Buying A Harley In Thailand

[Kerryd]

Or so it would seem based on the prices I'm seeing.

I've been sort of shopping on the 'net on various Thai and English sites, looking for a 2nd hand scoot (Fat Boy, Road King, Heritage Softail, etc). Most of those priced under 700,000 baht seem to get sold PDQ. What I've been offered (i.e. a 2004 Road King with green book for 880,000 baht) seems rather expensive (almost $28,000 US).

Seems pretty high to me for a 4 year old, stock bike (i.e. no extensive mods or accessories).

Is it all because of the name, like buying Adidas or Reebok where the high cost is primarily because of the brand name ?

The guys I've been hanging out with, especially my Thai friends, are definitely not hi-so rich folks. I actually find it hard to believe so many of them do own Harleys.

I've been looking at 2nd hand rides, as buying brand new and parking it for 9 months a year doesn't make much sense to me. I did that with my last pick-up in Canada. Bought it new, drove it for a little over a year, and it's been parked in my dad's yard for the last 4 1/2 years now (I just told him to send me the paperwork so I can sing it over to him and he can sell it or what ever).

It's not as much of a concern with an older bike though (and less likely that the g/f will try and ride it when I'm not around !)

Meanwhile, I've got about 8 days to try and find a deal before (or just after) I get back, as a couple days later, a whole mess of us are heading to Phuket for the Phuket Bike Week 2008 (and Songkran) celebrations !

(of course it would be cheaper to just ride the bus) !

[Tilapia]

Or so it would seem based on the prices I'm seeing.

I've been sort of shopping on the 'net on various Thai and English sites, looking for a 2nd hand scoot (Fat Boy, Road King, Heritage Softail, etc). Most of those priced under 700,000 baht seem to get sold PDQ. What I've been offered (i.e. a 2004 Road King with green book for 880,000 baht) seems rather expensive (almost $28,000 US).

Seems pretty high to me for a 4 year old, stock bike (i.e. no extensive mods or accessories).

Is it all because of the name, like buying Adidas or Reebok where the high cost is primarily because of the brand name ?

The guys I've been hanging out with, especially my Thai friends, are definitely not hi-so rich folks. I actually find it hard to believe so many of them do own Harleys.

I've been looking at 2nd hand rides, as buying brand new and parking it for 9 months a year doesn't make much sense to me. I did that with my last pick-up in Canada. Bought it new, drove it for a little over a year, and it's been parked in my dad's yard for the last 4 1/2 years now (I just told him to send me the paperwork so I can sing it over to him and he can sell it or what ever).

It's not as much of a concern with an older bike though (and less likely that the g/f will try and ride it when I'm not around !)

Meanwhile, I've got about 8 days to try and find a deal before (or just after) I get back, as a couple days later, a whole mess of us are heading to Phuket for the Phuket Bike Week 2008 (and Songkran) celebrations !

(of course it would be cheaper to just ride the bus) !

If you dont wanna cough up with the green, then take the bus mate... You aint gonna get a resent HD for less than 700-800K.

[Captain Chaos]

Aren't most Hogs (and other big bikes for that matter) brought into the country as second hand 'grey' / private imports, usually semi-knock down and then just bolted together again when they're in?

Even so, the import duty and other costs will be waaaaaaay high (be they official or 'unofficial' ahem) - hence the comedy pricing compared to the US...

On the other hand, you can always sell on a Hog and you'll get most of your money back based on my personal observations over the last few years.

CC

[Richard-BKK]

I can say " Not move to the dark side, the dark side meaning buying a bike without green book" it means that your bike can be confiscated at anytime.

[LivinLOS]

The thais are often using local MC clubs networks to source books and buy bikes for the dirt cheap import as parts costs..

I happen to have just spent 5 days travelling round the country being offered all kinds of different bent books deals.. Odd timing.

Look on ebay for US prices.. Then imagine bent books for 60 - 100k more.. Hard for us whiteys to get away with tho, contacts and tea money etc..

