Looking to buy new ZX6R / GSXR750 but no inventory anywhere

[Tmymaimee]

I am looking to buy a real sportbike (not the low powered Ninjas) and the 1000CC bikes are too big for me. I tried a Ducati 848 for a year but its out of the picture now unfortunately. I wouldn't buy another one as it just gets too hot in slow traffic and the clutch is very hard on the arm. Great bike for the highway and racing but shit to drive in Bangkok or Pattaya.

I've spent a fair bit of time going to dealers and they can't seem to import anything other than what their current inventory is. The aftermarket importers seemed to say its not that easy to import one outside of a dealership.

Is there anywhere in Thailand that can reliably import my bike of choice, a 2013 GSXR750? I can even arrange the shipping out of the US but I just don't want it held up at Thai Customs or unavailable for licensing.

Thanks...

[Spoonman]

Give Gareth at Pattaya Superbikes a call, he might be able to assist.

[RubberSideDown]

Red Baron in BKK is also worth a shot, though they told me they were having some trouble getting certain models when I spoke to them a few months ago- that may have changed.

I love the Gixxer 750- I don't know how easy it is to source parts in LOS, though- Kawi and Honda are much better represented than the others in the Big Four.

I'm sure you already know that if you get a legitimate bike (proper green book registration) it's gonna cost roughly double US MSRP no matter how you end up acquiring it- figure ~$22,000-25,000 for the bike you want.

Edited June 16, 2013 by RubberSideDown

[commande]

Red Baron in BKK is also worth a shot, though they told me they were having some trouble getting certain models when I spoke to them a few months ago- that may have changed.

I love the Gixxer 750- I don't know how easy it is to source parts in LOS, though- Kawi and Honda are much better represented than the others in the Big Four.

I'm sure you already know that if you get a legitimate bike (proper green book registration) it's gonna cost roughly double US MSRP no matter how you end up acquiring it- figure ~$22,000-25,000 for the bike you want.

I'm going to jump to a conclusion here that he didn't consider the price being double MSRP out of the USA ..... If I am correct Thailand changed the tax law on big bikes to 125% and that doesn't include import tax and VAT, that is just sales tax, I could be wrong, no matter what though the tax it's stupid high. He is also going to find it a pain to get service and parts since the bike is not sold here, it would be an import so not many people even dealerships could work on it and no parts are local, they have to be ordered in from overseas, more import tax and VAT added to base cost; well you might could get the oil filter but that's about it since they are sometimes universal between many different bikes...

OP - definitely consider the maintenance piece if you decide to throw down big money on a super sport bike, also consider where you are going to park it at night. You live in a condo without a security guard that you can pay a few thousand baht month to specifically watch your bike your asking to be very disappointed when you walk out one morning and it's been stolen. Doesn't matter where you live in Thailand, super sport bikes, especially new ones are the hottest thing in Thailand to steal because they are small and easy to take. Also there is no insurance that will cover the full cost of the bike in Thailand if you crash or it's stolen; seriously something to consider on a purchase that will cost you this much money in cash.

Most people I know that have these super sport bikes live in a house and they chain the bike up at night so that to steal the bike you would have to almost steal the house to. Definitely not trying to discourage you from making a purchase here, just throwing out some considerations before you jump in with both feet so that your not surprised in the future. Rich or poor 20k+ USD is a lot of money to throw down in cash for a vehicle, especially one that doesn't originate in Thailand for some of the reasons I stated previously and keeping in mind that you will most likely never get all the money back when and if you decide to sell in the future.

Edited June 17, 2013 by commande

[RubberSideDown]

Yup- some cold, harsh reality in commande's post- those facts didn't discourage me, but I did give them a lot of thought.

[Tmymaimee]

I owned a 2012 Ducati 848 in Bangkok so obviously I am familiar with taxes. $14,000 in Canada, 930,000 baht in Thailand. Its not as easy to steal a high end sportbike. Chips in the key and even if that is bypassed or you use a trailer, you're going to stick out in traffic. I suppose they could take it to another country but the insurance I had was only a 50,000 baht deductibleoff the new price for the first 2 years which is less than the depreciation anyways.

You don't buy a nice sportbike to save money. I tried the guy in Pattaya but he said it wouldn't be easy to do as he only sells used bikes. Support is not a big deal as I can grab any parts from friends in the airline business tax free and service isn't going to be much different froma Hayabusa or other big bike.

I think you worry a too much about theft as I never once even had anyone so much as sit on my Ducati. Not once did I even use a disc lock. Just park it around a busy area where people will notice a flatbed pulling up or the steering lock being broken. Even iof its stolen, I get a brand new bike.

Even the police were hesitant to stop me at checks when they couldn't see my skin and were damn surprised when my helmet came off. Not every falang is an English teacher.

[commande]

I owned a 2012 Ducati 848 in Bangkok so obviously I am familiar with taxes. $14,000 in Canada, 930,000 baht in Thailand. Its not as easy to steal a high end sportbike. Chips in the key and even if that is bypassed or you use a trailer, you're going to stick out in traffic. I suppose they could take it to another country but the insurance I had was only a 50,000 baht deductibleoff the new price for the first 2 years which is less than the depreciation anyways.

