To import bike gear or not?

**Robert Taylor** · 15th July 2008, 19:54

Originally Posted by Swoop

If it is something that has to fit your body/phisique You are better off purchasing locally. As said before, if something dosen't fit properly, you have a major problem.
If it is a bog-standard XYZ part from a bike, get prices from anywhere. The local stealerships should have the advantage of "buying in bulk" and being competitive with the shipping prices Vs your single item shipping.

This is in fact the whole misconception clearly identified by your term ''stealerships''. It hasnt escaped everyones attention that many ( most )motorcycle dealerships dont survive until old age, BECAUSE the after tax profit just isnt there. If you dont believe me, try it as many have done and come unstuck. ( My own time was successful because I had the training and long experience beforehand ) So often I have heard to the effect, ''we are going to do it better and make sh..loads of money.'' Then theres the realisation, operating costs, taxes, levies, indifferent staff, warranty issues and poor reimbursement, technical issues that are very complex, a plethora of suppliers and product, credit control issues, cashflow issues...and more often than not you are in a ''dutch auction'' with not only other dealers but all of the overseas internet parasite companies.
The world is not a level playing field. Yankee companies are able to purchase many items of stock at bulk discounts just on the size of their domestic market alone. Because of volume they are able to operate on much slimmer margins. Their current weak dollar makes it attractive for overseas purchasers and also easy to parasite sales into these markets. They dont care a rats ar.e that the local authorised distributors in the markets they rape have often serious investments in stock and infrastructure and actually ( despite the unfairness of it all ) contribute to the local economy and employment.
I think more people should look at the bigger picture and look at the long term damage this is doing to our own local economy and infrastructure.

**Robert Taylor** · 15th July 2008, 19:57

Originally Posted by WildDuck

Helmets are all imported anyway so sizing will be same as overseas and doesn't hurt local manufacturers.
Just make sure he takes it out of the packaging so he doesn't pay duty bringing it back.

So why shouldnt he pay duty if the local importers have to? Thats hardly fair.

**MadDuck** · 15th July 2008, 20:25

For me its about range - or lack of it when it comes to NZ (Auckland mostly) bike shops.

I have always supported local where possible but am sick of having jackets where the sleeves are too long and ending up with blokes bike pants because most gear retailers think all female riders are tall and skinny.

To get anything remotely feminine means starting to look at the internet for alternatives. Most stores in NZ appear to think that by having something with a touch of pink on it makes it popular to all females....the joys of being in the minority I guess

**Mully** · 15th July 2008, 20:37

Originally Posted by Robert Taylor

So why shouldnt he pay duty if the local importers have to? Thats hardly fair.

Helmets are Duty free, I suspect he means GST.

Anyway Robert, support your view. Providing bike shops have good service locally, I will continue to buy locally.

**Robert Taylor** · 15th July 2008, 21:06

Originally Posted by MadDuck

For me its about range - or lack of it when it comes to NZ (Auckland mostly) bike shops.

I have always supported local where possible but am sick of having jackets where the sleeves are too long and ending up with blokes bike pants because most gear retailers think all female riders are tall and skinny.

To get anything remotely feminine means starting to look at the internet for alternatives. Most stores in NZ appear to think that by having something with a touch of pink on it makes it popular to all females....the joys of being in the minority I guess

Its also about mathematics, we only have 4 million people and a ''catalogue'' of 40 zillion consumer products. For better or worse we dont have 400 million people and therefore the means for everything to be on the shelf. Cold hard reality.

**Semantics** · 15th July 2008, 21:12

distributors pay GST on shipments cause they import bulk whereas a single buyer can import one below the gst rate.

however, single buyers get retail price, where as distributors should get distributor price (duh), therefore leaving me asking
if a shoei helmet (raid II) costs 375$ usd at almost any American shop, add shipping to that ($50) and you basically get 560nzd landed.
how come shops here are charging $650?
considering distributor price should be lower than 375$ usd... and if shipping from importer in bulk it should be cheaper as well.

stuff like that really boggles my mind, if you can explain that would be awesome.

also note that shoei has a buy a helmet get an extra visor free program which everyone forgets to mention, they use it as a sales pitch though :S totally bs in my opinion

**Mully** · 15th July 2008, 21:31

Originally Posted by Semantics

distributors pay GST on shipments cause they import bulk whereas a single buyer can import one below the gst rate.

however, single buyers get retail price, where as distributors should get distributor price (duh), therefore leaving me asking
if a shoei helmet (raid II) costs 375$ usd at almost any American shop, add shipping to that ($50) and you basically get 560nzd landed.
how come shops here are charging $650?
considering distributor price should be lower than 375$ usd... and if shipping from importer in bulk it should be cheaper as well.

