Going Matilda

[pcra]

Hello friends of riding motorbikes

My name is Pat, I am a chef (lover of fine food & drinks), motorcycle enthusiast (just loooove it, never had a car, doesn't feel right to me, maybe when I can't ride a bike anymore I'll get one) and familyman with a couple of smaller and bigger kids.

We are busy migrating to Brisbane AUS and should be arriving there in about 8 months (may-june 06).

Yes it means starting things new and the hard way (we aren't rich) but some good old things we take along, one of them is the K1200LT (it's a 99).

I still have to change the headlights from right-side to leftside driving (costs me CHF 340.--, exchange rate is about 1:1 with the AU$).

Can any of you guys tell me what a new headlight (incl reflector) costs downunder?

Thanx & have a good week

Cheers
Pat

[Dezrae]

i would start here

http://www.motohansa.com.au/

pick their brains.if they cant help,im sure they know who to talk to.

[Spike]

G'day Pat

Great to hear your going to make Australia home.
We live on the sunshine Coast one hour north of Brisbane. Keep in touch, when you arrive we'll have to get together. Love to show you some of the great roads around the area. How long have you been riding the LT? Have you got a job lined up yet? Being a chef I don't imagine you will have any problems getting a job.

Nick

[pcra]

First of all, Thank You fellows and sorry for replying that late, I forgot to set the notification by mail function :(

1) mailing the "motohansa" leaves me with an error, it has got to do with my firewall (apparently). I even temporarely disabled it, although I dont like that at all (dont trust the net at all)

2) Hello Nick, thanx for the invitation, I am taking you gladly up on it once I am down there. It is good to here that there are some Lt's existing in and around Brisbane.
My LT is a 1999 modell and I bought it second hand with 32'000km in August 04' for 15'000AU$ from the BMW dealer (1 previous owner, he bought the new 2004 LT, just like you, that was my chance. There are plenty of LT's in Switzerland, that's an advantage when you choose, guess we are spoilt here).
The bike fits me like a glove, just love it.
Going up the mountain roads in the alps, I really push here hard, pegs on the ground and going down on the other side too. After 2 to 3 pass (mountains) the brakes really start to stink terrible, but they have now a sensational grip!
Well I had to replace the rear pads after only 4'000km this summer, but this was also due of the 2 motorbike safety trainings we went to.
I also love to work on the bike myself, it's as good (almost) as riding the bike, I just enjoy the time with the bike (sometimes my wife has to remind me that I am actually married to her :)
No, we dont have a location of living as well as a job jet. It will come, we are busy working on it. And yeah, guess you are right, getting a job as a chef is not too difficult.

thats all for now, cheers & have a great week ;)

Pat

[cws]

Hi Pat.

So, if we ever get an Ozzy CCR, at least we have a chef! Nice one!
cheers!

[pcra]

thanx Chris and I can cook I am telling you . . . . . mmhhhhh. . . . even snags are getting homemade by me and ribs and much more . . . . . if we ever get a meeting right, I promise to cook som deli stuff ;)

[Dezrae]

Here is a few other companies you could try

http://www.moto-one.com.au/

http://www.ccmotorcycles.com.au/

http://www.citycoastmotorcycles.com.au/

http://www.seaside.com.au/

http://www.bmwsouthbank.com.au/

[pcra]

many thanx mate, these are some helpful links ;)

[pcra]

update

Received today the go ahead for the medicals for the family. :yeah: In 4 month we are going to be in the :sun: and have some :beer:

[Dezrae]

Cool,
Well make sure your :beer: is a XXXX Gold to start with. Make sure its out of a stubbie and not a can, tastes way better.
Dont bother with VB or Fosters, that stuff is only good for getting rid of Oil Stains from your driveway, even then, it dont work too well.
And when getting your dose of the :sun: make sure you put on the highest marked SPF rated sun screen you can get :thumb: or you will look like a lobster and in a few years have skin cancer galore :crazy:

[onions]

Cool,
Well make sure your :beer: is a XXXX Gold to start with. Make sure its out of a stubbie and not a can, tastes way better.
Dont bother with VB or Fosters, that stuff is only good for getting rid of Oil Stains from your driveway, even then, it dont work too well.


