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Motorcycle Shipper from Hell


beemerman2k

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beemerman2k

Long ago, July of 2006 to be exact, I moved from a 3 year stint in Los Angeles back to Massachusetts, leaving my 2000 R1100RT behind with the intention of flying back to LA and ride it home.

 

Well, with 3 lovely daughters in private schools and playing sports and engaging in all the activities kids like to do (camp, music lessons, etc) I never found the time or money to return and get my bike.

 

So now, 12 years later to the month, I am shipping my bike back to Massachusetts--finally!

 

I went to UShip.com and put an ad out for a shipper for my bike. After going through several bids, i finally settled on one. He convinced me he was a pro and would take good care of my bike.

 

First problem: AFTER I accept his bid and he has my bike in his pickup truck--that's right, no actual vehicle transporter, a pickup truck!--he asks me if I own a motorcycle ramp as he has no way of unloading the bike once he arrives at my home. :eek: omg, you gotta be kidding me! I stay calm and work with him, after all, he is in possession of my motorcycle and I don't want to give him a reason to mistreat it.

 

Second problem: he calls me on Monday morning to tell me he took the liberty of STARTING MY BIKE!!! "It didn't want to start, but after several tries I got it running though there was smoke everywhere. But for $150, my cousin can work on it and get it running really well" :mad: :mad: :mad:

 

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! YOU STARTED MY MOTORCYCLE???!!! WHERE DO YOU GET THE NERVE TO ASSUME THE RIGHT TO DO THAT?! I told him in no uncertain terms how angry I am that he started my bike, and once again reminded him his only concern is TRANSPORTING MY MOTORCYCLE--that's it!!!

 

Third problem: it's been a quiet couple of days, but I am very nervous about the condition of my motorcycle and I sorely regret entrusting it to this guy. He has no idea of what it means to be a "pro".

 

This is a living nightmare of a situation; the shipper from hell! I would have thought UShip.com would have done a better job of vetting and educating these vendors--like "NEVER TOUCH THE CUSTOMERS MOTORCYCLE!!!" I am very disappointed.

 

The bike is due here this Friday. Waiting with baited breath until then :eek: :eek:

 

One word about my three lovely daughters: two are honor students at area universities and my youngest is an honor student at the state's top ranked high school! So yeah, priorities paid off handsomely for me. Missed out on a lot of rides, but that's quite alright :thumbsup:

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Hard to believe! I feel your concern and hope it all works out okay for you. Let us know what happens!

Family should always come first! Congratulations on raising 3 very successful daughters! :clap:

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Always, and I mean ALWAYS ask about the equipment being used. This goes for picking up motorcycles to shipping pallets of goods to special size shipments!!!

 

Been through that in business. I have had drivers show up with a 10' flatbed F 350 to haul 18' tall pallet rack uprights. Drivers that showed up with gooseneck trailers on 1 ton pickups to haul what I was worried about getting on a big rig flatbed. All the while these drivers knew what they were picking up.

 

If there is any doubt in there reply, ask them to text you a picture.

 

In this case I am sure the mention of his pickup truck would have been enough to eliminate that driver.

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"If I start it and there's smoke, you are paying for the repairs" is a possible way to start the conversation when he shows up at your house :mad::mad::mad:

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Is your contract with Uship or is it directly with the pickup guy? Who do you pay, and when? Have you agreed to pay in cash? In general I'd expect that you would not pay anyone until the bike is at your agreed location in good condition and ready to be unloaded into your possession.

 

Probably this will all work out with no lasting problem, but sadly I'd be working out some contingency plans if the excuses, delays and possible damage starts to pile up, including after he's left. Whether or not your contract's actually with Uship, they should be able to advise re some "what ifs".

 

Kudos to you on the successes of your daughters.

 

 

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beemerman2k

But that's just it, the bike has sat idle for years, of course there'll be smoke. He had no business taking it upon himself to see how the engine fared after all this time. I don't know what amazes me more, his sheer stupidity or his sheer arrogance! If he says, which is exactly what he said when I got on his case, "no damage was done to your engine", does he expect me to simply believe him? To take his word at face value?! Really?! That's extreme stupidity or extreme arrogance, not sure which it is.

