First, I wanna support the guys who mentioned travel during winter. The winter here is plenty hot enough to seem like summer for most people. Second, you are likely going overkill with the fuel & water supplies and the 2wd sidecar rig. I've traveled a good portion of the country on a Z750, i.e standard road bike with 300km fuel range, no problem. As impressive as the outback looks on National Geographic, it has plenty of petrol and supplies. You really have to go far off the beaten track to need the kind of supplies you mentioned...

This is what it cost me in "06

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/tri...eryResults.php

Glen

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Feb 2014, currently travelling the America's on a Tiger 800XC

Live every day like it's your last, one day you'll get it right!!!

Not sure if any of this helps anyone perusing this thread but here is a bit of stuff I went through to import my KLR650 into Australia last August. I couldn't sell it in the the US or Canada (it was European Bike, so not allowed to import it to sell it) so decided to ship it to Australia
I will eventually get around to filling out a shipping report but for now...

Shipping Company
Pacific Overseas Forwarding Company (Vancouver)
Contact: Worick (Rick) Garrison - very helpful and friendly (He left me store my bike in their warehouse for 3 weeks while I waited to get my Import Approval)
email: rick@pacificoverseas.ca
Cost: LCL OCean Freight at 302kg 3.12m3 $591US
Crating: $250US (I sold it Melbourne for $100 - probably could have got a bit more if I'd pushed it)
Documentation $100US
Customs Declaration $30US

All went well until I had to deal with Toll Shipping at this end, who weren't bad, just clueless.

Mine was a permanent import which I applied for through DOTAR for $50AUD
At this end, I then got hit with another bunch of fees
Sea Cargo Automation Fee $22
CMR Compliance Fee re Australian Customs Service $27.50AUD
Port Security Fee $11.00AUD
Destination Port Services Charges $291.72AUD
Destination Terminal Handling Charges $68.64AUD
Delivery Order Fee $60.50

Quarantine cost me $104.00AUD
Somehow I got away without having to get the bike steam cleaned (I had washed it prior to shipping), which apparently is usual, purely for the fact that it is a second hand bike.

Customs cost me $445.79AUD. I believe this is worked out on the purchase price of the bike plus the shipping charges. I can't find the paperwork at the moment to give a break down of costs.

The guys at the Customs and Quarantine building in the Docklands Melbourne were incredibly helpful and friendly, so don't bother getting anyone to do the paperwork for you (Toll quoted to clear it for me and had I've not done it myself, it would have cost me near on another $700AUD) as the guys are more than happy to help first timers through the forms. Or if you get stuck, I don't mind helping.

If anyone imports to Melbourne, be warned, take cash with you to pick it up from the wharf. I got caught $5 short but luckily the guy let me off otherwise it would have been a $17 cab fare back into town to a cash machine, and another $17 back to pick the bike up.

If anyone wants more info on permanently importing a motorbike i.e. what's involved and costs (For Victoria anyways) and who to do your Engineering report (Making sure it complies to Australian Standards) PM me.

Michelle

Just curious, seekeronsaltspringisland, did this trip happen?

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Wrong way to Kathmandu - A Sidecar Misadventure