Importing a new bike?

[YellowDog]

Hi,
I am looking at the price difference in paying shipping and import costs to import a bike from the USA. I have checked the headlight LHD alignment issue and added GST. I have found a shipper who will do the import for $1700 + GST and sort out the paperwork and GST payments for me. Essentially, with the US/NZ rate at 78c, I save about 20%. This is pretty good on an expensive NZ$23k bike however you then get the hastle of going through the certification and registration process. I have done this with my old bike that I shipped over from the UK, however I wonder if anyone has done this with a new bike from the USA?

Any comments appreciated.

[Monsterbishi]

Don't forget the hidden issues that come with importing a new bike, you won't have a warranty of any worth, and the bike will most likely need to be re-tuned to suit our local fuel.

[Racer X]

who was the importer who would do it for $1700+ gst??
I have been looking into this myself..

[Reckless]

My Mate just imported a brand new, red, white and blue, 25th Anniversary VFR800. Vinning was straight forward, he just took it to the local place I take the car to for a warrant. They must be licensed to do new vinning. One push of a button to get the speedo into K's. Sent in its original box with the option to be crated for an extra $300-00. Fully insured. It seemed pretty damn trouble free to me! You just have to find someone in the USA prepared to do it for you. I did ask him the figures but have forgotten the exact prices. Yours don't seem to far off though. I'm pretty sure it was about 5 or so grand he saved.

[Reckless]

Oh and by the way I had the headlight issue with my VTR1000 (on its 3rd warrant).
I just cut the lugs off the bulb and turned it a bit so the L shape of the light beam went to the correct side of the road.
He never spoke of this issue with his new VFR so I'm not sure if they checked it or not?? I must ask about it.

Hope this helps!

[toebug]

As long as you have the proof of purchase paper work the vin process is very painless especially if its a new or newish factory bike. Spend your $400ish dollars and your done! Piece of piss!

[nallac]

i got quoted $600us by Duanne Jones to ship a bike from cali, that was from his depo.
He would arrange/pickup for a fee.

$1700 seems a bit steep, should just about get a car in for that.

Check out Petrol Head mag,alot of shipping/importing companys advertise in there.

[YellowDog]

Racer X, I will get you the name of the $1700 guys however Petrol Head Mag sounds like a better bet.

Thanks for all of the good advice. I want to get a Triumph Tiger. The US model is better as it has Synchronous Beam lights, which are good for both left and right hand driving.

The warrantee issue is not such a big deal. The dealer says he will keep me upto date with any recalls and will register it at his address to save the hasle.

I was told that the US-NZ dollar rate would go to 85c in January, which makes it a no brainer. It is interesting that not all bikes are cheaper in the USA. The Bandit 1250ABS is about the same price.

I would like to have it by Christmas, but will see how it goes.

Thanks to all.

[Robert Taylor]

Racer X, I will get you the name of the $1700 guys however Petrol Head Mag sounds like a better bet.

Thanks for all of the good advice. I want to get a Triumph Tiger. The US model is better as it has Synchronous Beam lights, which are good for both left and right hand driving.

The warrantee issue is not such a big deal. The dealer says he will keep me upto date with any recalls and will register it at his address to save the hasle.

I was told that the US-NZ dollar rate would go to 85c in January, which makes it a no brainer. It is interesting that not all bikes are cheaper in the USA. The Bandit 1250ABS is about the same price.

I would like to have it by Christmas, but will see how it goes.

Thanks to all.

When your jobs are threatened because of unchecked offshore purchases dont start bitching....

[YellowDog]

When your jobs are threatened because of unchecked offshore purchases dont start bitching....
Unchecked offshore purchases? Where?

The only loss to NZ is the inflated margin + GST on the import.

The delaer still gets the service revenue, plus extras. If NZ did not load the price so much that us punters get ripped off to such a high degree, then this would not happen.

The fact is that you can get the identical or in this case a superior item, pay for import and commissioning (checking to you) for NZ roads and registration for considerably less money.

If the saving were small, like a couple of grand, then I wouldn't consider importing as an option. I would be happy to pay more to buy from a local dealer. The question is, how much more should I have to pay?

I cannot afford to support NZ overpricing. If you can, then good luck to you.

This problem has been created by the NZ market. I hope that note is taken and the problem is addressed by pricing at a more reasonable level.

Aussies don't get ripped off to this degree, why should we?

[YellowDog]

who was the importer who would do it for $1700+ gst??
I have been looking into this myself..
These are the $1700 + GST guys:

Jenners Worldwide Freight Limited
47 Richard Pearse Drive
Mangere
Auckland
New Zealand

Tel: 64 (9) 275-1103
Fax: 64 (9) 275-7681
Email: enquiries@jenners.co.nz

However Duane Jones sounds like a better bet!

