[throttleking]

Guys,

I will be attending Rider Mania 2012 at Gurgaon in Jan. Due to leave constraints I need to fly for the event, but willing to ship my bike to Delhi so that I can participate in the event on my bike.

I have heard some horror stories if GATI delaying the bike delivery and not in good condition.

Please suggest the best possible option.

[ebonho]

GATI take their own sweet time (resorting to various "uncontrollable eventualities" along the way), there is damage regardless of how well you pack your bike, they are way more expensive, but there is less hassle as they both pick up and drop the bike off to an address of your choice.

Also, if you are not traveling with your bike on the same train, then GATI is the relatively better option on most other parameters except cost. The Duronto is a great option - 18 hours flat Delhi touch, no stops (which means your brake van will not be opened any place enroute once your bike is loaded and doors sealed).

[anilisanil]

If you have someone traveling to Delhi by train, then send it as a booked luggage. You can overlook everything from packing to loading and unloading.

[phamilyman]

http://gaticourierhorrorstory.com/ can give you a perspective. Its the experience of a dear friend so can share any details.

I disagree fundamentally on the mode of participation - if all you'll do is hang around the event (i.e no long rides around delhi) then HIRE A BIKE HERE!!

Transporting your bike unattended is russian roulette in this country. Don't do it if you love your bike.

You can surely hire bullets in 500-700 bucks per day. Beats the sending + worrying + incidental costs anyday

[ani_meher]

For getting the bike exactly on the day you are going, take the following steps:

Find the train that reaches Delhi 3-6 hrs before your flight reaches Delhi, but on the same day n leaves Pune much early than your flight, preferably on previous day.
Book a sleeper class ticket - cheapest available on the train.
Go to the station 3-4 hrs before train departure, and book the bike as 'luggage' and NOT AS PARCEL.
Go again before 1-.5hrs before train departs, to make sure the bike catches the train. It most probably will, unless you are facing extreme badluck (never heard of any such incidence where a luggage bike couldn't go on the train)
The bike will safely go to Delhi, will be parked in the parcel office, from where you can collect it once you land there.

This is bit costly (your ticket will go to waste), but most fool proof way to make sure the bike reaches in good condition and at good rates. I found that most transport companies charges are exorbitantly high as compared to Indian Railway.

[ninjatalli]

My 2 cents.

Have shipped my bike 5 times now almost all over the country. Best alternative is the railways. Especially if you are traveling via it. The courier system has a tie-up with Murphy. You might get your bike in a perfect condition in time, but then you may not.

You'll have to grease a few palms at both ends. The system works like that only. Yes, there is a charge to be paid, and the Railways have increased the rates tremendously over the last few years (now you know how Lalu could show the railways to be profitable).

The bribe amount is additional to that, and depends on your negotiation skills. Basically you are paying here to ensure that the bike does get loaded on the earliest (or specific) train. Ensure that you do not lose the bill(s), the bribe amount at the destination will increase a lot if you don't show it, even if you have all the bike documents with you.

P.s. I am sorry to advocate bribery but then I have faced the music once by going the Anna method. Also have used the courier system twice, and been lucky once while the other time, wasn't so lucky.

@tk - PM me if you need any additional info on this.


Edit:
+1 to @phamilyman's suggestion. Do you really need your own bike?

Originally Posted by ani_meher

For getting the bike exactly on the day you are going, take the following steps:

This is bit costly (your ticket will go to waste), but most fool proof way to make sure the bike reaches in good condition and at good rates. I found that most transport companies charges are exorbitantly high as compared to Indian Railway.

@ani_meher - That's quite a novel process! Have you tried it?

[n.devdath]

Originally Posted by throttleking

Guys,

I will be attending Rider Mania 2012 at Gurgaon in Jan. Due to leave constraints I need to fly for the event, but willing to ship my bike to Delhi so that I can participate in the event on my bike.

I have heard some horror stories if GATI delaying the bike delivery and not in good condition.

Please suggest the best possible option.

The best option is to take it with you in the train in the brake van. It is safe, fast and you can expect minimal damage if any. I would never recommend anything but the train for a bike.

[desideep]

You can contact AFL. They provide quick service and dont cost much.

[ghodlur]

Is there no way the bike can be transported through air cargo, just asking. My friends bike got damaged inspite of he travelling in the same train and being in good books with the railway officials and TC. Or else doing as @phamilyman suggested hire a bike although it would not give you the same satisfaction as riding your own.

[BBR_SHR]

It is January and trains/trailers to and from Delhi might encounter delays due to fog. If you want to enjoy the event, I suggest @phamilyman's suggestion above.

