vision

I'm not surprised at all. Almost all the "professionals" who did a job for me here in Thailand had much worst skills than amateurs in my home country. Quality is a word that's not in the Thai dictionary I presume. Meticulous planning is also not a common habbit.

I don't understand why so many accept the low quality of various products of mind and hand...

In any capacity where you need to hire "professionals" and do a quality job you either keep looking until you find the talent you need or you get re-assigned or resign from the post. Hiring sub par people and then blaming a sub par result on them is the M.O. of a sub-par manager in any country.

I see many big twin Harleys for sale now on another forum for considerably lower prices than before. Apparently a few enterprising fellows are going to Japan and bringing 40 bikes at a time back in parts and reassembling them and selling them off for close to half what other Harleys are listed for. Of course most are not registered.......

These bikes too are shady at best. My understanding is that many of the ones that have been dissembled and rebuilt are either stolen or salvaged bikes that cannot be sold in legally Japan.

Why start a thread to slam any brand of motorcycle?

I can tell you my personal observation:

Most of the guys that ride and love Harleys have ridden many many Japanese bikes but prefer the Harleys.

Most of the guys that bash them have never owned a single Harley but they seem adamant in their opinion.

There are a lot of Harley riders who I really don't care for, thank you for helping me to realize that the guys who ONLY ride Japanese bikes can be just as shallow and close minded.

For me I love to ride motorcycles and different bikes are fun for different reasons, how boring would the hobbie be if everybody rode the exact make and model you ride?

Good point but I sure would like to have the option.

I am NOT a brand loyal guy and love all bikes Japanese, Italian, American and even English. Last bike I had in LOS was a Harley (2005 Sporty 1200). Built it myself from parts. Started after about 3 seconds on the button first time and about half second anytime after that and never gave me a single problem in 3 months of riding daily, then sold it for a profit. That is why I am working on the next one right now.

Take the advice which you will read time and time again.

DO NOT IMPORT THE BIKE HERE. YOU WILL LOSE IT, LOSE INTEREST OR SPEND A FORTUNE TRYING TO GET IT, AND MAY FIND THAT IT IS MISSING SOME PIECES WHEN YOU FINALLY DO GET YOUR HANDS ON IT,...... IN SIX TO TEN MONTHS!!!

Sell the bike there, and find one or something similar here.

While I would agree with that for cars, if you recognise that it isnt going to be cheap, and are prepared to pay, importing and registering isnt THAT hard.. Get a good agent and have it done and just pay the money..

anyone have the name of a good agent, I am thinking of trying to import my two and a half year old 800cc Suzuki Intruder from the UK

Brian

Looks like LivinLOS is either an agent or knows of one? But while my experience is not vast I would tend to agree with his opinion that you can get a bike in and booked as long as you understand going in that it is going to be expensive and may not move as quick as you would like. The problem with selling in your home country and buying out here are #1 you will lose a known quantity and if you buy out here you are never 100% of what your getting unless you go to a dealer. #2 If you go to a dealer and pay the price they are asking it will usually be much much more then the same bike is worth in your home country.

http://flyinpiston.blogspot.com/

Dont mean to steal your thread but I'm looking to get a set of aftermarket cams sent over for my HD from either the US or Canada. Would DHL be the way to do it. What kind of problems am I expected to run into?

Thanks

I wouldn't expect any problems but you need to expect the DHL customs clearance agent will charge you or as LOS has said overcharge you a bit for customs, but in my experience you will get the cams faster and cheaper and have a higer % chance of getting the right part the first time by doing it yourself then by having a local shop order for you.

Be well worth bringing in a used engine then.. 10% + VAT is only about the same as VAT in Europe.. Just need to find th echeapest shipping method. Not in any hurry so guess it can come by sea..

Well as of today I have received a Harley frame and 2 separate boxes with motorcycle parts bought off of ebay. Shipping is a bit expensive but the price and shipping and customs all together seem to still be about half of what I get quoted for buying the same items local.

If anyone is interested I have started a build/assembly thread to keep track of my expenses and experiences building a motorcycle from the frame up in Thailand.

Visit My Website

you can go 6000 km and then let it cool down (during oil change)

must have a big separate fuel tank

the thing that would worry me would be running out of petrol along the way.What do most people do,take a spare jerry can?

