I'm thinking about a motorcycle tour in New Mexico next year as I've never really seen any part of it other than I-10. That said, for reasons I want to take my own m/c rather than getting used to a rental on unfamiliar roads with my wife on the back of the bike. I'm also not keen on burning up valuable vacation time riding out there and back, so I figured we'll get the bike and gear shipped to Albuquerque or Santa Fe and basically meet the bike there, then reverse the process at the end of the trip.
So far, so good. But ... I have no idea where I would ship the bike so we can pick it up out there in one piece and also how to get it back. I know there are a bunch of m/c shipping companies and have a vague recollection that some dealers allow non-customers to ship bikes to them for pickup, but I can't find any mention of that. I guess another alternative would be to find a trusted GRMer in NM or western CE who would be willing to play drop off/pick up point for shipping.
This might be a question better suited to ADVrider, but I figured I'd ask the members of my most trusted forum first.
I know we have a member or two in Albuquerque. I'm a state and a half away or I'd offer to help.
I'd call up a couple of dealers down that way and inquire. Maybe have them do an oil change on the return trip.
I don't have any suggestions for a shipper but I might be able to help by being the drop off/pickup point in Albuquerque. I also might be able to play tour guide for a day or two depending on your schedule.
The 2 times I or my family did something like this, We shipped it to local dealer for the brand. In our case BMW. They were more than willing to help and I had them do the next scheduled service.
Or you can ship it to me in Austin and pick it up from there depending when you are looking to do it.
I'd be happy to see if I can leverage a relationship through my workplace to help with a possible moto shop in Santa Fe if that aligns with your plans. He's a BMW guy, but an air-cooled BMW guy, and apparently a decent mechanic. Feel free to send me a PM for details.
Are you a HOG member? They have a discounted shipping cost through them. I used Haulbikes to ship mine. Drop it off there pick it up at a Harley dealer in NM. It wasn't too much as far as cost.
In reply to BoxheadTim :
"How do I get my motorcycle out there?" - You ride it there.
In reply to pres589 (djronnebaum) :
*sigh*
Sure. You gonna magic up the additional two weeks of vacation for me that I need to ride out there and back then?
In reply to MyMiatas :
Not a HOG member, more of a BMW guy and I'm likely going to take one of my BMWs. I am considering joining BMWMOA anyway and I believe they also have deals for discounted shipping.
The journey is the adventure. You have a massive GS, surely there are things you want to see along the way there and back? Otherwise go with any of the typical bike shippers like Haul Bike etc.
In reply to docwyte :
It's mostly a matter of time - from here to Santa Fe, NM is about 1800 miles, and neither my wife nor myself are aspiring members of the Iron Butt association. So realistically, that's a week out and a week back minimum plus I was hoping for a couple of weeks out in NM and Southern CO.
Unless I take a mini-sabbatical or similar, I just don't have that amount of vacation time and I'd rather use my own bike for a trip like this than rent something.
I missed the part about the wife going along. Still... two weeks to go 1800 miles? I could see one week taking your time. But we probably run these trips differently from each other.
ADVRider is probably a better place to ask, honestly, as you mentioned.
In reply to pres589 (djronnebaum) :
It's 1800 miles each way, so one week out, one week back. That would give us a bit of time for side trips and/or a recovery day or two in each direction. Unless I want to race down the Interstate, I don't really think you can sensibly do much more than 300 miles/day without wearing yourself out if you keep to more bike friendly routes.
In reply to BoxheadTim :
Having done a 5k mile trip on a GS I can attest that 300-400 miles is the most you want to cover in a day. Your back and butt will thank you.
In reply to Slippery :
That GS looks like a twin of my Adventure.
Just make sure you ship the bike well ahead of the date you actually plan on using it. You want to make sure it'll be there when you arrive. Then how are you going to arrange for it to be picked up and shipped back home?
In reply to docwyte :
The second part is what I'm still trying to figure out. My current expectation would be that I drop the bike off again at the dealer or whoever received the bike shipment in the first place, and have pre-arranged the pickup date with the shipper I used on the way out.
And yes, I would time the outbound shipping such that the bike gets out there a few weeks before the trip.