[padikpanther]

My 2 cents - for me as well as for a close few friends - Railways is a strict NO.
My own experience - from transporting our bikes from Pune to Delhi, landed at Delhi station to find that clutch levers for 2 bikes (out of 3) are broken. Since we were carrying spares that wasn't a major issue. A week later, reaching Pune around 5pm, we were told that we can collect our bikes only the next day morning after 11am. No reason given even after some Vitamin M was shown. Once we got the bikes - my bike had suffered most of the damage - petrol cock in pieces and the most difficult thing to digest - 2-3 teeth of the sprocket wheel damaged to the extent that I had to change the sprocket wheel.
The way these guys load and unload is pain to watch if you love your bike...

[ebonho]

Rule of thumb is no mirrors, and loosen clutch and front brake yokes. Unless you have a non-stop train, like rajdhani/shatabdi/duronto, chances are that even if you have overseen careful loading (and sealing of door), on platforms on the opposite side the other door will be opened and stuff thrown randomly on top of your bike. It is not uncommon to have one bike propped up wheelie-style on top of another as well. Best hope is if you are traveling on the train. Start making your way forward through the bogies at the penultimate station, then jump out and run to the brake van before the unloaders can get to your bike and supervise the efforts - mainly what they are holding to hoist and preventing the sump from hitting the edge of the doorway.

[throttleking]

Originally Posted by phamilyman

http://gaticourierhorrorstory.com/ can give you a perspective. Its the experience of a dear friend so can share any details.

I disagree fundamentally on the mode of participation - if all you'll do is hang around the event (i.e no long rides around delhi) then HIRE A BIKE HERE!!

Transporting your bike unattended is russian roulette in this country. Don't do it if you love your bike.

You can surely hire bullets in 500-700 bucks per day. Beats the sending + worrying + incidental costs anyday

Arranging a bike there is a last option, and it is lot easier also, I can borrow it from fellow rider in Delhi. I just that i want to take my bike there and hence looking for best option to ship. If I was going by train, i would have taken it along, but I am flying and my tickets are also booked. Unfortunately train tickets are sold out.

[SwiftSD]

Originally Posted by throttleking

Arranging a bike there is a last option, and it is lot easier also, I can borrow it from fellow rider in Delhi. I just that i want to take my bike there and hence looking for best option to ship. If I was going by train, i would have taken it along, but I am flying and my tickets are also booked. Unfortunately train tickets are sold out.

You should be allowed to send the bike as part of parcel goods and booking for this can be done a couple of hours (6-10 hours) before the train departs. This would probably not require you to have a reserved ticket on that train. Please verify this as I am not very sure since I took the information quite some time back when I had to take my bike from Kolkata to Pune.

As per my experience trains still are the best means to transfer a bike.

However having said this, as already suggested by other members that hiring a ride or taking one from a friend could be a better option in this case.

No matter how well the bike is packed, there is always a very high probability of damage/dents specifically on the petrol tank, side indicators and headlight. It would take quite some time to have these fixed in a new location and not to mention how bad one feels to see ones' machine getting hurt. I don't intend to discourage you , just sharing my experience.

[ani_meher]

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

@ani_meher - That's quite a novel process! Have you tried it?

Almost. I was going to follow the exact process for
Leh ride, but it was cancelled due to cloudburst.

Originally Posted by ghodlur

Is there no way the bike can be transported through air cargo, just asking.

Air cargo would almost cost the price of a small bike!

Originally Posted by padikpanther

My 2 cents - for me as well as for a close few friends - Railways is a strict NO.
My own experience - from transporting our bikes from Pune to Delhi, landed at Delhi station to find that clutch levers for 2 bikes (out of 3) are broken. Since we were carrying spares that wasn't a major issue. A week later, reaching Pune around 5pm, we were told that we can collect our bikes only the next day morning after 11am. No reason given even after some Vitamin M was shown. Once we got the bikes - my bike had suffered most of the damage - petrol cock in pieces and the most difficult thing to digest - 2-3 teeth of the sprocket wheel damaged to the extent that I had to change the sprocket wheel.
The way these guys load and unload is pain to watch if you love your bike...

It was very unclear as you were not allowed to pickup your bike. If you have taken them as luggage (not as parcel), you can pick them as from the train with you. I have picked up bike from Pune station two times at about 4-5 in morning with no problem. If you have taken the bike as 'parcel' - a cheaper option - then you have to take the delivery during the office hours i.e. 9-5 or in that vicinity.

Originally Posted by SwiftSD

You should be allowed to send the bike as part of parcel goods and booking for this can be done a couple of hours (6-10 hours) before the train departs. This would probably not require you to have a reserved ticket on that train. Please verify this as I am not very sure since I took the information quite some time back when I had to take my bike from Kolkata to Pune.

For taking bike as Luggage, one has to have a valid ticket of the same train, and the bike will be booked by his name only. For sending it as parcel - which you did - you don't require ticket. It is a cheaper option. The drawbacks are, you cannot be sure which train the bike will be loaded on, and you have to go strictly in office hours to take delivery.