New Bike - 2013 Kawasaki Concours ABS

[commande]

Well been busy since I moved back to the USA, looking back at the several years I spent in Thailand and the bikes I owned of course had to get something here to ride in Florida. Picking out my new 2013 Kawasaki Concours ABS, will post some pictures when I take delivery. Still absolutely amazed at the price difference of bikes in Thailand compared to here, after discount and negotiations paid 12,500 USD all in, think that is around 387,500 Baht +/-....

Test drive yesterday was fantastic, bike is so smooth, excellent power. Cruising is going to be amazing, much better than anything available in Thailand for a reasonable price.... Hope all you are still doing well, will be back for a week in November or December to check in on my condos. Take care...

Edited September 7, 2013 by commande

[RubberSideDown]

Great sport-tourer choice, especially with the engine that was in the first-gen ZX-14- extremely fast and comfortable, and can handle the twisties no problem.

I've seen it for ~900K over here.

[NomadJoe]

Porn please.

[moe666]

Any good Thai food where you are at.

[commande]

Actually there is a Thai food place up the street, will have to check it out and report back but given my Thai wife cooks well not sure it matters ....

[mania]

Porn please.

[RubberSideDown]

As with my bike, the pipe has got to go- at least there's only one of 'em- even a slip-on will drop at least 10lbs.

[BlackArtemis]

Beautiful, I also am moving back to the US this coming June, I've been looking at bikes daily on ebay and craigslist haha.

I think I will end up with a 1960-79 Triumph and eventually save up for a sport tourer as well.

But being that I have nothing in the US right now, I need to get a car, and a place as well...

[NomadJoe]

As with my bike, the pipe has got to go- at least there's only one of 'em- even a slip-on will drop at least 10lbs.

Yeah that thing looks like a nacelle from the Starship Enterprise.

[RubberSideDown]

TBR is claiming a 13lb drop and 5hp gain with their slp-on, for less than $500.

[ll2]

nice bike. especially good for large american roads.

congrats and i wanted to cry when i see the price.

[BSJ]

Porn please.

Looks extremely handsome in blue.

[BSJ]

Some Australian police forces are keen on having a few in the fleet. The AFP use motorcycles for escort duties...Yamaha's I think...when a fleet of CBR250r's would do just as good a job for a third the price.

[galoubet]

The same goes with BMW bikes (and I guess all imports). The R1200GS basic model in the UK is £11,650 (582,500 baht at 50 baht/£). The Thai list price is 1,222,000 baht.

Guess I'll be sticking to my old 1998 R1200C in Thailand for now.

Have fun on your new machine!

[Hugh Jarse]

Great sport-tourer choice, especially with the engine that was in the first-gen ZX-14- extremely fast and comfortable, and can handle the twisties no problem.

I've seen it for ~900K over here.

WHAAT! 900K outrageous price. Imagine if the U.S., UK. Euro zone countries imposed that level of import tax on Thai rice ,rubber etc.Seriously though if they did this may bring down the price of imports into Thailand for a few bikes! Wishful thinking perhaps ,but about time Thailand revised its policies on foreigh imports!

[brfsa2]

Great sport-tourer choice, especially with the engine that was in the first-gen ZX-14- extremely fast and comfortable, and can handle the twisties no problem.

I've seen it for ~900K over here.

WHAAT! 900K outrageous price. Imagine if the U.S., UK. Euro zone countries imposed that level of import tax on Thai rice ,rubber etc.Seriously though if they did this may bring down the price of imports into Thailand for a few bikes! Wishful thinking perhaps ,but about time Thailand revised its policies on foreigh imports!

High tax is not only on Imports but also on things manufactured here, example CB500 Manufactured in Thailand and shipped to the US.

It is more expensive here than in the US, after shipping!!!

it's ridiculous....

[Ticketmaster]

If you were just trying to make me feel bad, you have succeeded.

As one poster mentioned, the ridiculous prices here are not only taxes. What a lot of folks don't know is that there are about 30 or so rich family cartels that control the Thai economy. They control imports and they maintain have monopolies. For example, one of these cartels controls 95

5 of all the alcoholic beverages in Thailand. They garner obscene profits. The rank and file Thai has no idea in the world that he is paying 2x as much for a made in China (no import duty) Brother Printer as some guy in the US or Australia pays. They don't know because they can't red English.

