WHAT DO YOU THINK OF MOTORCYCLES GOING OUT OF THE USA.

[reed]

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF MOTORCYCLES GOING OUT OF THE USA.
What is your option of motorcycles sold and going out of the USA.
Let me know.
Thanks.
Reed.

[RayK]

Good question - import/export is all part of the global village and I'm sure that as many bikes leave the USA as come into it.  You also have to honour free trade agreements that have been signed by the US.  Although it would be good idea you could keep those 'hardly driveables' in the US as we have enough of them here already. 

Thanks for keeping this site interesting Steve

Cheers
RayK

[BSOrion]

It's my understanding that the US has become a very good source for folks from Europe and the UK trying to get their hands on older Japanese bikes, particularly early model superbikes.  I guess it's better than the bikes rotting to pieces on the farm or back woods.

Orion

[reed]

You know you can always buy them back.
A dealer in the UK brought a Suzuki Katana from Colorado still in the crate put on EBay and it sold back to a American back in Colorado
Where they first brought from just 50 miles away!
Funny how things turn out, when things get better this will happen a lot ,you mark my words!
Thanks.
Steve.

[BS Mechanic]

Reed,  Things have a way of balancing out.  There was a guy in SW Iowa 15 or so years ago who was importing old sidecars from Europe to the US.  At that time it seems they were worth much more here as antiques, and less appreciated in Europe.  Things tend to migrate to where they are appreciated most, I think that's OK.

[fiction]

Im really pleased bikes are coming into the uk,    Bridgestones were as rare as hens teeth. but  when they get here they are not that cheap.    there is one on ebay.co.uk now,   its a 67 gtr350 really rough parts missing or broken, motor stuck and bidding starts at
£1499.00=$2341.48.  there does not seem to be many parts in europe, only place ive found any has been holland, i see plenty of bikes and parts in the usa. Last two bikes ive sold have gone to europe gsxr 1000k7 to germany triumph trident t150v to france the euro is strong against the pound. ten years ago lots of bikes were getting imported from europe due to the strong pound.cheers lance.

[Richard Clark BS parts]

I think I have sold parts to more numbers of customers in Europe, than the number of motorcycles that Bridgestone ever sold in Europe.
In fact I would bet I have!

Without this exodus of cycles from the USA to Europe, the international scene for Bridgestones would be much different.

I have personally have sold and exported  16 350's, back in the days, when there was little interest in America.  Still
have a photo of 6 GTR's going into the shipping container, I will try to find the photo and post it.

Sad but true, In the past Europeans seemed to appreciate Bridgestones more  than Americans.  However interest in the USA is growing, nary
day passes between some new stoner calling me about their new found interest!

In fact I have two guys right now, wanting me to buy them a 350! yes, real interest, not just talk. Already sold one of these
guys a major parts package!  If anyone has a 350 for sale, please contact me for a cash sale.

I think fewer 350's will be exported nowdays.


Questions? or need Bridgestone parts? call:

Richard Clark
812-944-1643  8am-6pm EST Weekdays

[reed]

Lance
As you know you pay more tax on motorcycles in the UK and VAT.
I would like to buy hens teeth only joking!
You have a lot of snow in the UK right now stay warm.
Thanks mate.
Steve.

[moonpup]

In fact I have two guys right now, wanting me to buy them a 350! yes, real interest, not just talk. Already sold one of these
guys a major parts package!  If anyone has a 350 for sale, please contact me for a cash sale.

Ummmm......hey, over here >>>>>> I'm still looking for a GTO! 

[Toystoretom]

Once a bike leaves the US it is very unlikely it will ever come back, unless it still has the title from whatever state it orginally came from. It has to be a USA certified bike with papers to enter the country. We tried to import a bike and it had to be brought to full USA specs and inspected at the port by a USA import rep and we were required to have a legal import agent present (we were not allowed to do it ourselves) and we had to foot the bill for everything and everyone. If the paperwork isn't in order or it fails the tech inspection the government seizes it and it is destroyed (at out expense). The original USA title is just part of the paperwork trail and it does help a little, but it still has to be inspected. It can sit at the port for months (we pay the storage fees) before they get to it. Oh, plus import duties...