Hmmmm....
Now just remind me...why did they call it XXXX in Queensland?...thats right...it's because they couldn't spell BEER....no, wait a minute...it was because it wasn't good enough to actually call it BEER...

I guess that the reason that Fosters and VB are available in almost every western country in the world (and XXXX remains absolutely unheard of) is due to it's oil stain removing qualities eh?

Hmmmm... Yep, if you want to be immediately repulsed by Australian beer and cured of any potential alcoholism...then by all means try a XXXX (let alone XXXX Gold which is a light beer) as your first introduction to Australian brews....

Jeez Dez, I think I would rather drink your favorite JB Weld than that XXXX rubbish....:D

[Dezrae]

Hmmmm....
Now just remind me...why did they call it XXXX in Queensland?...thats right...it's because they couldn't spell BEER....no, wait a minute...it was because it wasn't good enough to actually call it BEER...

I guess that the reason that Fosters and VB are available in almost every western country in the world (and XXXX remains absolutely unheard of) is due to it's oil stain removing qualities eh?

Hmmmm... Yep, if you want to be immediately repulsed by Australian beer and cured of any potential alcoholism...then by all means try a XXXX (let alone XXXX Gold which is a light beer) as your first introduction to Australian brews....

Jeez Dez, I think I would rather drink your favorite JB Weld than that XXXX rubbish....:D



Hahahahahahahahaa...
To be honest im not really in to beer any how.
I prefer Vodka. I dont mind Vodka Cruisers, they are ok.
Maybe a better suggestion for beee woudl eb the Northern Territory Beer. Dunno if you can still get it in the 1.5 litre stubbies or not, but they are massive bottle of beer, they like their beer a lot in the "Top End".

But man, drinking JW Weld, C'mon now, XXXX Gold is way better tasting then that! Plus its cheaper too!:p

[pcra]

Gentlemen, with honour and pride I announce that a couple of days ago, the Australian Government has been issuing to me, the IMPORT APPROVAL ISSUED UNDER REGULATION 17 (motorbikes buildt before 1989 for my XJ650) and the IMPORT APPROVAL ISSUED UNDER REGULATION 13 (PERSONALLY IMPORTED VEHICLE for my BMW)!

Yes they are coming along, I hope that they will not get too seasick.

I guess I should take the battery out of the vehicle when transporting it?

[meese]

Congrats on getting through the bureaucratic maze (at least the first section). You'll need to check with the actual shipper, but most require the battery to be disconnected and the fuel tank drained.

[Dezrae]

I guess I should take the battery out of the vehicle when transporting it?

i think u will find all fluids are to be drained from it as well

[pcra]

i think u will find all fluids are to be drained from it as well

Disconnect the battery if you want to be able to start the bike after arrival

Only allowed to have the tank filled by a quarter

That's about it.

We will be arriving in Bribane Wednesday 05.July 2006 07h15 touching Australian soil for the very first time. Yeeeeehaaaaa Baby!!!!!

[pcra]

How to move a household with 2 motorbikes from
Europe to Australia . . . we arrive on the 5 of july,
4 weeks before the container . . . so I hope
the bikes are not getting seasick

http://img131.imageshack.us/img131/1706/bild028qv.th.jpg (http://img131.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bild028qv.jpg)
http://img131.imageshack.us/img131/4255/bild063wb.th.jpg (http://img131.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bild063wb.jpg)
http://img329.imageshack.us/img329/2467/bild096ca.th.jpg (http://img329.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bild096ca.jpg)
http://img131.imageshack.us/img131/5871/bild114fp.th.jpg (http://img131.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bild114fp.jpg)
http://img1.imageshack.us/thumbnail.png (http://img266.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bild12web2xl.jpg)
http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/1797/bild131bh.th.jpg (http://img297.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bild131bh.jpg)
http://img390.imageshack.us/img390/4790/bild144tm.th.jpg (http://img390.imageshack.us/my.php?image=bild144tm.jpg)

[onions]

Wow, big job Patrik.
I hate moving house from suburb to suburb...can't imagine how difficult it must be to up and move from country to country...