1974 July

When Bill Marshall #517 returned to the States from Spain this last January, he shipped his BMW from Cadiz to New Orleans. Shipping his bike in this manner turned out to be quite a hassle, and he gives the following advice to others who may wish to do the same.

First: Insure that you have proof of ownership, either from the States or Europe. For those of you who bought your bike through the US Forces, you’ll need the original bill of sale from the Canadian PX.

Second: Do not ship your tools with the bike. Bill’s were stolen.

Third: Note the condition of your bike and accessories at delivery and again at pickup. Bill’s gas tank was damaged, costing almost $100 to repair, and a lot of accessories were damaged. It may be best to remove all accessories prior to delivery.

Fourth: Note mileage at delivery and pickup. Bill’s bike showed 16 unaccounted miles.

Fifth: Insure that your BMW has the manufacturer’s metal tag which is riveted to the triple tree, stating that the bike meets all US federal standards at time of manufacture. Otherwise, you may be forced to post a large bond to get it through Stateside customs.

Bill went on to say that had he ridden his bike to Rota, a US Naval Base a few miles from Cadiz, and shipped it space available, he would have paid only half price (about $50 to $70) and would probably have avoided a lot of hassle.

As there appears to be confusion among most bikers here as to the best way of shipping or flying your BMW back to the States, I plan to explore some of the ways available and give you the particulars.

Ed Johnson #1544 wrote that he is transferring from Asmara and expects to be in Naples, Italy, his new duty station, by the 20^th of June. Ed will be our only member in Italy, but he hopes to rectify this situation as soon as he gets his feet on the ground. He may also be able to give us a first-hand report on the next ISDT, as it will be held in Camerino, Italy, this year from 9 through 14 September.

Ed’s submission for a half-moon add-on patch to the BMWMOA patch deserves mentioning. He envisions an add-on patch with the member’s number placed above the BMWMOA patch, with add-on patches below indicating the continent and the length of stay, for example: EUROPE 74-77. These patches could be made with the dates left blank, to be added in by the member. Additional add-on patches may also be made to show the member’s home state and the BMWMOA Rallies he’s attended. I’ve submitted Ed’s idea to BMWMOA for their evaluation.

Sydney Weatherford #3530 joined our ranks in April. Sid is stationed in Heidelberg. Although Sid is our only member there, he will be joined by Paul Lewis #2924 in July, who will be working for Hq USAREUR. Paul is transferring from Frankfurt.

Auf Wiedersehen