Hello all,

I'm currently in Kathmandu to arrange the shipping to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia since i'm not going through Myanmar/Thailand anymore.
After that I go by ferry to Indonesia and ship from Timor-Leste to Australia.

This is the first time I'll be shipping the bike and I have some questions about it.
- Do my original papers (CPD, Registration) have to stay with the bike?
- Do my sidecases on the bike have to be unlocked and empty?

I know I need motorcycle insurance in Malaysia, and it's possible to get it online but does somebody know from experience a reliable and cheap insurance company for the bike? And maybe Indonesia aswell?

There are a couple of ferries between Malaysia and Indonesia, do they all have the capabilities to bring a motorcycle across and how is the border checkpost?

Shipping Malaysia to Indonesia - there seem to be at least 3 options - but note that there are not any vehicle ferries Malaysia to Sumatra.

1. Mr Lims Onions boat from Penang to Belawan (near Medan) The classical way to do it. Mr Lim has shipped hundreds of bikes on this stretch and knows what he is doing. You have to hand over the bike to him on a wednesday, ship will sail on saturday and will arrive on sunday and you can pick up your bike on monday. You will have to fly over yourself but there are usually dirt cheap flights Penang - Medan.

2. Passenger Ferry, Port Klang to Tanjung Balai - but it is reported that very wide bikes such as BMWs boxers doesnt fit through the entrance door to the passenger ferry, smaller bikes should be fine. The good thing is that you can go along on the passenger ferry yourself.

3. There is supposed to be a roro ferry from Port Klang to Kuching or Kota Kinabalu (Borneo) - but Im not updated on this option.

Insurance for Indonesia - never heard that anyone was able to get that.

Insurance for Malaysia - I had a very hard time trying to find this when I ride through there and I have since heard the same from others. If you can get something online - just take it is my advice.

Get a 60 day visa for Indonesia if you can - I think its called a "social visa" (which can be extended 4 times of 30 days each) instead of a tourist visa of 30 days that can only be extended one time of 30 days. A visa extension in Indo is a painstakingly slow and formal thing (you sill need an indonesian sponsor) And Indonesia is really amazing but slow due to horribly tight traffic and bad and narrow roads - thus you will need time there.

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In the end everything will be fine. If its not fine its not the end....

Thanks for the reply! It's good to know about the onion boat, option 2 is not possible cause mine is a big bike.

I can find insurance companies online but it costs a lot of money..
Would it be fine to drive through these countries without? Or is the police quite strict?
So far I didn't have a motorcycle insurance since Iran cause all the countries afterwards don't really seem to care.

I was riding around in Malaysia for a good month and was never stopped by the police but I have certainly heard about others that have been stopped and asked for papers such as insurance.
In Indonesia I rode around for 3,5 months and was never stopped by the police either.

For the passenger ferry Port Klang - Tanjung Balai I have no personal experience as I used Mr Lims onionboat but from what I have readand heard its only the BMW boxers that dont fit through that door. Other bikes even though big should be able to go through.

__________________
In the end everything will be fine. If its not fine its not the end....

It's a bmw r1200gs