 

Did he really expect me to respond with, "Oh sure, have your cousin who I do not know and whose skills and credentials are completely unknown to me take a wrench to my motorcycle for $150. What could possibly go wrong?"

 

Really?!

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Evening beemerman2k

 

Once the bike is delivered (on the ground), fully inspected by you for any shipping damage, & you have keys in hand then be sure that the delivery statement they have you sign duly notes that engine was started by shipping agent without permission or proper after-storage pre-start maintenance, then have the driver also sign it.

 

You might also hold some money back for loading ramp rental on your end (unless loading ramp needed to be furnished by you was part of the original shipping deal). Some shipping deals require the vehicle to being unloaded by the customer on the delivery end.

 

 

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beemerman2k

Great idea, dirtrider. I am under no such obligation to provide squat so this man can do the job he signed up for.

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Danny caddyshack Noonan

Get pictures as soon as he shows up with it in his truck. That way, if it starts to go south and he leaves with it, you have evidence of his possession at your delivery location.

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Working at a dealership, we allowed known customers bikes to be picked up and delivered by shipping companies fairly often. Most were by Haulbike, Allied, etc. Once in a while, we would have a doozy come in.

 

Our involvement would be to allow the customer to use our buisness address for pick up or drop off for ICC. They dropped the bike in the parking lot that morning and when the shipper showed up, we pointed at the bike to be shipped. Or if a drop off, the shipper dropped off, we pointed to a parking stall but normally the shipping driver would give a call an hour out so the customer was there to receive.

 

Anyway, one pick up, a young couple showed up in a U-Haul truck . No rope, tiedowns, just the U-Haul ramp.

There was furniture, mattresses etc in the truck already.

 

It was terrible to watch. Eventully the Service Manager couldn't take it and had them back the thing into our driveway low spot and he and the porter steered it in while young guy pushed. They gave them 6-8 bmw crate straps and watched/instructed them how and where to tie the bike to the walls. Success .

 

Another UShip gem was a beat up old pick up truck with suitcases . We loaned them a ramp as they had a creaky 2x4 and a mile of truckers rope.

 

I don't think UShip is the hot set up.

 

On the RT, to be fair, if on the sidestand, it will possibly smoke like a tugboat for a while.

I'm stunned it started unless they jumped it, even then, with it being that long with the fuel pump issues.....

 

 

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Beemerman2k - I'm so sorry to learn of this! What a cluster - here's hoping it all works out. I'll be following closely.

 

Unfortunately, this is quite timely for me, as I'm in the process of arranging for a CA to IN bike shipment myself. Uship came up in a google search, but it became clear as I examined their web page that they were just a broker who were farming out the job to anyone who would take the job - and they would take a cut, and thereby increase the cost of the job. I noticed that they were trying to set me up to pay a higher rate with their sliding 'scale' . I felt it was best to talk with motorcycle transporters directly. But anyone can make up a web page, so who to trust?!? We have all heard horror stories about movers and about shenanigans taking place once the freight was picked up and in their possession . In sharing my concerns with The BMWST Back Road Packâ„¢ (we even have a secret handshake - shhhh) checking the BMW MOA site came up as a suggestion. Hmph. Why didn't I think of that? I also belong to the AMA, I should check there too!

 

I went to the MOA site and called their 'partners' and then did the same with AMA. While I've not yet contracted, one thing that sticks out to me as I read of your ordeal. Both companies I narrowed it down to DO NOT want the keys to the bike. They instructed that the keys should be sent to me directly and would not be needed to secure and load (or unload) the bike in the semi trailer. I guess now I know why!

 

Holy Crap - the next thing you know, the guy will call up and say he decided to ride it the rest of the way to get the cob webs out for you!

 

Fingers Crossed!

 

 

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profbodryak

beemerman2k: sorry to hear of this! This is unfortunate and sad. I once dealt with something similar when I had my first RT serviced for the first time (I just did not know any better and it was before I joined bmwsporttouring!) - a service shop that had no experience with BMW's whatsoever. Broke quick disconnects and did an extremely poor job at valve adjustment.

 

Tri750: how binding is that contract? Just wondering if you called the customer and they elected to still have it shipped with them! Kudos for making that shipment safe!!!