[xbusman]

Bringing them in as bits is how we do it but its not as cheap as it appears.

First, to knock them down is a lot of labor, properly pack them so they can be put back together and dont get damaged in shipping and last to reassemble them (cheap labor but there always seem to be something missing). AND we still have to pay tax, just not as much as a new vehicle. The excise tax levied coming in is highly dependent on what the customs official had for lunch and if mia noi is well taken care of, generally it is a minimum of 30% and can range as high as 60% of the blue book value. Now, if you get hit by a lot at the border, when you register the bike you pay a lesser amount so in the end it sort of works out.

Now, the dirt cheap bikes that the Thais are banging together down in Klong Toey are mostly stolen bikes out of Japan, very hard to beat yakuza pricing. I thought this dried up a year ago but I was wrong, like our copy DVDs they just went dormant for a little while.

Real books are running 80 to 120K more, if its a stolen bike only bent books can be obtained (currently, changes every so often) and the book costs are directly dependent on the motorcycle. Most of the expense is the excise tax which varies based on size and model.

They are luxury items, the government does a good job of keeping them out without a lot of money sliding around.

[mikethevigoman]

Or so it would seem based on the prices I'm seeing.

I've been sort of shopping on the 'net on various Thai and English sites, looking for a 2nd hand scoot (Fat Boy, Road King, Heritage Softail, etc). Most of those priced under 700,000 baht seem to get sold PDQ. What I've been offered (i.e. a 2004 Road King with green book for 880,000 baht) seems rather expensive (almost $28,000 US).

Seems pretty high to me for a 4 year old, stock bike (i.e. no extensive mods or accessories).

Is it all because of the name, like buying Adidas or Reebok where the high cost is primarily because of the brand name ?

The guys I've been hanging out with, especially my Thai friends, are definitely not hi-so rich folks. I actually find it hard to believe so many of them do own Harleys.

I've been looking at 2nd hand rides, as buying brand new and parking it for 9 months a year doesn't make much sense to me. I did that with my last pick-up in Canada. Bought it new, drove it for a little over a year, and it's been parked in my dad's yard for the last 4 1/2 years now (I just told him to send me the paperwork so I can sing it over to him and he can sell it or what ever).

It's not as much of a concern with an older bike though (and less likely that the g/f will try and ride it when I'm not around !)

Meanwhile, I've got about 8 days to try and find a deal before (or just after) I get back, as a couple days later, a whole mess of us are heading to Phuket for the Phuket Bike Week 2008 (and Songkran) celebrations !

(of course it would be cheaper to just ride the bus) !

If you have the belly, the beard and the baht go for it !

[ajahnlau]

Forget about prices back home. The prices here are alot higher because of taxes. Try looking at www.mocyc.com What years are you looking at and what's your budget?

[LivinLOS]

Sportster on craigslist for 285k.

[Kerryd]

Here's a possible choice I've found recently. Still, seems expensive considering it's a '94 (but only 13,000kms).

[Hog Head]

Forget the cost in canada as TIT. If you want one, open your wallet as you will not find a decent bike for much less.

I see good Evos going for 650K and sometimes a bit less, with newer TC for 700 - 850. A brand new 05 Road King with some goodies and a tour pack is at Richco Motorsports in Chiangmai for 1 million. He also has a couple of Fat Boys around 800

[RusticCharm]

looking for a 2nd hand scoot (Fat Boy, Road King, Heritage Softail, etc).

Harley, huh?

That's nice.

But if you would like a real bike, the Triumph showroom is on RCA and Ducati is on Thonglor.

[tahaan]

Harley, Yamaha and Triumph all had trade stands at the recent Khon Kean bike week. Whereas Yamaha and Triumph were very welcoming offering test rides, free drinks and brochures, my visit to the Harley stand was met with a total disregard.

I've been worrying whether their lack of interest was becuase I didn't appear wealthy enough or perhaps I just need to work on the beard and tatoos. Am I too sensitive to ride a Harley?

