9th June 2009 – Should I use my own bike, or rent one?

This turned out to be a really easy decision, based mainly on the cost of renting versus the cost of shipping my own bike to the USA.

I used the Internet to find a company that ships motorbikes to / from the USA and I found Dynamic International (www.dontpanic-calldynamic.com). I spoke to Chris Merson who works there and he was very helpful indeed. Soon Chris provided me with a quote for £2,200 (incl VAT) for collecting my Harley-Davidson Road King, crating it, shipping it to New York and back. The price also includes for UK export formalities, ocean freight, import clearance and transfer to the bonded warehouse in New York. Plus, the price also includes for return journey costs including export charges to the UK, re-packing, inclusive of customs clearance and arrival fees at Liverpool Port.

Compare that cost for shipping against a rental day rate of about $135 per day (roughly £85 per day) and a simple calculation shows that to rent a motorbike for any longer than about 25 days means it would be cheaper to ship my own bike. As I would be on the tour of the USA for about 120 days, it was a simple decision to make. As well as being far cheaper, shipping meant that I could use my own bike which I would prefer to do anyway!