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When I want to ship something that I own, I would avoid using a broker. UShip is a broker. The broker gets a percentage, and will use any shipper that is still breathing. From time-to-time you hear about a shipper that picks up the bike and just keeps the bike. You are screwed. My guess is that your shipper wanted to take the bike for a joy ride.

 

Last year I sold a crane to a company across the country. The buyer insisted that I find a cheap trucker to deliver it, or he wouldn't buy it. After he wired me the money, I used a broker to find a shipper. The shipper showed up with a F350 and a hotshot trailer. I was a little stunned that he would even consider hauling it. But, he delivered it two days later. I was very glad I was paid in full prior to shipping. The smaller trucks don't have to have DOT tracking devices in their trucks, so they break a lot of rules.

 

Always use a professional shipper that is insured.

Edited by catskill
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You never watched "Shipping Wars" when it was on did you? You never would have used a broker. It was an example of ill equipped guys trying to make a buck doing things they never should have tried. I hope your bike arrives in good shape. The last bike I shipped came in an "Allied" truck, in a jig and undamaged. It was worth the 6? bills I paid.

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I am sorry you got a bad one for your bike, the waiting must be painful.

I used UShip to get my Model T from Kentucky to Connecticut and had a very good experience. Some of the bidders seemed a bit sketchy, i used the customer ratings to help me with the decision making process. I stipulated an enclosed trailer for my truck, the guy pulled up in front of my house in an impressive rig, helped my unload it and push it up into my driveway. The driver gave me his card and said if i wanted something hauled in the future i could contact him directly. - I wish i knew what i did with the card...

Edited by Oldironken
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Did you use this broker because it the lowest cost or because you didn't know about other MC shipping choices? Just curious. I'm on five or six other forums and see the topic of which shipper to use, did you make an inquiry here before you used this company?

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Joe Frickin' Friday
Is your contract with Uship or is it directly with the pickup guy? Who do you pay, and when? Have you agreed to pay in cash? In general I'd expect that you would not pay anyone until the bike is at your agreed location in good condition and ready to be unloaded into your possession.

 

I used U-ship a couple of years ago to ship a workbench from Colorado to Michigan. Using U-ship is like using eBay; you're doing business with the shipper, but the transaction moves through U-ship. When your shipment arrives and meets with your approval, you give the shipper an alphanumeric code that was generated by U-ship, he enters it into his account, and that gets him paid.

 

So basically U-ship isn't really to blame for a good or bad shipping experience, any more than eBay is to blame for a good or bad purchase experience; it's pretty much up to the shipper. U-ship doesn't require you to accept the lowest bid, or even wait a specific amount of time before accepting a bid. You can talk with the bidders, determine what equipment/experience they have or don't have, and make your own decision about which bid to accept.

 

FWIW, U-ship does provide up to $500 payout for damage or loss, and also offers an option to purchase additional insurance for coverage of more valuable shipments.

 

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beemerman2k

I needed to find a shipper that could act fast. I needed to move quickly to get my bike here for various reasons, so I figured by using a broker, I'd be more likely to find a shipper that could work within my timeframe. I did search this and other forums and read of some good experiences with UShip.com, so that influenced me to go forward with them.

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James,

Good luck.

Follow DR's advice and take pictures etc.

Be professional and courteous, see if you can find a dock or ramp, if not a ditch.

If you don't have ramps ask around.

Best wishes for smooth outcome.

 

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beemerman2k

Smooth outcome granted--thankfully!

 

He arrived a few hours ago, my bike is filthy but otherwise in decent shape. I haven't started it up yet, but honestly, I plan to do so much to restore this bike I just don't want any busted cylinders or shot piston rings, which is what I was fearing when this guy fired it up.

 

I had a very hard talk with him, and to his credit, he listened very respectfully. He said, "I didn't know the motorcycle was so important to you" . I really poured it on then; "Dude, I'm paying you to ship it to me from Los Angeles! The Market value of this bike might be slightly more than I paid to ship it, but of course it means the world to me!"

 

Then I told him, "Promise me that you will treat everything you ship as an item that is sacred to the owner! Do that, and you won't go wrong."

