[Kaumad]

Originally Posted by pramodkumar

The Petrol tank of my RD had a huge dent when it arrived. It was in scrap condition so I guess they did not pay much attention. The packing was very similar as yours. I have a thread about my restoration in the motorcycle thread.

Pramod

Sorry to hear that. I guess I just got lucky.
I have been following your restoration thread - has come out very well, great job!

I will be posting up my engine rebuild thread soon.

[BBhat]

Hi, does anyone know the procedure to transport bikes on trains?
I am planning to travel from Delhi to Bangalore by Rajdhani. Can I transport my bike (Classic 350) by the same train? How much would it cost me? Would I have to do the packing?

Any help is much appreciated.

[akshaymahajan]

Need to shift my Karizma from Delhi to Bangalore. Worried about damage to the fairing.

What is my safest option to transport the same? IRCTC, GATI, SafeExpress, Agarwal all have both good and bad reviews.

[audioholic]

Recently my friend transported his Bullet from Bangalore to Hyderabad by VRL roadlines. I was there with him while we received the bike in Hyderabad and I was astonished by the care taken for transporting the bike which is the best I have seen till date. They took around four days from point to point, but I should say its worth it if you want zero damages.

The bike was covered with cushioning material first like foam and rags, and upon that they covered the major parts with carton roll. Then, the bike was put inside a dedicated bike pallet which is a cage made out of steel. The bike is secured and strapped inside this pallet and is sealed. The entire transportation part happens with this pallet and any movements can be made using forklift and cranes. I was curious to know how they would lift and unload the bikes off the trucks and once I saw the pallet I was surprised. Usually other services do it by hand or roll down the bike using a ramp. But in this case, from the origin till the destination, the bike is untouched and is removed from the pallet only at the destination. This was done in front of us when we went to collect the bike.

The total cost came up to 3.5k odd but if one is really specific about the handling, then this is definitely a recommended service. For me, after seeing bikes being handled in trains and the luggage carriers of buses, this was a day night change.

EDIT: I found a video of the same:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOjXHkLKwW8

[akshaymahajan]

Originally Posted by audioholic

EDIT: I found a video of the same:

I think we have a winner! Will give them a call, get a quote and update the thread.

SafeExpress gave me a quote for INR 5100. Since the bike is 12 years old with an IDV of 16k, not sure how much of a premium I am willing to pay on top of this.

[hothatchaway]

Originally Posted by akshaymahajan

Need to shift my Karizma from Delhi to Bangalore. Worried about damage to the fairing.

What is my safest option to transport the same? IRCTC, GATI, SafeExpress, Agarwal all have both good and bad reviews.

I used Agarwal packers (there are two, and I used the one with the fauji emblem) from Chandigarh to Bangalore last year and it was smooth with the bike delivered without a scratch. They charged 9k plus taxes. Like you, I was apprehensive since all transporters have mixed reviews, with or without pallets and I think it can be a hit or miss affair. So start with one of the reputed names and ask a lot of questions which should signal intent to them that you are an informed customer. If I had a choice, I would have preferred to ride down but happy it worked out for me. Railways are also decent if you pick a train which originated at Delhi and terminates at Bangalore. You get to supervise the loading unloading and also travel with your beloved steed. Since your ride is quite old i feel railways are the most cost effective option.

Hope this helped.

[akshaymahajan]

Originally Posted by hothatchaway

Hope this helped.

The railways just seems like too much hassel and I am ok with paying 2-3k extra for someone coming to my place. packing it, taking it away and delivering it to my place in BLR. That is why I ruled out the railways. Time and effort just sounds like a lot of pain. Add to it Ubering from and to the train station and tips involved!

Let me call a few fols tomorrow and update my findings.

Cheers

My Karizma is practically new, has 21k on the odo and sports brand new shoes. I did think about selling it and upgrading in BLR, but too much love for this old steed. And it needs to see some good roads now!

[blackstallion76]

Relocated to Hyderabad last week. Planning to shift my TVS Jupiter from Bangalore to Hyderabad.

I have confirmed ticket on Kachiguda express and would like to get it as personal luggage in the same train. Not sure if they can load in same or will load in different trains in parcel vans. I reach HYD at 3.30am in the early morning. Can we collect the bike at this early hours or should I wait till Parcel counter opens at 10AM?
As per parcel agent, they are charging 1500 including packing.

Also, checked with VRL Roadlines Pallet chareges. They charge 4500 for TVS Jupiter and takes 3 days to reach HYD.

Since, I have Punto - thinking if i can load the scooter inside the car. Seems not safe.

Any inputs will help.

[am1m]

Originally Posted by BBhat

Hi, does anyone know the procedure to transport bikes on trains?
I am planning to travel from Delhi to Bangalore by Rajdhani. Can I transport my bike (Classic 350) by the same train? How much would it cost me? Would I have to do the packing?

