Buying a bike in USA and bringing it back to NZ

**pjpnz** · 27th July 2008, 09:22

I am hoping to travel to the States next year. My cunning plan is to buy a bike over there, ride it for a few weeks over there, and then ship it back to NZ. I would then sell the bike, and hopefully cover some of my travel costs.

I would really appreciate advice on the rules and regulations about doing this:
1. How long do I have to own the bike before bringing it back to NZ?
2. What costs am I going to incur?
3. Do I have to pay GST when I import the bike?
4. Which government department in NZ makes and enforces the rules for all this?

Can you recommend a good shipping agent to manage the paper work and practicalities of getting the bike from the USA to home?

I would also like suggestions about what bike (or bikes) to buy to (a) enjoy the riding and (b) make as much money as I can! I ride a BMW so favour that brand; my mates are all Harley fanatics and think I should buy a screaming eagle.

Anything else I need to know?

All help very much appreciated.

**FROSTY:Me** · 27th July 2008, 09:33

A few things to cover off.
1)The headlight should present an issue. the issue being that the dip beam goes the wrong way. This will mean you need another headlight usually. Good plan then to research what headlights are available and for how much.
To qualify "shouuld" . quite often the compliance guys miss it.
2) Yes our wonderful guvmint do charge GST on the purchace price on the bike as well as the freight costs. There used to be a loophole if you owned it for a certain amount of time and weren't selling it for a few years
3)From Japan I use a company called Aucsat. They won't be able to directly help you with shipping but will be a point to start with.
4)Documentation wise ---THIS is the bit you need to be really careful about. You need proof of ownership in the US and if deregistering it you need dereg paperwork. I can't emphasise enough making sure you have correct and complete documentation.
5) Once the ship arrives in NZ you need to organise customs and MAF clearance. if you find a good shipping company they will do the MAF clearance in the US for you.
A little note here --when your trip is finished and you're ready to ship the bike. Clean it. --I mean REALLY clean it. Get rid of any trace of dust/dirt/cobwebs etc. It might be a bit OTT but a couple of hours spent cleaning can save ya days this end whilst MAF does their thing -They might not bother but it aint worth the strife.
6) once you have customs and MAF clearance then you need the bike trucked to a compliance center. They do a complete inspection to make sure its safe to be on NZ roads.
Aquick note here. I would pay to check that the brake disks are above minimum thickness.--itll save you having to find em in nz
After that you can just register it.

Bike wise is a catch 22 -If you buy something commonish in NZ it will be easier to sell. But if you get lucky and get something thats high priced here you could make a killing.

SORRY to all the suzuki riders. -The one brand I dont suggest is a suzuki.
Nothing wrong with the bikes but Suzuki Nz's marketing strategy means new suzuki's are really cheap on the world market.

**James Deuce** · 27th July 2008, 10:09

http://www.cusoms.govt.nz

http://www.maf.govt.nz

Those sites detail everything you need to know about importing to NZ.

You will need to pay GST.

You will need to own it for two years before selling it, unless Customs grant you an exception.

Frotsy's post is very helpful, but make sure you go to the Customs site and get all your facts sorted.

**Timber020** · 27th July 2008, 14:26

It took over 2 months for the full paperwork to come through after purchasing my buick years back in pennsyvania, so keep this in mind. Until that paper comes through you cannot onsell or put it on a boat. There may be a way of getting it faster or they systems might be better now.

Check it out!

**gunrunner** · 27th July 2008, 14:46

Get yourself a customs agent they dont charge much and they will take care of customs/maf and all other related charges , it will save you time and money . Dont touch anything modded as will cause probs when going thru compliance .

**Mully** · 27th July 2008, 15:11

I'm sure we've been through this before.

Contact Jas Jenners at Auckland Airport. They are big on vehicles ex the States. From memory, Phil is the guy.

You will need to own and use the vehicle overseas for some time if you want it GST exclusive. If you don't mind paying GST, go mental. If you declare that you wont sell it and do, it's kinda fraud, which the government isn't big on (unless it's them doing it) so yeah.

**popelli** · 27th July 2008, 17:59

basically unless you get a real bargain it is not worth the effort

GST is on the entire purchase price including freight and handling charges

and you will have grief getting it through registration in nz

potential for damage in transit - i had a bike shiped from nz and it ended up with a forklift leg imprint punched through the primary case

bottom line is that the initial purchase price has to be very cheap to make it stack up

**The Joka** · 27th July 2008, 18:04

Have a chat to Phil at Jenners.

He is a good guy that does this sort shipping for a living, he will see you right

**pjpnz** · 28th July 2008, 09:05

Wow! Many thanks for the help.

Are the rules the same for used and new bikes?

Ta.

**hondav2** · 28th July 2008, 20:41

I have imported 2 from USA and have another 2 on there way here. Make sure the bike u bring back has still got the compliance stickers on the frame. There is usually 1 on each side otherwise u have to get a letter of compliance from manufacturer ( p.i.t.a.) . Some shippers want the bike crated which can cost 3-4hundred USD. www.kiwishipping.co.nz will ship uncrated from LA to Tauranga . price ok but you have to wait till he gets a box fill. As for new bikes some VIN inspection places want a pre delivery done by a NZ dealer for that make. Best to buy near new I have found. Cheers Toddy

**Mully** · 28th July 2008, 21:07

Originally Posted by pjpnz

Are the rules the same for used and new bikes?

Yes. But there will be no warranty or dealer backup if you buy a new one off shore.

**toycollector10** · 3rd August 2008, 20:30

Unless you are importing a bike that is virtually impossible to source in this country why would you bother? And as another poster said, GST, shipping and port handling and all other fees will just neutralise your purchase price. You won't make any money and you will have a few headaches along the way.

**Korumba** · 3rd August 2008, 20:37

In the US now buying a bike to tour the States, check out here http://seattle.craigslist.org/
lots of bargins to be had..

I am not sure if I will bring it back or not but will be putting it in my Brothers Name(US citizen) so if I do that may make it more simple.

Headlight Frosty??? simple adjustment....

**alanzs** · 4th August 2008, 12:20

There are some excellent bargains to be had, but all the advice you have seen above will get close to negating the cheap price. But lusting through ebay and cycletrader will get you wondering.

I brought my Bandit over from California and it wasn't a big hassle. Mine was crated and had no damage. I did have to pay a small amount of GST and couldn't sell it for a year or so. It was used when I brought it over and I had owned it for four years.
The biggest challenge was that the NZ Customs wanted to see an original bill of sale. In the US, after you own the bike, you get a "pink slip" (it's on a pink piece of paper), or title, saying you are the owner. A bill of sale isn't important after you have the title. When I got here, all of the sudden they wanted to see the bill of sale. I had to quickly "find" one. Easily done, but it made for a nervous night.