1.5 liter Coke bottle full of "Fanta Deang" in the backpack and a bottle of water for you.

The bike should be more worried about you overheating then vice versa.

There is a great thread on gt-riders forum about a guy doing Singapore to Ventiene and back on a tiny KZR. I have rode a old never maintained Wave 110 round trip Sisaket to Surin more times then I would like to recall without incident beyond the occasional flat tire. As long as your on flat ground no need to rest that bike at all. If you find some mountains or big hills that is another story.

I really really (really) like that Yamaha bobber, anybody know where I can buy something like that? How much would it set me back and would it come with a green book (i.e., would it be completely legal)?

contact k speed ..they are the owners of the bike you are on about there info is here phone number ,address and e mail etc

http://www.bangkokmotorbikefestival.com/eng/exhibitors.html

and theres loads of other shop contact numbers too ...so there should be of them there to put you on the right track

Great info page! Thanks for posting that Barry...Made myself a hard copy too

Mr. YanTree who only hangs out with the highest class of individual, oh and could teach graduate classes on nuclear physics at MIT but chooses to spend his time on......wait for it....soi Nana

This guy is a classic case for a psych 101 class

Why not just get a Thai VW camper.. I know a Thai guy who can find vans and bugs and parts..

Really.. Attempting a vehicle import is a great way to lose the vehicle.

Lost my job the other day.........Well, I still know where it is but every time I go there there's this new guy there.

Even worse I lost my girlfriend too............Well, I still know where she lives but everytime I go there there's this new guy there.

Losing a vehicle seems awfully harsh. Wouldn't they just make you pay to return ship it or to ship it to a port like Singapore where there might be less entanglements in getting access to it? Even when I have been told "mai dai" by customs it was never suggested that I might not be able to at least have it forwarded on to another port.

OK for those guys who managed to get a harley in by shipping it in bits and pieces, could someone let me know (like telephone number, website, and whatnot) on who can do this? I have a harley. I want to ship to thailand. Just want to know who can turn the invoices for separate parts into a green book.

I have shipped all sorts of bits and pieces from US to Thailand. Had a frame arrive on Saturday and that will be followed by more parts next week. Last Sportster we assembled here 2 months ago was bought by a Thai before we got to the green book stage but from what I hear it is no picnic. I am looking forward to going after the holy grail of Thai documentation this time though....just mostly because so many guys have been told it is impossible. Then again there may just be a reason why the shops will tell you they can do it for you but you cannot get it done yourself? Hmmmm

I've been searching these concepts too, to bring in my VW bus.

On the visa run concept, I read that there was something like a 200% of value deposit that had to be left at the border in order to bring in a visiting motor vehicle.

Anyone heard about that and how it impacts this discussion?

Yeah bikes they allow the owner to 'self guarantee' but not for cars..

That is different for asean cars.. I know an Ozzie whose attempting to bring in a hotted up Cooper S mini..

So is the Copper considered ASEAN? If so are all cars from oz? I have seen guys riding bikes with foreign registry over board crossings at Mukdahan and they didn't seem to be having a lot of trouble but I never stopped to ask them

Well the frame came in today and there was another 8000 baht due on it bringing the total to just about 28000.

If I had bought it here it would have rand 40,000 to 50,000 and I wouldn't have had all the supporting documentation in my name.

I know some guys are gonna say that I don't have a book yet and I agree that still remains to be seen but now I have the option:

1. To try for a book with the bill of sale, all transport doc's and customs doc in my own name and 100% legitimate.

2. To sell it here in Thailand and be able to show how I came to own if and how it came to be in Thailand..

3. Ship it back to the states for sale there.

4. Build it out here and then ship it out of country and ride it back over the boarder using my foreign registration and making boarder runs with bike every few months as I need to do for myself anyway.

I do understand that many guys have had HUGE frustrations in trying to get a green book for a built bike but I think most of the time they finally are able to get what they want and I am not 100% resolved that going after the illusive green book is the only way to keep and ride a bike in Thailand. All input is appreciated but I do tend to value first hand knowledge and direct quotes from websites a lot higher then 2nd hand information from a bike shop that might have their own agenda.

Blade 900...

