Richard-BKK

For anybody in Thailand thinking about buying a Yamaha T-Max 530 but is shocked about the price of 530,000 THB, take a look at the Sym Maxsym 600i ABS which cost 190,000 THB... you can even buy an additional 300cc sportsbike from Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha and still be better of than buying a Yamaha T-Max 530

 

http://www.sym-thailand.co.th/product/maxsym-600i/

1 hour ago, thaiguzzi said:

 

Richard, off topic,

 been meaning to mention many a time, - great avatar...

 

Yes, I find it also a very nice avatar.... :)

For big bikes try:

 

http://www.aphonda.co.th/hondabigbike/en/hondabigbike-home.ashx

 

http://www.kawasaki.co.th/

 

http://www.yamaha-motor.co.th/RidersClub/pricelist.aspx

 

http://www.thaisuzuki.co.th/bigbike/bigbike.php?id_product=112

22 minutes ago, onthemoon said:

Gregk posted the relevant link. Permanent import of second-hand vehicles (this includes motorbikes) for personal use is possible if you have an import licence from the Ministry of Commerce. The problem is that I don't know of anybody who succeeded in getting one.

 

Import of brand-new vehicles for personal use does not require this licence.

 

However, a permit from the Thai Industrial Standards Institute (TISI) might be required.

To get a permit from the Thai Industrial Standards Institute (TISI), would involve that you provide specifications from the manufacturer that the used motorcycle is compliant with the latest (2016) rules of road safety and exhaust and environmental standards.

 

Just as example, how difficult this will be, if you buy today a brand new BMW 1200 GS in Germany, and register it and try to get a import permit it will be denied as your used (1 day) motorcycle is not compliant to the Thai standards. The same model is sold in Thailand, but in Thailand the BMW motorcycles have a modified fuel map which makes them compliant with the rules and laws.

 

BMW Thailand will not assist you in anyway to help you get a foreign motorcycle into Thailand, with the exception if you're doing some sponsored event on your motorcycle in Thailand.

Nothing has changed, used motorcycles are still banned from import, while it seems that they have relaxed a little bit on classic motorcycles (Bikes people collect)… but getting an import permit for one is still a pain in the ass and that is putting it mildly…

 

For the average person, without a specialist customs broker company it would be impossible to get a import permit for a classic motorcycle, for a regular used motorcycle you can just forget ever getting a permit.

 

Getting an import permit for a classic vehicle doesn’t mean that it will be road legal, that is all up to the Department of Road Transport… but anything classified as “classic” is made before ‘80s and will very likely never pass the Thai emission and road safety laws and rules.

 

With a classic import permit you can get a temporary license (plates) for classic car or motorcycle events… But they’re valid for maximum 2 weeks I believe… and only apply to the same province (and again not easy to get…).

1 hour ago, Thian said:

 

Mate i tried all that, had 2 dealers who speak english so far and both are no good...without them i can't order anything in there shops. But even the bigbike Hondadealer has personell who can't speak english.

 

And i don't want to learn Thai, they see me as a ATM-machine anyway or a free teacher for their kids.

 

That (Sumit?) dealer from the forum had his shop close to the Mall ngamwongwan right? I searched for him long time ago (when he still posted here) but the shop was gone. 

 

I think i need an old Honda bigbike now, they were real good quality and never had problems. I might send my own bike from Europe to Thailand soon...IT's far overpowered though and actually i don't want to have it here because i can't control my right-hand on it, too much fun to be the rocket between the snails.

 

Well i'm thinking about Yamaha's now....tired of Honda.

Sorry to spoil the idea of importing an “old” motorcycle into Thailand, as it’s not possible to import a used motorcycle….

 

For your other issues, in how according to you own saying Thai people see you, I would recommend that you re-evaluated if you want to be in Thailand

33 minutes ago, Thian said:

 

When i go to Honda for a lightbulb i first have to find the girl who speaks english (the boss), she needs 3 assistants to tell them i need a lightbulb...Then her brother comes down and with his assistants has to take a look at my bike, (i had the lightbulb in my hand already and the bike didn't even have the headlight mounted.).