Sure you can. I transported my bike on the Rajdhani last year from Bangalore to Delhi. You should go to the station a couple of days before your journey and book your bike as 'luggage'. Fill in the form and pay the amount based on the weight and insurance value of the bike. Take a xerox of all the bike papers. There will always be some people hanging around the luggage area of the station who will pack your bike for a small fee. They do a good job. On the day of the journey, or if the train is early in the morning, then on the previous night, ride your bike to the luggage area, remove all the fuel from the tank and get it packed. Remove the mirrors and perhaps loosen the clutch and accelerator cables. Tip the porters a bit and they will ensure the bike is loaded on the train.

At the destination, again take all the receipts given to you and get your bike released. It might take an hour or so. Carry fuel.

I've also transported my bike by truck once, but they did not handle it well. The two times I've transported my bike by train (once to Delhi and once to Guwahati), I've been happy with the lesser cost and the condition of the bike.

Though the pallet and cage method shown a couple of posts before sounds good and the cost seems reasonable.

For shorter distances like Bangalore-Hyderabad, why not simply ride the bike/car down?

[VinsWagen]

Originally Posted by am1m

Sure you can. I transported my bike on the Rajdhani last year from Bangalore to Delhi. You should go to the station a couple of days before your journey and book your bike as 'luggage'. Fill in the form and pay the amount based on the weight and insurance value of the bike. Take a xerox of all the bike papers. There will always be some people hanging around the luggage area of the station who will pack your bike for a small fee. They do a good job. On the day of the journey, or if the train is early in the morning, then on the previous night, ride your bike to the luggage area, remove all the fuel from the tank and get it packed. Remove the mirrors and perhaps loosen the clutch and accelerator cables. Tip the porters a bit and they will ensure the bike is loaded on the train.

At the destination, again take all the receipts given to you and get your bike released. It might take an hour or so. Carry fuel.

I've also transported my bike by truck once, but they did not handle it well. The two times I've transported my bike by train (once to Delhi and once to Guwahati), I've been happy with the lesser cost and the condition of the bike.

Though the pallet and cage method shown a couple of posts before sounds good and the cost seems reasonable.

For shorter distances like Bangalore-Hyderabad, why not simply ride the bike/car down?

Just a rider to add. Please don't carry fuel with you in the train. Its illegal and unsafe. It's the same reason why the fuel is drained from the bike.

[bevivek]

Dear all,

A bunch of us are planning a bike trip to Bhutan / Sikkim later this year. We plan to transport the bikes to Siliguri and begin the ride from there.

Origin locations are Pune and Chennai

Wanted to know if anyone has done this using rail, services like Gati or any other road transport company?

[Mods]: Posting here since did not find any other thread for this. Please move if there is a more apt thread

[sagarpadaki]

Originally Posted by bevivek

Dear all,

A bunch of us are planning a bike trip to Bhutan / Sikkim later this year. We plan to transport the bikes to Siliguri and begin the ride from there.

Origin locations are Pune and Chennai

Wanted to know if anyone has done this using rail, services like Gati or any other road transport company?

[Mods]: Posting here since did not find any other thread for this. Please move if there is a more apt thread

VRL has cages specifically to transport bikes/2 wheelers.

Below link has a detailed description

https://theangrysaint.com/2017/07/13...vrl-logistics/

[am1m]

Originally Posted by bevivek

Wanted to know if anyone has done this using rail, services like Gati or any other road transport company?

Have used a private road transport company once to get the bike to Delhi, and Indian Railways 3-4 times (Delhi, Mumbai, Guwahati). I prefer IR any day. Surprisingly, they took better care of the bike than the private road company. Only thing is that with IR, there is a process to book the bike as luggage and you have to go to the destination station to get the bike, and you'll have to carry petrol.

But still worth it. Details in this thread: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/stree...ml#post4336337 (Transporting a two-wheeler)

[virkdoc]

Looking to transport a BMW motorcycle from Bangalore to Chandigarh. From what I am reading in the forums VRL Logistics is also very highly rated.
Do they take care of high end bikes? Would the fairing and other plastics be adequately covered?
What would be an approximate cost? Are their rates negotiable?
Thanks in advance

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by virkdoc

From what I am reading in the forums VRL Logistics is also very highly rated.
Do they take care of high end bikes? Would the fairing and other plastics be adequately covered?
What would be an approximate cost? Are their rates negotiable?

Here is a video in which you also get an idea of the pricing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5yRXc_fTv0

I feel its going to be expensive for high end bikes, but there is no better and safer way your bike can reach from Bangalore to Chandigarh compared to the two wheeler pallet of VRL. I think though riding might be cheaper, you still will carry some risk to yourself and the bike, and hence I feel VRL is a pretty good option.