Entering South Korea with my Motorcycle by Air
Update 42 (September 2023)
Vancouver to Seoul, South Korea
It’s time to move on. Where to next? Before the Covid-19 pandemic came along, I was on my way out of Australia to do East Asia and across to Europe through Russia and the “stans”. I still had this inkling, so that’s the general direction I’m heading. But going through Russia with the Ukraine war is not really an option currently, so my plans are a little vague. But for now my focus is on South Korea and then Japan.
After a few phone calls and emails, it seemed Vancouver was going to be my best exit point from Canada, so I made my way in that direction.
I was going over old territory now on the Alaska Highway. Back through Whitehorse, Watson Lake, Muncho Lake and my short term stomping ground of Fort Nelson.
There was a good Chinese Restaurant in Watson Lake that I had visited on the way north. So I had an early dinner there and then rode out to the Watson Lake campground. It’s easier eating away from the campsite to avoid food odour attracting bears. It is still around 10pm before it gets dark.
The next day I stopped for an excellent breakfast at Liard Hot Springs Lodge and met Donna and Tom on their huge Honda Goldwing, with all 1800cc+. It even had reverse, which you would totally need. They were super nice people and had done an amazing amount of travel through the US and Canada. The equivalent of riding to the moon and they were now working on the way “back”. They also put me in touch with another motorycle travelling couple that were currently making their way through China, which was looking like an option to maybe get me through to Mongolia and on to Europe.
Recent fires had caused a lot of damage in the area. There was still quite a lot of smoke haze at times.
I got as far as Cache Creek (not an appealing town) and had plans to go to Vancouver via Whistler. But I realised I had a leaking front fork, again. It’s not surprising, the seal was getting on and all the mud from the Dempster Highway probably ended it. So I decided to detour to the town of Vernon where there was a motorcycle suspension specialist. Vernon was a nice town. I stayed four days in the end. Got my first haircut in a year and the bike got fixed.
It turns out that I wasn’t happy with the work Riders Suspension in Vernon did. The original oil leak returned by the time I landed in Seoul and the front spring change just caused an uncomfortable bounce. I wasted my money with them.
Log cabins were very common, including some modern homes.
Air freighting my Motorcycle from Vancouver to Seoul, South Korea.
I was gradually narrowing down what I was doing. It takes time to work out the process of air freighting a motorcycle and who can do it competently. There is finding a freight forwarder, working out documentation and trying to understand what goes on at the other end. And it’s rare to find someone that knows it all. My experience with Air Cargo Pack over the Darien Gap was probably the only time – Story Here.
So, in brief, this is who I used:
Crating the motorcycle – Daytona Motorsports Vancouver.
Fenton was my contact. They used a Yamaha steel crate and charged a fair price. They knew what they were doing and were good to do business with.
My Freight Forwarder ex Vancouver – International Fastline Forwarding.
The contact is Jennifer Fan. They are good people and care about doing the right thing. Jennifer’s communication was very good and honest. Initially I had decided to use Air Canada direct to Seoul, but they put their price up 60%, after accepting their quote. Complete BS, so Air Canada got the flick. So the bike went with China Airlines. I was a little nervous about it going via Taipei but it went smoothly. And the price was very good. It was actually the easiest part of the whole process.
Dangerous Good Certification – In the end I used Jesse at Upward Packaging. Brett at ICC Compliance Center also seemed good to communicate with.
At the South Korea end – UFC Logistics Co
IFF Logistics had got UFC involved at the South Korea end. I had a huge amount of help from Hosun, the Customer Service Manager. In the end I didn’t give them that much business but they were very helpful in working out insurance for my motorcycle before I arrived. If you ever need help to ship out of South Korea, Hosun would be a good starting point.
The people in the collection warehouse for Korean Air Services were also very helpful. They provide a local service for many international freight operators. But I did get a little lost over who was who, so I don’t have much to add.
The links here on Mad or Nomad and 2 Wheel Adventurer have some good information about getting into South Korea with a motorcycle.
I found the South Korean Customs very painful. It was the most tedious and expensive Customs process I have encountered so far. Hopefully getting out will go okay… And it was.
My first morning in Seoul, sharing the exercise park with the ladies. I ended up flying in on the Friday afternoon and the bike arrived on the Sunday afternoon. So I had a couple of relaxing days before going back out to the airport on the Monday to get the bike.
I found you at last…. It did take a while. In fact the process turned into two days, as there is another quirk with South Korean laws, where motorcycles of any type are not allowed on motorways, expressways etc. And the only way to ride off the Incheon Airport island is via one of two expressways. Motorcycles have to catch a ferry, with the last sailing at 5:30pm. I was running out of time on day 1 to collect and assemble the bike. So I played it safe and once I had located the bike I came back the next day to take possession of it.
I had trouble with the front brake pads and getting the front wheel on. Luckily the manager at the KAS warehouse helped me find this mechanic who came out and got me organised. I could have this wrong but I think this is his Instagram – chan_ju_jeong.
Ready to go. My ferry awaits. Interesting cargo of lugworm in the background.
Gueup Ferry coming in to dock.
Logging in my distance for my East Asia start.
No half measures here.
It’s a curious ferry service. They are obviously ready for a lot of traffic, but where is it?
A quick snap with my phone as I ride through the city. It’s not too bad getting around. I use Naver instead of Google Maps. Korean drivers seem pretty sensible and considerate.
I left Seoul the next day and booked some accommodation in Chuncheon about 120km away. But soon after I realised the extent of the Chuseok holiday that was just starting in Korea. Combined with other holidays, the country is closed from the Thursday to the Tuesday inclusive. And as you would imagine most people leave town for a holiday. So accommodation was either just fully booked out or super expensive. So I ended up returning to my Seoul hotel for the holiday period. It was a good neighborhood with everything I needed.
Finding food at the supermarket. Although I am just in a hotel room so I am pretty limited with what I can prepare.
Chuseok is a harvest festival. There were a few displays in the local area.