Yours, in torment

[soihok]

So do Triumph have a show room in Thailand ?

Thats great news..buy a good , legitimate bike.

Dont have rubber underpants to be "Hardley Driving-son" mounted.

[ajahnlau]

looking for a 2nd hand scoot (Fat Boy, Road King, Heritage Softail, etc).

Harley, huh?

That's nice.

But if you would like a real bike, the Triumph showroom is on RCA and Ducati is on Thonglor.

Some people just never get it.

[tahaan]

So do Triumph have a show room in Thailand ?

Britbike Co Ltd have got two showrooms - Bangkok and Chiangmai. Lots of info on gt-rider.com

[bino]

Q: What's the difference between a Harley and a Hoover?

A: The location of the dirt bag!!

[soihok]

Q: What's the difference between a Harley and a Hoover?

A: The location of the dirt bag!!

Thanks for the info tahaan

Thanks for the truth bino

[MJo]

Harley, Yamaha and Triumph all had trade stands at the recent Khon Kean bike week. Whereas Yamaha and Triumph were very welcoming offering test rides, free drinks and brochures, my visit to the Harley stand was met with a total disregard.

I've been worrying whether their lack of interest was becuase I didn't appear wealthy enough or perhaps I just need to work on the beard and tatoos. Am I too sensitive to ride a Harley?

Yours, in torment

They seem to lack on the marketing dept badly.... Are they with official dealer status nowdays?

I just spend last saturday night at Harley Singapore. Live band, good food, freeflow of beer (and wine for the brit bike co guys), some good looking females...

And oh yes, some nice bikes too

They unveiled the first Rocker and Cross Bones to reach Singapore. Both sold though so have to keep dreaming... If they ever could match the Sin prices in Thailand...

[tahaan]

Mjo,

I don't know if they're official or not but they didn't seem bothered about selling anything. My feeling was that they thought it was good enough to display the goods and then let the brand name take care of everything. It seems to work in Thailand though. I've got friends here who have shelled out the kind of money that would buy a newish 1000 plus cc Jap cruiser on low to mid range HD's, 14 or 15 years old. They can't be buying them for reliability or performance.

I've had little experience with HD and I'm not knocking them for the sake of it. I've got a cruiser and can see the appeal of their bikes. I'll be buying a new bike later this year. With a different approach from their crew at Khon Kaen, a Harley could have been on the shortlist. As it is they're not and I bet they don't give a flying <deleted>!

To quote Ajahnlau, "some people never get it" I'd like to know more about "it" before buying. I'm new to biking. Does anyone buy a Harley because it's a decent machine or is it all image? Do you buy becuase you want to be part of that and then put up with an expensive, indifferent bike? Is it possible to be neutral and be won over by the quality of manufacture, ride etc?

Just wondering

[Kerryd]

To quote Ajahnlau, "some people never get it" I'd like to know more about "it" before buying. I'm new to biking. Does anyone buy a Harley because it's a decent machine or is it all image? Do you buy becuase you want to be part of that and then put up with an expensive, indifferent bike? Is it possible to be neutral and be won over by the quality of manufacture, ride etc?

Just wondering

It's not just about the bike, it's also about your fellow riders, the "image" and culture and the feeling you get when you fire up your bike and head out on the road. Like when I went to Bkk on 5 December, and joined a couple thousand other (mostly) Harley enthusiasts from all over the country. A large group of us then proceeded up to Chiang Mai for the bike week there, spent a few days camping out and having fun before hitting the road for the next destination.

There were a few non-Harleys in our group (one Honda and a BMW). Don't often see large groups of "crotch-rocket" enthusiasts doing similar ventures. Usually they are in pairs or groups of 4-5ish. When you get a group of 20, 30, 40+ Harleys thundering down the road, people stop and stare.

Riding a Harley isn't about being able to slice through traffic Matrix-style at 200 km/hr, or going from 0-150 faster than a BG's knickers can hit the floor.

