Hi,

has anyone good or bad experiences in shipping a bike via plane in/on a pallet versus shipping the bike in a crate?

What to do? What is better? What is worse?
Of course normally on a pallet, you don't have to dismantle the front wheel or the windshield, but is'nt a crate a safer place for the bike?

And what about storing some stuff in the cases? Is this safe or eventually not allowed and you get some trouble at the customs?

It seems very hard to get some concrete infos (perhaps the aren't), so if someone has som experiences, let us know.

Eva and Thomas

I built my own crate when I brought a bike back from the USA 18 months ago.

I used two pallet bases (one cut down to 2/3rds) joined together, and attached four eyelets to hook the lashing straps to (plus some blocks of 2x2inch wood nailed to base to act as wheel chocks.

It could have travelled like that I imagine, however, I then built a simple framework out of 2x2 wood and nailed thin (3 ply) plywood to the sides and a lid, making a much stronger and more secure container.

I was also able to put my camping equipment and a box of spare parts in there (along with my riding gear) - and included an itemized list of what the crate contained.

One thing to consider is that airlines are likely to want to inspect the bike - that the fuel tank is drained and the battery disconnected - so it is best to leave the lid (or one side) of the crate unsecured until that check has been made.

For my most recent trip however, I was fortunate to get a shipping crate from my dealer (Yamaha) that was basically a pallet base with two slots for the wheels to drop in. You roll the bike on, and lash it down. Then (in this instance remove the bars and screen) the sides of the crate are actually three-layer cardboard that drops over the bike and locates on the edge of the pallet - the lid is another cardboard sheet that is supported by a couple of metal rods across the top of the cardboard sides...





The thin lid is really only to protect the bike from dirt/dust, however, the three layer sides are actually strong enough to stack these crates four high! - I saw them in the warehouse when I picked the bike up!

Hope that gives you some ideas...

Jenny xx

Hi Oberfoerster, please put your bike on a pallet, strap it down, and build a crate around it yourself, or at least under your supervision. I had my front brake line broken off by non-mechanics removing the front mudguard in Goa, and although my bike was packed in bubble plastic it was still loose in the crate, and there was some damage. I believed the 'spiel' from the Lynn Movers and Packers, which has caused me some grief since, however, their paperwork was perfect, and they did keep to the agreed timescale, which in India is almost miraculous.
Stuffing all your gear into the crate is a bonus, very useful, but can cause a raised eyebrow at customs, but thats all. They have X-rays and dogs, so you probably won't have to unpack everything.
Good luck, sending a bike off like this is always chancy, there is no standard routine, every company is different.
Peter, in Oslo

I did it both ways on my last trip, as it depends on the requirements for the airline company. My first leg was from Brisbane to Bangkok, which was palette. I had no problems at all. I did however take off all the items which could easily be removed or damaged and keep it with my luggage.

The second time was when I went from Cambodia to Korea, I had to create it. I probably could have stored my stuff with the bike but I wasn't going to risk it. I did however managed to smuggle my brand new battery I wasn't allowed to take.

So there are both plus and minus. I actually prefer the pallet as I did not have to get help to dismantle it and then get rid of it.

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