 

Then 3 other guys behind a computer have to find the light in the computer, call me several times pointing at their screen to ask if it is this one! Yes it's that one i had to confirm, then they said it costs 3000 baht, they thought i need the whole unit...

So we go back again in the system, find the drawing, i tell them  i need that one (yes the lightbulb for headlight) and they finally understand it.....I ordered it (this took 30-45 minutes already) while i was squatting mosquito's of me legs and sweating because the aircon wasn't running. Then the boss made the bill and wrote the price of 1200 baht..I was shocked but just want to finish it so i ordered...Then i even ordered more lights because they were replaced (by them) with different lights of lower wattage..Took another 20 minutes but i wanted it all done so the bike is original again (and safe).

 

I can't describe how unprofessional they are...In Europe this all would have taken 5 minutes and i would be off with 3 new lights for a reasonable price.

 

 

 

Advice: learn the Thai language, or take somebody who speaks Thai with you when dealing with a motorcycle dealer. Or just order your light-bulb from a dealer who speaks English... I believe one of the sponsors of this motorcycle forum is a Honda dealer who is a native speaking English...

By the way, it’s not really strange that a Honda dealer has a light-bulb not on stock. I bet that most Honda dealers also not have tires on stock, sell petrol, or have a good selection of engine oil on stock.

 

All this things are what is called Motorcycle Consumables, and because most people prefer to buy them else where most motorcycle dealers do not have them on stock. Some motorcycle dealers sign up as a Motul or other aftermarket engine oil supplier. But I bet that not much dealers in Thailand have actually Honda engine oil on stock.

 

In Thailand I find the average Honda dealer very pleasant to work with, if I come in for an oil change and prefer to use oil I bought myself… they not complain, they check if the oil is according to the specs of the motorcycles and simply change it.

Just for the fun of it, I was at BigC supermarket and the automotive parts section had light-bulbs in all sort and sizes and not only from one manufacturer…

 

The number one reason why light-bulbs die is not because of quality, brand name or where they’re made. The reason is that people touch the glass of the light-bulb, or get the glass dirty in any other way… Even if I wash my hands and touch the glass of light-bulb and install it, I can tell that the person probably needs to replace the light-bulb in a few days again…

 

I have seen enough Thai motorcycle shops replace light-bulbs to say that I’m impressed that so much people ride around with working head-lights…

 

By the way the light-bulbs at BigC where around 150 THB… They also had a no-name, which had no price-tag and I was to lazy to look for a price scanner...

Thailand is a free market, if somebody is trying to sell you a 1200 THB lightbulb he’s free to do so. Personally I would never bought it, honestly I cannot remember the last time I bought a lightbulb from a motorcycle dealer. In Bangkok we have enough automotive part stores that are way cheaper than any of the famous brand motorcycle dealers.

 

I’m pretty sure you didn’t speak with Honda Thailand, you probably called the Thai motorcycle distributor called APHonda…

The biggest problem is probably the proof that the motorcycle is yours… According to Thai police most stolen motorcycles in Thailand are exported, so they very strict on prove of ownership.

 

I can remember you even need an export permit from the department of commerce, not difficult to get but can take halve a day to do so….

 

Yes you can take a First Class insurance, but you have to ask yourself is the motorcycle worth it? Say the motorcycle gets stolen, the insurance company pays you on the catalog value of the motorcycle. With most Kawasaki Boss 175 older than 10-years you not get much….

Just from a marketing perspective, can anybody tell why APHonda should import this motorcycle? Will it fill a untouched market? Will it in any way introduce a possibility that it would compete with a local produced product...? How about off-shore parts storage... etc etc...

 

The real reason is that Honda Asia is that they still selling Honda CBR150Ri like pancakes... and nobody want to interfere with that if they have any future plane with the carerer in Honda Asia....

He Denkiblue, be careful how you spent your money... If you really want a more competitive scooter compared to the Yamaha T-Max you should also look at the Sym Maxsym 600i ABS.

