have some experience in
international Vincent shipping:
twice
round trip to the UK from the US (1983, 1999), twice one way from
the
UK
to the US (1983, 2000). Most recent RT was for the
International
in the IOM. It has been my experience that it WILL be
expensive,
but it is quite possible to do what you wish. I don't know
about
other airlines, but Lufthansa will ship uncrated bikes to and from
London
to the US East Coast. I think they probably have a flight
from LA
to London over the
Pole that would do for you. You can
check
their schedule and see. There are aslo several US firms that
advertise
uncrated international shipping, and you can check www.the
vincent.com
(go to shipping) for some of them.
What you will also need is a customs broker
at
each end to handle all the details. It can be done without
one,
but
(especially for foreigner) it would be easier and a wise
investment to
hire one. Get your freight forwarder in the UK to
recommend one
in
both your ports of entry and departure. I can provide a
recommendation
for a shipper at Heathrow whom I used with very satisfactory
results to
send my Norvin from London to Maryland. It is better to
use a
crate,
but that would be very difficult on the return unless you
shipped your
crqate to your port of exit and then paid to have it
stored. Your
Customs Broker can figure
it out and tell you the costs and
options.
You can get a crate in the UK for very little from your local
Suzuki
shop
(my last one cost two pints) and then discard it on your arrival
by
paying
for disposal (about $20).
My experience with Canadian imports is old
and
may be outdated - but the authorities required a substantial
refundable
cash bond to bring a bike in by ship or air. They wanted
to
guarantee
that it would not be sold. When I left the country I applied to
get the
money back, and did. To my knowledge the US requires no
such
bond,
but I think does require EPA and DOT certifications even
though
you
will be exempt from them.
For the international round trip from
Dulles
(Virginia)
to London and then by truck to Manchester it cost me about $1800
round
trip. But the bike had to be crated to go from London to
Manchester
and back. It did not need to be crated for the trip to
London.
David 8/22/01
Hi Jim:
We're www.motoship.com and
www.motorcycleshipping.com,
specializing in international
shipments
of motorcycles ,
since 1965. We ship a Vincent here and
there every so often; we move a few this summer to the
Isle of
Mann
for some folks,
and we've shipped for the Guggenheim
Museum's
"Art of the Motorcycle" exhibit. Hoping we can help your
constituents,
esp. to and from Europe, Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, etc.
At your service,
Dennis Berklay
www.shipmybike.com
www.motoship.com
8/13/01
http://www.micapeak.com/~marcl/pages/shipbike.html
Good
info on experiences
For International Shipping: AG
Logistics
Joel
Kebuti
is John Ulver's contact and can be reached via email at:
joel@aglogistics.ca
Motorcycle Express
International Uncrated Airfreight to Europe,
Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
1-800-245-8726
516-682-9220
E-Mail: info@motorcycleexpress.com
Firstly there is a Motorcycle Yellow Pages at
www.micapeak.com
that mentions some shipping outfits. I have shipped bikes
using a
company called Federal Allied
with great success. This within the US, uncrated. Shipping
is
broken
into two prices, one 750cc and over, one under that. A
Spokane to
Atlanta movement of my Guzzi 1100Sport was somewhere in the range
of
$500.
Very reasonable, I thought, especially as it included $5000. in
insurance.
I know for a fact that they move 10-15K bikes during the weeks of
bikeweek
in Daytona, most of these owned by prickly HD types, so they
are
used to the complaints and therefore very careful. The specifics
are as
follows: Federal/Allied 800- 747-
4100 (ask
for Jackie x210 - updated contact 11/17/02)
Glenn
02/02/01
Hi Jim:
Noticed your desire to do a shipping page
for
bikes. I have shipped bikes four times: twice round trip
from US
to UK, twice one way from the UK to US. Never within the
US.
The round trips were in 1983 and 1999, both by air. The first
was to
carry
the bike as excess baggage out of Vancouver BC to
Manchester. It
worked very well, but the airline that did it (CPAir) is now out
of
business.
The second was by Lufthansa
out of Dulles to London and then by truck in bond to
Manchester.
In neither case was there a problem. However, it was very
expensive
in 1999 ($1800US) partly because I used a customs broker at each
end.
It can be done without a broker's help, but I did not and do not
feel
comfortable
without one. The paper work is pretty complicated. The
bottom
line
is that you can use any airline that will carry the bike, but
the
freight
forwarder knows all kinds of information that will make things
go more
smoothly. There are lots of requirements, some of them not so
obvious -
for instance, a motorcycle, even with the gas tank drained and
the
battery
disconnected, is a hazardous shipment.
The two bikes shipped one-way were both
imported
to the US, so they were more complicated than the round trip
ones,
because
they had to satisfy the EPA/DOT requirements plus customs duties
etc.
Within the US should be easier but not
necessarily
less expensive. You may still have crating problems. A
Suzuki
(large displacement) steel-frame crate fits a Vincent perfectly,
and
can
be obtained for practically nothing from your local m/c dealer
who will
be happy to get get rid of it. David
02/01/01
Return to:
thevincent.com