Need information on cost to ship a scooter (like a small motorcycle) to the VI

I don't have any shipping advice to offer, but you do know how bad the roads are here, yes?

Welcome to St. Croix! 🙂

Thanks JulieKay!

It just occurred to me that I should have posted this in the relocation forum, not the Classifieds. Before I delete and move this, though, I thought I would probe into what you said in re the potholes.

I had indeed heard about them, and it has been made clear by contacts I have down there that in certain parts they are absurdly big and never fixed. But just what does it mean on a daily basis for car drivers? Constant busting of tires? Axle work and repairs? Are they even avoidable, or is one guaranteed to hit them,. etc? Also, are they on all the roads, or just the main ones that are used more than others? I was hoping to have a scooter anyway, just for the basic Point A to Point B stuff, until my paychecks from my new work allow me to invest in a used car. But if it is literally IMPOSSIBLE to navigate around these darn things, I might be out of luck, period ha ha

Finally, out of plain curiosity, why don't elected officials run on a basic platform of putting tax dollars toward paving over the most regularly used roads -- that all can enjoy the benefits of?

thank you for the 411, and the welcome. I am embracing change, and can't wait to experience St. Croix life. 🙂 (even with the huge potholes, crime issues, and other negatives folks have mentioned to me).

Potholes are in all the roads, even the main ones. And even where there aren't potholes, the roads are quite rough and uneven. I can think of only one smooth stretch of road, and it's the part of South Shore heading out to the Divi for some reason.

There aren't many motorcycles or scooters here. There is a resident motorcycle club but they are weekend type riders, not every day commuters. If you want I can put you in touch with one of my friends who has a Harley and he can give you a sense of what it's like to ride around. He did just have someone run him off the road two weeks ago so he may not be in a great mood about it! 😀

The thing about elected officials, well all I can say is welcome to the VI. It would take too much space to explain here and you'll figure it out eventually on your own anyway. 🙂

Feel free to start a new thread, I can respond over there too. Or ask Islander to move this one.

Wow, very enlightening.

First, it sounds like politics is a bit of a hornet's nest, so, as with so many other aspects of life there, I'll let myself experience and observe it for myself after I arrive.

The roads sound atrocious. OK then. And the fact that this friend of yours was run off the road! Yes, if you could put me in touch with him, that would be great. I can get around barriers and obstacles, etc -- I am a resourceful person -- but this sounds like an invitation for injury! lol

I will abandon the idea to ship a scooter from here (unless someone here knows a dirt cheap sea freight option). And I will take a wait-see approach as to whether I should even buy one when I get there -- even assuming a quality used one ever pops up on this site or on craigslist.

At the same time, I will keep my eye out for a cheap "beater" car ($1000 - $1500) that I can buy on the island, then resell after a couple months and upgrade -- the courts, where I will be working, apparently don't dole out paychecks until you have been working there for six weeks.

Lastly, yes if you know how to get this thread moved to its proper place, without too much effort, please do so.

Thanks for the help. You'll likely see me popping up a fair bit over the next couple months, so I guess I'll run into you then. 🙂

SMOOTH ROAD ALERT

Between Pueblo and the stop sign on the way to Beeston Hill. I didn't know we got a shipment of asphalt.

Where they just dug all the holes? I never could figure out what they were doing.

...they were putting in potholes, but then realized they didn't have the random spacing correct...so they covered them all up.

Lol Poodle! Too true! (Those were some deep potholes!)

-- moved topic --

"I am keen on owning a scooter ... mainly because most folks don't seem to use or sell them down there."

As you quickly discovered there is a VERY good reason why this is so.

"First, it sounds like politics is a bit of a hornet's nest ..."

No different from political nests elsewhere.

I'm guessing that you're coming to the islands "cold turkey" and, since you're new to this website, you may not know of all the general information available here which will be of great use to you. At the top of this page you'll see pull-down menus from "Home" on the left to "Message Board" on the right. Reading it all will be invaluable and at least help you to settle in more easily. Good luck with your new job!

