Anybody Try Building A Chopper In Thailand?

[vision]

Just ordered up a frame and would like to talk to anyone who has built /is building his/her own bike in LOS. Anyone?

[LivinLOS]

Just a comment on the pitfalls.. You say you have ordered up a frame.. You do realise you cant just get a frame (without a tabien) and add and engine and go register it are you ?? Any 'new registration' needs to pass the Thai soc of auto engineers in the same way a kit car would (read cant be done for mere mortals and non connected).

If you get a Thai frame, thats out of an old bike, and has a tabien already (thats current, taxes paid within the last 3 years).. You can add an engine etc.. How much luck you have with registrations depends on your province, Phuket has been near impossible to change names in the last year on 'modified' bikes which means any kind of non standard customs machine. Yet Thais ride around on dangerous looking home builds all the time..

Theres also rumblings that nothing thats not euro III spec will pass a new registration due to emissions but I have heard otherwise from the people who do this.

Just be warned, its costly and complex.. Please report all that you find out and how you do as this kind of data is real helpful. Its such a grey area and rules are interpreted different in each locality and based on who you know.

[vision]

Yea we have brought bikes in before and ended up selling them to Thais who are somehow able to get them books. I am FedEx'ing in the frame so that will go direct to me and then I will chop it and do the sheetmetal and paint out here. At that point I will have to decide if I want to send the whole kit stateside and register it there or try to get something for it out here. There are a lot of guys out this way Sisaket that don't even have books and as long as you stay in the local rural area and are on good terms with the police it has never been an issue but of course having a full title would be so much better and if it looks doable at the time I am ready to instal the engine then i may give t a shot. Right now i just want to chop and weld.

I wouldn't say we are well connected but I will say that we are on good terms with several Thia's who have gotten all the paperwork for bikes that I was told "mai dai"

Edited February 25, 2010 by vision

[LivinLOS]

Of course where you are it may be tolerated.. I tend to think of where I am and here you dont have a hope without a plate, would just lose it and there be a copper riding it next week with a plate he lifted off a crashed scooter.

[rono]

I know a Danish builder in Bangsaray Sattahip, he also make fiberglass fenders and side bags.

He often goes to Sisaket to work on the house

[HDRIDER]

Hi

Might be OK where you live, but why have a nice bike if you cant drive it everywhere? one thing for sure dont ride it to Phuket

[LivinLOS]

Even with a plate.. Bit of local flavour..

Someone I know had a steed, still in a 2nd mates wifes name (all friends).. Sells to a 3rd person whose a bit of a waster.. He is told when he picks the bike up its almost out of gas and to fill it.. He rides off and runs out of petrol (though he has reserve instead of being on reserve) his reaction to bike, heat, stress was to head to a bar and get drunk leaving it where it ran out..

Police take the bike to impound.. the guy who had 'owned' the bike for a couple years goes to get it.. With the book.. They wont give it to him, its already had its plates removed and moved to the back of the lot and hidden behind other stuff.. He realizes they are gonna nick it, and gets the wife whose on the book to come to claim it.. Now the cops start threatening him, telling him he gonna have 'big problem' and some other made up stuff.. One cop already has keys made for the bike and demands a couple 1000 baht to get it back (they paid him something but not all) while giving them an awful time, same guy had removed the plates and wouldnt give them back at first and kept not turning up at booked appointments, he obviously thought it was his already !! They did in the end get it, after about a week of non stop being stalled, messed around, made to jump hoops, and the usual.. Thats for their own fully legal bike !!

I know of at least 4 or 5 cases where bikes have gone to the police impound never to be seen again.. Its a perk of the job on Phuket.

[vision]

Well none of that is real encouraging. Still I think I am gonna stick with the first part of the plan and build all the sheet metal and new swing arm and front end etc then paint everything. The rubber mount platform is very long and easily allows for side to side adjustment so I may only put in a steed motor just to test the ride then pack it all back off to the states. I love ridding bikes but I do want to be able to ride outside of my locality and even being on good terms with the tops of the police out here may not be of much good if I want to ride to Mukdahan or something.