Distributors will be GST registered, so will claim the GST back anyway.

While I don't know all the details, the retail price here will be influenced by:
Cashflow (got to pay the manufacturer (and the GST) usually before you get the goods, let alone sell the bastards). Even using cost of money at 10% that's a big amount
Overheads (rent, bills, staff, ACC, Insurance, advertising, etc)
Inventory. The stuff has to be on the shelf to sell.
Freight is an issue. The unit price to move a container to the States will be much less than the unit cost to move, say, 50 to NZ.

An online store price will be slightly more than a distributor price because the online stores often don't carry stock.

**MadDuck** · 15th July 2008, 21:37

Originally Posted by Robert Taylor

Its also about mathematics, we only have 4 million people and a ''catalogue'' of 40 zillion consumer products. For better or worse we dont have 400 million people and therefore the means for everything to be on the shelf. Cold hard reality.

I completely understand that and given that female bikers are a minority then there is even less chance of getting the gear desired.

Must say that I have NEVER been offered a look at a catalogue in store or offered any other alternatives. The standard response is thats all we have so 'take or leave it'. Therefore I can see why people head to the internet for gear.

**Steam** · 15th July 2008, 21:44

Originally Posted by Robert Taylor

Absolutely, and I do hear where you are coming from re affordability. Our living standards have in real terms dropped and we need armed insurrection to reposition the goalposts so we are actually looking after our own.
I think too many give no thought whatsoever where all this nonsense is leading to.

National strongly supports the move to a global economy, globalisation, free trade, bugger the local businesses. Labour also supports free trade. So who will you be voting for? The Greens, NZ First, or

the Maori Party.

**Dakara** · 15th July 2008, 22:17

Generally, if your only gonna save $50-$100 on an item off ebay try haggling with the shops. I can't remember the last time I paid retail for a large ticket item

Prices here seem high, as they generally have room to move (within reason) and if they don't then they can't come here and cry about ebay as you did try to buy locally. Besides, if you need to claim warrenty or get support etc, saves a lot of hassle being able to walk into the shop and sort it out.

However, some items and/or stores have far too much markup on them and the shops who are being greedy shoot themselves in the foot. When I left my last job as an account manager to return to flying, the guy who replaced me me tried taggin another 15% margin onto customers without fixed pricing... in his first month he sold $10k less than my average, and when they finally fired him he was doing almost $30k less. My point is, no one is going to pay $4k for X brand race leathers when they can get them for $2.5k overseas (or $1.5k from Quasi

)... if they do they have too much bloody money!!

While it's all good and true to say "support local" the shops aren't the only ones feeling the recession. Everything is costing everyone more, and we aint getting any pay increases to compensate.

**Jiminy** · 15th July 2008, 23:02

Originally Posted by svr

The thing is this:
If you receive quality, courteous, extertise and after market service you are happy to pay the extra (...)
On the other hand if you get shit service from some 22 yr old spikey haired mxer / motarder know it all (but knows nuthin) who is also talking down to you you think: `fuckit, why spend a premium for this?'

I fully agree with that. I'm happy to pay for a friendly service, good advice, and the chance to try things on before buying. However, for my last helmet, it took me two trips round the local shops to finally get all that. If it had not been for a helmet, I would have bought it on-line, like I did for most of my gear.

[edit] Oh, and for some items like the jacket, I find the choice in local shops pretty small. Got mine off Trademe at the end.

**Quasievil** · 15th July 2008, 23:15

I guess the up shot is if everyone goes offshore to buy gear and parts the NZ motorcycle industry might as well close down, and each overseas purchase just makes that a little more of a viable option for those that participate in it, radical but thats the reality of the situation and the ultimate response to those arguing pro overseas buying.
For example, why would a dealer want to have a ducati franchise right now ? the imports are killing them ,literally, so if they drop the franchise (and some are considering it right now) where will you go for specialist advise on your ducati? well no where is the answer, at least no one qualified on the Ducati, this is a reality in the market right now.

personally my last resort is to buy off shore and I cant remember the last time I did that.