 

To his credit, he listened and took it all very well.

 

SO GREAT TO HAVE MY BIKE WITH ME ONCE AGAIN! The last time I rode this bike was in July 2006! I will take my time scrubbing her down and making her look showroom floor ready. I'll get new tires, brake pads, cables, belts, etc--shocks! Hope she rested well, because I'm thinking another 100,000 miles are in order!

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Lone_RT_rider
Hope she rested well, because I'm thinking another 100,000 miles are in order!

 

It will be great to see another Opal Blue R1100RT back on the road! :) Awesome!!!

 

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BRAVO! So glad it's ended well. Kudos to you for keeping your cool. :thumbsup::clap:

 

Sooo... Will you be bringing the K bike or the R bike to FART? :whistle::lurk::read:

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beemerman2k

If I can FART, it'll likely be the R1100RT, can't beat the long distance comfort this bike provides.

 

I took her for a ride around the neighborhood. Rusty is a good term for how she felt. Engine runs well; clean and no more smoking issues. The sound of that engine was like music to my ears! Purrs like a well content cat.

 

And I never considered my bike to have a surging issue, but compared to the K1300, it most certainly surges hugely! Guess I just didn't know better.

Edited by beemerman2k
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beemerman2k

Interesting, I used to say, “I want an RT with balls! Meaning power! Now that I have exactly that, it turns out balls ultimately don't really add much to the quality of the ride. A sweet, purring, quiet, reliable and fuel efficient engine is the real gem.

 

Given all this bike has been through (I was far from a meticulous owner when it came to maintenance, oil changes every 20k Miles :Cool:), it's a testament to the quality of engineering BMW put into this bike that it still runs without issues or need for major surgery at 97,000 on the odometer.

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James, you did change all fluids right?

:)

And filters.

:)

Now move on to brake lines.

:)

Or battery.

:)

Tires?

:)

I know you replaced all fuel.

Are the brake pads questionable?

Check your tail light assembly, make certain it is snug inside.

:)

You know how much better it will be to have this done so you can set valves and synch.

20,000 miles?

:eek:

No.

Just, no.

:/

Good chance to clean inside of fairing and body panels, they like wax too.

:Cool:

HES?

:P

I'll be here all week, ba dum dum...

:wave:

Glad it worked out.

Best wishes.

:lurk:

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Yea, you gotta try pretty hard to kill an R1100RT.

If you wanna spruce it up, I've got a carbon fiber front fender from a K1200RS that has hardware to fit the RT.

Sell it pretty cheap.

Makes doing monster wheelies really easy with the weight reduction.

 

Ahem.

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beemerman2k

Riding this thing like it's a new bike. I cannot assume things are in working order. Today, I rode around the neighborhood for about a half hour, I'm looking for leaks or other sign of wear and tear.

 

This bike so fits me like a hand in a well worn glove—hugely more so than my K1300gt. Washed it, too! Looks much better but still looks like hell. It'll take a while I guess. I'm lucky the bike sat in Los Angeles as opposed to Miami, FL. No humidity so no mold or mildew. Parts seem to have disintegrated because they were so dry! Just gotta make sure that's not happening to any key parts that pertain to operating this bike.

 

The only issue so far is that it doesn't want to idle, when I stop I have to apply the throttle or she'll stall. Not sure what that's about; throttle body sync, amp up the idle screw on the throttle body or just let the engine come into its own in time? It hasn't been ridden in 12 years after all.

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Sometimes the old lions need to gently instruct the young ones on the right way to do things so they can learn to be old lions.

 

A lesson given is a good thing, a lesson received is a blessing.

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The only issue so far is that it doesn't want to idle, when I stop I have to apply the throttle or she'll stall. Not sure what that's about; throttle body sync, amp up the idle screw on the throttle body or just let the engine come into its own in time? It hasn't been ridden in 12 years after all.

I'm dealing with the same issue on a Kawasaki ZX600R that I picked up in California. It hasn't been ridden in about 14 years, and it won't idle. I asked my BMW mechanic about it he said it might be vacuum leaks.

