I know there has been a few threads on importing cars/ bikes etc, giving different info in regards to costs of importing vs selling and buying new and also regarding modifications etc...
My partner wanted to import his motorbike which had been heavily modified and set up for race use with upgrades etc. Before we left the UK he bought a KPH clock for £40 and fitted it, stripped the bike down and cleaned it all. Because it had been thrown down the track a couple of times, he would only have got between £2000- £3000 if he had sold it in the UK before we left. To get a standard bike in Oz of the same make/model would cost him between $7000 - $10,000, and to get the same upgrades and modifications would cost an extra $5k-$10k on top of that. The shipping cost just approx £1500 for 20 cartons and the bike from Southampton to Hobart including clearance. We paid around $300 for taxes etc and the duty on the bike was $1000, including a $350 valuation fee. Despite the bike have loads of modifications, all which were declared, it cleared customs and quaruntine with no problems at all and it also passed the Roadworthy test straight away.
I know cars can be more expensive to import as there is an extra cost, but ultimately, for a motorcycle, it is worth the money. Bikes here are heaps more expensive than the UK for smaller engine machines; eg; up to 600cc, second hand bikes of over 1000cc tend to be cheaper comparitively. To get a bike through customs and on the road you're looking at around $2000 depending on the value of the bike. Also, with bikes, they base the valuation on what you paid for it when you bought it, or you can get it re-valued; imported bikes are always worth less than Oz bikes of the same make/model, so depending on how long you have owned the bike, the $350 charge for the valuation can save you a lot of money!
I hope this info is helpful to someone... I know we received a lot of incorrect information regarding importing bikes, particularly about modifications. As long as it has KPH clocks, lights, mirrors, good tyres, brakes etc, there shouldn't be a problem in it going through.
