Shipping Explained
We will ship to anywhere in the world you wish to pay the freight to.
If you wish to send a pre-printed label based on the freight weight/dimensions that we can give you, not a problem.
Enjoying the ride while doing so!
We have shipped to almost every country in the world that has a Goldwing owner in it. You pay the freight, we’ll send it the way you want it to be sent.
Shipping Rates
Shipping rates Quoted: Those are the rates on the freight as stated on the site: directly calculated by Canada Post. If you are wondering why a larger item that you know only weighs about 1.1 lbs (.5 kilos), yet it shows 8 as a weight: read further. That is the dimensional weight: Calculated by Canada Post based on the size, not the actual weight.
Huge items: Shipping rates not quoted: Call US: From complete bikes to motors to frames to motorcycle trailers: that we state are FOB our yard (Freight On board in our yard): you send the shipper, we help load it, and that’s it. You get the weight/dimensions, you order the shipper.
We have sent motors to the Yukon, Manitoba, Florida and other places, frames to New York, a complete crated motorcycle to Dubai, a complete open-ship motorcycle to California: loaded by us and your shipper for you: in our yard.
How we ship a normal parcel:
An order come in, the part is ‘pulled’ from the bins. The size is noted, then we go to our very large selection of boxes, both new and used and pick a box that is closest to the dimensions of the item.
Almost every box is then custom cut to accommodate the size of the package, to keep the dimensional weight down, yet ensure that the package is well insulated from the interior walls of the box. Because we note the size of the item dimensions when we inventory it, we are able to be accurate when the item is listed, and the the cost of shipping is based on the weight and the dimensional size to see which they will use for calculating the rate, based on your address.
We use new boxes for your package as well as used boxes, because if we had to buy every box new for larger items, then we would have to pass that substantial cost along to you. A box that fits a side-cover, as an example, would be about $4-$6 each. A box that came to us by other means costs us nothing. And costs you nothing. The small boxes can cost about $1.50 ($.75 to 2.25) each on average, and that is on “our nickel”.
Freebies, Part of our cost of business:
It can take 3 or 4 minutes to pack a small item securely in a small box, but it can take you 45 minutes or longer prepare to a large item: saddlebags, fairing, trunks, and such. Those large boxes are almost always custom cut and fabricated, and as it can take a whole roll of tape to secure a GL1200/GL1500 fairing in a box. That’s our cost: the person-hours absorbed by packing a large item securely, yet keep the dimensions of the finished box to a minimum. Once and a while we get lucky, and have a box that fits the item well, but not very often at all. Almost all are custom cut to save you shipping on the dimensions.
How are the rates calculated, based on your address?
StraightWings website is connected Canada Post (CanPost), and the rates you obtain when you check-out are the actual rates charged. Typically, all parts are less expensive to ship with CanPost than by any other medium.
That includes all parts up to over 30 kilograms (66lbs) in weight, or in dimensional weight.
Actual Weight and Dimensional Weight Calculation in Shipping Rates
What is Actual weight? It is what you see when you place the item on a scale.
What is Dimensional Weight? It is a method of calculating the rate based on the dimensions you have take (Length x Height x Width) which is then tested with a formula. That formula varies by carrier: each carrier sets it’s own. Canada Post uses two methods.
For Regular parcels, they use (LxHxW)/6000. That includes Tracked Packet and Small Packet to the USA and International.
For Priority, Express and all other USA and International shipments they use (LxHxW)/5000
When are those calculations done?
All shipments are rated both ways, to see which is the greater “weight” (actual or dimensional). ALL carriers use the same dimensional base method or rate calculation (L x H x H) but often with different division factors (5000, 6000 5500, etc).
This is how the basic regular shipment works, based on weight but with it also tested by Dimensional Weight.
The Package is heavy metal: the dimensions are 15x 15 x 15 CM’s (=6″ x 6″ x 6″), the actual weight is 1.75kilograms (3.05lbs) The actual weight rate is $24. The dimensional rate is calculated as: (15 x 15 x 15)/6000, which is .56 kilograms. Therefore, the actual rate of 1.75 kilograms is used for the rate calculation, because it is more than the dimensional rate. Then the dimensional weight is calculated.
The Package is a light but large body-work piece. It weights the same as the metal piece (1.75kg), but the box that it fits into is 60 x 40 x 20 CM’s (27″ x 17″ x 8″). The Dimensional weight is calculated as (60 x 40 x 20)/6000, which is 8 kilograms. Therefore the Dimension weight takes over from the actual weight, and the rate is based on 8 kilograms, not the 1.75 Kilograms that is the actual weight.
If the dimensional weight is larger than the actual weight then that weight is used in the shipping rate calculation.
Included: Fuel surcharges: As is obvious from the examples to the left, the freighters, who have both a limited space, and weight-maximums on the carriers (whether a truck, boat, or airplane), have to figure out the method which is fair to the shipper and the recipient, and themselves.
Instead of continuously changing the actual-weight & dimensional-weight rates, which would be nearly impossible to keep up with, those typically annual rates stay the same, and they add “fuel-surcharges” which can vary daily based on the cost of fuel for the transportation medium, and maintained current by one simple change: the daily cost of fuel.
The above should help you to understand why that precious feather in a large box will cost you a lot more than a large piece of lead in a small box. The rate you pay (with StraightWings in any event) is the actual rate that it costs.
You should now have some insight as to what the seller is facing in dealing with helping you obtain things which are shipped fairly (and securely).
Please: Ride safely.
Shipping to:
Canada USA All of Europe including Scandinavia and the United Kingdom Saudi Arabia Dubai United Arab Emirates North, Mexico, Central and South America. Central and South Africa Australia New Zealand Japan Malaysia India: and elsewhere. We’ll get it to you.