I guess it all depends on what you expect, or what gets your rocks off when riding. Maybe you just got to try before you buy and get what feels right for you. As Ajahnlau said "Some people never get it". Some do, but you'll never know from behind a keyboard. Get out and give it a try !

ps: I'm picking up my 2003 Heritage Softail today. Did some shopping around, and finally found a deal through a friend of a friend. Nice clean bike (no customizations), low milage, a little more than I wanted to spend, but it should hold it's value well. Be a little nicer if it wasn't raining.

[LivinLOS]

Noisy, sluggish, poor handling, anti social machines.. I have no need to purchase an identity.. Or need to join a social tribe..

I guess I am in the 'dont get it' crowd.

[davidgtr]

It's not just about the bike, it's also about your fellow riders, the "image" and culture and the feeling you get when you fire up your bike and head out on the road. Like when I went to Bkk on 5 December, and joined a couple thousand other (mostly) Harley enthusiasts from all over the country. A large group of us then proceeded up to Chiang Mai for the bike week there, spent a few days camping out and having fun before hitting the road for the next destination.

There were a few non-Harleys in our group (one Honda and a BMW). Don't often see large groups of "crotch-rocket" enthusiasts doing similar ventures. Usually they are in pairs or groups of 4-5ish. When you get a group of 20, 30, 40+ Harleys thundering down the road, people stop and stare.

Riding a Harley isn't about being able to slice through traffic Matrix-style at 200 km/hr, or going from 0-150 faster than a BG's knickers can hit the floor.

I guess it all depends on what you expect, or what gets your rocks off when riding. Maybe you just got to try before you buy and get what feels right for you. As Ajahnlau said "Some people never get it". Some do, but you'll never know from behind a keyboard. Get out and give it a try !

Different horses for different courses. Just so long as you ride, & it doesn't matter what - the best bike is the one that brings you the most enjoyment. But if you have to ride in large groups then I reckon you subscribe to the herd mentality & feel insecure riding alone or in smaller groups.

You probably don't get to many large "crotch-rocket" groups, because they ride faster & know it's dangerous riding in big groups.

But yeah people will naturally stop & stare if you're in a big group of bikes, no matter what the bike - it's not restricted to Harleys alone. They even do it in many places if you rock up alone on any big impressive bike.

Whatever, glad you're enjoying your new bike, even if a lot of it is about image. I hope you have many good safe long distance rides on it.

[JimsKnight]

Good post Dave, I've more respect for the lone riders who goes at the road alone/small groups, than one who does the big 'herd' thing. But riding as a large pack has its merits of too course like the support if one of the pack goes down etc.

I think it's got to do with being an introvert/extrovert personality as much as a Harley Davidson kind of guy. Cruiser versus road rocket etc etc.

Good luck with the cruiser Kery, try not to prang it

[tahaan]

It's not just about the bike, it's also about your fellow riders, the "image" and culture and the feeling you get when you fire up your bike and head out on the road. Like when I went to Bkk on 5 December, and joined a couple thousand other (mostly) Harley enthusiasts from all over the country. A large group of us then proceeded up to Chiang Mai for the bike week there, spent a few days camping out and having fun before hitting the road for the next destination.

There were a few non-Harleys in our group (one Honda and a BMW). Don't often see large groups of "crotch-rocket" enthusiasts doing similar ventures. Usually they are in pairs or groups of 4-5ish. When you get a group of 20, 30, 40+ Harleys thundering down the road, people stop and stare.

Riding a Harley isn't about being able to slice through traffic Matrix-style at 200 km/hr, or going from 0-150 faster than a BG's knickers can hit the floor.

I guess it all depends on what you expect, or what gets your rocks off when riding. Maybe you just got to try before you buy and get what feels right for you. As Ajahnlau said "Some people never get it". Some do, but you'll never know from behind a keyboard. Get out and give it a try !

ps: I'm picking up my 2003 Heritage Softail today. Did some shopping around, and finally found a deal through a friend of a friend. Nice clean bike (no customizations), low milage, a little more than I wanted to spend, but it should hold it's value well. Be a little nicer if it wasn't raining.

