My experience, which is ongoing, was very different
from yours in most respects. I shipped a KLR to
Germany last fall via World Motorcycle Tours
(
http://www.gate.net/~bikeship/), drove it around
Europe and North Africa for several months, left in in
the care of someone I met on this website, and will
return for more riding this summer. I had absolutely
no trouble with any of it, excepting only the hour and
a half it took to clear German customs. Shipping was
by Lufthansa, with no disassembly or draining of
fluids required. I even left my panniers and topbox
attached and filled with tools, riding gear and other
stuff.
I did buy European "green card" insurance from
Knopftours (
http://www.knopftours.com/), and this cost
$300 for 4 months, or somewhat more than what you
paid. This doesn't seem unreasonable to me
considering the ease with which I was able to do it
(send a checkin US dollars, receive all necessary
paperwork in the mail a week or two later), though I
understand that there are cheaper options.
Shipping back to the States is more expensive than
shipping to Europe, but I plan to use Knoptours for
this as well, since they have a container going to
Florida each winter. This will be by boat rather than
air, therefore much slower....but then again, it'll be
mid-winter. I just contacted Stephen Knopf about the
cost: 750 Euros, or about $1100. I've not met him but
I heard only good things about his operation from
other riders in Europe.
I don't know whether France is significantly different
from Germany, but I cannot fathom why you had so much
trouble and I did not. I am also perplexed at the
prices you're quoting for shipping to the States.
Motorcycle Transport will ship that direction by air
for about $2200, but you can also make your own
arrangements with Lufthansa. I found them generally
efficient and professional on the European side,
though somewhat confused and amateurish in New York.
I did look into rentals, but found these either
affordable but severely limited (bikes which could not
leave Bulgaria, for example) or horrifyingly expensive
(in the thousands of dollars per month, with insurance
additional. I also wouldn't have been able to ride
through Morocco, which was a real highlight.
If you're not already doing so, you might want to
track discussions of this and similar issues on
Horizons Unlimited.
Enjoy!
Mark
Posted by: "Gregory Caruso" illartein1@...
illartein1
Sun Apr 13, 2008 11:19 am (PDT)
Hi all,
Just a quick note on an experience I had. On July 29,
2007 I retired, thought I would take a nice well
earned vacation in France. Shipped the bike over and
when I arrived in France due to all the changes in
government etc I could not ride it until I met all the
requirements . Different laws applied to foreign
vehicles imported into France. One you have to have a
letter of conformity from a Kawasaki Corporation out
of Paris, France they would not respond to my calls.
So, went to local Kawasaki dealerships 3 to be exact.
They all said the paper had to come from Paris. But,
they wouldn't make a call.
Then the insurance cost was astronomical 406 Euros a
year $635.00USD.
The countryside and mountain trails are unbelievable
and I could go on and on. But, the beaureacy sucks.
The first of the year when the new president changed a
lot of different laws it included importing vehicles
from overseas.
The shippers wanted anywhere from $4,700 to $7,800 USD
to get it back to the states.
I really like the bike and hated to part with it but,
I have a close friend who lives in the mountains away
from all the Police etc. I gave it to him providing
his wife will also accept it.
Shipping it back was just not cost effective. I will
probably purchase another when I return.
So, don't make the same mistake I did. Try to rent a
bike in Europe if you can find a place that will rent
to foreigners.
Greg
2006-Red KLR650
____________________________________________________________________________________
Be a better friend, newshound, and
know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now.
http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