You don't buy a nice sportbike to save money. I tried the guy in Pattaya but he said it wouldn't be easy to do as he only sells used bikes. Support is not a big deal as I can grab any parts from friends in the airline business tax free and service isn't going to be much different froma Hayabusa or other big bike.

I think you worry a too much about theft as I never once even had anyone so much as sit on my Ducati. Not once did I even use a disc lock. Just park it around a busy area where people will notice a flatbed pulling up or the steering lock being broken. Even iof its stolen, I get a brand new bike.

Even the police were hesitant to stop me at checks when they couldn't see my skin and were dam_n surprised when my helmet came off. Not every falang is an English teacher.

Excellent, I'm not an English teacher either although I know many, nor do I work in the Oil and Gas specialty as many people in Thailand do. I'm sure you will find an excellent bike to import and will have no issues given your experience. Red Baron in Bangkok is probably your best bet, they have been in the business forever and my understanding can get you just about anything you desire turn key.

Edited June 17, 2013 by commande

[Tmymaimee]

Thank you..I'll give them a call. It amazes me how Suzuki would import half their line and yet leave out the GSXR750, one of the best sport bikes in the world. That damn Ducati got so hot in traffic it would actually burn the hair off your right inside leg. Last time I asked the Thai dealer about the 750 size, he said Suzuki sets the models and he hads no control over it. Unbelievable.

[moe666]

If you want to import a bike from the states the first step is to get permission from the commerce department. Recently I met a Englishman who imported his perfect condition 1950 something MG/TD it took him 2 years to get the permission for import as this is the first step to do it legally, he paid no tea money as the 2 year time frame

[RubberSideDown]

Thank you..I'll give them a call. It amazes me how Suzuki would import half their line and yet leave out the GSXR750, one of the best sport bikes in the world. That dam_n Ducati got so hot in traffic it would actually burn the hair off your right inside leg. Last time I asked the Thai dealer about the 750 size, he said Suzuki sets the models and he hads no control over it. Unbelievable.

The decision to start importing a new model can't be taken lightly- it has to come with a lot of support (parts, technical training for mechanics, etc)- I just bought a ZX-14R, and this is the first year Kawi Thailand is selling them- they aren't exactly flying out of dealerships, and who knows if it will be in the line-up next year?

I don't think the Gixxer 750 (excellent bike though it is) would sell as well as the Gixxer 1000- it's too close in price, and most would go for the bigger bike for another 100k or so (the 600 would be a different story, but that class is thriving- the 750 class is all but gone, sadly)- I'm not surprised at all that Suzuki Thailand isn't selling them.

[H1w4yR1da]

Give Gareth at Pattaya Superbikes a call, he might be able to assist.

I've seen some nice gixxers (600 & 1000) on their website. Are they reputable?

[B1ade]

I owned a 2012 Ducati 848 in Bangkok so obviously I am familiar with taxes. $14,000 in Canada, 930,000 baht in Thailand. Its not as easy to steal a high end sportbike. Chips in the key and even if that is bypassed or you use a trailer, you're going to stick out in traffic. I suppose they could take it to another country but the insurance I had was only a 50,000 baht deductibleoff the new price for the first 2 years which is less than the depreciation anyways.

You don't buy a nice sportbike to save money. I tried the guy in Pattaya but he said it wouldn't be easy to do as he only sells used bikes. Support is not a big deal as I can grab any parts from friends in the airline business tax free and service isn't going to be much different froma Hayabusa or other big bike.

I think you worry a too much about theft as I never once even had anyone so much as sit on my Ducati. Not once did I even use a disc lock. Just park it around a busy area where people will notice a flatbed pulling up or the steering lock being broken. Even iof its stolen, I get a brand new bike.

Even the police were hesitant to stop me at checks when they couldn't see my skin and were dam_n surprised when my helmet came off. Not every falang is an English teacher.

I have an 848, it was targeted by thieves, they broke in to my condo and stole one of the keys out of a drawer, it was the spare key, they even took it off the keyring so all looked normal as it was on a bunch of keys, i only spotted it as i had cash in there and that was gone too which made me investigate further, I believe I disturbed them when i came out of the shower (yes while i was in the shower!!) i noticed the drawer a jar, all happened within minutes, straight away I hid the bike and the next day got the key cancelled and re-issued.

I've had it nearly 3 years, so yes theft is rare on big bikes but it does happen.

[Tmymaimee]

You sure it wasn't someone you know? It takes a lot of balls to bypass security, pick a locked door after they knew you lived in that specific condo, then go right to the drawer with your spare key, and time it just right so you were in the shower when then entered (not too early, not too late).. They would have only had minutes while you were in the shower.

I always thought those disc locks would work pretty good for theft unless they had a flatbed.

[Hili]

Theres a nearly new white R6 2010 on mocyc.com officially plated.