[Robert Taylor]

Unchecked offshore purchases? Where?

The only loss to NZ is the inflated margin + GST on the import.

The delaer still gets the service revenue, plus extras. If NZ did not load the price so much that us punters get ripped off to such a high degree, then this would not happen.

The fact is that you can get the identical or in this case a superior item, pay for import and commissioning (checking to you) for NZ roads and registration for considerably less money.

If the saving were small, like a couple of grand, then I wouldn't consider importing as an option. I would be happy to pay more to buy from a local dealer. The question is, how much more should I have to pay?

I cannot afford to support NZ overpricing. If you can, then good luck to you.

This problem has been created by the NZ market. I hope that note is taken and the problem is addressed by pricing at a more reasonable level.

Aussies don't get ripped off to this degree, why should we?

So these inflated margins, are they hearsay or do you have solid facts? What percentage margin ( for example ) do you think a dealer makes on a bike?

I think many people are comfortable in assuming that margins are huge.

Like I said, dont bitch when your own job is threatened because NZ business is suffering from unchecked overseas purchases. Theres a bigger picture at stake.

With respect to the Aussies their living costs are going to rise because they have just elected that drop kick Rudd.

[YellowDog]

So these inflated margins, are they hearsay or do you have solid facts? What percentage margin ( for example ) do you think a dealer makes on a bike?

I think many people are comfortable in assuming that margins are huge.

Like I said, dont bitch when your own job is threatened because NZ business is suffering from unchecked overseas purchases. Theres a bigger picture at stake.

With respect to the Aussies their living costs are going to rise because they have just elected that drop kick Rudd.
I am not a bike dealer and I am aware that the list prices for each country is fixed by the local distribution network (not the dealers). NZ prices are fixed high as the volumes are low and there is little competition. NZ dealers are offering brand new (unsold) 2006 Triumph Tigers, with a previous list price of $19995, for $15995 with $2500 with of extras thrown in. I realise at the extras are generally over prices however the inference here is that the bike is being reduced from $19995 to $13495. Mon dieu, quel suprise! The same price as a new one cost in the USA.

The price to manufacture a motorbike is the same. Yes, the prices will be higher because the NZ is further away however it is overinflated. It should not be cheaper to buy at USA retail price and ship to NZ, than it is to buy directly in NZ.

Buy importing a bike myself I am giving a message to Triumph UK that it is over pricing the NZ market. Incidentally, I did the same exercise with a Suzuki Bandit 1250ABS and found it better value in NZ.

If you don't believe New Zealanders pay too much for a lot of goods that are considerably cheaper elsewhere in the world, then you are one of only a few.

This practice is making the foreign distributor more wealthy and in my opinion, is doing very little for protecting NZ jobs. It is encouraging many people, such as myself and other posters on this thread to buy abroad. It terms of jobs, it is providing the Triumph dealers with service work and providing the NZ import and registration companies with work and a definite message by the generated statistics that should eventually filter through to the motor trade.

[Reckless]

Yellow dog! I don't think its Robert or my local Botany Honda or any of the guys we see running around at the MX and road tracks demoing bikes and working hard for us, are making the big bucks.
I also think you are incorrect in assuming its the overseas distributor. My opinion only!
I hazard to take a guess its the NZ importer. Who Runs a turn-style operation with low stock, stocks to order, and with and possibly lower overheads (per dollar of turnover) than even Robert. Which is why Robert is a bit touchy on this subject. Cause for much more time, effort and stress, he ain't driving the latest beemer every year like the the guy from Yamaha NZ probably is!!
I also can't see why, like you, I can order all the swingarm and linkage bearings and a few other bits, for my CR250 at full USA retail add freight and exchange etc, land them in 4 days. And they cost me not much more than 50% or so of the NZ retail. The difference was over $120-00NZD. I don't think my local dealers margin is the difference, I would guess its the importer.
The world is getting much smaller this will only get worse! An overseas purchase is only a bankcard number and a weeks wait these days. And now I (and others) are starting to have quite a good customer relationship via email with overseas shops like Z power Aussie, Z parts USA, BTO sports USA and a few others.
It only gets easier with more contact, trust and familiarity.
As said previously my mate just bought the latest VFR Anniversary, it was a no hassle purchase, the local dealer even did the pre purchase for him. He got paid for that and he knows he will get all the future parts, tires and servicing.
I personally look on the net, US and NZ shops, like total mx and Superior, print the prices, call the local shop here and if the difference is reasonable. I always get in my car and buy it local, then nationally! But if its, as above, the NZ importer and retailer miss out. And I can do all that within 1/2 the time it would have taken me to drive to my local store. For the first time I would probably treat the purchase of a new bike the same.
Call me dutch but the numbers are just getting to big to ignore!

