Have Vmax And A Broken Heart

[BigBikeBKK]

First the Kawasaki motorcycles build in Thailand still need to be imported into Thailand. Some people suggested that Kawasaki is running a small line inside Thai borders and therefore not need to pay the import duty. But to make things clear the source of the motorcycle has nothing to do with the registration of the bike.

Anyone else find the above statements contradictory and nonsensical? Or is it just me?

Hi

This is Thailand and it DOES make sense. A product could be "produced in Thailand but exclusively for export", meaning said product, although "Made in Thailand", is not available here at all. To get it, yes, you have to import it, as stupid as it sounds.

My example is the complete range of "Midland Alan" CB radios. All of them, every single one, is "Made in Thailand". But IN Thailand you can't get them regardless how much you are willing to pay. So - you need to import them. And, to top it off, USING them inside Thailand is - ILLEGAL.

Best regards.....

Thanh

I was/am confused because Richard is mixing two issues- One is import duty and the other is registration.

[Thanh-BKK]

Hi

Yes i was indeed talking about the Zundapp KS 50. I could never afford a fully restored one (prices are going right thru the roof for those, i wish i still had the two that i used to have!) but one that's a barely running wreck "barn find" type i could still get my greasy hands on. Import as the wreck it is (scrap metal value ~20 USD) and then restore it to a 6,000 USD beauty.... i would take that challenge, but only if i know i can get it

a) into the country legally

of course registered and road legal

Kind regards.....

Thanh

[Kerryd]

Hi

Yes i was indeed talking about the Zundapp KS 50. I could never afford a fully restored one (prices are going right thru the roof for those, i wish i still had the two that i used to have!) but one that's a barely running wreck "barn find" type i could still get my greasy hands on. Import as the wreck it is (scrap metal value ~20 USD) and then restore it to a 6,000 USD beauty.... i would take that challenge, but only if i know i can get it

a) into the country legally

of course registered and road legal

Kind regards.....

Thanh

Have you thought about stripping it down, and sending it in pieces as old parts ? My understanding is that the taxes are considerably less, especially if they are old, used parts.

Once assembled, work on registering the old, crappy, broken down scrap heap for what it is. Then, once it's registered, work on restoring it.

I've been told I can get old war era Harleys from Burma dirt cheap. I've been thinking that would be a great hobby. Get a half dozen old pieces of junk and work at trying to get a couple restored.

If I do decide to try that, I'll probably just bring them through normally, as 50 y.o. scrap that is destined for the spare parts bin, and go from there.

[Richard-BKK]

Sad to say that for restoring old "foreign" motorcycles we are in the wrong country... Still it can be a great hobby...

[Thanh-BKK]

Hi

But if i bring it in as parts i won't have the required papers to get it registered and road-legal - and if i pay the required duty right upon import or later on (and then probably even more!) makes no difference...... as getting the bike here is the same effort in first place (that is not a large bike, about the size of a Kawasaki GTO but with a 50cc engine).

Best regards.....

Thanh

PS it's NOT a moped! It's 50cc but unrestricted, those go faster than 100 km/h

[BigBikeBKK]

Sad to say that for restoring old "foreign" motorcycles we are in the wrong country... Still it can be a great hobby...

Why would you say that? Have you been to any bike weeks in Thailand? Amazing all the vintage bikes that turn up.

A few examples I've snapped in recent months:

Amazing how many WWII era Harley Davidsons there are in Thailand- Beautiful!

Kerryd- I would love to join you if you go to Burma to dig up some vintage HD's! Too cool!

Plenty of other vintage bikes too:

Are these vintage? I don't even know!

Are Yamaha SR's "vintage"? I don't know, but they sure are cool!

Let's not forget vintage Brit bikes-

I think Thailand would be a great place to restore and ride vintage bikes. I'd like to get into Yamaha SRs and my mate wants to bring over his collection of Zundapp's.

Bringing in bikes as parts isn't too tough or expensive. You can have replacement parts made for cheap in Thailand and there are many skilled Thai mechanics that can work magic on old bikes. Some of the custom paint jobs I've seen here in Thailand are stunning and cost a fraction of what we'd have to pay back home. I've never heard of the authorities hassling guys riding vintage bikes, and with the right mind set it's usually not hard to get along with the BiB.

Happy Trails!

Tony

[Kerryd]

Sad to say that for restoring old "foreign" motorcycles we are in the wrong country... Still it can be a great hobby...

Why would you say that? Have you been to any bike weeks in Thailand? Amazing all the vintage bikes that turn up.

Bringing in bikes as parts isn't too tough or expensive. You can have replacement parts made for cheap in Thailand and there are many skilled Thai mechanics that can work magic on old bikes. Some of the custom paint jobs I've seen here in Thailand are stunning and cost a fraction of what we'd have to pay back home. I've never heard of the authorities hassling guys riding vintage bikes, and with the right mind set it's usually not hard to get along with the BiB.

