Webmaster Ramblings

Recently I imported a couple of VMX bikes from California. Partly because they are very difficult to find here and partly because the Southern California climate is much kinder to the bikes there than here. I have a friend who lives in Los Angeles whom I have known for 20 years and trust implicitly and so it seemed like a logical plan to find bikes I was interested in and get him to collect, store, crate and ship for me. Now this friend tells me that one year he rode his BMW every day that it did not rain. There were 6 days of rain for the whole year! Ebay is the general point of interest for finding bikes, however experience has taught me that Ebay prices are comparatively high and just when you find a suitable bike you see it is in Missouri or some such remote place. With the USA measuring 5000km across, it is very expensive to move a bike to a port. Some companies will charge around US$1000 just to ship it across country. Therefore, to find a bike local to Los Angeles I chose to check the local listings. Having found a nice YZ400F and a reasonable RM400C, I paid my buddy to collect them. Now you must understand that this is a big favour, so the timeline for shipping is his not mine. It took around 18 months to get them crated and dropped off to the local shipping company. A few weeks later they arrived and were in nice, corrosion-free condition as hoped for. I did rode theme at a local VMX meeting and really enjoyed them. The 1979 YZ400 was very nice to ride and whilst 400cc bikes used to seem like experts-only machines in my teenage days, by today's standards they are rather tame.

Whilst it was a good experience I did learn a few valuable lessons about the rules, regulations and how the Americans do business. They have been put to use as I now have a couple more bikes ready to ship - in less than 18 months I hope! For those who are interested, here are some of those lessons I learned. This only refers to bikes that will never be registered here. If you want to register a bike after importing it you must have it registered in your name in the country of origin and it requires additional paperwork.

1. Vehicles shipped out of the USA must have a title. A title is like ownership papers and even motocross bikes must be titled. No title, no ship, no exceptions.

2. Some States did not issue titles. For example, the 1982 KX420 I purchased in Utah is not titled. Utah did not title bikes until 1987. Therefore, it needs a letter from the State Government stating that it was never titled, checks that it is not stolen etc. Also, the local shipping company insist that it goes in a container with nothing else in it so Customs can easily inspect it. No kidding! An $8000 container for one bike. In other words, don't go there.

3. Titles can be obtained for bikes and cost $120 at the DMV in California. However, you need someone to book it in, take it there for inspection with all the paperwork etc. Much like revining a bike here.

4. You must have a Bill of Sale (Receipt) in your name for Customs to view. You will be charged 12.5% GST and this is charged on the total of the purchase price and the shipping cost.

5. Once in NZ, you must pay the MAF and Customs fees. If you do it yourself rather than through an agent, it must be cash or bank cheque only.

6. MAF in NZ must inspect the bike first. Customs will not release it without MAF approval. Any dirt on the bike will require you to pay for it to be taken out of the crate and water blasted and this will cost several hundred dollars, so make sure it is spotless when crated.

7. A maximum of 3 vehicles can be imported in a 12 month period unless you can prove that you did not do so for gain. If not, you are treated as a dealer.

8. I had a good photo of a CR450 which looked nice and tidy. When my buddy took more detailed photos of the bikes at his place I found the other side had no side cover. A deliberate act to show the best side for sale. I also found a YZ had no rear brake lever or foot peg. Not a big deal, but not entirely straight. I guess the same probably happens here, but it is one downside of not personally viewing the bike before purchase. Photos do not show a bike as it truly looks.

9. A friend of mine paid US$150 extra to have an old RM crated. He thought the money was well spent as it added considerable protection. Shipping companies take no responsibility for damage. When he went to pick it up he asked where the crate was as the bike was leaning against a fence. The reply was, "What crate?" It was never crated and the seller pocketed the extra $150!

Importing bikes from another country can be bit of a minefield and I have found that it's really only worth all the hassle if you find something that either you could not find here, or you find something that is in great condition that you would be unlikely to find in a similar condition here. Additionally, unless you can totally trust the person who's selling it to actually send you the bike, you risk losing the money. Realistically, what can you do to recover it? Further, prices have definitely gone up in the USA so it's really debatable if it's worth it other than for the two previous reasons.

Email the Webmaster