If the potholes and roads don't get ya, the drivers will.
Be aware.

Hello Tomin,
Now that we know there are pot holes on St Croix, lets get to the meat of your question!
There are two shippers that I recommend:
1. VI Cargo 340-778-6462 vicargo.com
2. Paradise Shipping 340-713-0033 paradisefreight.com
Both companies will answer all your questions!

Just to let you know I own an 80cc Scooter and travel all the roads and don't exceed 40miles an hour. Yes you have to be carful and watch out for the bumps, etc., but you don't have to go 80mh to enjoy the view not to mention the gas savings! A 150cc would be more than enough. There are more motorcycles now on st Croix and some think 100mh is too slow. There have been deaths to those who think it's cool!
Good luck. D

Scooters (and two-wheelers in general) are uncommon here because of potholes, narrow, winding, steep roads, overgrown brush, bad drivers, and rain. Theft is probably another problem.

If you must ship one here, then get a quote from http://vicargo.com/ or http://paradisefreight.com/ .

There are very few scooters here and I do not believe the roads are the reason. I believe it's the drivers. I know of several people who have been hit or run off the road on either a scooter or motorcycle - I saw a pretty bad car vs. small cycle just 2 weeks ago. People here tend to drive as if they own the road and others must just get out of their way. It's unfortunate because with the cost of gasoline scooters would be great here.

I see more and more scooters on STX every week. Scooters can be a safe and inexpensive alternative to cars. Scooters are agile and can easily navigate our pot holed roads. As the price of gas climbs, more scooters will be on the roads.

Lots of us ride motorcycles - safely. I still say it's easier to avoid the potholes with two wheels than four. I think it's safer riding here than up on the smooth roads on the mainland - becuase of the increased speeds and distration of the cage drivers.

I've had two bikes (crated) shipped down via VI Cargo. For a small scooter I'd guess between 300-500 all up for shipping but I'm sure they can give you a better estimate, especially if you have dimensions.

For anyone thinking of moving here who latches onto this thread, please be aware that the terrain on STX is much flatter than that on STT or STJ and thus the hazards are MUCH greater on those two islands. Anybody with even half a brain shouldn't even consider riding any sort of a scooter on STT or STJ.

For anyone thinking of moving here who latches onto this thread, please be aware that the terrain on STX is much flatter than that on STT or STJ and thus the hazards are MUCH greater on those two islands. Anybody with even half a brain shouldn't even consider riding any sort of a scooter on STT or STJ.

And consider that it will limit where you live on STX. There are some roads in neighborhoods that are absolutely terrible, and hills with sharp drop-offs, etc. No way someone could come up the road to our house on a two-wheeled vehicle, unless maybe a dirt bike.

My neutral suggestion to tominoakland is that he come here and survey the situation for himself before putting the money into shipping a scooter. Everyone is different, everyone's needs are different, and everyone's tolerances are different. For me, after seeing several friends side-swiped off the road and one almost killed (he was rear-ended while riding) it's enough for me to be turned off on the risks of a two-wheeled vehicle. But I have friends who do, so, to each his/her own.

There is a "scooter" shop in the Pam Am Pavillion on boardwalk. I noticed you did not say motorcycle, but, scooter. He also has some of my friend's Harley's that were brought to the island for the Iron Horse Tours. The guy's shop specializes in scooters. He ships new scooters here for sale and rents them out as well.

Thanks to everyone for chiming in! Great perspectives on the situation.

Thanks also to roosterfish and STXBob for directing me to those two VI-based shipping companies. IslandHops cites 300 - 500 as an estimate, which is also encouraging. I'll look into it, because as far as comparison shopping, there are far more used scooters being sold here in the Bay Area. I'd much rather ship one along if it is economcally feasible, instead of waiting and waiting for a good deal to pop up on the STX classifieds.

