PDA

View Full Version : Bikes are expensive in NZ!



rizza
24th June 2003, 11:59
Hello everybody,

I'm from the USA and I'm thinking about coming over to New Zealand to work for a year. I have two motorcycles in the US so of course I'd want to get one in NZ (it's an addiction). So I was looking at bikes listed on bikepoint.co.nz and they are expensive.

As an example, I've seen many Suzuki TL1000S in California for around $4000US which is about ($6800 NZ). It seems like there arent really that many bikes on bikepoint that are even in that price range. And certainly not a 1000 V-twin. Can anybody explain why this is? Smaller market maybe? I thought that with the currency conversion that somehow I would be able to get a bike for cheaper in NZ than in the US. I guess not.

Another thing that is interesting to me is that many bikes for sale in NZ have over 50000 kms. That amount on a bike in the US is VERY rare. Congratulations to all of you for actually riding your bikes and not just riding through the city hoping people look at you.

I also like how you guys have the license requirements where you have to start on a small bike. In the US many people start on 1000cc bikes and end up killing themselves.

Well thanks for reading my comments. Sorry if they dont make too much sense.

Dave
24th June 2003, 12:02
If you do come out here,It may be worth while to fill up a container with $6000 TL1000's and bring them out here.
Might pay your airfare and get your own bikes out here for free at the same time.

MikeL
24th June 2003, 12:49
Hi Rizza
You have a point about bikes here being more expensive and the reasons for that are a bit of a mystery to me although as you suggest the size of the market probably has a lot to do with it. But at least nowadays we have relatively unrestricted access to a wide range of bikes compared to the bad old days of high duty and sales taxes, import licensing and currency restrictions which the younger members of this forum won't have a clue about. Count your blessings, I say...
You should have planned to come two years ago, when the NZ $ was about 42c US - but if you wait a while it will probably happen again.
Don't forget that in most cases the dealer's list price is very negotiable.
Anyway, don't be put off by the cost. This is a great place for riding and you won't regret coming here. You'll find lots of helpful advice from people on this forum (just ignore the obvious psychos :p ) and when you arrive I'm sure there will be more offers of help.
BTW as a matter of interest are you from a state which insists on seat belts in cars but allows bikers to ride without a helmet?? I need someone to explain to me the logic of that... :Offtopic:

Cheers
Mike

rizza
24th June 2003, 13:00
I'm from California. We have a helmet law here. I dont understand the logic of not having a helmet law. They obviously make things safer if you crash and i think they help prevent crashes by keeping flies, dust etc out of your eyes.

There are strange laws everywhere though. People were trying to tax fatty foods here for a while. and what about that "fart" tax they are trying to force on all of you? That is just ridiculous!

Coldkiwi
24th June 2003, 13:17
to be honest, I think that 'fart tax' makes sense. We're going to have to pay for our countries gas emissions somehow when the Kyoto Protocol finally gets ratified (don't get me started on the US position on that one!) and the money either comes out of the govt.coffers from our existing tax budget or we create a new tax (lets call it the wool/redmeat/milk tax) to pay for it.. the farmers will just pass the tax bill for each cow or sheep on to the end user... fair enough.

Another good place to look for bikes in NZ is www.trade-exchange.co.nz (http://www.trade-exchange.co.nz) . this is our general trading publication and seems to sometimes have bikes at a better price than bikepoint.co.nz

best of luck in your search... don't suppose you could put a cheap Aprilia RSV R in that container of TL's could you? :)

 

 

 

NhuanH
24th June 2003, 15:17
Add a Duke 998R into that container too Rizza :niceone:

SPman
24th June 2003, 19:21
Hell, just a couple of good R1's would do for a start!

rizza
25th June 2003, 04:57
i'll see what i can do about those bikes. would it be difficult to register a bike from another country in NZ? i know here in the US it is very tough to register a bike from somewhere else, especially in california.

here's another question: what are the seasons like down there? I was thinking of coming down around march but then out found out that it rains and gets cold around then. and it keeps getting worse all through june, july etc. i think i want to live in auckland just because i want to be in a big city with some action. how is the weather there compared to other places in NZ. any advice you could give would be great.

thanks,
ross (Rizza)

Kwaka-Kid
25th June 2003, 05:10
weather? oh you get used it it.  Just buy a set of goot wet weather gear and forget all about the rain then sun every 10mins. :D

any chance of adding a shoddy RVF400 as a parts bike for my racebike to that container? :p

rizza
25th June 2003, 05:20
RVF400s are VERY rare in the US. So it would probably be a lot cheaper for you to find one there.

