bike stranded 4 hours outside bucharest

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

A mate of mine's had a pretty nasty accident on the way to Turkey - low speed off in rural Roumania, four hours from Bucharest. He's managed to get back to Yorkshire now, after a few days in a hospital there (which sounded scary as owt, and with somewhat basic amenities to say the least) - but his lightning is stuck at some b&b in the Roumanian equivalent of Royston Vasey.

The bike's ridable but if I've understood the story correctly, his insurers are currently pretty reluctant to tackle the expense and logistics of getting it to the UK. Figures of 3k are floating around. Thus the whole thing starts to enter write off territory.

In my fevered imaginings, Operation Lightning is starting to take shape. But what kind of trials, tribulations, expenses, time and fiascos would be involved? The Buell must be wrested from the clutches of Eastern European blackguards - but how??
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"Life is a sexually transmitted disease and the mortality rate is one hundred percent."

Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125

[Pete.]

1. Check the bike's still there.
2. Pay the owner of the establishment to make sure it stays there and intact (with promise of more to come).
3. Jump on plane, taxi and donkey - go fetch bike. Take proof of ownership.
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a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

Yeah - would probably have to be something like that. But how much would that cost and how long would it take? Could easily be over a grand once flight, fuel and accommodation are put in the equation. And knowing me, i.e. Captain Slow, would take a good few days. Plus I'd get lost loads. Can't even get to Scunthorpe without stopping to ask.
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"Life is a sexually transmitted disease and the mortality rate is one hundred percent."

Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125

[ajag]

[jimspeed]

I have just done almost exactly that.flown out and Brought a car back from Hungary cost £52 for the flight and I drove it back here in 3 and a half days with some sight seeing . go for it beg steal of borrow a sat Nav with FULL Europe on. My TomTom was £100 and is full EU a lot only do western EU. Book one hotel on booking.com and book the next nights once you have an idea of distance and time you are willing to cover next day.
Go on its how adventures are started.
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Hyosung cruise 125(passed test on, sold) Kawasaki el 252 (better than expected but sold on) Kawasaki GPZ500S first "big"bike.(sold) ZZR600 E5..Z750 2007,ER5, currently on a 2008 Enfield bullet electra x and loving it..
,"Alpha-9: Is there any correlation between dyno rod and dyno kits?"

[Marmalade]

Do it. It's an adventure.
Fly out, ride back, join adsc before you go, buy or borrow a euro sat nav. Have some fun.

As a last resort, I'd be up for trailering it it back but it'd be £1800.
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[malteser273]

If anything mate, this sounds like the perfect cure to your 'end of season blues!' Sounds like it would be ace.. Oh, and you get to help your mate out too
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Honda Hornet 600

[iooi]

[Doomsnite]

Depending where, could be a beautiful ride. I did a weekend in Bucharest and then up to Transylvania which you may have to rode through... Amazing roads and scenery
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Triumph Street Triple-R
Sold: Honda Hornet CB600F-Y / Yamaha YBR125

[c-m]

If you've got week to spare it could be quite fun.

Otherwise I wouldn't fancy it. It takes an age to get back from Romania and the roads are terrible until you get to Hungary. Then you're looking at 3-4 days solid riding form there.

I bet for £500 plus expenses you could pay a Romanian to bring it here.

[wr6133]

[Polarbear]

[Pete.]

Option 3 - sell bike to Romanian for value less cost of recovery.
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a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[Al]

If the insurance company are going to write it off and payout why not just take the money Surely if you or your friend go on some mission to retrieve the bike you'll end up paying for this yourselves and still end up with a crash damaged bike.
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Yamaha FZR400RR 3tj
My Instagram Thingy

[Pete.]

If we were talking UJM I'd tend to agree but for such an unusal bike it's worth that little more effort.
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a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[Al]

If the bikes very rare then replacing any damaged parts may be difficult and expensive on top of the travel costs. Are they that rare? I'm getting 13 for sale on ebay and it's pretty much the worst time of the year to sell a bike like that. (only 3 fzr400's)
Depends what the insurance payout is like I suppose and how attached to the bike he was. Doesn't seem to make much financial sense though.
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Yamaha FZR400RR 3tj
My Instagram Thingy

[Val]

Buy used Mercedes Vito 108 CDI for about a gran.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2000-Mercedes-Benz-VITO-108-CDI-NO-VAT-12-MONTHS-MOT-/141413012279?pt=UK_Commercial_Trucks&hash=item20ecdf5337

Drive there 2 days with one day sleepover for £40 in very good German hotel in the middle.

Get the bike. Secure it well in the back of the van. Drive back. Sell the van for almost the same if not better price.

Total cost for good food, fuel, accomodation etc about £700.

That is what I have done getting a friend's bike from my native Bulgaria

This is the fastest, cheap safe way to get the bike.

Or you can find a cargo truck that do regular trips from Romania to UK and ask them for a transport quote. The price will be in the range of £700 but this can take a long time to arrange.
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Adrian Monk: Unless I'm wrong, which, you know, I'm not...
Yamaha Fazer FZS 600, MT09, XSR 900

[chris-red]

The first place I googled offer a week hire of a transit for £209.

Much cheaper than the losses you would face buying and selling a van + the losses from insurance cover, it also has the added bonus of being a new van that will be far less likely to breakdown than some £1000 heap.
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[Marmalade]

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

Interesting points =
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"Life is a sexually transmitted disease and the mortality rate is one hundred percent."

Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125

[RodYork]

Trev- as others have mentioned- allow 2 weeks, buy a Vito..drive to the bike(ensuring it is there first) and get it in the van & return...camping en-route...ideal adventure!
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Bike trip through Europe! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2yTtFPM7Xc

[Peirre oBollox]

borrowed Van + 3 drivers
Drive non stop, stopping only for fuel and to change drivers. You should be there and back in 3 days.

I once considered hiring a van in the UK to recover my bike in France but couldn`t get and major hire Co to let me take the van outside the uk, likewise I couldn`t get a French van hire Co to let me take the van to the UK. Also cross border trips are additional charged

1 way trips dropping the van off at the docks are possible, but expensive.
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I accept no responsibility for swearing, drinking, motorcycle riding or your pregnant teenage daughter.

[Chalky.]

I bet it's already gone.

[MarJay]

Is it an XB12, an S1 or an X1?
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[Pete.]