I firmly believe that there is a large group of very wealthy at the top that have a vested interest is keeping rank and file Thais from really learning English. The Thai language is a prison wall around its people. Knowledge is power nd without knowledge of the rest of the world, the Thai commoner is powerless. Despite mandatory English classes for six years, Thais have the worst English literacy of all SE Nations. Do you think this is an accident.

[yankee99]

Any good Thai food where you are at.

Dont know about thai food. but......had some fresh bagels and cream cheese, then fajitas for lunch and dorito shell tacos at taco bell for dinner....and lots of cheap cheese to snack on during the day......

[moe666]

Any good Thai food where you are at.

Dont know about thai food. but......had some fresh bagels and cream cheese, then fajitas for lunch and dorito shell tacos at taco bell for dinner....and lots of cheap cheese to snack on during the day......

What Velvetta !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[moe666]

If you were just trying to make me feel bad, you have succeeded.

As one poster mentioned, the ridiculous prices here are not only taxes. What a lot of folks don't know is that there are about 30 or so rich family cartels that control the Thai economy. They control imports and they maintain have monopolies. For example, one of these cartels controls 95

5 of all the alcoholic beverages in Thailand. They garner obscene profits. The rank and file Thai has no idea in the world that he is paying 2x as much for a made in China (no import duty) Brother Printer as some guy in the US or Australia pays. They don't know because they can't red English.

I firmly believe that there is a large group of very wealthy at the top that have a vested interest is keeping rank and file Thais from really learning English. The Thai language is a prison wall around its people. Knowledge is power nd without knowledge of the rest of the world, the Thai commoner is powerless. Despite mandatory English classes for six years, Thais have the worst English literacy of all SE Nations. Do you think this is an accident.

As for the English issue, what is the motivation for them to learn English I would say none. All of there friends speak Thai all of there business dealing are in Thai, and all of there social intercourse is in Thai. Having said that the young person sent out to make money anyway they can learns very quickly that having a bit of English will put more money in there pocket

[ll2]

If you were just trying to make me feel bad, you have succeeded.

As one poster mentioned, the ridiculous prices here are not only taxes. What a lot of folks don't know is that there are about 30 or so rich family cartels that control the Thai economy. They control imports and they maintain have monopolies. For example, one of these cartels controls 95

5 of all the alcoholic beverages in Thailand. They garner obscene profits. The rank and file Thai has no idea in the world that he is paying 2x as much for a made in China (no import duty) Brother Printer as some guy in the US or Australia pays. They don't know because they can't red English.

I firmly believe that there is a large group of very wealthy at the top that have a vested interest is keeping rank and file Thais from really learning English. The Thai language is a prison wall around its people. Knowledge is power nd without knowledge of the rest of the world, the Thai commoner is powerless. Despite mandatory English classes for six years, Thais have the worst English literacy of all SE Nations. Do you think this is an accident.

even if that companies control all the imports, 100 percent tax is going to government.

and i support this tax so big bike makers invest the country more and they can protect their local production even though it makes me cry once i see the price of the same bike in USA:(

[Ticketmaster]

If you were just trying to make me feel bad, you have succeeded.

As one poster mentioned, the ridiculous prices here are not only taxes. What a lot of folks don't know is that there are about 30 or so rich family cartels that control the Thai economy. They control imports and they maintain have monopolies. For example, one of these cartels controls 95

5 of all the alcoholic beverages in Thailand. They garner obscene profits. The rank and file Thai has no idea in the world that he is paying 2x as much for a made in China (no import duty) Brother Printer as some guy in the US or Australia pays. They don't know because they can't red English.

