ThreeDawg
Registered user
It's definitely tricky out there. We were due two bikes shipped to Capetown in late Sptember or early October and they got bumped off the ship at the last minute. Just as well as said ship arrived in Capetown a month late! Bikes were then put on a plane (what we'd normally do, but prices were a bit silly at the time, to say the least), one was delayed for about 10 or 12 days on the way, while the other was sent to Johannesburg and had to be trucked to Capetown arriving three or four days late. The bikes are still in Capetown waiting for a ship seven weeks after we arrived home - of course Xmas got in the way, but bad weather has caused many hold ups at the port, and there have been covid related problems as well. This is all highly unusual - shipping normally goes pretty smoothly, but at the moment it's all over the place. Send your bikes early and pay for storage if necessary!
For any trip of over 4 weeks I'd always ship - it's at that point you normally break even (we once shipped to New Zealand and broke even at around the fortnight mark - bike was there for two months touring - worked out at about £26 per day ), and it is so much better having your own bike and not being terrified of damaging a rental, and having your familiar machine set up the way you want it, decent shocks, footpegs, seat etc. as well as your own luggage is well worth it IMHO.
For any trip of over 4 weeks I'd always ship - it's at that point you normally break even (we once shipped to New Zealand and broke even at around the fortnight mark - bike was there for two months touring - worked out at about £26 per day ), and it is so much better having your own bike and not being terrified of damaging a rental, and having your familiar machine set up the way you want it, decent shocks, footpegs, seat etc. as well as your own luggage is well worth it IMHO.