How much does it cost to ship a container halfway around the world anyway? Sounds like a good business opportunity to me...

MikeL
25th June 2003, 08:39
Rizza
Importing and registering a bike shouldn't be a hassle provided you have all the necessary documents. People import used vehicles (mainly from Japan) all the time here. I don't know the exact procedure or cost but it shouldn't be too difficult to find out. I have a feeling though that if you bring in a whole lot of bikes to sell, you will run into tax complications as you will be considered a dealer. Also the cost of shipping a container from California to Auckland would be a critical factor, I think, in terms of whether the profit would be worth it.
As for the weather, March is not at all bad (warm, settled, not much rain) but by May/June it starts to get cool. The worst months are July, August and September (cold, wet, windy). But Auckland's weather is very unpredictable (often 4 seasons in one day). The good thing is that even in the middle of winter we are unlikely to get any more than two or three days in a row when it's too wet/cold/windy to ride. Generally speaking the further north you are the warmer it is (obviously), while places on the east coast (both islands) are drier than the west. No sane person would choose to live at the bottom of the south island (next stop, Antarc tica), and even Dunedin (a beautiful city with many advantages) has a climate that someone from Socal would find "challenging" to say the least.
If you have a choice you would be better off coming here in late October or early November, to enjoy spring and summer. A bike tour of the South Island in November/December would be magic!
Hope this info is of some use.

merv
25th June 2003, 08:39
Rizza don't worry about the weather or the time of year either. This country is renowned for having about an 8 day weather cycle that roughly sees every season every week. As Kwaka-Kid says just make sure you have a set of wet weather gear and a bag on the back of your bike to put them in because you won't need them that much of the time but will curse it if it rains and you haven't got the gear with you. We are still getting lovely sunny weather now interspersed with the odd wet day. Where I live July is normally the cooler month but by August its starts to improve and I can remember some great rides on sunny winters days. The main annoyance down my end of the country is the wind which can make riding interesting at times. So its cooler than California but we still can ride all year round not like your brothers in the snow zones of the US who switch to snowmobiles for their winter pleasure. I visited Wisconsin once in July (nice and hot) and was intrigued to see all the bikers and their chicks riding with virtually nothing on - shorts, tank tops and sandals - but also wondered what all the poles were around the place, to be told they marked the snowmobile trails.

Check out my road ride photos at my website starting with this page http://bikemerv.topcities.com/road05.html and you will see we are out any old month. The Coast to Coast ride December 2002 mid-summer you will see it pissed with rain, but other days are fine summer or winter - we get used to it. You will love the roads no matter what.

Dave
25th June 2003, 09:32
If you can find specific buyers for the bikes,(i.e. pre ordered)
then you wont have hassles with registering them.
The freight is probably not that bad, I have a customer that sends Austin minis to the states, Pre sold on E Bay at the rate of about 2/week and is still making money. The company that he uses for freighting is called JAS Jenner, here in Auckland.
When I have been out there, I have seen plenty of Mustangs coming into the country the same way.(also cases of brand new dukes!!!)Might pay to give them a call and find out.
0064 9 275 1103.
Good Luck.

(ps.Auckland-4 seasons in one day)

750Y
25th June 2003, 09:38
to bring a bike in...
It will cost approximately $700 NZD in freight charges.
$100 in customs clearance fees.
$300 for a 'certificate of compliance'
$300 for a warrant & rego(roadworthiness & roadtax)
$25 for plates etc.

that means around the $1500NZD mark if You're bringing in Your own bike for private use. if it's a modern bike with 'fixed' headlight etc. the headlight will be angled incorrectly for the LHD market & so that will need replacement too.

If Youy sell it here within a year You may face some sort of duty/tax (gst 12.5%).

Hoon
25th June 2003, 20:19
Yes a 97 TLS cost about $8000-$9000 here.  You'd be better off bringing TLRs which aren't as common but still go for around the $13K range.

I'd be interested in a Hayabusa in the US copper color scheme :)

What?
26th June 2003, 07:25
Yep, bikes are expensive here. It is all to do with how the importers see the value of things - price ex factory has absolutely no bearing on sale price.