[YellowDog]

Reckless, I don't disagree with anything you have said. I also agree that the dealerships are not the ones making the excessive profits and do work very hard for their margin, which they do deserve. It is the NZ distributor that sets the price and I am sure there are a number of factors affecting this. One such factor is what they can get away with. Like you say, it may not be the overseas distributor setting this price, I do not know if the pricing is controlled locally or not.

When I spoke with the NZ distributor saying that I had been considering a Suzuki Bandit, as it was $8k less, it caused quite a stutter. I was the one who had to say, "clearly, I am not comparing like with like". I know the bike I want, which is a great deal over my initial budget. If I can easily get much closer to budget, without a significant risk or inconvenience, then it is only human nature (Champaign Taste on a Beer Budget).

Again, I would always prefer to buy locally AND may still do this. To me, it is not as clear cut as just the dollar price however it is a very big factor. With a $2-3k saving for on road pricing, I would still buy locally, but $5k makes me look up and take notice. Hence this thread and interest in the experience of others.

Thanks for all of the input. I am certainly not trying to p!ss anyone off.

[duckonin]

Yep there is a need to shop around, last week I did just that one dealer, quoted $500 for front and rear White wall tires fitted inclusive of GST another could not obtain them, and a distributor of tires from Hamilton wanted $330 for front and $390 for the rear plus gst, plus 20 of each had to be purchased to make it worthwhile for them to bring them into the country big difference here..
White walls are the same price as equivelant black tires in the states and other countries..
With the way the dollar is most can get their own in way cheaper than you can buy them here from rip off pricks, there is such a thing as making a dollar in business but do they have to ripp us all off so they can buy another holiday batch with the boat on a mooring at Pauanui or maybe Whangamata, to increase their egos...:argh:

[Robert Taylor]

Yep there is a need to shop around, last week I did just that one dealer, quoted $500 for front and rear White wall tires fitted inclusive of GST another could not obtain them, and a distributor of tires from Hamilton wanted $330 for front and $390 for the rear plus gst, plus 20 of each had to be purchased to make it worthwhile for them to bring them into the country big difference here..
White walls are the same price as equivelant black tires in the states and other countries..
With the way the dollar is most can get their own in way cheaper than you can buy them here from rip off pricks, there is such a thing as making a dollar in business but do they have to ripp us all off so they can buy another holiday batch with the boat on a mooring at Pauanui or maybe Whangamata, to increase their egos...:argh:

I do rather suspect an ''us and them'' mentality here, not everyone is tarred with the same brush, be they a distributor, dealer or end consumer. Notwithstanding any simplistic arguments and perceptions about distributor margins the other factor that has to be taken into account is that our disposable income has been seriously eroded by the perverse self serving agendas of successive governments. That is exactly why Kiwis are so price conscious.

There needs to be a level playing field in all corners of society and business.

[Tony.OK]

I buy quite a bit from overseas if it works out cheaper than from here,I allow getting pinged by customs as well and am also amazed at how it still works out cheaper to buy from a retailer overseas,our NZ distributors are buying from wholesalers so how much margin are they taking?The retailers here work with a fairly small margin,so I don't blame them for trying to make a living.

I know some ppl keep their prices at a very good level,like Robert Taylor,but also offers excellent service and backup,when it comes to paying a small premium for added service and backup I'd go local every time.
Trouble is,in my opinion,alot of bussinesses haven't cottoned onto this way of bussiness.

Just my 2c

[YellowDog]

<B><I>"when it comes to paying a small premium for added service and backup I'd go local every time."</B></I>

I am with you on that one Tony.

I really don't think that the odd set of white wall tyres at a high price is going to fund the exclusive bach :-)

Looking at the high cost of borrowing money, I would imagine that being in business with significant overheads is pretty tough. The American dealer pays around 4% less for his cashflow.

My observation is that the way of the world is High volume with Small margin. NZ seems to be the other way around. May be this is because it has a small population?

I can understand the white wall tyres situation however the higher end motorbike market should not be so expensive as the distribution network just needs to be the appropriate size.

Probably out of my depth here. A very good comment was made earlier about the world getting smaller for us all. I think this is a real issue. I saw a website advertised a local USA delivery service for NZ. You pay $25 a year and for that get a USA delivery address. eBay is nothing like TradeMe as it is geared for buyers and not for sellers. This problem is not going to go away and is likely to get worse.

