Guzzi Days and any experience flying with a bike?

[Jeff Buick]

Hey group,
I am fairly committed to attending the Guzzi Days in Mandello this September for the delayed 100th anniversary as long as Covid allows for it.  Anyone else going?  I have been to the factory once before (for the one hour it was open) but the allure of possibly hearing some of the race bikes started up in person is too much to ignore!  My plans are very loose at the moment but I really want to make it happen!

And... if I'm going to be in Italy I may as well look around for 2-wheeled souvenir to bring home.  I've emailed a couple of places about possible crating/shipping estimates but got quotes of +3000 Euro, which seems really high!  I think I have heard that some people have made arrangements with their airline to bring a bike to the airport uncrated and they can strap it down on a pallet as cargo.  Does anyone have experience doing this?  If so, how did you arrange it and roughly how much did it cost one-way?

Guzzi obsessed,
Jeff Buick
Detroit, MI  

[Alan Scott]

I too was thinking about going to this year‘s open house. I was at the open house in 2017 and really great time.

I also thought of purchasing a bike there, riding it to the event and then bringing it home. It turns out in 2019 I found a beautiful silver Airone that I purchased near Florence. I flew there to meet the seller and see the bike and he started making arrangements to ship it to me in the states. He ended up finding a shipper near Livorno where he was able to create it up and ship it to me. It did go through the Panama Canal and arrived in Los Angeles where I had to pick it up. The price was about $2500 and it went very smoothly. Getting it registered here in the states took a bit of time but eventually I got that done too.

I was planning to go last year to the factory but all those plans were canceled. I really would like to go this year but my buddy who I went with is no longer available to go. If you’re interested or planning a trip I would definitely be interested in going. Purchase a couple old motorcycles ride them to the factory and then bring them home. It’s the best souvenir you could probably get.

Alan Scott
Waco Texas

> On Mar 11, 2022, at 8:27 AM, Jeff Buick <jeff...@comcast.net> wrote:
>

[Rick Yamane]

When I’ve imported bikes in the past I asked the seller to break them down and box/crate everything as used motorcycle parts. The main thing is the engine and frame need to be in separate boxes.

 

Rick

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[Dave Knaack]

I’m in the middle of importing a bike from the UK  door to door I’m paying £1625 plus £200 for insurance. Bike is 3hr from London and I’m in Wisconsin.  

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On Mar 11, 2022, at 6:19 PM, 'Rick Yamane' via Guzzi Singles <guzzi-...@googlegroups.com> wrote:



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[Patrick Hughes]

Jeff

I will be riding there fron the UK with my son. My son will be on a 94 Cali 1100i and I will be on my Falcone. 850 miles to do over 3 days. May be but sore by the end but an adventure.

Regards Patrick Hughes

Harmill Systems Ltd.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.

[Rick Yamane]

Nice ride Patrick! Have fun.

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From: guzzi-...@googlegroups.com <guzzi-...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Patrick Hughes <patrick...@harmill.co.uk>
Sent: Friday, March 11, 2022 5:34:36 PM
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Subject: RE: [guzzi-singles] Guzzi Days and any experience flying with a bike?

 

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[Jeff Buick]

Hi Alan,

When you picked the bike up in Los Angeles were there import taxes/fees that you had to pay or was that part of the $2500 or something you had to pay when you registered the bike?  I've never imported a vehicle before so I'm not sure what to expect to pay upon pickup of the bike from the shipper.  I'm not worried about registering the bike in Michigan because it's pretty easy to do that part.  

I'll keep you posted on my plans for Guzzi Days as they develop.  It would be fun to meet up with some other people from this list!

Best regards,

Jeff Buick

[Jeff Buick]

Hi Rick,

Did breaking the engine and frame apart save on the actual shipping costs or does it reduce the import fees somehow?  

Thanks!

Jeff

[guzz...@aol.com]

when the PO of my SA got it shipped here to the states boxed up in pieces it was labeled as furniture ,,,,,,,,, you be the judge ,,,,,,,,,, I'm sure there are lots of stories like that out there

Tim

https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/guzzi-singles/f40c693b-2584-4aca-ae15-44b97fd9cab4n%40googlegroups.com

.

[Alan Scott]

Hi Jeff, 

there were several different fees they went into the $2500 price. I can check my paperwork but if memory serves, The actual shipping cost was about 600 to 800 € and then there were creating fees. And I think there was some type of exit tax from Italy. He had to surrender all his paperwork there but he emailed me copies of everything. Filling out the export paperwork in Italy became very important because all the information had to be filled out correctly.

I then had to pay an import agent in Los Angeles. I remember that being $800 or so. They handled all the paperwork so it would be processed through customs properly. (Or maybe that was somebody just collecting $800 to fill out a piece of paper but I do remember being advised to hire an agent and I have to say, it was very smooth with their help)

 I was living in California at the time so picking it up in LA was not a big deal. When I went to pick it up from U.S. Customs storage, I had to pay $150 as their “release fee”. 

Alan Scott

On Mar 13, 2022, at 12:17 PM, guzzigal via Guzzi Singles <guzzi-...@googlegroups.com> wrote:



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[Jim Carey]

I have flown a bike (BMW K1600 GTL) to / from Europe the summer before Covid. In Canada the major international carriers (Air Canada / West Jet and Air Transit) will fly a bike in a wide body jet for about $1200 CDN each way. There is no crate, the bike is ratchet strapped to a 'cooke sheet' a flat aluminum pallet. No damage, these guys know what theyare doing. The battery needs to be disconnected and the fuel is to be 1/4 max. I was able to keep the side cases and top box full with my riding gear / helmets etc. I had to take the bike to the airport 24 hours before my flight left. I went with Air Transit (Calgary) on the way there (Amsterdam) and WestJet on the way home (Paris to Calgary). I booked the dates to/from about six months in advance. AirCanada has a very easy to use program and will fly to many destinations overseas and you can fly in to one location and out at another. Most of these fly/ride programs run from late May to early September. I chose Westjet for the return flight because their motorcycle cargo cut off for the year was October 22. You don't have to be on the same flight as your bike, I was not on either direction. There was a screw up on the departure and there was a shortage of cargo on the planned flight so Air Transit sent the bike to Paris instead of Amsterdam and then rushed it by enclosed truck to Amsterdam and it still got to the termianl before I did on the flight the next day! Getting out of Paris was a bit of a headache, the freight office was miles from the freight terminal and the French can make paper work a bit of a chore. If possible I would fly back from Rome or Amsterdam.

You need proof of ownership, proof of current registration but the air carriers web site will direct you. I am not sure if similar programs exist in the USA. The Euro flights from Canada leave from Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Montreal. Anywhere the airline flies on a wide body will take the bike. I am thinking about flying my 1972 Eldorado to Italy this summer ad perhaps selling it over there and coming home with a GTV or similar. You need to purchase Euro international insurance in advance (green card) and depending on which countries you travel to you may need to buy additional insurance. The Green card does not cover some former eastern block countries or Turkey but you buy insurance at the border of those countries.

[SED Sci]

That is a great explanation.  I've met a guy from Vancouver that did the same.  

It would be fun to fly my GTV back to Mandello and ride up and over Spluga and San Marco.  What a fantasy!  Would need to do a more mechanical work and make some $$$ first! ;)