 

Nothing wrong with a Yamaha T-Max, but if you want sporty, buy a sportsbike and safe the money is my idea. The Yamaha is perfect, it can even compete with some sportbikes on cornering and acceleration…

 

But why “most” people buy a maxi-scooter is not for having cutting edge sport performance. It’s for rideability, easy to use and no-a-day fuel consumption is also getting more important.

 

While the Yamaha T-Max has only a 530cc engine, it seems to consume nearly twice as much as a Honda Ingegra S (750cc) on a road trip from Bangkok to Khong Kaen. In all honesty the trip was not done back-to-back so it’s not a real benchmark… but it says something about the difference between a DCT 6-gear automatic and a CVT… Trying to climb any hill without speed will rev the engine at the CVT, while the Honda DCT seems to know what happens and adjust changing gear to match… The Honda Integra S engine never get upset…

 

For the Sym Maxsym 600i ABS, the horsepower at the rear is similar to the Yamaha but with about 10 more torque…

 

If you looking for a maxi-scooter for less then 530,000 THB, it would be hard to ignore the Sym Maxsys 600i ABS, it’s the most comfortable, best handling, cheapest (about 200,000 THB) and easiest to use of all scooters…

 

If fuel consumption and getting from town to town is the thing you look for, go Honda and buy the Honda Integra S, it has the best kilometers per liter of fuel … basically a CVT is never going to beat a DCT Automatic on fuel consumption, also if you ride in mountains or hills you want to stick with the Honda as it’s able to lock gear to get up the steepest climb without a fuss…

 

As special mention I also want to tell that anybody should try the Honda Bat Bike… in which I mean the Honda NM4… it shares the engine with the Honda Integra S, cost a fortune more (539.000 THB) and is best described in current motorcycle terms as a automatic cruiser…. But for people looking for a cruiser it seems heaven… I’m not really into cruisers so I have to keep that short… but if you like out of town touring in a relaxed way… Make sure you test the Honda NM4….

 

O, for the OP I check with my buddies at Yamaha Asia, not plans the get the Xmax into Thailand. Basically they said the Yamaha Xmax was a concept that would not work in Asia, if they “Yamaha”…. would enter the 250 ~ 300cc scooter market the Yamaha Xmax would not be competitive enough...

2 hours ago, denkiblue555 said:

 

That's true about the price for sure..... I think they like the 530k for 530cc price point lol.

 

You get a lot more bike with the AT, but on the road in urban conditions I would expect the T-Max to eat the AT up!

 

If it comes to riding, you should try the Honda Integra S (750cc parallel-twin with DCT) it has a 6-gear automatic transmission, not a CVT like the Yamaha T-Max. It’s fantastic to ride in town and on the lone-country road.

 

Better even the Yamaha T-Max is about 530,000 THB while the Honda Integra S is “only” 384,000 THB...

12 hours ago, augustwest said:

If BMW can sell it here for 200000 or les they have a slight chance of succeeding. 400000 and they wouldn't sell one!
Problem is it's made in India

Most BMW motorcycles you can buy in Thailand are made in Thailand or made in China… Personally I have the feeling that Made in India is a bit better than the Made in China label…

In 2007 Yamaha Thailand imported a few (exact number has escaped me) Yamaha Majesty 400 (YP400) for market research. Mid 2008 it became clear that the Majesty 400 would not be suitable for the Thai market and the whole idea to include the Yamaha Majesty 400 was canceled.

 

What happened with the 2007 shipment of Majesty 400’s (about 5 or 6 scooters)? They were not send back so they still in Thailand… I know that at least 2 are sold and ride around in the greater Bangkok area.

 

It’s possible that somebody bought one who lives in Pattaya… Still a Yamaha Majesty 400 looks a good amount different than a Yamaha Xmas.

 

Another option is that the guy was wearing a red velvet jacket, which can be an indication that x’mas comes early this year…

58 minutes ago, BSJ said:

If your not keen on the Benelli mark apparently Keeway have a similar model coming out..........

 

Please tell more, as the Keeway people I know have no idea.......

