Shipping a motorcycle to South America
Reader Matt Caggiano posted this question:
I'm trying to find a reasonable price to air freight my KLR650 from Phoenix AZ to Buenos Aires, Argentina. I was hoping you may have some contacts that can help. I have a Sabbatical from work that starts at the end of February. My plan is to ship my motorcycle to Buenos Aires and then ride home. If I do it right, I'll end the trip at the expo :-)
Thanks so much for any info you can provide!
We surveyed several of our most well-traveled motorcycle correspondents and came up with some possibilities for Matt.
From Alison DeLapp, who's ridden from the U.S. to Ushuaia (alisonswanderland.com):
Javier with Dakar Motos in Buenos Aires is the best, when arranging shipping from BA. Maybe he can help arrange things in reverse for Matt. Dakar Motos
From Ken and Carol Duval (twice around the world on their R80 G/S and still going!):
Greetings from Valle de Bravo, Mexico. We have not used this route but can recommend the shipping section of the Horizons Unlimited site for help: Shipping.
To find a shipping agent we usually just use Yellow Pages or the Internet. Another more direct approach is to ask the airline you intend to fly on if they take cargo like a crated motorcycle. A Dangerous Goods Declaration is required, and the smaller the crate the less you pay, since they charge by volumetric weight. It's always nice to arrive with your bike on the same plane. We have enjoyed this experience a couple of times and it sure takes the stress out of running around a new city trying to get things done.
Ben Slavin, of Motorcycle Mexico, seconded Alison's suggestion about Dakar Motos, and added:
The other option is to buy a bike in Argentina. There are tons of people finishing their trip in Argentina, lots looking to sell their bikes. This thread on ADVrider has bikes for sale in Latin America.
And finally, from Carla King (carlaking.com):
UShip, a crowdsourcing site that reaches professional transport companies and people with pickups, suggests prices and lists your offer in an auction. I was looking to transport a bike I kinda wanted in Texas, but I didn't end up buying it. Still, I had a few good responses, including one individual who regularly traveled between Texas and California in his pickup. He had a great reputation according to reviews on the UShip site. He'd transported motorcycles and boats and boxes of stuff for people, the price was right, and our communication was professional and straightforward. The site had been recommended to me by a friend who has used it, and I liked the experience and would use it again.
