Having read all communication about buying big bikes in Thailand, let me contribute my own experiences & thoughts.
As I see it there's 4 ways to get a big-one locally:
1.) Get a brand new from an official dealer
2.) Import a brand new one yourself or by a private shop
3.) Buy a second hand one from a private shop
4.) Buy a second hand one from a private owner
ad 1.) According to Thai laws, you are not allowed to import a second hand motorbike neither as a whole or in parts (somebody tells you else, he/she's lying, just want to free you of some cash for their own good), nor is it allowed to import second hand spare parts.
So, to my knowledge there's several companies who do the import-customs-taxation-registration legally for: BMW, Harley Davidson, Kawasaki, Triumph and Ducati.
Advantages: Services offered, Sparparts available, Guarantee on the bikes, product information, accessoiries available
Disadvantage: high prices through high customs fees (seel below under ad 2.). All the a.m services of "advantages" are of course not free and have to be paid for. Just understand that the dealers need to have space & staff available, at least have some important spareparts on stock (and that's called working capital, anybody who knows, it should be as low as possible; non-moving.....)
ad 2.) A year ago I wanted to import on my own a brand new KTM-SM640LC4, it was offered to me by an austrian dealer for about Euro 5.800,- (all austrian taxes, fees and also a discount already deducted). You may add up between 70-100% for import, taxes, registration, dealer profitmargin and so on and will end up having costs similar to the prices of the official dealers of the other brands here 9for a similar bike). Maybe a little bit cheaper but you will have a lot of paperwork to do and obstacles to overcome. In the end what do you do when your bike breaks down during guarantee period and also after it has expired? Nobody here to take care of that, spares have to be imported,........
Another fact is that you will have to do many official tasks on your own, and here it will depend on you behaviour (like everywhere in the world), shorts, slippers, tatooed up to your head, smelling of beer or be accompanied by some self employed girl will get you nowhere and most probably put the cost-estimate up to over 100%...........
ad 3.) As many of you know that this is sometimes very embarrassing in some shops, not my idea of getting a big one. News are out in this forum of a lot of cheats and shops that are promising everything but delivering nothing. Be aware that all non-registered bikes will cause you a lot of problems once you are involved in an accident. In case of a 'green-book' somebody should carefully check with the vehicles registration office if the preferred bike is really registered..... and don't believe when you hear: 'we will register you the bike, no problem'; when the bike is imported it must be registered immediately, can't be done with an older import, but when done then not according to the law........(make your own mind up about this.....)
ad 4.) there's a lot of second hand big-bikes around, just go through the Thai websites. Second hand bikes from BMW, Harley and Ducati should have proper registration & paperwork as their dealers do business here already for years. Kawasaki just introduced the Vulcan 900 and Triumph just got a dealer by end of 2006. Technical knowledge is a must so you don't buy scrap. Concerning registration of other brands, check with the vehicle registration office too.
Previously bikes were brought into the country in parts and then assembled here, no customs paid, so not legal.......
Be aware that there are still no KTM (no more dealer), Honda, Suzuki or Yamaha big-bikes imported into Thailand, at least I could not find any information in the respective websites. If I am wrong here, please tell me, it would be to our all information & advantage.
Finally after considering all the options, having been all over the Thai websites, been shown some nonregistered scrap bikes for a high price (years of manufature: 1980-1994 but advertised as 1995 up), visited many shops and dealers, I dismissed options 2-4 and got myself a brandnew BMW-F650GS at Barcelona Motors in Bangkok. All accessoiries needed, registration & insurance were delivered and done within 3 months. What else can you wish for ? I'm satisfied with the way things turned out. Considering the condition of the roads especially during the rainy season BMW F650's, R1200's and Triumph Tigers are the recommendable options. For newcomers to Thailand: you're not allowed on tollways, overpasses and underpasses in towns even with big motorbikes, so forget about 2nd floor Bang-Na-Trat or the motorway to Chonburi......
Of course the prices......there's three options:
a.) pay up in cash
b.) leasing; here you need a valid workpermit with Non-Imm. "B" visa, 30% cash downpayment (so you don't need a Thai guarantor), no negative credit history and a moderate to good monthly income as you must show your salary slips.
c.) you can't afford it, then you would also be troubled by sparepart prices and repairs for a second hand 'big-bike' and you may run risk of heavy financial troubles in cause of an accident. To put it quite simple: get yourself a 125 cc Honda Wave or a 110 cc Yamaha Mio or any other local manufactored motorbike as you can get parts and service even in the remotest places in Thailand.......
Why's there no big-bikes in Thailand, simply they are too expensive for most of the population and simpy not needed for their daily use, there's also no service network for most of them, it's only BMW who have 2 dealers in Bangkok, one in Chiang-Mai and one in Phuket. Thai's with plenty of funds mainly love to tuk-tuk along on their choppers if you have noticed, therfor Harley & Kawasaki is your choice. As for Tourers, here's the BMW's & Triumphs, Racers the BMW's-Triumphs-Ducatis, Enduros only BMW's and Triumph.
In the end it all comes down to how much money you have or do want to spend if you are going for a new one. There's only THB 400.000,- up or 40-60.000,- for a small local one.
Second hand big bikes are not so plenty, some are next to scrap-status, many are not legalised, so the choice here is quite limited. I recommend to stick here with BMW, Ducati or Harley as Spareparts will be more easily to come by.
All above is just my private opinion, so there's no claim on perfection.
Somebody got better information, please enlighten us, in the end its for our own good.
