Moving to SG, should I ship my bike or buy one when I get there

[jonomo]

Hello all,
I'm moving to SG from Seoul, Korea at the end of the year. I have a 2009 883R that I bought a month ago. I'm thinking of taking it to SG with me or sell it and buy one when I get there.

I noticed that Sportsters are about 3x the US price in SG. They are about 2x price here in Korea. I bought my 09 for about US$10K, it goes for about US$14K brand new. I heard a new 883Low is about US$17K. So i'm thinking it might be best for me to just take my bike.

Anyone have experience with bringing your bike to SG?

[misterT]

Turbota lives in the Phillipeans maybe he could be of some help. I can tell you this if you are shipping it across the water you definately need to cover every metal part with rust/ corrosion preventative. We get machines in from overseas and any parts that have not been covered well are very rusted or corroded. You also will want to crate the bike very well with ample room around it inside the crate and have it secured very well to prevent damage.

[bshadbolt]

I live in Singapore.

Importing bikes is not an easy process, but can be done so long as the bike is less than 3 years old (no problem for you) and you need a lab test on the exhaust before you ship it among other things. You will also have to pay all the taxes that we have to pay here for new bikes.

US$17k doesn't sound right for an 883. I thought they were about S$17k - about US$13k. I'll check and let you know on Monday.

Cheers,

Brett

[jonomo]

Originally Posted by bshadbolt

I live in Singapore.

Importing bikes is not an easy process, but can be done so long as the bike is less than 3 years old (no problem for you) and you need a lab test on the exhaust before you ship it among other things. You will also have to pay all the taxes that we have to pay here for new bikes.

US$17k doesn't sound right for an 883. I thought they were about S$17k - about US$13k. I'll check and let you know on Monday.

Cheers,

Brett

Uhmm you're right. It looks like a 883L is about SG$20K, which is about US$14K.. maybe I should just sell mine and buy one when I get to SG... Is there a good used market for Sportsters in SG? Is there a website where I can shop around a bit to help me decide whether I should take it... all things considered I'd rather buy on in SG than go through the hassle of taking mine especially if the prices aren't that different.. I heard COE is alot cheaper on a bike than a car too..

[bshadbolt]

Originally Posted by jonomo

Uhmm you're right. It looks like a 883L is about SG$20K, which is about US$14K.. maybe I should just sell mine and buy one when I get to SG... Is there a good used market for Sportsters in SG? Is there a website where I can shop around a bit to help me decide whether I should take it... all things considered I'd rather buy on in SG than go through the hassle of taking mine especially if the prices aren't that different.. I heard COE is alot cheaper on a bike than a car too..

http://www.singaporebikes.com/index.php - lots of good info and bikes for sale.

COE's for bikes are about S$1k versus S$20k+ for cars. For you lucky b@stards in the US, that means when you buy a car here you have to buy a 'right' to own a car - COE or certificate of entitlement - currently about US$14k+ and only good for 10 years. After 10 years you pay it again and so on for as long as you own a car. 2 cars means 2 x COE's, etc. After paying the COE, you then pay the price of the car, plus 150% tax (yes, I did type 150%) and other fees.

Cheers,

Brett

[bshadbolt]

Here's a current ad for an 883L for S$13,250:

"I am reluctantly selling my 2006 Harley Davidson Sportster. The bike is in excellent condition with only 10.5K on the clock. It comes with some extras such as a spare single seat and a set of Screaming Eagle Pipes. The bike is currently fitted with the standard pipes. It has just had a full service at the dealership. If you are interested either email me on ferns27g@yahoo.co.uk or text me on 91158035."

Cheers,

Brett

[jonomo]

Originally Posted by bshadbolt

http://www.singaporebikes.com/index.php - lots of good info and bikes for sale.

COE's for bikes are about S$1k versus S$20k+ for cars. For you lucky b@stards in the US, that means when you buy a car here you have to buy a 'right' to own a car - COE or certificate of entitlement - currently about US$14k+ and only good for 10 years. After 10 years you pay it again and so on for as long as you own a car. 2 cars means 2 x COE's, etc. After paying the COE, you then pay the price of the car, plus 150% tax (yes, I did type 150%) and other fees.

Cheers,

Brett

I heard you can buy a used COE.. How do you go about doing that? When a car is listed on a used car site, is that including COE? It's kinda confusing..

[bshadbolt]

Originally Posted by jonomo

I heard you can buy a used COE.. How do you go about doing that? When a car is listed on a used car site, is that including COE? It's kinda confusing..

The COE goes with the vehicle.

So, for the bike ad I showed, the price of $13,250 would include the COE until 2016 (if it was registered new in 2006) and you would have to buy another 10 years in 2016 if you wanted to keep it on the road or scrap the bike then.

Cheers,

Brett