Sooner or later something will probably
go wrong with your bike and you'll need to decide what to do. What follows is based on my experiences (and
a few mistakes) and was written whilst waiting for new parts to arrive
in Chachapoyas, Peru.
I assume you are already somewhere
with a phone and internet connection and the problem is not terminal.
Contents
1 What's Gone Wrong?.
1
2 Getting Help..
1
3 Getting Parts..
1
3.1 Use
The Existing Parts.
1
3.2 Get Replacement Parts.
2
3.2.1 List Possible Suppliers and Call Them All.
2
3.2.2 Are
All The Parts in
Stock?.
2
3.2.3 Where
Is The Supplier?.
2
3.2.3.1 Shipping
From The Same Country.
2
3.2.3.2 Shipping
From Abroad..
3
3.2.4 Planning Ahead..
4
3.2.5 Decide and Order.
4
4 Contingency Plan..
4
There are two options:
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Denial
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'Houston, We Have a Problem'
|
|
'I know it's making
a funny noise, but I'm sure if I ignore it, it will go away.'
That's exactly what
a friend thought as he drove to pick up his sister late one night
from Heathrow Airport.
Five minutes later,
he felt a 'clonk' and saw one of his wheels disappear off into
the darkness.
'Hi Jerome, it's
Dave'.
'Er, do you have
a torch?, one of my wheels has fallen off and gone down a bank
but it's too dark to see it'.
|
You have no idea what
the problem is.
So, either go into
denial, or get some local help.
|
You
know what the problem is and how to fix it.
Even so, it's a
good idea to get local help - see below.
|
A few hours spent thinking of who may
be able to help can end up saving you days waiting.
|
Local
|
From
Home
|
Internet
|
|
A local dealer or
fellow motorcyclist is the way to go.
|
Can you phone a
friend?
|
Is there a HUBB
Community contact nearby?
|
There are two choices: either reuse
the old or get replacement ones:
I assume you have identified what parts
you need.
Are there any other parts that will
be damaged or need replacing when you fix your bike? Take the time to make sure.
Having waited for three weeks for your
parts to arrive this is not the time to find out another key part
has to be destroyed disassembling your bike.
|
Bodge It Yourself
|
Get
Someone Else to Bodge It
|
|
Just use the force,
lots of gaffer tape and liquid metal.
|
Get some one to
weld/braze/ a permanent / temporary / instant solution.
I got split link welded on my chain when the
circlip fell off.
|
This is when the fun starts.
Whatever method you use call up and
chase at least once if not twice a day. Establish
personal contact as soon as possible.
The first thing to do is list out all
the different sources that you are going to contact to find out who
has them in stock.
My Peruvian choices are in grey.
|
Source
|
Pros
|
Cons
|
|
New
|
Dealers
|
Depending on the
parts should be the best and quickest source..
|
Finding a dealer
who has all the parts in stock may take a while.
|
|
New - Warranty claim
|
Dealers
|
The cheapest.
|
Possibly the slowest. Everything depends on the efficiency of
the manufacturers warranty system.
Not so quick for
KTM's. I'll sort it out later.
|
|
Second hand/ breakers etc
|
Commercial, Private
|
Possibly the cheapest
and quickest.
|
Could take a while
to find a seller.
|
|
Yes
|
No
|
|
The perfect answer.
Go to the next section, 3.2.3
|
How many days to get them?
Sommer's did not have them I stock but they get deliveries from
the factory everyday.
My parts were ordered on Wednesday and shipped to me on Thursday.
|
|
Days
=
US$ =
|
Days
= 1
EUR = 200
|
|
Same Country
|
Different Country
|
|
The
best as there are no duties.
Go
to the next section, 3.2.3.1
|
There
may well be Customs challenges and delays.
Go
to 3.2.3.2
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How much and how many days?
|
Comments
|
Options
|
|
This is where most
of the time will go.
It is a basic choice between speed/reliability
and the resulting Customs charges.
|
Fly and pick them up yourself
The fastest and most reliable.
Most expensive.
|
Courier
- DHL/Fed Ex etc
Fast and expensive.
|
Parcel post
Less problems with customs but slow.
|
A friendly tourist
|
Donkey.