It just isn't worth it unless it is something like a Vincent Black Shadow, an Indian 4 or possibly a Brough. I can't think of a Jap bike that would be worth all this gamble and expense. You really need an experienced (and expensive) import agent.

[reed]

Toystoretom
What motorcycle were you trying to import, because i have some bikes in the UK to bring over!
Thanks.
Steve.

[Toystoretom]

We were trying to bring over a Hyabusa and later a Ducati both of which were going to a guy that wanted to run them in the ECTA (East Coast Timing Assoc.). He had done extensive mods to his Triumph Rocket III and was running that and was really starting to get into the land speed thing. After we checked into it he decided to skip it, even though the bikes were considered "grey market" bikes and were a real value (translated dirt cheap). It was just too costly to do it. They won't even let you work on the bike yourself to bring it to USA spec, you have to pay them to do it.

If I can find it (this was a while back) I'll post up the documents we found. This all started as a search through the Missouri Highway Patrol MVI Unit and that led us to the Federal Regulations, and if I remember correctly there was a website the Feds had that explained all of this.

We were never successful in doing this.

[reed]

Toystoretom
Thanks for the advise and i will let you when i get my bikes over.
Steve.

[coxy]

hi all i think that the export of bikes from the u.s. is a fantastic source for rare and interesting machines . i am going through the process of importing a gtr350 to Australia right now  . the gtr350 is as rare as rocking horse poo in Australia  i have been chasing one for over twenty years .in that time i have seen only a handful  for sale in this country and due to circumstances at the time i wasn't able to buy any . if it wasn't for the quantity and quality of bikes in America owning the dream bike would still be just a dream for many enthusiasts .

[RayK]

I agree with you 100% COXY.  In addition, the access to parts both new and used from the USA for those restoring BS bikes is great.  Without these resources any BS bikes in Australia would be now in the rubbish tip.
RayK

[scrambler]

I bet if there wasn't all that water between us there would be a lot more of them there. 

[whitegto]

Hey Coxy, congrats on the purchase of your GTR, i for one know how hard you have tried to get one so you deserve it i reckon.

cheers John

[coxy]

ha ha .yep lots and lots of water around 10,000 miles as the crow fly's from WI according to the distance calculator

[reed]

coxy
Good luck with your Bridgestone 350gtr i got mine last year it took me a long time to find one only when i came to live in the States.
And with some help from some people on the Bridgestone site i have a Bridgestone GTR nearly finished!
All the best.
Steve.

[kleindorf]

I'll throw my two cents into the discussion.As a longtime 40+ year Ducati,Guzzi,Laverda etc etc collector/restorer and Bridgestone 350 guy this is a wide open discussion.One thing that any Italian bike guy will tell you is that virtually every model bevel drive Ducati is more saleable to more people than in N. America.If they go overseas they're gone forever.Check out prices for Laverda Jota's in the U.K. or Australia.Now getting back to Bridgestones and other interesting Japanese models you've got to remember that we didn't get all the models that other markets did and vice versa.Also the British for example will throw absolutely over the top stupid money on a restoration of dubious appeal like the Yamaha 50 FS1E or a Honda XL185.Here in Vancouver about 7 years ago ONE dealer was exporting quite a few shipping containers back to the U.K. with very ordinary run of the mill streetbikes,enduro and sportbikes.The English purchaser bought them cheaply enough with comparatively low miles to pull this off which proves demand allowed this practice to exist at the prevailing exchange rate.For another example check out Rick Brett's site regarding Kawasaki triples and lots more.Bridgestones were always below the radar and luckily N. America got most of the production so if one gets sold overseas color it gone.