[yankee99]

Not sure how the suzuki bankruptcy is coming but it would be at the bottom of my list until their status is better known.

[mania]

Not sure how the suzuki bankruptcy is coming but it would be at the bottom of my list until their status is better known.

Actually I think it was a restructuring & mainly the American subsidiary of Suzuki Motor Corporation that shut down/went bankrupt.

I think they have now separated the motorcycle division out of the faltering US car sector onto its own

Saw this last month

http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/news/american-suzuki-motor-company-files-bankruptcy/

Edited June 18, 2013 by mania

[yankee99]

Not sure how the suzuki bankruptcy is coming but it would be at the bottom of my list until their status is better known.

Actually I think it was a restructuring & mainly the American subsidiary of Suzuki Motor Corporation that shut down/went bankrupt.

I think they have now separated the motorcycle division out of the faltering US car sector onto its own

Saw this last month

http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/news/american-suzuki-motor-company-files-bankruptcy/

Thats a nice pr article but still doesnt give me confidence. I was told that suzuki has closed bike dealerships in various places in america. I am sure this is part of their restructuring. Suzuki may very well survive and produce many great bikes in the future. Again with honda, yamaha and kawasaki all producing similar machines why take a chance on a future headache.

[piston broke]

its the parts availability and finding someone that could take care of the bike properly, that would put me off....

[JonnyF]

its the parts availability and finding someone that could take care of the bike properly, that would put me off....

True, but here in Thailand you get those problems with all imports and even some of the locally produced bikes, so it's not really a reason not to buy the bike you want IMO.

If Suzuki went under and stopped producing spare parts (highly unlikely) then an aftermarket company would step in and make a ton of money selling parts for the thousands of Suzuki's already on the roads.

[mania]

Not sure how the suzuki bankruptcy is coming but it would be at the bottom of my list until their status is better known.

Actually I think it was a restructuring & mainly the American subsidiary of Suzuki Motor Corporation that shut down/went bankrupt.

I think they have now separated the motorcycle division out of the faltering US car sector onto its own

Saw this last month

http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/news/american-suzuki-motor-company-files-bankruptcy/

Thats a nice pr article but still doesnt give me confidence. I was told that suzuki has closed bike dealerships in various places in america. I am sure this is part of their restructuring. Suzuki may very well survive and produce many great bikes in the future. Again with honda, yamaha and kawasaki all producing similar machines why take a chance on a future headache.

Anything is possible but I just don't see Suzuki Motorcycles going under anytime soon

Yesterday they debuted their new MotoGP bike in Barcelona.

On its first public run out, Randy de Puniet clocked a time of 1’42.676, just over three quarters of a second off the time set by Lorenzo, an impressive debut.

It was no small task to get back into GP either. Once Kawasaki & Suzuki left they made it pretty tough for them

to rejoin. But Suzuki was to be back on the grid 2014 but now it seems 2015

With the Millions it takes to run a GP team I don't think the motorcycle sector is in bad shape

as unlike World SuperBikes, MotoGP is not a racing sector that sells bikes per se'

So I think they are probably in pretty good shape.

Yesterday at Barcelona

Edited June 18, 2013 by mania

[B1ade]

You sure it wasn't someone you know? It takes a lot of balls to bypass security, pick a locked door after they knew you lived in that specific condo, then go right to the drawer with your spare key, and time it just right so you were in the shower when then entered (not too early, not too late).. They would have only had minutes while you were in the shower.

I always thought those disc locks would work pretty good for theft unless they had a flatbed.

There was no security, and the condo was pretty much glass throughout so it was quite easy to see in, so it was my fault for not being more cautious, I did have a disk lock on it, 2 in fact, they took those keys also which were in a separate drawer, well they took any key that looked like a disk lock key. It did occur to me it was someone I know, but then 2 days later they did it to a guy down the road, 100 yards away, he had an R6, they got caught in the act, managed to get away tho, they did not return!

[Tmymaimee]

You sure it wasn't someone you know? It takes a lot of balls to bypass security, pick a locked door after they knew you lived in that specific condo, then go right to the drawer with your spare key, and time it just right so you were in the shower when then entered (not too early, not too late).. They would have only had minutes while you were in the shower.

I always thought those disc locks would work pretty good for theft unless they had a flatbed.

There was no security, and the condo was pretty much glass throughout so it was quite easy to see in, so it was my fault for not being more cautious, I did have a disk lock on it, 2 in fact, they took those keys also which were in a separate drawer, well they took any key that looked like a disk lock key. It did occur to me it was someone I know, but then 2 days later they did it to a guy down the road, 100 yards away, he had an R6, they got caught in the act, managed to get away tho, they did not return!

I always wish there was some sort of explosive device, something like a small grenade that you could hide in your bike seat, car seat and so on. Activate it a day or 2 later with a cell phone signal after your stuff's been stolen and take the prick out. These people that steal your stuff have no concept of work and deserve to be shot after you work so hard to buy something nice.