For us chopper guys the building really is half the fun and this project will likely go on a while so hopefully the right opportunity will pop up between now and then but if not.....it goes to ebay and with labor and paint prices out here I should at least be able to get most of my money back if not a profit. i will try to keep you all posted as progress because I have found there is very little information on this on the net.

[vision]

Hi

Might be OK where you live, but why have a nice bike if you cant drive it everywhere? one thing for sure dont ride it to Phuket

I assume you have a bike in Phuket that is properly booked. If I do have the proper paper would you say that I would be fine in Phuket or is it that bad that even with papers I am taking my chances?

[LivinLOS]

Hi

Might be OK where you live, but why have a nice bike if you cant drive it everywhere? one thing for sure dont ride it to Phuket

I assume you have a bike in Phuket that is properly booked. If I do have the proper paper would you say that I would be fine in Phuket or is it that bad that even with papers I am taking my chances?

If you have green book and plate, with a taxed and insured bike.. All is fine..

But the police are HARD on big bikes here, and bending the rules is not really tolerated, as they can profit by having the bike.

For us chopper guys the building really is half the fun

Its not only you 'chopper' guys either.. I like streetfighters.. www.customfighters.com has some amazing work and originality..

[HDRIDER]

Hi

LOS just told you about Phuket, they are tough on big bikes. One time they stopped me to see the tax sticker, i always have it in my pocket, but not this day, had to leave my bike in Kathu police station and go home after the sticker, on a Harley you don’t have the key in the ignition so he wanted to see if i had the right key as well

Edit, well no key on a Softail

Edited February 26, 2010 by HDRIDER

[wildoates]

Bigbikes in Bangkok claim they can get books for bikes imported in pieces. might give them a try. good luck

[vision]

For us chopper guys the building really is half the fun

Its not only you 'chopper' guys either.. I like streetfighters.. www.customfighters.com has some amazing work and originality..

I have seen some great streefighters that had super cool styling and I understand the appeal of a bike that is at once agile, fast and unique. But my riding style has mellowed a bit and I am not sure I need that much speed anymore.

[crazyswede]

So where did the rebel spirit go??

[vision]

So where did the rebel spirit go??

I don't know man. If you find it please send it back to me via EMS.

[HDRIDER]

Hi vision

Try to give Thor or Ed a call, they will know what to do for sure

http://www.thorchops-kustoms.com/

http://www.hotrodpattaya.com/

[LivinLOS]

Bigbikes in Bangkok claim they can get books for bikes imported in pieces. might give them a try. good luck

I was told Mark / Marc has returned to Canada for medical issues..

I will give him a call and an email to check out.. Hes a solid helpful farang contact with some good Bangkok connections in my opinion..

[vision]

Thanks guys, any help would really be appreciated but the bike in question is at least a month out from needing an engine. The engine decision is the one hinging on registration but I am perfectly prepared to set this up for a HD 1200 and then make converter plates and throw in a Steed 400 to use a Steed registration while in thailand then send the frame back to the states to get the real engine put in since it will have documentation there.

[Whitefang]

I shipped in my own frame and engine and paid the import tax, Before you start the build you need to apply for a build license and show your import papers on the parts. Then when fully built you can send the bike to Bangkok for a book. And as long as it can pass the Thai road worthy you should be good. They do have restrictions on length,Noise, so on

Give Richo Harley Chang mai a call he may be able to help you or give you more details

Edited March 1, 2010 by Whitefang

[vision]

Do you have the address or website of the place you applied for the build licence? That would be a good thing to get ASAP.

We already have bike that Richco are finishing up for one of our Thia customers but i am not the point of contact for that part so i may have to give him a ring too.

[Whitefang]

No contact number as it was all done by Richo HD, he did explain it all to me but that was to many beers ago. He did say they were getting strict on the fork length and height of the bikes and knocking them back if they had loud pipes.

[vision]

You mean like this.

hel_l yea like that!

[vision]

You mean like this.

hel_l yea like that!

Cool ride eh.

That is here in Thailand?