Happy biking; after work today I'm off to Trat..............................
As I see it there's 4 ways to get a big-one locally:
1.) Get a brand new from an official dealer
2.) Import a brand new one yourself or by a private shop
3.) Buy a second hand one from a private shop
4.) Buy a second hand one from a private owner
ad 1.) According to Thai laws, you are not allowed to import a second hand motorbike neither as a whole or in parts (somebody tells you else, he/she's lying, just want to free you of some cash for their own good), nor is it allowed to import second hand spare parts.
So, to my knowledge there's several companies who do the import-customs-taxation-registration legally for: BMW, Harley Davidson, Kawasaki, Triumph and Ducati.
Advantages: Services offered, Sparparts available, Guarantee on the bikes, product information, accessoiries available
Disadvantage: high prices through high customs fees (seel below under ad 2.). All the a.m services of "advantages" are of course not free and have to be paid for. Just understand that the dealers need to have space & staff available, at least have some important spareparts on stock (and that's called working capital, anybody who knows, it should be as low as possible; non-moving.....)
ad 2.) A year ago I wanted to import on my own a brand new KTM-SM640LC4, it was offered to me by an austrian dealer for about Euro 5.800,- (all austrian taxes, fees and also a discount already deducted). You may add up between 70-100% for import, taxes, registration, dealer profitmargin and so on and will end up having costs similar to the prices of the official dealers of the other brands here 9for a similar bike). Maybe a little bit cheaper but you will have a lot of paperwork to do and obstacles to overcome. In the end what do you do when your bike breaks down during guarantee period and also after it has expired? Nobody here to take care of that, spares have to be imported,........
Another fact is that you will have to do many official tasks on your own, and here it will depend on you behaviour (like everywhere in the world), shorts, slippers, tatooed up to your head, smelling of beer or be accompanied by some self employed girl will get you nowhere and most probably put the cost-estimate up to over 100%...........
ad 3.) As many of you know that this is sometimes very embarrassing in some shops, not my idea of getting a big one. News are out in this forum of a lot of cheats and shops that are promising everything but delivering nothing. Be aware that all non-registered bikes will cause you a lot of problems once you are involved in an accident. In case of a 'green-book' somebody should carefully check with the vehicles registration office if the preferred bike is really registered..... and don't believe when you hear: 'we will register you the bike, no problem'; when the bike is imported it must be registered immediately, can't be done with an older import, but when done then not according to the law........(make your own mind up about this.....)
ad 4.) there's a lot of second hand big-bikes around, just go through the Thai websites. Second hand bikes from BMW, Harley and Ducati should have proper registration & paperwork as their dealers do business here already for years. Kawasaki just introduced the Vulcan 900 and Triumph just got a dealer by end of 2006. Technical knowledge is a must so you don't buy scrap. Concerning registration of other brands, check with the vehicle registration office too.
Previously bikes were brought into the country in parts and then assembled here, no customs paid, so not legal.......
Be aware that there are still no KTM (no more dealer), Honda, Suzuki or Yamaha big-bikes imported into Thailand, at least I could not find any information in the respective websites. If I am wrong here, please tell me, it would be to our all information & advantage.
Finally after considering all the options, having been all over the Thai websites, been shown some nonregistered scrap bikes for a high price (years of manufature: 1980-1994 but advertised as 1995 up), visited many shops and dealers, I dismissed options 2-4 and got myself a brandnew BMW-F650GS at Barcelona Motors in Bangkok. All accessoiries needed, registration & insurance were delivered and done within 3 months. What else can you wish for ? I'm satisfied with the way things turned out. Considering the condition of the roads especially during the rainy season BMW F650's, R1200's and Triumph Tigers are the recommendable options. For newcomers to Thailand: you're not allowed on tollways, overpasses and underpasses in towns even with big motorbikes, so forget about 2nd floor Bang-Na-Trat or the motorway to Chonburi......
Of course the prices......there's three options:
a.) pay up in cash
b.) leasing; here you need a valid workpermit with Non-Imm. "B" visa, 30% cash downpayment (so you don't need a Thai guarantor), no negative credit history and a moderate to good monthly income as you must show your salary slips.
c.) you can't afford it, then you would also be troubled by sparepart prices and repairs for a second hand 'big-bike' and you may run risk of heavy financial troubles in cause of an accident. To put it quite simple: get yourself a 125 cc Honda Wave or a 110 cc Yamaha Mio or any other local manufactored motorbike as you can get parts and service even in the remotest places in Thailand.......
Why's there no big-bikes in Thailand, simply they are too expensive for most of the population and simpy not needed for their daily use, there's also no service network for most of them, it's only BMW who have 2 dealers in Bangkok, one in Chiang-Mai and one in Phuket. Thai's with plenty of funds mainly love to tuk-tuk along on their choppers if you have noticed, therfor Harley & Kawasaki is your choice. As for Tourers, here's the BMW's & Triumphs, Racers the BMW's-Triumphs-Ducatis, Enduros only BMW's and Triumph.
In the end it all comes down to how much money you have or do want to spend if you are going for a new one. There's only THB 400.000,- up or 40-60.000,- for a small local one.
Second hand big bikes are not so plenty, some are next to scrap-status, many are not legalised, so the choice here is quite limited. I recommend to stick here with BMW, Ducati or Harley as Spareparts will be more easily to come by.
All above is just my private opinion, so there's no claim on perfection.
Somebody got better information, please enlighten us, in the end its for our own good.
Happy biking; after work today I'm off to Trat..............................