I firmly believe that there is a large group of very wealthy at the top that have a vested interest is keeping rank and file Thais from really learning English. The Thai language is a prison wall around its people. Knowledge is power nd without knowledge of the rest of the world, the Thai commoner is powerless. Despite mandatory English classes for six years, Thais have the worst English literacy of all SE Nations. Do you think this is an accident.

even if that companies control all the imports, 100 percent tax is going to government.

and i support this tax so big bike makers invest the country more and they can protect their local production even though it makes me cry once i see the price of the same bike in USA:(

The tax is fine, no complaint there, because is helps protect the Thai labor market. But there is no tax on things like the Brother printer I mentioned above (except the 7% VAT), and there is a free trade agreement between China and Thailand. That 100% mark up over the prices for the same printer in Australia and the US goes right into the pockets of the plutocrats that run (own) this country. This is true with a huge range of products, including things like vitamins (manufactured in Thailand). The average Thai has no idea they are being ripped off; they have no idea the same products are half the price in other countries.

With imported motorcycles, there is a 100% import duty, a 30% excise tax and a 7% VAT.

Edited September 9, 2013 by Ticketmaster

[Ticketmaster]

If you were just trying to make me feel bad, you have succeeded.

As one poster mentioned, the ridiculous prices here are not only taxes. What a lot of folks don't know is that there are about 30 or so rich family cartels that control the Thai economy. They control imports and they maintain have monopolies. For example, one of these cartels controls 95

5 of all the alcoholic beverages in Thailand. They garner obscene profits. The rank and file Thai has no idea in the world that he is paying 2x as much for a made in China (no import duty) Brother Printer as some guy in the US or Australia pays. They don't know because they can't red English.

I firmly believe that there is a large group of very wealthy at the top that have a vested interest is keeping rank and file Thais from really learning English. The Thai language is a prison wall around its people. Knowledge is power nd without knowledge of the rest of the world, the Thai commoner is powerless. Despite mandatory English classes for six years, Thais have the worst English literacy of all SE Nations. Do you think this is an accident.

As for the English issue, what is the motivation for them to learn English I would say none. All of there friends speak Thai all of there business dealing are in Thai, and all of there social intercourse is in Thai. Having said that the young person sent out to make money anyway they can learns very quickly that having a bit of English will put more money in there pocket

The reason a critically thinking Thai (perhaps an oxymoron) should learn English is not for the joy of being able to strike up a conversation with a farang. The reason is that the Thai language, standing alone, creates a knowledge barrier around the Thai people. Only 65 million people in the world speak it. Relatively little gets translated to Thai, and most of that is selected by the government.

English is the international language. Virtually everything is available in English. If you want to be educated, if you want to know what is going on in the world, if you understand that knowledge is power -- if you want to be able to read the Kawasaki repair manual -- then you MUST learn English. Most Thais live in an informational void.

[moe666]

If you were just trying to make me feel bad, you have succeeded.

As one poster mentioned, the ridiculous prices here are not only taxes. What a lot of folks don't know is that there are about 30 or so rich family cartels that control the Thai economy. They control imports and they maintain have monopolies. For example, one of these cartels controls 95

5 of all the alcoholic beverages in Thailand. They garner obscene profits. The rank and file Thai has no idea in the world that he is paying 2x as much for a made in China (no import duty) Brother Printer as some guy in the US or Australia pays. They don't know because they can't red English.

I firmly believe that there is a large group of very wealthy at the top that have a vested interest is keeping rank and file Thais from really learning English. The Thai language is a prison wall around its people. Knowledge is power nd without knowledge of the rest of the world, the Thai commoner is powerless. Despite mandatory English classes for six years, Thais have the worst English literacy of all SE Nations. Do you think this is an accident.

As for the English issue, what is the motivation for them to learn English I would say none. All of there friends speak Thai all of there business dealing are in Thai, and all of there social intercourse is in Thai. Having said that the young person sent out to make money anyway they can learns very quickly that having a bit of English will put more money in there pocket

The reason a critically thinking Thai (perhaps an oxymoron) should learn English is not for the joy of being able to strike up a conversation with a farang. The reason is that the Thai language, standing alone, creates a knowledge barrier around the Thai people. Only 65 million people in the world speak it. Relatively little gets translated to Thai, and most of that is selected by the government.

English is the international language. Virtually everything is available in English. If you want to be educated, if you want to know what is going on in the world, if you understand that knowledge is power -- if you want to be able to read the Kawasaki repair manual -- then you MUST learn English. Most Thais live in an informational void.

All well and good but you are beating a dead horse, here.