Bring your gear, too, Rizza. For example, Shoei helmets are less than half the NZ price in the states. Draggin jeans sell here for $269, as opposed to $79US, and on it goes. The only draw-back is if you want to go racing, your helmet has to have the local standards sticker, so you will have to buy a new helmet here...:gob:

rizza
26th June 2003, 08:11
What are some common websites in NZ where I could look to see how much riding gear costs? If you were going to buy a new helmet on the internet, where would you order from?

Do any of you ever use eBay? Things are very cheap on there. Even after shipping charges you could probably get a good deal.

Duke of Rogan
26th June 2003, 08:41
NZ's version of ebay is www.trademe.co.nz, but I've never had a good look here for gear or bikes, but I see they have categories for it.

the best way to buy second hand gear or a bike is via www.trade-exchange.co.nz which is the online version of a weekly newspaper, however they dont do online auctions/purchases, but will give you a better idea of NZ prices.

hope this helps.

PS. its a mid-winters day here in Auckland and not a cloud in the sky!
great day for a ride (if I was unemployed)

R1 mad
10th March 2006, 13:18
to bring a bike in...
It will cost approximately $700 NZD in freight charges.
$100 in customs clearance fees.
$300 for a 'certificate of compliance'
$300 for a warrant & rego(roadworthiness & roadtax)
$25 for plates etc.

that means around the $1500NZD mark if You're bringing in Your own bike for private use. if it's a modern bike with 'fixed' headlight etc. the headlight will be angled incorrectly for the LHD market & so that will need replacement too.

If Youy sell it here within a year You may face some sort of duty/tax (gst 12.5%).

would the light be adjustable of would you need a new one. How much would a R1 light cost. Would the speedo matter if it was in miles

Cajun
10th March 2006, 13:38
speedo would not matter, many bikes speedos sold new here were in miles

R1 light well you would have price one up via wreakers, or a dealer

imdying
10th March 2006, 13:44
Would the fixed light thing apply to jap imports (that have RHD roads anyway)??

Cajun
10th March 2006, 13:46
np jap imports are find since they drive on same side of road as we do

eg reason we can get jap import cars

Mental Trousers
10th March 2006, 19:33
i think i want to live in auckland just because i want to be in a big city with some action.

Ya lucked out there cos Auckland is turning into nanaville. All the motorsports events are leaving there, anything arty pissed off to Wellington etc a long time ago. Pretty soon all Auckland will have left is a bunch of sailing boats.

Dunno what the exchange rate is at the moment, but coming over with some money and exchanging it will get you something comparable to what you could in the States before leaving.

GB500nz
10th March 2006, 20:11
Bikes cost more here because they're prime transport: they get used every day. When I got back to Auckland from a visit to California I saw more bikes on the road in the first ten minutes than I'd seen in two weeks in the States.
trademe.co.nz is the best place to look for bikes. Anybody who's serious about buying or selling a good bike goes there first.

raster
10th March 2006, 20:25
I wonder if Rizza did actually get to NZ as his last post was in 2003:Punk:

Shadows
10th March 2006, 21:08
I wonder if Rizza did actually get to NZ as his last post was in 2003:Punk:

Fucking LOL good spotting

Mental Trousers
10th March 2006, 21:19
ugh .

mjvduc
10th March 2006, 21:19
:mega:ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

:stupid:

I would reckon to bring your own bike(s) and heaps of spares and tires, compare to Europe you pay a lot more and very often it is hard to pick up aftermarket stuff or accessories.

As a first timer you shouldn’t be charged any GST and duty tax, if you plan to import on a regular base import the stuff for “Racing USE only” or tell “them” you wanna start a business and you need all that for your show room :moon: ……

I wasn’t that clever and I had to pay 40% for “importing” one leather suit.:spudgrr: :blank:


mjvduc

Troll
11th March 2006, 08:00
If Youy sell it here within a year You may face some sort of duty/tax (gst 12.5%).[/QUOTE]

the exemption to gst/duty is only if you have owned and used the bike overseas for over 12 months and are moving here permanently and it does not include kiwis returning home

Dafe
11th March 2006, 08:21
Yeah dude, I've done a few bike dealings recently. Best place in NZ to buy and sell is trademe.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/mcat-0001-0026-1255-.htm

emaN
13th March 2006, 09:08
the exemption to gst/duty is only if you have owned and used the bike overseas for over 12 months and are moving here permanently and it does not include kiwis returning home

almost 100% correct Troll...

we owned ours for over 12mths, lived in UK for over 2yrs, and were returning Kiwis = no GST.