[Reckless]

I buy quite a bit from overseas if it works out cheaper than from here,I allow getting pinged by customs

Customs level is $400-00 incl freight before you attract GST etc. So $399-00 is free, $401-00 you pay GST on the whole amount not just the extra dollar. Sometimes it is well worth splitting your order and paying for 2 deliveries at $380-00. Like, go onto (in my case) Z power aussy. Buy clutch kit and a few other bits being careful not to exceed $400 incl freight. Then two days later go back on and get seat strap, throttle cables etc. As long as freight doesn't make this silly, you can in most cases save the GST as well.
Sorry Robert the above will probably piss you off even more, but as far as I'm aware there is no "us and them mentality", we really appreciate your position, but the economics and ease of overseas purchase are getting too great not to consider it as an option. You may have to put more pressure on your suppliers to give you better deals. The difference for me is not "haha i got one over the NZ shops" but represents being able to take my kids MX'ing an extra time or two with the savings I made. As said previously, its not like we are getting special deals, we are buying in most cases at full USA retail. The longer your suppliers let this go on and we start having good relationships with overseas suppliers, we then start to get discounts on top of it all as well. A Kawasaki supplier just gave me 4 complete brand new indicators for my Z1R for $50-00 USD (that's not each but for all of them). I only wanted the lenses. I also always take the time to email that I have received the package and thank them for their effort.
I agree with the previous comment, with more and more computer savvy buyers this will only get worse! As we can see! people are starting to buy complete bikes now!

[Tony.OK]

Customs level is $400-00 incl freight before you attract GST etc. So $399-00 is free, $401-00 you pay GST on the whole amount not just the extra dollar.

Oh,I thought it was 150NZD.Thats interesting,internet here I come hahaa.
There is also the case of many products simply not being available in little ole NZ.

[Robert Taylor]

Oh,I thought it was 150NZD.Thats interesting,internet here I come hahaa.
There is also the case of many products simply not being available in little ole NZ.

Everyone on this thread has forwarded valid and in many ways understandable arguments. Irrespective of whos making huge margins, who isnt, the cost of opening ones doors etc how do we protect jobs in NZ?

Because the bigger picture is that this does in a very real way affect job security

[Reckless]

Everyone on this thread has forwarded valid and in many ways understandable arguments. Irrespective of whos making huge margins, who isnt, the cost of opening ones doors etc how do we protect jobs in NZ?

Because the bigger picture is that this does in a very real way affect job security

And I understand and also accept your point on this matter.
It is a bit of a catch 22 and I think I can speak for us all, that we feel more than a little guilty sometimes when we bypass the "buy NZ" thing.
Maybe you should point your suppliers, importers and even the overseas manufacturers at this thread. It is fairlly well balanced, and reflects quite well the feelings of purchasers in this country.
Cheers Rob have a good day!

[zx10ruser]

i have a contact who can ship 4 approx $450usd ($580nzd at current currency) but usually takes a few months if you dont mind waiting. He can pick up within i think 150miles of the ports in LA 4 $150

[PeteJ]

A couple of little points:

1. Compare very carefully the alternative pricings. My newest 3 bikes were cheaper in NZ at retail than overseas, and in the case of the ones sold in the USA were specced differently from (actually, better than) the USA.

2. On shipping cost: our bike shop airfreights bikes in from the USA at not much more than the $1700 you have been quoted. Again, check like with like. Ours are brought in CKD, but they are bloody heavy.

[Robert Taylor]

And I understand and also accept your point on this matter.
It is a bit of a catch 22 and I think I can speak for us all, that we feel more than a little guilty sometimes when we bypass the "buy NZ" thing.
Maybe you should point your suppliers, importers and even the overseas manufacturers at this thread. It is fairlly well balanced, and reflects quite well the feelings of purchasers in this country.
Cheers Rob have a good day!

Just another point I have thought about. Respective authorised distributors spend considerable amounts on advertising and infrastructure. Small time ''parasite'' importers spend very little if anything so effectively they are being subsidised.

There are many points for and against but my point is the issue is not as black and white as many people beleive.

[YellowDog]

Yes, somewhere down the line there will be a happy compromise. I have done a deal I am happy with at an NZ dealer. Whilst I will be paying around $3k more than importing, I would rather pay more for the local service.

Thanks to everyone for their contribution to this thread. It has all been very helpful. Having been about to place an order, I now need to have surgery ion my knee, so I will have to wait a little longer (and so will the dealer).