Long Story - No Point

[wari]

Talking with a work mate ... he reckons he was talking with .... someone who had bought a Harley here in NZ and was planning to ship it to the US to ride Route 66 with a couple'a mates. I said wouldn't it be cheaper just to buy a bike there? He said "No" ... his "mate" reckoned he would be able to sell the bike in the US for more ($NZ) than he paid for it in NZ and the profit would almost pay for the trip !!!

Sounds like sheeeyte to me .... but you never know ... what do you guys think?

If its true I might just get myself a Harley and do the same.

[slmcknight]

First of all, this guy should do his homework.
Do some research about buying a bike in NZ, shipping it to the US, making sure it meets US standards, customs, etc.
Then, price used Harley's in the US, especially around where he wants to sell it. By the sound of his trip, he will end up in Southern California, so he should do the research about selling a used Harely in California with 5,000 miles on it.

I could be wrong, but I highly doubt it would be more beneficial due to several factors:
1. You have to pay to initially ship the bike to NZ, while, in US they are made only miles from this guys destination, thus, the NZ bike is automatically more expensive. Then, you have to pay to ship it back.
2. The strong US Dollar makes buying things in NZ cheap for us, but very expensive for you. I looked at bikes in NZ when I was there and they are about double the price they are here along with the exchange rate, the price of Jap bikes is roughly the same. I don't know about Harleys, but I imagine it would be similar.
3. I don't know the laws, but I don't know how difficult it would be to register a bike in a non-resident's name. Also, don't know how difficult it would be to sell a bike that is not registered in the US.

Thus, the bike probably is comparibly the the same price, not including getting it to US standards and shipping. Additionally, CA has some very restrictive emission standards, so, if he is going to try to sell his bike in California, his bike would have to meet those standards, not just US standards.


Second, he should rethink the Route 66 thing. I used to live in Albuquerque, NM, which the main strip, Central Ave, was a part of Route 66.

Route 66 is now a rambling road, sometimes dirt road, that goes from Chicago to California (San Bernardino I think). The motels that are along the route are run-down heaps that haven't changed from the 50's when Route 66 was useful. While you may think that is cool, imagine sleeping on a mattress that is 50 years old, with paint on the walls that is peeling, with pink ceramic bathrooms, no internet hookup, etc. There are some towns, like Chicago, IL; Tulsa, OK; Albuquerque, NM; Flagstaff, AZ and most towns in CA that will have decent hotels, in general, the towns and motels are not really good places to stay.

You guys don't have the interstate system like we have it here in the States, so Routes similar to Route 66 died along with the business that supported it. For most people, why spend 10 days going from Chicago to California when you can get on the interstate and get there in 2.

There is a lot of nostalgia about Route 66, but rarely does anybody, and even the hard-core Route 66 history buffs, actually ride/drive it. I think it is better to fondly remember it than to actually ride it and realize that is SUCKS!!!!!

Just my opinion.

If there are any specific questions, please feel free to e-mail and I can answer any questions that you want.
I have taken a sport bike across the US (from NJ to NV and back) and live in a city along Route 66 (Albuquerque, NM), so I may have some insight about this.

[wari]

Fot the input slmc ... I'll pass on what you said.:)