Congrats on your find Kerry - I hope you enjoy the new bike.

I've given it lots of tries, I've been riding a few years in Thailand and quite often do the big group thing with my, mostly Thai, biker mates and I've got a box full of those patches (ahms?) and a few bruises to prove it. It's good fun and they're great people but I'm not really into the dressing up that seems to go with it - had enough of that in a past life. I'd never spent much time on a bike before coming here and I'm trying to work out what's best for me. I've got a couple of biggish Jap bikes and have put far more miles on them during the last couple of years than I have on my truck.

I only posted becuase I'm amazed at the image Harley has here. I've seen people spend alot of money on old bikes and then spend an hour pushing it around a car park to get the thing started! But it's perceived by some to be much better than my 1100 Yamaha cruiser that gives no trouble. I was just wondering why HD was or is a cut above the rest. Is it through the quality of build, ride or handling? Or, just based on an image built up by a bunch of guys riding Harleys in the States when there wasn't a lot of competition from other manufacturers? I'm not knocking, if I decide I want to stay on a cruiser, buying one would make sense through the resale value. However, Yamaha or Triumph are looking a better buy at the moment. They, at least seem happy to provide info and answer questions.

A mate of mine's just bought a much older Heritage Softail. Maybe I'll get a go sometime - If we can get it going

[ajahnlau]

To quote Ajahnlau, "some people never get it" I'd like to know more about "it" before buying. I'm new to biking. Does anyone buy a Harley because it's a decent machine or is it all image? Do you buy becuase you want to be part of that and then put up with an expensive, indifferent bike? Is it possible to be neutral and be won over by the quality of manufacture, ride etc?

Just wondering

It's not just about the bike, it's also about your fellow riders, the "image" and culture and the feeling you get when you fire up your bike and head out on the road. Like when I went to Bkk on 5 December, and joined a couple thousand other (mostly) Harley enthusiasts from all over the country. A large group of us then proceeded up to Chiang Mai for the bike week there, spent a few days camping out and having fun before hitting the road for the next destination.

There were a few non-Harleys in our group (one Honda and a BMW). Don't often see large groups of "crotch-rocket" enthusiasts doing similar ventures. Usually they are in pairs or groups of 4-5ish. When you get a group of 20, 30, 40+ Harleys thundering down the road, people stop and stare.

Riding a Harley isn't about being able to slice through traffic Matrix-style at 200 km/hr, or going from 0-150 faster than a BG's knickers can hit the floor.

I guess it all depends on what you expect, or what gets your rocks off when riding. Maybe you just got to try before you buy and get what feels right for you. As Ajahnlau said "Some people never get it". Some do, but you'll never know from behind a keyboard. Get out and give it a try !

ps: I'm picking up my 2003 Heritage Softail today. Did some shopping around, and finally found a deal through a friend of a friend. Nice clean bike (no customizations), low milage, a little more than I wanted to spend, but it should hold it's value well. Be a little nicer if it wasn't raining.

Congrats on your purchase. 2003 Aniv. real nice lookin bike. Keep the rubber down.

[Richard-BKK]

A Harley you not buy for excellent road handling, nor you buy them for the high technical quality. Nope, riding a Harley is all about being looked at, if I ride my Ducati 1098S I get some people looking at me, not more then the usual. But if I and my girl clime on the Sportster 1200 it is shocking how much people are looking at us. Even if my girl rides her own Kawasaki Vulcan it is still all eyes at my bike. Even police, no eyes for the Kawasaki, other then a quick look, it is all about my bike.

It seems that even the boys in brown are more easier if your ride a Harley, without helmet to BigC, stupid I know. But even that, no ticket... just a warning. I'm sure if I was riding one of our other bikes I got a ticket.

[BigSnake]

Or so it would seem based on the prices I'm seeing.