It may be the fastest option.
|
|
Days =
US$ =
|
Days =
US$ =
|
Estimate
= 2
Actual = 7!
EUR = 46
|
Days =
US$ =?
|
Days =
US$ =
|
Days = < 7
US$ =
|
Choose one option in each major category.
How many days shipping and in Customs?
|
Major Category
|
Comments
|
Options
|
|
How Shipped?
|
This is where most
of the time will go.
It is a basic choice between speed/reliability
and the resulting Customs charges.
|
Diplomatic bag
The best if you have the contacts.
|
Fly out and get them yourself
The fastest, most reliable but the most expensive.
|
Courier - DHL/Fed Ex etc
Fast and can use Web tracking but expensive.
|
Parcel post
Less problems with customs but slow.
|
A friendly tourist
Cheap and good for customs.
|
|
|
Days =
US$ =
|
Days =
US$ =
|
Estimate = 3
Actual = 3
EUR = 390
|
Days =
US$ =
|
Days =
US$ =
|
|
Invoice Details
|
Find out what the rules are for your country.
|
What Language?
|
Local language
The best option.
This will probably be the most efficient but
maybe the most difficult to arrange with your shipper.
|
Other
I have just shipped parts from Germany to Peru. German was not an option as Peruvian Customs
couldn't understand a word. The
only two options were Spanish and English.
|
|
This can have a dramatic effect on the speed
of Customs clearance.
|
What Consignee?
|
Yourself
i.e. 'a foreigner'. This
may mean more cost and more delays.
|
A national e.g. local dealer
The preferred option.
The owner of the local bike shop. If they regularly
get shipments from the same source and shipper it may be a good
bet.
|
| I made a big mistake this time in Peru. |
What Items? |
Ship only motorcycle parts, no personal items. |
I got two pairs of contact lenses added to my
parcel which led to major delays as Customs thought my dealer was
trying to 'smuggle' them in. $120 in duty. |
|
To reduce duty payable.
|
What Values?
|
Some suppliers will only ship at the price
paid. In this case I suggest the parts are shipped
to a friend in the same country who can re-invoice at a fairer
value.
|
Ask your supplier to reduce the invoice values
to reduce duty payable.
|
|
Customs
|
Find out what the duty and tax rates are for
your parts and what the value limits are before Customs want
to have a look inside.
You then have two choices:
|
Through Customs
|
Courier - DHL/Fed Ex etc
Standard procedures may mean more duty.
|
Local Customs Agent
Most reliable?
Costly
|
Do It Yourself
Cheapest
Slowest
|
|
Days =
US$ =
|
Estimate = 2
Actual = 5
|
Days =
US$ =
|
Days =
US$ =
|
|
Avoiding
Customs
|
The Diplomatic bag
The winner every time.
|
Fly out and get them yourself
The fastest and most expensive.
I heard of a guy who flew from Chile to Miami
to get his parts. Now
I know why.
|
Go
to Customs armed with your carnet.
Not an option in Peru. Find out what the local
rules are.
In Nairobi I avoided all import duties and
taxes.
|
|
Days =
US$ =
|
Days =
US$ =
|
Days =
US$ =
|
Days =
US$ =
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Perfect planning prevents piss-poor performance.
How and where are you going to fit your parts?
|
With a Workshop Manual?
|
With What Tools?
|
Where?
|
|
Is
one required for this job?
If it is and you don't have one
maybe it's time to order one.
|
Do
you, the local shop or dealer have the tools needed?
There's no point in getting your
lovely new parts only to discover you need special
tools to fit them.
|
Splitting the crankcases in the
desert isn't an ideal environment.
Is there a friendly house or garage
nearby you can work in?
|
Add up the days, costs and
relative risk of each option and decide which one to go for.
Check and double check the
make/model year/model/description and part numbers again
as waiting three weeks for the wrong parts could ruin your
whole day.
Order them in writing.
Move to a hotel with pool,
satellite tv, golf course etc (if you're not there already)
or go on a long trek.
Whilst waiting and despite of your
perfect planning it's quite likely things may not happen as you wished. It is therefore a good idea to have a contingency
plan.
If your parts have been 'stuck' in
Customs and neither you nor anyone else can help you get them out
may it's time to cut your losses and get new parts sent in a different
way.