Happy Trails!

Tony

Hi Tony. Nice pics ! Bet we'll see a lot of those in 2 weeks at Burapa !

I think the point Richard was trying to make is that it is probably more difficult to get authentic replacement parts here. No doubt we could get locally made replacements, but some people like to try and restore to 100% original (used to see that a lot with people restoring old cars. Couldn't put anything on it unless it was a genuine, OEM part).

That would be why I think you'd have to go there with the intent of buying up a half-dozen or so beat up bikes, to get enough parts to restore 1 (or two) to original condition (or as close as can be).

I see a lot of restored bikes at various bike weeks as well. At a glance, some look to be 100%, but I've never tried getting into too much detail about it with the owners.

Reminds me of the old Honda 160 Dad had in the woodshed. He bought it and an old Honda 90 step-through back in the late 60's. 4th or 5th hand when he got them. No papers or anything, but we were so far back in the woods, even Kentucky moon-shiners were scared to venture near ! Got my first scar from that old 90 (broken brake lever into my thigh when I dumped it on my very first ride. Dern Neutral switch lied to me when it said it was in neutral but was still in 1st.)

The old 160 was a street bike though from what I saw of it. Speedo up to 120 mph. I often thought that if I could restore that, it might be worth a pretty penny as an antique (or maybe not. Maybe just an expensive way to waste some money !)

[LivinLOS]

I've been told I can get old war era Harleys from Burma dirt cheap. I've been thinking that would be a great hobby. Get a half dozen old pieces of junk and work at trying to get a couple restored.

I would have thought those could be gold in the right hands ?!?

Case of drop Leno an email !!

[Kerryd]

I've been told I can get old war era Harleys from Burma dirt cheap. I've been thinking that would be a great hobby. Get a half dozen old pieces of junk and work at trying to get a couple restored.

I would have thought those could be gold in the right hands ?!?

Case of drop Leno an email !!

Restored old Harleys probably would be worth a mint in the right market, assuming they were (primarily) 100% original. The same could be said for almost any antique vehicle (like a Model 32 or a 57 Chevy, etc).

But getting the parts in Thailand would probably be a lot harder than in some other countries, and you could end up paying a lot more for them (due to the import duties and taxes) than you'd pay if you were trying to do the same job in a different country.

For me, it would be more a case of the hobby that I'd do, to keep from having too much idle time on my hands once I've retired. I wouldn't be expecting to turn it into a money making venture, and if I did make a few bucks, I'd probably sink it back into buying more old relics just for fun.

Of course if Jay wanted to spend some big bucks and buy one, I might entertain a "reasonable" offer.

[dotcom]

Nice pics ! Bet we'll see a lot of those in 2 weeks at Burapa !

KerryD. Walk around the bikes to see how many of them are registered. I will guess under 10%. In his pictures I didn't see one recent plate. Cheers.

I agree 100% you have to buy a few used bikes to build one.

[BigBikeBKK]

KerryD. Walk around the bikes to see how many of them are registered. I will guess under 10%. In his pictures I didn't see one recent plate. Cheers.

Your right ,

Most of the vintage bikes in Thailand are ridden without plates and without problems.

Friend Highway is a Chonburi club that I ride with often- they all ride vintage single cylinder "thumpers", hardly a plate to be seen on any of their bikes and I've never seen any of them hassled by the BiB.

Happy Trails!

[Kerryd]

KerryD. Walk around the bikes to see how many of them are registered. I will guess under 10%. In his pictures I didn't see one recent plate. Cheers.

Your right ,

Most of the vintage bikes in Thailand are ridden without plates and without problems.

Friend Highway is a Chonburi club that I ride with often- they all ride vintage single cylinder "thumpers", hardly a plate to be seen on any of their bikes and I've never seen any of them hassled by the BiB.

Happy Trails!

I'd be worried about riding an unregistered bike (new or antique), mainly because I don't think you'd be able to get insurance for it. Hate to waste a lot of time and money into restoring a classic, then smack into a stray or something and total it off (the bike and the stray). Not to mention 3rd party claims and such.

In the US and Canada, you can get special plates for Vintage Vehicles. Anyone know if they do the same (or similar) in Thailand ?

[Richard-BKK]

I agree with KerryD, I can remember not so long ago I was reading a posting of farang road user who killed a Thai motorcycle rider who was riding without helmet and was heading against traffic in the most out lane.

It was of course a tragic accident, all lose of live is a tragic event, but still it was clear that the farang was not the cause of the accident. Still was this, I believe Australian guy fighting to stay outside jail and the family of the dead Thai motorcycle rider was taking him to court to get 14 million Baht.

This guy has/had first class insurance, and even then insurances hate to pay up.. But what if you have no insurance or the insurance agent has a cheap way out … Saying the vehicle was not registered, so no pay “read the fine print”

[soihok]

Hello guys,,,

Very interesting reading your posts.