Not a huge amount of visual work done.. Bit its mine..

Cool throw up a pic sometime. I love the look of a good streetfighter

I will do a LOT of visual work on my Sporty to the point even most Sportster owners would hardly recognize it's pedigree.

I am looking forward to a UPS truck pulling up tomorrow and you bet I will post my final tally of costs then

then we start the whole thing again for the engine

What was it when purchased?

Well all's well that ends well.

Well that sounds standard about the frame and title but the only title I do not have a title for the frame yet so I wouldn't be filing to change anything but rather create one. But again that bridge is still in the horizon right now and I reserve the right to change course based on new information at any time.

Is your streetfighter registered now?

Also as i am sure you understand by now the literal translation from Thai to English

Mai Dai = need more money to do

Would I need to change the frame number? Don't the big shops that sell 2nd hand imports all register bikes they bring in piecewise? I have no idea but I can guarantee I will find out....If not if it is possible then if it is practical.

Honestly, I will give it a shot to get the book and if it looks to be too much of a circus then I will send this frame back to the states where I have a title for it with all new tins and paint and hopefully sell it for a profit there. I never came on this forum trying to say "I am the all knowing expert at importing bikes" I was just reporting my own experiences and reading about other peoples and trying to come up with a best game pan that fit my style and my budget.

I am sure you will.. but report how it all goes..

UPS (and FEDEX) are crooks when it comes to calcing up the tax (they overdo it to CYA themselves).. Ralf and senator can do better IMO..

I had to pay some bribes.. Both at clearance and on the engine transfer.. few 1000 here few 1000 there.. Mighty annoying when your trying to be legit but they always find something that 'cannot'... Then again its Phuket, our DMV is a real pain..

Oh I will

Yes they are

And yea all the "mai dai" s that you get going terminal to terminal into Suvarnabhumi are almost comical. With each new counter/person you are greeted with a troubled looking face, the wringing of hands and a "mai dai" that always seemed to be remedied by the liberation of a new 1000 baht note or 2 from my wallet.

At least with Fed Ex I am paying criminals from the mother country, I get the miles on my FF program and since I use them almost daily for my biz they do give me 45% off of rack rate and a quote up front. Yea, I know their customs officer is still sticking it to me to CYA and probably pocketing a good percentage as well but what are you gonna do? At the end of the day they get my stuff to me fast and with all the documentation I need to show that this engine/frame/piece is mine and that I paid customs on it and the rate is better then a lot of people get just sending their own personal effects over here.

I heard from a factory rep for Dunlop that running a directional tire in reverse would void the guarantee and cause separation. I never heard about the other accel/decel thing but you should be reading on the tire manufactures website for that info and it is is not made clear there then call or email them....They are gonna be the only one who can give the official word.

There are international agreements between counties that choose to participate but applying for a IDP in the USA I was told that it would be accepted in Thailand and that my CDL would not. When I asked if my wife should apply for the IDP in Thailand to drive in the US I was told "NO, California does not accept an IDP or any other foreign licence ONLY a CDL and even an out of state licence is only good for short time".

Well I got this frame coming in on Sunday...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...e=STRK:MEWNX:IT

The auction was $150 but shipping to Thailand added $500 because they use UPS and wouldn't allow me to have Fed Ex pick it up (my discount account is with Fed Ex).

The UPS custom clearing agent called today to tell us to have another 8000 baht ready for customs VAT and assorted fees.

So buy in Thailand price = 50,000 baht for a 2004 frame that may or may not come with any paperwork that may or may not be legit.

Buy in USA and ship price = just over half of that. Oh an if I do it myself I have the customs forms with the frame ID (and all in my name) to prove that it is 100% legit and the frame is delivered to my doorstep. THAT is why I reccomend by and ship.

An additional bonus for me since the US is my home country is If i buy a bike or frame out there with a title and decide I want to ship it back to the USA it is customs free and easy to register.

UPS air freight was surprisingly cheap...

Tho you need to be aware of hazmat rules on used fuel engines.

If you ship here terminal to terminal and buy from a dealer that ships a lot in the US then just have them ship it to your terminal dealer they will ship it in the US in compliance with US Haz Mat regs (engine flushed, steamed, secured) and that will comply with the freight carriers and Thai regs.