(can't sell it on for 2yrs tho'..otherwise we get pinged!)

Troll
13th March 2006, 11:06
seems the nz govt send out conflicting info

I was looking at returning back to NZ and they wanted GST on my bikes which I'd had over 10 years

and this was straight out of the info on their website????

Troll
13th March 2006, 11:10
Concessionary entry for motor vehicles is available to immigrants and New Zealand residents returning after an absence overseas of 21 months or more, with the intention to take up or resume permanent residence (residence lasting indefinitely).

thats the latest wording they seem to keep changing it

emaN
13th March 2006, 11:13
Must admit, I went to Customs with cash in hand to pay the tax, having read their site info.

Was told the above then and there at the counter...this was Feb 05.

Apparently there was a law change in Jan 05 making it poss...

Sniper
13th March 2006, 12:39
I wonder if Rizza did actually get to NZ as his last post was in 2003:Punk:

He last signed in then too


Last Activity: 26th June 2003 08:42

raster
13th March 2006, 12:54
Might bee still there watching us under another alias forgetting the password of his first login.:spudguita

smokeyging
14th March 2006, 06:30
[QUOTE=rizza]Hello everybody,

I'm from the USA and I'm thinking about coming over to New Zealand to work for a year. I have two motorcycles in the US so of course I'd want to get one in NZ (it's an addiction). So I was looking at bikes listed on bikepoint.co.nz and they are expensive.

As an example, I've seen many Suzuki TL1000S in California for around $4000US which is about ($6800 NZ). It seems like there arent really that many bikes on bikepoint that are even in that price range. And certainly not a 1000 V-twin. Can anybody explain why this is? Smaller market maybe? I thought that with the currency conversion that somehow I would be able to get a bike for cheaper in NZ than in the US. I guess not.

Back in the Early to mid 1970s didn’t the government tax the living shit on bikes?
From what I remember there was a shitload of bikes pranging, especially those 900 Kawasaki’s, if I remember the first 7 that came into the country all the riders were killed, usually on the first weekend that they got the bike? From what I remember they came flying into a corner, lent like fuck but couldn’t stand them back up again?. And after the government put this big tax on the bikes they just about all disappeared. Well, they did down this end of the country anyway.

toybox99615
16th March 2006, 13:49
I just got back from a tour in NZ. Shipped my Harley over for the trip. I'll say having your own bike is the best way to go. I didn't find the cost prohibitive. But finding a shipper was a major pain in the tail bone. Anyone interested in knowing who I used to ship the bike and who to avoid can send me a private email.

The best way is to consider the bike being there for a short time and not brining it there permanently. If it is temporary you can get a Carnet de Passage to cover the GST. A Carnet is a bond that says they pay the GST if you don't bring the bike out of the country. Cost $ 300 more or less. If you say the bike is going to be there permanently then it will cost you 12.5% of the bikes value (what ever value you can negotiate with customs) plus 12.5%of the freight cost for GST (goods and service tax.) The NZ customs allows you to temporarily bring the bike in for 1 year. But that can be extended easily enough. You just have to be up front with customs or you'll end up in GST hell.

Once you get the bike to NZ you can easily get it over to Australia and back for some other great riding. That also helps with the 1 year in NZ stuff: into NZ then out to OZ and return makes it two seperate tempory visits for the bike. Timelines for visits start when the bike arives in NZ and end when it departs for OZ. Then start again when the bike return to NZ.

Nick from the nick
20th December 2007, 14:44
As an import into NZ from the UK i can't think why you think your bikes are expensive, Take my fav bike a Honda Blackbird brand new in the UK £9995 which with the exchange rate is NZ$25400 and even older ones are expensive before come to NZ i had a 97 Blackbird that cost £4000 so again thats NZ$10000. Been looking for the same bike here and been finding them at NZ$9000 for a 2000 model.

marty
20th December 2007, 16:19
hey nick - check the thread date before posting :)

awayatc
29th December 2007, 05:19
Hello everybody,

I'm from the USA and I'm thinking about coming over to New Zealand to work for a year. I have two motorcycles in the US so of course I'd want to get one in NZ (it's an addiction). So I was looking at bikes listed on bikepoint.co.nz and they are expensive.


As an example, I've seen many Suzuki TL1000S in California for around $4000US which is about ($6800 NZ). It seems like there arent really that many bikes on bikepoint that are even in that price range. And certainly not a 1000 V-twin. Can anybody explain why this is? Smaller market maybe? I thought that with the currency conversion that somehow I would be able to get a bike for cheaper in NZ than in the US. I guess not.