I,m giving it some serious thought,,and it sounds a great deal of messing about. I will have enough on sorting the kids out.

To use the bike there it would have to be registered.....no question.

Looks like it,ll have to go sadly......just the fee of registration alone is high.

No worries.

Thanks for sharing your advice and knowledge.

Cheers

Chris

[dotcom]

Your right O Great One.

Most of the vintage bikes in Thailand are ridden without plates and without problems.

Friend Highway is a Chonburi club that I ride with often- they all ride vintage single cylinder "thumpers", hardly a plate to be seen on any of their bikes and I've never seen any of them hassled by the BiB.

Happy Trails!

See this is the problem. No respect for the law. These wanke_rs have decided that if they don't agree with a law they will just ignore it.

Nobody on this board rants & raves more about buying second hand bikes than you do.

But you can't have it both ways. Or maybe you advocate that locals don't need to register their bikes? Sure hope one of them doesn't run into me. Cuz I'll be fukked.

[LivinLOS]

Yeah but thats asia all over isnt it..

They dont work in absolutes, legal and illegal.. Its shades of grey, whats tolerated is not whats legal, what one person can do isnt what another can do..

Its deeply built into asian minds, people are not equals.. Its the tentacles of corruption deep into the fabric of society..

Its things like this which make me always maintain that their pride in never being colonized is totally unfounded, look at how mush smoother Sing and Malaysia are, how much more rule based the system works.

[BigBikeBKK]

Your right .

Most of the vintage bikes in Thailand are ridden without plates and without problems.

Friend Highway is a Chonburi club that I ride with often- they all ride vintage single cylinder "thumpers", hardly a plate to be seen on any of their bikes and I've never seen any of them hassled by the BiB.

Happy Trails!

See this is the problem. No respect for the law. These wanke_rs have decided that if they don't agree with a law they will just ignore it.

Nobody on this board rants & raves more about buying second hand bikes than you do.

But you can't have it both ways. Or maybe you advocate that locals don't need to register their bikes? Sure hope one of them doesn't run into me. Cuz I'll be fukked.

LOL- you, of all people, trying to give a lecture on respecting the law?! That's a good one, Mister I don't stop for stop lights and I like to pass into oncoming traffic and I like to ride on the expressways, etc etc.

And for the record, I don't have any problem whatsoever buying a second hand bike, but I do caution folks against buying used bikes with dodgy books or no registration. It's really up to the individual to weigh the pros and cons and make an informed decision. Caveat emptor- look it up!

[BigBikeBKK]

look at how much smoother Sing and Malaysia are, how much more rule based the system works.

Yeah- but who wants to ride a bike in Singapore or Malaysia... Boring! (Which is why they all come to ride in Thailand!)

[LivinLOS]

Actually one of my 'wishlist rides' is down the western coast to an island I have noticed, then up to camaroon highlands, and back.. Nice 5 day trip I reckon..

Edited February 4, 2009 by LivinLOS

[JimsKnight]

Dot that tail light don't look half bad! Certainly better than the standard ones that stick out like a damned tongue!

And on Phuket they wont allow transfers with that now !! Phuket has become the most unfriendly big bike province in the country IMO.

I have had to get a local hiso merc driving lawyer to push through my sale for tiny insignificant things !! Once they made the call someone from the DMV drove to my house, did the pencil / number rubbings and drove away again !! True Thailand !!

You're lucky, up in Bang Saphan the seller has to do that rubbing bs!

But I have heard Phuket is now Big Bike unfriendly, but that's typically the unregistered ones is it not?

Ditto that about Mayasia & Singers. I call those places the sterile lands cause theres no real adventure for bikers compared with Thailand

Edited February 4, 2009 by JimsKnight

[CroBiker]

Actually one of my 'wishlist rides' is down the western coast to an island I have noticed, then up to camaroon highlands, and back.. Nice 5 day trip I reckon..

True LOS, Cameroon highlands are beautifull. Lots of Malaysian and Singapore bikers there. Also, Genting highlands with it's resorts and casions, Frazer Hill, Taman Negara....all amazing places to see. My ultimate wish is to tour Borneo fom Kuching, Sarawak all the way to Kota Kinabalu via Brunei.

[soihok]

The V Max is going,,,,going,,,,gone(soon )

A bargain for a member of Singapore Bikes Forum.

Buying a 3 litre Vigo doesn,t have the same appeal of a love affair but I did it anyway.

STOP LAUGHING

I,ve seen a 1100 Katana riding around Korat .

I,ll be there very soon..........without VMAX

Any member who has a heart for anything motorbikes....

When you are in Singapore you must

Visit Chris and Jan at the Handle Bar,,Malan Road,,Alexandra Road ,,,Singapore.....,,They are the SALT OF THE EARTH.

Almost signing out of here.

Cheers