So, in case you were curious, even before looking into the state of affairs on STX, I decided on the scooter idea for a few reasons:
They are very fuel-efficient, less expensive to buy than cars, less expensive to maintain that cars (I could be wrong), great for getting around in short distances and for parking, are really taking off in urban areas, less dangerous for the most part than motorcycles (because they have lower max speeds), and because as someone who is really into cycling I saw the immediate benefit of the two wheels instead of four.

But in looking into things on the island I came across all the warning signs many of you have now confirmed:
Many uneven roads with scattered and sometimes huge potholes; narrow, winding, or on St. Thomas very hilly roads with little or no shoulders; some drivers who either hog the road or in occasional cases run two-wheel folks off of it; and generally a transportation culture not really accustomed to bikes/scooters/motorbikes as a key part of the whole scene.

I'm definitely taking all of your warnings to heart, and I am at the same time encouraged that a few of you who actually ride scooters/motorcycles have done so strategically, navigating around potholes, avoiding high speeds, etc... From an outsider's POV, I echo the sentiments of some of you above -- it would be great for the island, or really any place, to generate more bike lanes and scooter riding. But it is what it is, and I'll probably just roll up there and assess the scene for myself before buying anything (thanks JulieKay).

You may want to make sure you can get parts for your scooter, easily, if need be, whether locally or by mail.

Lots of us ride motorcycles - safely. I still say it's easier to avoid the potholes with two wheels than four. I think it's safer riding here than up on the smooth roads on the mainland - becuase of the increased speeds and distration of the cage drivers.

Exactly right, IslandHops.

Anybody with even half a brain shouldn't even consider riding any sort of a scooter on STT or STJ.

And any rider with even half a brain knows better than to listen to advice from PEOPLE WHO DO NOT RIDE. Come on, OT; can the insults. Yes, it's important to understand what the road conditions are. But if you don't ride a motorcycle, you're unqualified to assess the mental status of those of us who do.

I ride daily on STJ and have gotten OUT of a lot of dangerous situations because my ride is small and nimble. For example, yesterday I had to stop suddenly behind the bus around a blind curve, and I knew the driver behind me was going too fast to stop in time, so I pulled up between the side of the bus and the edge of the road. The driver (in a large truck hauling propane tanks, no less) behind me came to a screeching halt about three feet behind the bus. If I'd been in a car, I would have had no escape route from that accident except to dart into the oncoming lane -- not much of an escape.

The key to safe driving anywhere is AWARENESS. Most bikers I know have a lot more of it than car drivers.

Tom, it is possible to buy scooters locally and also to ship them down once you arrive. If the bike is not already new in a crate, you'll have to factor in the cost of the crate for your shipping figure. And as you can gather from this discussion, if you are not a super-experienced rider, you might want to check out the roads in person first before deciding whether to get one or not. Good luck!

less expensive to maintain that cars (I could be wrong)

In some ways yes, in some ways no. It is more challenging to find a bike mechanic than a car mechanic, and it is more difficult to get bike parts here than car parts. The size of the machine does mean less $, but be prepared for a hassle factor, unless you just want to buy a new bike every year or two.

less dangerous for the most part than motorcycles (because they have lower max speeds)

That doesn't make them less dangerous here, as most of our roads don't allow for the kind of speed you do in the states. The only thing that makes a scooter slightly safer than a motorcycle is a lower center of gravity (harder to tip over, and less far to fall if you do).

less expensive to maintain that cars (I could be wrong)

In some ways yes, in some ways no. It is more challenging to find a bike mechanic than a car mechanic, and it is more difficult to get bike parts here than car parts. The size of the machine does mean less $, but be prepared for a hassle factor, unless you just want to buy a new bike every year or two.

And I HATE to bring this up because I don't like to talk about crime - but make sure you lock it up, if you choose to have one, especially if it's more of a small motorcycle than a scooter. They are easy targets for crime - easy to steal, and the police do essentially nothing when one is stolen. A good friend of mine who is a hobby mechanic has had three stolen in the last 5 years - and has seen other people riding around on them on the island but nothing he could do about it, even reporting to the police who had the bike got him nothing. Have a garage to lock it in and a big dog or other security system of choice.