Top 10 tips for taking your bike to America
Mexico, before riding due east through Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama. It was interesting down here and very different to other parts of America we’d seen. It was a much tougher existence for the people who lived here and we saw lots of abandoned buildings and even abandoned towns. We stayed in one motel where the owner told us that on average they only get one overseas visitor per year, so we were well off the tourist trail.
Having ridden up the stunning Blue Ridge Parkway (a 460 mile recreational road along the Appalachian Mountains) and taken a quick detour through Washington DC it was time to end the trip in New York, leaving the bike with the shipping company ready for the long boat ride home, which from beginning to end takes approximately six weeks.
In total we clocked up 6000 miles and while not the cheapest of bike trips it was definitely cheaper than a big wedding back in England. It was also good to get out there on the road and make our own judgement about people and places.
A motorbike will always be the best tool for that. Whether my new wife is as keen for another 6000 miles on the back of bike I’m not so uncertain. 1. It’s easier to get your bike serviced before going but it’s easy enough to book one in with a dealer over in the States. 2. Make sure to apply for a Non-resident Temporary Importation Approval from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) six weeks before departure. These are free and the only documents you need. 3. Be sure to get insurance for your bike. Some have found success with Progressive (an American insurer). I’ve always used Motorcycle Express insurance cover, costing £300 for two months. 4. Take tools to repair roadside
punctures. 5. While the bike can fly with fluids in it (less than quarter tank of petrol advised) you can’t take any sealed containers of oil or other flammable liquids. 6. Flying a bike is more expensive than boating it, but is an easier and quicker process, with a guaranteed arrival date, hence why many people fly in, boat out. 7. Using a cargo agent such as James Cargo, Motofreight or Shippio, takes away all the stress. You deliver the bike to them in England. They then pallet it, secure it and load it. Next time you see your bike is in the States. 8. Your bike can stay in America for up to a year as a temporary import, but technically you’re supposed to remain with it. 9. Rent a bike if your trip’s less than two weeks. Consider buying a bike out there if your trip’s any longer than a month to six weeks. But this does require help in America to register it. 10.Try not to overpack the bike before departure. Once there you’ll always need to make extra space for things you’ve forgotten or want to buy.