Hi Rizza, I used to live in California, and incomes here are way lower, and interest is way higher, so toys are way more expensive, thus more valuable, and better looked after....so you don't want to lose as much on them when you sell or upgrade! ( can't afford to!)

Another thing that is interesting to me is that many bikes for sale in NZ have over 50000 kms.

What's the point of spending all that hard earned cash if you are not gonna use it?

That amount on a bike in the US is VERY rare. Congratulations to all of you for actually riding your bikes and not just riding through the city hoping people look at you.

Here you got to hope they do see you!


I also like how you guys have the license requirements where you have to start on a small bike. In the US many people start on 1000cc bikes and end up killing themselves.

Here you gotta start on a small bike before you can kill yourself, or ask an incompetent cardriver to give you a hand....

Well thanks for reading my comments. Sorry if they dont make too much sense.

No worries mate, Have a nice day

Nick from the nick
20th January 2008, 22:40
hey nick - check the thread date before posting :)

Just in case you didn't notice i'm new to this site will check harder next time.
Didn't realize the threads were dated
Oh and cheers for calling me a thread dredger !

Dino
21st January 2008, 08:15
Have to agree with the prices of second hand bikes in this country, they seem very high compared to the actual sale price of a brand new bike, not the listed new price but the actual price you can negotiate it down to.
.

JustMe
22nd January 2008, 13:19
I'm just hunting for a bike, maybe something on and off road? like a DR, TTR, XT or so. Can anyone tell me how far the price can be negotiated down (i.e. new bike from dealer). And is it worth going for a dual purpose or not? Couldn't find anything reasonable priced on trademe and prices for sec hand from dealers are:spanking:

imdying
23rd January 2008, 12:25
Can anyone tell me how far the price can be negotiated down (i.e. new bike from dealer). Depends on the dealer, but there appears to be better luck to be had getting extras thrown in than getting the price down. You can never have too many helmets/jackets/pannier bags/cleaning supplies/maintenance supples, so might be worth thinking about :)

JustMe
29th January 2008, 09:42
Thanks 4 ur info. The dealers are a bit "uncooperative" or maybe it's just me..

maxworldbiker
29th January 2008, 12:20
i'll see what i can do about those bikes. would it be difficult to register a bike from another country in NZ? i know here in the US it is very tough to register a bike from somewhere else, especially in california.

here's another question: what are the seasons like down there? I was thinking of coming down around march but then out found out that it rains and gets cold around then. and it keeps getting worse all through june, july etc. i think i want to live in auckland just because i want to be in a big city with some action. how is the weather there compared to other places in NZ. any advice you could give would be great.

thanks,
ross (Rizza)

We had friends over to visit us from the US last November. They borrowed my spare bike (Yamaha XJ750) and we all rode around the south island for more than a week with hardly a drop of rain anyplace along the way. From November thru to March is generally pretty good, and remember the south island gets colder earlier than the north island (for obvious reasons) at the end of the summer. But its pot luck. We don't have the same land mass the US does (Jeez, that's a landmass! I rode it coast to coast last year) so we're a lot more open to weather fluctuations. If its temperature you're worried about, Feb is the hottest month of the summer. If its rain, all you can do is gear up for it, cos chances are you'll get some, whenever you come over.

I hope you make it out here. I experienced some incredible hospitality while on my USA ride last summer, from a great many people, and if I have a chance to pay it forward by response, I always will, so get in touch if you're coming over. You might be interested to know that I shipped my bike out of Long Beach thru an independent shipping agent based in New Zealand for $600 $NZ plus 12.5% tax (around $US 400), when I was coming home, which was less than half of what any other agency wanted, and I can give you the details of the importaning agent if you're of a mind to bring your own bike out here. You'll have to make different arrangements for getting it back home again if you did (and I can soooooo tell you who NOT to use for that!!! I can give you my blog details if you want the full horror story of what happened when I did it), but it may still be cheaper than buying something over here.

PM me if you want to, and let me know what info you specifically need. I have a load of resources to contact after doing this myself (albeit in reverse) last year, which might be of real help to you. I can also put you in touch with my mates out in Arkansas who came out here and had the kiwi experience, which you may find helpful too. Above all else, don't be at all intimidated by the process of coming over to ride around NZ. There's definitely a way to make it work, whichever way you want to do it, and it will be worth the effort.