Edited by TF1200RT
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In some ways, it was good that the shipper started your bike. Otherwise it would have sat another 12 years waiting for the time to work on it. :dopeslap:

 

I have the same vintage so if you ever want to ride some, give me a holler! :clap:

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You dodged a bullet man! I would have just sold the bike years ago, but that's me, I don't get too attached to physical things. Glad it is working out for you!

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beemerman2k

The RT arrives from Los Angeles after a 12 year parting! :cry: :cry: :cry: <= tears of joy! :grin:

 

_JEG5602-L.jpg

 

Filthy Hobbitt's motorcycles! The windshield is beyond help; nothing I tried has cleaned it up well at all.

 

_JEG5609-L.jpg

 

_JEG5604-L.jpg

 

_JEG5614-L.jpg

 

So I've ridden this unregistered, uninsured motorcycle around the neighborhood and took it up to 50mph. The more I ride it the more smoothed out she becomes. Amazing how long forgotten traits are surfacing again: PTTR, front tire cupping, surging--topics that used to dominate this forum!

 

The exact same miles she had when I left her back in 2006.

 

_JEG5617-L.jpg

 

Edited by beemerman2k
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That's great. Between this story, and the recent clutch replacement...I'm feeling the urge to get my '01 back on the road. Probably have to pay a few more tuition bills first. :(

 

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James/

Looks nice.

 

But, if it were mine, I'd stop riding and start disassembly/service/maintenance.

If you've dodged a bullet, and long term storage w/out running caused no engine problems (fuel flow/rate/leaks liquid and air), treating the outside of the bike could lead to folly, IMO.

We saw numerous bikes that had sat, for years, that people washed/gassed/ran. Sometimes okish, other times catastrophic failures.

Not being doom and gloom, but if you waited a decade, do it right.

But heck, it is yours so have fun.

Best wishes.

 

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The RT arrives from Los Angeles after a 12 year parting! :cry: :cry: :cry: <= tears of joy! :grin:

 

_JEG5602-L.jpg

 

 

Morning Tourmaster

 

They had your BMW tied down by the handlebars?? I suppose that tying to the cables is better than to the heated grips?? -- That IS the shipper from hell!

 

On your idle issue, add some Techron Concentrate Plus to the gas tank to help clean that & the injectors out a little. (you might ride with the choke on until the idle clears up-- don't worry it really isn't a choke it is just a fast idle device).

 

With how long that bike has been sitting (personally) I wouldn't venture far from home on it until you replace the in-tank rubber fuel hoses (those can leave you positively dead in the water) & possibly replace the rubber brake hoses & get some new fresh brake fluid in it.

 

 

 

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beemerman2k

Thanks for the words of advice; the bike sat at a BMW mechanics shop and he did major work on it last winter including replacing the entire fuel system from gas tank to hoses to etc.

 

It just hadn't been ridden, so that's what I'm doing. And sure, slowly and close to home until this bike rebuilds my confidence again.

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Francois_Dumas

Great adventure James :-) Looks like you're going to need a new windshield though. But you still ride your K-bike, don't you?

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beemerman2k

Oh yes I do, and it's been interesting comparing the two bikes. The K bike is like a mechanical Usaine Bolt, the R bike a mechanical Rodney Dangerfield ::rofl:

 

I can see now why some called the RT a Road Tractor or a bucket of bolts, by comparison the description fits.

 

But the K can't touch the RTs comfort level—not even close. If I HAD to ride to LA right now and get there ASAP, I'd take the RT even in its untested unknown state. So long as it runs, i KNOW I'll be comfortable no matter how far I decide to ride that day.

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Lone_RT_rider
Looks like you're going to need a new windshield though.

 

James, let me know if that windshield doesn't clean up.

 

Shawn

 

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beemerman2k

OK, until now I spared you all the most horrifying thing about this shipping experience.

 

When I climbed aboard that pickup truck to help undo the ties, I discovered that the gas cap on the RT was WIDE OPEN!!! For how long it was open I have no idea. For all I know, whatever was in the air from Los Angeles to Ellington, CT is now in my gas tank :eek:

 

So why was it open at all?!

 

So that image Tewks shared isn't far off the mark!

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Check the tires do. If they're that old they might be rotted or brittle from age.

Edited by Pappy35
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