Now for the Sunday afternoon cruise

Got my hands on the bike and there is a long list of people I have promised a ride.

My mother at 86 years young was one of the first.

My mate Peter (Jean Pierre) was impressed and keen to have a go. 

Worth the time and effort?

The process is certainly more involved than walking into a retailer and paying RRP.  If saving several thousand dollars is worth your effort in working through the process then I reckon this method is worth it.

The bikes being sold retail here in Australia come with ABS as standard.  The bike I received does not have ABS.

I suspect that there are a few guys here in Australia importing bikes and selling them.  Could make reasonable profit, equivalent or better than wages, with as few as five or six sales per year.

That is not why I got my bike so one will do me just fine.

Getting the bike on the road

The bike had a brand new Compliance Plate (magenta coloured sticker) fitted to the frame.  Import documents with the bike, from the RAW, made it legal for use on Australian roads.

Took the bike to an authorised mechanic and had the bike inspected for a Certificate of Roadworthiness.  Done.  Another $110 cost involved.

Took the bike to VicRoads with the import papers.  Went through the registration process without a hitch.  Done.  Another cost incurred $850 for twelve months regisrtation.

Bike ready to be collected

Three and a half months after buying the bike I was notified that the bike was ready and available for me to collect from the RAW.  I was told twelve weeks so fourteen weeks is close.

The RAW is located in Queensland and I am in Victoria so it means that I either travel to Queensland and collect the bike or I get it transported to me.

Got a few quotes and the most convenient for me was a quote that came in at $440 obviously in AUD.

The bike was delivered a week later just in time for Easter 2011.

Hidden costs

The RAW made full disclosure of the costs involved so there are really no hidden costs BUT there are additional costs.

The costs so far mentioned are -

• Purchase price $15,000 (USD)
• Transport from South Carolina to California $580 (USD)
• Transport to Australia from USA $1,000 (AUD)
• RAW compliance $2,500 (AUD)

Additional costs -

• Goods and Services Tax on arrival in Australia $1,700 (AUD)
• Customs and AQIS fees $410 (AUD)
• Transport from the port to the RAW $160 (AUD)

No surprise fees biting me on the bum so far.  Still several thousand dollars in front.

The long wait.

The bike reached Stanton intact and was stored pending being loaded into a container. 

Every week there are ships leaving California destined for Australia so the export process is not a long one.  Once the bike is on the ship the sailing time is about four weeks.

Once the bike arrives in Australia it has to be transported to the RAW.  The RAW then attends to the bike ensuring it fits Australian Design Rules.  I was warned that the RAW was very busy and it may take a month for the compliance process to be completed.

Getting the bike to Stanton, California.

All bikes and other vehicles being imported by the RAW leave USA via Los Angeles.  The shipping agent is based in Stanton, California.

The dealer who sold me the bike was happy to arrange the transportation for me.  Federal transport quoted $580 USD to get the bike from North Carolina on the east coast to California on the West Coast.

Got several quotes and the was the best quote I obtained.

The 'title' for the bike had to accompany the bike or US customs would not allow it out of the country.

Thank you Shon Culpepper of Thunder Tower Harley Davidson for making all the arrangements.

Getting the bike into Australia

You can get the all the information you need from the Department of Infrastructure about importing motorcycles.  Anyone can import a motorcycle into Australia if they qualify in one of three methods.  The only way I could get my Harley Davidson into Australia was by using a RAW.

I downloaded a list of all the RAWS (Registered Automotive Workshops) in Australia.  I telephoned the ones listed in Victoria.  None of them were prepared to import the bike for me.

There is a RAW in Queensland that will import bikes for private individuals like myself.  The costs are

• $1,000 transportation from California to Brisbane.
• $2,500 to get the bike complianced to ADRs. 

Paid the $250 deposit and filled a few forms in and sent them off.  Job done.

Deal done - committed to a purchase.

A deal done in $15,000 USD for a 2011 FLSTN. 

I arranged for the funds to be forwarded through my bank.  The day the funds were transferred to the dealer in North Carolina the AUD was buying USD 1.02.  The banks like to take their commission for electronically transferring the money so I ended up getting USD 0.985 for my AUD.

So the purchase price for the bike was $15,228 AUD.  Not a bad discount.    

Searching the net to locate a FLSTN

Thunder Tower Harley - what a great name for a Harley Davidson dealership.  The dealership is located on the east coast of USA in the city of Columbia, South Carolina. 

Bikes a plenty but few are selling this time if the year - blizzards and snow do not make for good riding weather.  Good time to do a deal.  Shon Culpepper, the salesman, happy to help and keen to strike a deal.

Found my FLSTN.  Here are some pics.
 

Got the bike now to get it to Australia.

What is the Australian dollar doing?

Buying a Harley Davidson in Australia Vs direct from USA?

An important factor is the purchase price here in Australia v's USA.  So the exchange rate for US dollars to Australian dollars makes a significant difference. 

On one of my many recent trips to Melbourne I decided to fill in time visiting motorcycle stores.  Harley Heaven just off Elizabeth Street was on the list.  Walked amongst all the big ticket bikes on display and it does not take Einstein to work out that the prices being asked are double that being asked in US dollars. 

Not sure that I like the big cumbersome bikes with fairings so a basic 'naked' softail for me.  Somehow I always manage to work my way back to a FLSTN.  Don't know what that is - ok it is a softail called 'Nostalgia' or sometimes just 'Deluxe'.

The ticket is asking $33,500 Ride Away.

Why haven't the retail prices come down as the exchange rate for the Australian dollar goes up?  The importer must be paying less and why isn't that being passed on to the customer?  The AUD and the USD are at parity or close to parity most of the time these days.

Now I don't have enough money to be worried about exchange rates for currencies but if I am going to buy a big ticket item such as a motorbike then there is a chance I can save serious dollars.

Around Christmas 2010 the AUD was high against the USD - almost $1.02  A good time to buy in USA.

Time to check the Internet for deals in USA.  Harley Davidson motorcycles generally sell for half of what is being asked in Australia.