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Port of Vancouver questions

2K views 20 replies 11 participants last post by  krusin_ 
#1 ·
I am continually amazed by the intelligence of some people on this site, so I have some more questions. I am buying a 400cc bike from New Zealand, but I don't know where to tell him to ship it...If I just say Vancouver will his shipping company understand which port? Also, where would I pick it up? It will come in a container, but do I have to unload it myself? Do I have to have a trucking company get the container itself or can I leave it at the port somewhere. (forgive my idiocy, but I have zero experience with port activity) I plan on brokering it myself as I have all my ducks in a row for that but this port shipping and receiving has me all baffled again. I need someone who has imported something like this to point me in the right direction.
thanks
K
 
#5 ·
I had hoped that I could personally pick up the crated bike myself, but I don't understand what you mean by contact the company for info...contact his shipping company? Contact the Van Port Authority? I feel stupid, but I seem to need step by step instructions (like how you would tell a simpleton)

All you have to do is to make arrangements with a bonded freight company. It could be anywhere, port, airport, warehouse.
So find a company and get all the info from them and provide it to your seller.

A bonded company will hold the bike until it clears customs.
Do you know if I need a freight company? Is it mandatory? Do you have any idea what they cost? I want to just drive my truck down and pick it up if I can. If I can't, can you recommend a freight company?
 
#4 ·
All you have to do is to make arrangements with a bonded freight company. It could be anywhere, port, airport, warehouse.
So find a company and get all the info from them and provide it to your seller.

A bonded company will hold the bike until it clears customs.
 
#6 ·
There's lots of different parts to the Port of Vancouver. Centern, Vanterm, Vancouver Wharves, Fraser Surrey Docks, Roberts Bank, some other smaller spots on the North Shore.

What you need is a freight forwarder/ shipping company to deal with the port logistics, you can't even approach the docks without the proper security clearance anymore.
 
#8 ·
What you need is a freight forwarder/ shipping company to deal with the port logistics, you can't even approach the docks without the proper security clearance anymore.
+1. Call a freight forwarder. They can arrange shipping logistics (probably including pick up from your seller), provide insurance, deal with customs, arrange delivery on this side etc etc.
 
#15 ·
Unfortunately these guys no longer deal with personal transactions...only businesss ones.(gotta talk to my boss and see if I can steal his business number)
What type of 400 is it you cant get here, or from a grey bike importer? The shipping from new zealand must be in the thousands?

It is a 1990 cbr400rr, fully rebuilt, it caught my eye but I don't know how much it will be to ship it and that will be a deciding factor of the purchase.

+1 for using a freight forwarder. You'll be looking for a less-than-truckload (LTL) freight company, because obviously your bike won't fill a container by itself. The freight company will put your bike in a container along with other goods, so you'll pay a rate based on weight/volume and distance, which will be a whole lot cheaper than paying for a whole 20-foot container.

When the container reaches Vancouver, the freight company will drive it off the terminal to whatever warehouse they use for less-than-truckload deliveries. Depending on your shipping terms, you might pick it up at the warehouse, or they might deliver it to your door.

You will not be able to pick up your bike at the port. The only way freight leaves a container terminal is inside a container (unless Fraser-Surrrey still stuffs and de-stuffs, but they'd be the only one). Chances are it will come through Deltaport or Vanterm, which together amount to about 85% of the container traffic in the port of Vancouver. (I work for the company that operates those terminals.)
The seller has a shipper he uses regularly (Global Express)I guess, I assume the shipping company and my freight forwarder have to talk and work everything out between themselves then? Can you recommend an ltl freight forwarder then? What would be the easiest way for me to get a quote, will my address work, or will they need which port it goes to or something else like that?
 
#12 ·
Not always...the cheap rates are based on shipping when it's convenient for them, but the compromise is that it may take months, you aren't given a firm date ahead of time, but are only told when it ships, which could be a long wait.

Basically, when there is space available, and it's convenient for the shipper, your vehicle gets loaded....this is the least expensive route, any may make the most sense given the time of year.

A buddy of mine has brought 2-3 Delicas over from Japan, and this is the process he used, which at the time, was the most cost effective option.
 
#19 · (Edited)
I thoroughly researched the 400's when looking for my first. This is what I found:
Honda CB-1 / CB400F
89, 90 in US, 89-93 in Japan $New 1990 USD 4,500

The CB-1 utilizes the same basic in-line engine found in Honda's Japanese-spec CBR400RR (except cams, carbs and ECM.) 44hp. 375lbs dry, 403 lbs wet. DOHC, 4 stroke, 16 valve, 4 cylinder
http://cb-1.com/ http://www.hondacb1.com/ http://www.cb-1.net/
http://www.timberwoof.com/motorcycle/hondaCB1/mech.html
Not popular in U.S. when introduced, probably something to do with the fact that it cost as much as a CBR600. It lasted only another model year, till 1990. Minor differences separated them, a centre stand here, a badge colour there. They both came in blue and made around 45'ish horsepower. Not really what the US market wanted, unfortunately.
The Japanese market CB-1 on the other hand lasted a lot longer. It too arrived in 1989 but lasted through until around 1993 when it was replaced by the CB400SF (a bike similar in looks to the CB1000 "Big One"). These CB-1's came in a multitude of colours including black, navy blue, green, grey, red, yellow and so on.

Honda CBR 400
Never sold domestically in North America (only in Japan and Australia) but older RR’s use a variant of the CB-1 motor (see CB -1 above).

Here's a nice thread I just found about the hondas: http://www.fireblades.org/forums/honda-cbr400rr/67268-have-race-rep-400s-had-their-day.html
 
#21 ·
I forgot all about 400greybike, my wife just picked up an nc17 recently and I stopped looking at 400gb cause they mainly deal with nc23 and nc29's. Good information about the cb-1, I didn't realize they had the same engine. Thanks for the cb1 links, I gots some readin to do me thinks.
 
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