I've been sort of shopping on the 'net on various Thai and English sites, looking for a 2nd hand scoot (Fat Boy, Road King, Heritage Softail, etc). Most of those priced under 700,000 baht seem to get sold PDQ. What I've been offered (i.e. a 2004 Road King with green book for 880,000 baht) seems rather expensive (almost $28,000 US).

Seems pretty high to me for a 4 year old, stock bike (i.e. no extensive mods or accessories).

Is it all because of the name, like buying Adidas or Reebok where the high cost is primarily because of the brand name ?

The guys I've been hanging out with, especially my Thai friends, are definitely not hi-so rich folks. I actually find it hard to believe so many of them do own Harleys.

I've been looking at 2nd hand rides, as buying brand new and parking it for 9 months a year doesn't make much sense to me. I did that with my last pick-up in Canada. Bought it new, drove it for a little over a year, and it's been parked in my dad's yard for the last 4 1/2 years now (I just told him to send me the paperwork so I can sing it over to him and he can sell it or what ever).

It's not as much of a concern with an older bike though (and less likely that the g/f will try and ride it when I'm not around !)

Meanwhile, I've got about 8 days to try and find a deal before (or just after) I get back, as a couple days later, a whole mess of us are heading to Phuket for the Phuket Bike Week 2008 (and Songkran) celebrations !

(of course it would be cheaper to just ride the bus) !

28,000 Dollars to expensive for this old cowboy, beside I love my old BMW. Ride a little old Honda Wave for quit trip to the market, for parking with ease.

[tahaan]

A Harley you not buy for excellent road handling, nor you buy them for the high technical quality. Nope, riding a Harley is all about being looked at, if I ride my Ducati 1098S I get some people looking at me, not more then the usual. But if I and my girl clime on the Sportster 1200 it is shocking how much people are looking at us. Even if my girl rides her own Kawasaki Vulcan it is still all eyes at my bike. Even police, no eyes for the Kawasaki, other then a quick look, it is all about my bike.

It seems that even the boys in brown are more easier if your ride a Harley, without helmet to BigC, stupid I know. But even that, no ticket... just a warning. I'm sure if I was riding one of our other bikes I got a ticket.

I'm sorry, but I find that difficult to believe. There's not that many big bikes on the road here and most locals wouldn't know a Harley from a Honda (difficult when many Steeds/Shadows are covered in eagles and other Harley bling) and the Sportster's hardly a head turner. I was at a party a couple of months ago and there were a few bikes parked outside. The bike that drew the most oohs and ahhhs from the non-cognoscenti was a tricked out Phantom with an impressive airbrush paint job.

How do you know your getting all that attention when your riding? Try looking around for admiring glances while on the roads here and I'd bet you'd get a few as they pull you feet first from the back of an over loaded sugar truck!

[basjke]

A Harley you not buy for excellent road handling, nor you buy them for the high technical quality. Nope, riding a Harley is all about being looked at, if I ride my Ducati 1098S I get some people looking at me, not more then the usual. But if I and my girl clime on the Sportster 1200 it is shocking how much people are looking at us. Even if my girl rides her own Kawasaki Vulcan it is still all eyes at my bike. Even police, no eyes for the Kawasaki, other then a quick look, it is all about my bike.

It seems that even the boys in brown are more easier if your ride a Harley, without helmet to BigC, stupid I know. But even that, no ticket... just a warning. I'm sure if I was riding one of our other bikes I got a ticket.

I'm sorry, but I find that difficult to believe. There's not that many big bikes on the road here and most locals wouldn't know a Harley from a Honda (difficult when many Steeds/Shadows are covered in eagles and other Harley bling) and the Sportster's hardly a head turner. I was at a party a couple of months ago and there were a few bikes parked outside. The bike that drew the most oohs and ahhhs from the non-cognoscenti was a tricked out Phantom with an impressive airbrush paint job.

How do you know your getting all that attention when your riding? Try looking around for admiring glances while on the roads here and I'd bet you'd get a few as they pull you feet first from the back of an over loaded sugar truck!