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Shipping bike from UK to USA - 1978 Montesa Cota 348


jimmyb74
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I moved to the USA on a 3 month work detail and here I am 20+ years later, married, kids, dogs, mortgage……but I left my love back in the UK. I am looking to be reunited with my beloved 1978 Montesa Cota 348. I would love this bike to be my next rebuild project. 
Does anyone have any bike shipping experience? 
This bike has been sitting for 30 years in a garage (it was not ridden the last few years of me being in the UK) should I dismantle it and ship part by part? Should I ship it complete? Can I get customers clearance without a title? 
I have had a couple of quotes that want to wrap the bike in bubble wrap and build a customized crate along with all those costs! 
Any and all advice and recommendations appreciated (I know I can hunt and buy one in the USA but they are not mine that I have owned for many years) 

Thanks in advance 

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I've got no recent experience with overseas shipping, but if you can break it down and crate it on a standard-sized pallet it should be much cheaper than shipping it whole; at least that is very much the case with road freight. Be sure to enlist a customs broker; your shipper may include this service but do make sure beforehand.

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Why not get it stripped down to big bits i.e. Engine and Frame then crate them up and find some space in a container heading your way. Probably cheaper than an expert export packer charging a small fortune.

Edited by Old Gezzer
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In terms of package size, if you can get someone to take the wheels out, bars off & maybe rear mudguard, then it makes a pretty compact box. That would then be fairly easy to find a space for in a container. I guess you’d need some kind of freight forwarder or similar to deal with the paperwork & customs side of things. Probably cheaper if you can get it ‘sent’ from here rather than arrange ‘collection’ from over there. A friend or family member this end would be handy !

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  • 1 year later...
 
 
 
On 4/17/2023 at 4:26 AM, biffsgasgas said:

Whole bikes broken down into two standard pallets is about 1000 usd one way with ups. 
 

--biff

Biff

Do you know anyone that could do the breakdown and packing in the UK? How long since you shipped via ups? I could do the $1000 transport 

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  • 6 months later...
38 minutes ago, gontierbat said:

It's heartwarming to hear about your plan to reunite with your beloved Montesa Cota 348 after all these years. Shipping a vintage bike can be a bit of a challenge, but it's doable.
As for the shipping, whether you should dismantle it or ship it completely depends on a few factors. Dismantling might offer more protection, but it can also be time-consuming and potentially cost more labor. Shipping it complete is simpler, but you'll need to ensure it's well-secured.

 

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