I don't think that this type of motorcycles are made for the Asian market, yes they sell pretty good in Asia, but it's nothing compared to how much they sell in the US and Europe...

 

The Honda Gnom and Kawasaki Z125 Pro are very successful in both North-America and Europe, and while they look like small bikes, the seat height for the Honda Gnom (MSX125) is 790mm and the Kawasaki Z125 Pro is 780mm...

If the SWM Motorcycles make it onto the Thai market, they will be identical to the models sold in Europe. But they will be priced competitive… I not expect them to be 160,000 THB, maybe more near 200,000 THB…

 

Personally, I know a few people who bought a Honda CRF250L and Kawasaki KLX250 who wanted to do some off-road riding and spend a good amount of money to get a bit more power. With the SWM RS300R not much people would complain about stock power the bike delivers, also the KYB suspension is aftermarket quality…

 

To be honest the Honda CRF250L and Kawasaki KLX250 look they can go off-road, similar like SUV cars… But when you really want to do off-road you quickly find that the bikes need some upgrades… and even with all upgrades in place the CRF250L and KLX250 are nothing like a stock SMW RS300R…

Wow... talking about a engine oil mess-up, I would recommend you start using a good four-stroke motorcycle specific 10w40 engine oil. Maybe Shell Advance Ultra 4T it's available at any Shell petrol station (most of them for sure)....

The person I spoke with at Shineray Motorcycles said, they could be competitive with what a Honda CRF250L or Honda CRF250L cost, of course they're more expensive as suspension and build is of higher quality... The SWM RS300R pumps a amazing 39 horsepower (similar to a twin-cylinder Kawasaki Ninja 300)... without any modifications...

It not take that much to make them “made In China”, if the engine, frame, suspension come from China and some parts like Mikuni EFI, tires from Thailand, wheels and plastic and other accessories it would be possible to pass as an “Made in China” motorcycle… and being less than 350cc (maximum small bike capacity) if will benefit from the free trade agreement with China and Thailand.

 

It would even be possible that the Kayaba suspension comes from the KYB factory in Thailand, as it's now partly owned by Yamaha and Toyota... Most Kayaba suspension used for motorcycles now-a-day comes from India or Thailand anyway...

I agree that importing the SWM Motorcycles from Italy would make them expensive, especially for the small-capacity bikes 125 up to 500cc. But it’s possible that in the near future that some models will also be manufactured in China. We can see that this will be successful as Benelli is doing very well in Asia (especially in India).

 

Benelli only manufacture the small capacity motorcycles in China and the Italian side of the company concentrates on the manufacturing of the big bikes.

 

All motorcycles SWM Motorcycles are compliant with the Euro 4 emission standard, as Thailand is still at the Euro 3+ standard we can assume that exhaust emission will not be any problem.

 

SWM Motorcycles have 125cc, 300cc 500cc 650cc in Enduro and Supermoto styles, they also have two retro classic models with a 440cc engine and a 650cc Adventure bike. Plus a 340cc professional enduro and 250cc MX/motocross machine

What do we think about the chances of SWM Motorcycles in the Thai market? SWM Motorcycles basically sells the Husqvarna models that KTM CEO Stefan Pierer killed after he bought Husqvarna from BMW.

 

Also SWM Motorcycles manufactures motorcycles and operates out of the old factory of Husqvarna in Italy.

 

I know that currently some Thai entrepreneurs are talking with SWM Motorcycles to setup a Thai distributor and dealerships. So do you think they can take a slice of the market?

 

SWM Motorcycles is heavily financed and owned by Chinese motorcycle giant Shineray, the CEO of Shineray has said that all SWM Motorcycles will be ‘Made in Italy’ products.

 

For the 2016 and 2017 models it seems that only the plastic parts are imported and produced in China.

 

If you not know about SWM Motorcycles or what Husqvarna produced before KTM CEO Stefan Pierer bought it… you can checkout http://www.swm-motorcycles.it/en

All motorcycles SWM Motorcycles currently makes are with the approval of the current owner of Husqvarna….