So ride from Kochi to Bangalore via Wayand this time; when you come by next break during December do as what's planned in this thread

Salaam

Haroon bhai - I somehow had missed this thread until now but henceforth I will be glued to it. Hope you the bike gets delivered sooner. Looks like the lesser number of days might force you to replan the trip and you might have to make it shorter - but then on the positive side as you mentioned about your vacation in December, you can plan a ride then - as I think there would be lesser/no rains then.

I was just wondering who is itching more for the ride - You or your Beemer bet she would make peanut of the roads(read terrain) there.

All the best for your rides and like always we all shall look forward to the log and pics as and when it happens.

I think I will give a serious consideration to this suggestion.

Thanks Yaser. The delays just continue. Now it is almost certain that I will clear customs next week and do the trip in December. Eager to see how this bike handles the indian roads. Sadly I wont have a bike in Jeddah for the next 2 months.

Another alternative, provided you have lot of time will be, Kochi - Thrissur - Palakkad - Coimbatore - Ooty - Bandipur Forest - Mysore - Bangalore. I'm just suggestion several options so as you can choose something that you feel is feasible.

when is the bike landing haroon bhai i had expected on 18th???

Thats a nice route, but i have to touch calicut and time available is very limited on this trip.

It has finally arvd at the seaport. But now there are other formalities like the container being moved to specific warehouse, then de-stuffing of container etc. Seems its some more days before I see my baby.

Are you taking it when you're going back or bringing it to India for good? Looks like BMW motorcycles are also coming to India & have considered Indian markets seriously. So its good to your ride here.

Hi Haroon,

Am late to join the party........but better late than never. You sure are about to have a whale of a time with your GS in India. Can't wait to see you starting off. My best wishes for a safe and rocking ride.

These huge delays in getting a hold of your bike must be frustrating.....trust India to frustrate! Anyway, hope these delays are a thing of the past really soon, and you can get down to business.

.....Simba

well the good news is that its landed
man took more than 2 weeks!!!!!

when are u expected to goto calicut and collect ur bike
do u have an idea of the paper work required

Its been brought into india on a 'carnet du passage', which means I dont pay any customs and can use my foreign number plate, but I am allowed to keep it in india for max 6 months and then have to take it back. Well I wrote to BMW India about my proposed trip, but no response or even acknowledgement of my mail.


Thanks simba. Now that my actual ride is postponed till december, you are still early for the party, as you may have read here, I have to get back to Saudi Arabia by first week of October. I am leaving for cochin tonight by bus to clear the bike from customs & ride it down to bangalore (trial run for the GS) and have it parked at my home till I return to India again in december.

Adil, it shipped out from Jeddah on 1 Sept-so its close to 4 weeks now! I have already couriered the clearing agent all the required papers. I have to only take my passport & go to Cochin (not calicut) & sign the documents & release the bike.

Obviously because its of no business interest to them; had you said, you'd about 5-6 Cr & you've been looking out for a business opportunity & state your experience as awaiting confirmation to open a HD showroom in Chennai, then you're bound to get a response

Good luck on your clearance from the port & ride safe towards Bangalore & pls don't forget to click & update the pics here

@Haroon bhai - AFAIK the roads till Coimbatore are bad. So please make sure you cover atleast that part in day time... rest is silky smooth... And good luck with clearance and delivery..

Oh you are leaving it in BLR till you come back? If you need any regular run and maintain services.. please contact me..

Will be waiting for the actual ride to begin..

aha so it dosent seem like a tough thing anymore
well im waiting for ur return from cochin to hear how was the actual clearing process

good luck haroon bhai

@ aargee. Very well said

@ lijok- I am going to calicut and after a night stay there heading to blr thru wynad.

@ srikeerthi- Was looking for somebody tall enough to handle the bike

@ Adil- The clearing is very straight forward once you have all the documents.


TODAYS UPDATE IN COCHIN PORT

Went early morning to customs accompanied by my clearing agent and I was pleasantly surprised that the formalities at the customs office, which was basically visiting 4 separate customs officers and get their approval/signature on my documents and it took me less than 1 hour. Besides, the officers were very friendly/courteous and showed a lot of interest in my trip. As we are heading for the next step, that is - the final inspection of the bike and other contents- I got my OFFICIAL welcome to "Gods own country" (or has it been renamed "Trade unions own country"). The trade union of the port labourers decided Haroonbaby needed a little more challenge to his already delayed bike trip and decided to go on a SNAP STRIKE. Thats right- Hamari maange poora karo stuff..... I anyway took the opportunity to go inside the port with a special pass and see my sweetie red ruby waiting for me. Boy, was there a tickle in my heart to see her after more than a month??? INDEED yes. Gave her a nice smile and left the place before the guys there think I am insane!!! After a lot of telecalls, late in the afternoon, I was told maybe the labourers will get back to work tomorrow morning & I could have it cleared. Fingers crossed. I come back to my hotel room and the TV news says thursday is the new date for the verdict of..... (I said to myself I have had enough of glitches & delays for this dream trip and I am riding on that day come what may).

Also to add a new challenge, today a prominent Malayalam newspaper has done an article on the Carnet being mis-used by our fellow indians. Yeah, I saw in the customs compound a Hummer H3, Range Rover and Lexus that were impounded for Carnet violations including hiring the cars for commercial purposes, illegally selling them etc. Why are we indians like that???