Shipping bike from USA to UK

[AlanJ]

Hi All,
I am looking for information about shipping a motorcycle from USA to UK but as most of the shipping Co's seem to be in the States and with the time difference and phone cost it's not that easy. The other thing, If I pay for the shipping, here in uk apart from 6% duty on sale cost you then pay 20% on the customs value + 20% on shipping cost. Now, if shipping is paid in USA I can't see how it is right for me to pay that 20%. Anyway guys, perhaps you know better, so, please enlighten me.
Take care all Alan.

[DAVID THOMPSON]

look into shipping via company in canada they are used to shipping to both places
dave

[therealche]

An alternative approach is to try contacting people in the UK that import containers full of bikes from the States (DKmotorcycles springs to mind but look on eBay at people selling bikes from the States) and see if they would stick it in with theirs for a price. They also know all about NOVAs duties etc

[therealche]

http://www.kingstown-shipping.co.uk/motorcycle-shipping

http://www.ideliverbikes.co.uk/usa-shipping

[AlanJ]

Hi All,
Firstly, thanks for the above info on shipping. Sadly I can now mention that it was a Silver Star that I was trying to ship from the States, it's my favourite MZ and I am really sick about it. Just in case one of you wish to buy in the states I will endeavour to enlighten you of the problems ie. cost etc. You agree a price on the bike, say $2500 and the shipping is about $1100 and you setup a money transfer Co say torfx and you hold on till the exchange is a good one and you buy the dollars to pay the seller and the shipping. Ok so they ship the bike to say Felixstowe. then the fun starts HMRC has a say. they first charge you duty that's 6% on the value, that's their value and in this case the value is probably ok so $150 dollars. If the vehicle was manufactured in EU and you can prove it using the VIN NR of the vehicle and putting that Nr through VIN Decoder to show that fact, then the duty will be £50 pounds and not the $150. They then charge you vat that's 20% on shipping and cost price, if it was a fair one, and so that's $720 dollars. That all comes to say $4387 dollars. Great the bike is now in UK, and the shipping people then tell you there is an admin charge of £210 and of course you have to add the dreaded, so that's £252. So for a bike say $2500 that's with a good rate it is about £1970 but it actually will cost you £3813. And you still have to pay to get the bike from Felixstowe. Probably not as good a deal as you first thought I bet!!!
Anyway All Have a Great Christmas and New Year take care Alan.

[DAVID THOMPSON]

i missed something ,,, is it a go or no go on getting the bike

[AlanJ]

Hi Dave,
Sadly it is a NO go, and when I say sadly I say that with damp eyes Dave. Thanks for your thoughts and help.
We had over 50 Emails on the subject (Silver Star). Twice I thought I could just about afford it without upsetting the wife too much and then the shipping Co added another £210 + vat so that's £252 I was already over the limit before that surprise so as I said It's a NO GO.
Have a Great Christmas and good riding in 17. Take care Alan.

[DAVID THOMPSON]

if some one in the future decides to sell there SILVER STAR e mail AlanJ here on site
before you post it on flea bay or gum tree
the supervisor at his house may let him buy it.. if it is not over priced
bike located in UK would be best
dave

fellow i know in Athens Ohio has one he is looking to sell but with 8 plus bikes my supervisor said NO!
unless i sell the traveller
i think she knows i got my eye on a new ham radio also

[AlanJ]

Hi Dave,
I think the guy in Ohio is probably the same one I know, but I must tell you that the one I am talking about is one hell of a nice guy. Fortunately for him he may not have a "her indoors" to contend with. I have, and she is a lovely lady but she does not ride bikes. They just don't understand.
Cheers Dave Take care Alan.

[AlanJ]

Hi Dave,
I was just thinking, how many Silver Stars do you think are in the UK?
I have just added to this post. If any body who owns a Silver Star in UK, give us a yell please.

Alan.

[DAVID THOMPSON]

not really sure.

but several years ago some one said the web site in the uk that reports numbers of reg bikes was reporting things wrong

he had a mz bike and when he looked up his
he knew of more on the road than they listed

[therealche]

not really sure.

but several years ago some one said the web site in the uk that reports numbers of reg bikes was reporting things wrong

he had a mz bike and when he looked up his
he knew of more on the road than they listed

That was probably me! The "howmanyleft" sites rely on how well paper records were transfered to computer, and how the bike model was originally recorded when registered. Apparently there aren't any ES model MZs registered in the UK! However in the list there is a section for "MZ missing" which mean no model is recorded. This accounts for 1.3k bikes!

[AlanJ]

Hi Therealche,
Thanks for your info on the shipping, James Hadley for Kingstown was very good, best price and understanding out of all the shipping Co's, and if I was to continue I would use his Co, not the other one though, it was one of the highest prices. I think it would be interesting to know what MZ models we have and where, in UK and US. Other than us adding that info to our profiles, I don't know how that could be done. Just a bit of info about the Silver Star. If I had found Kingstown at the beginning and we could have agreed a price that was my first offer it all comes to about £3200 and that would have been a go, even with the other half. Hay Ho!!! Have a good one when it comes.
Incidently that was to get the bike to Felixstowe not all the way home.


Take care Alan.