Quote:
Originally Posted by
josephau
hi Jmo, enjoy! Curious, do you have a taller windshield? If so, how do you find it? Also, which airline that you flew with you bike? And if don't mind me asking, how much it costs? And how do you deal with the license plate registration? Happy travel.
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Hi Josephau - the windshield is actually the standard one, it just looks tall in that wide-angle photo perhaps? I must say, I do get a bit of wind noise with the standard screen, although I'm not sure the taller one would help? I need to tape on a piece of cardboard and check before I order one...
The airline depends on the shipping agent, and the best price they can get at the time, depending on route etc. this time my bike went direct to Vegas on a Virgin flight, when I brought my XR back last year it went via Phoenix on a BA flight.
The agent I used in the UK was Air&Cargo based in Manchester (my nearest major airport that flies to the US), and the cost was a little more than last time - all taxes and customs clearance paid, it was $1800, so the best part of �1000... which sounds obscene (especially when I brought the XR back for around �700 last year, but that is due in no small part to exchange rates and fuel price increases unfortunately).
However, to put it in perspective - if you take the return ferry from UK-Bilbao and Tarifa-Tanger on a jaunt to Morocco it will cost you at least �500 before you factor in fuel, tyre wear and accommodation/food costs... so it's actually not bad for shipping your bike with the minimum of hassle half way round the world? And hey, this is
America for goodness sake! - land of canyons and mountains and deserts and motels, and petrol at �1.50 a
gallon!
Certainly if you are staying here for any length of time, renting a bike would be that per month, and you'd be limited on where you can ride it... and hey, it's kinda cool having the only Tenere in the States xx
As for paperwork, since it's come in as a 'tourist' vehicle, there is no need to register it - Progressive.com insure foreign vehicles (it is insured on the VIN, not registration number anyway) and non-us licence holders - in fact my insurance this time was less than my US registered XR650R last year! Then you can just hit the road!
xxx