Cost (and hassle) of taking a bike

Has anyone know how much it would cost to transport a motorbike to NZ and how much paper work (and cost of paperwork) is involved.
Is it allowed to use a bike registered in UK in NZ until the paperwork is settled?

Here's a copy of my reply to a similar question raised on another forum. Sorry, but its a bit lengthy!!

I don't know how reliable this information is, but I've got it from the PSS Shipping Info brochure:

1. Customs Duty & GST

First time immigrants taking up permanent residence can import motor vehicles, motorcycles & boats Duty and GST free, provided they can prove they have owned and used the vehicle overseas for at least 12 months prior to their departure date.

2. Concessionary Entry

Your vehicle will be admitted free of duty and GST provided you satisfy customs that you have the intention of taking up permanent residence for the first time and you have personally owned and used it overseas for at least one year before your date of departure to NZ and that the vehicle is for your own personal use in NZ. You will also be required to complete a Deed of Covenant stipulating that if you sell the vehicle within 2 years, you must pay the duty and GST.

Motorcycles

Motorcycles are imported free of duty but are subject to GST which is payable on the full purchase price (less depreciation) PLUS the freight and insurance costs incurred in transporting to NZ.

Depreciation Deductions

Motorcycles owned and used overseas by the importer for:

less than 90 days Nil
Between 3 & 4 months 13%
Between 4 & 6 months 20%
Between 6 & 9 months 27.5%
Between 9 & 12 months 35%
Between 1 & 2 years 50%
Between 2 & 3 years 60%
Between 3 & 4 years 70%
Over 4 years 75%

You can get more information from Land Transport Safety Authority www.ltsa.govt.nz

[quote:a1f5640e67="NW2NZ"]

Motorcycles

Motorcycles are imported free of duty but are subject to GST which is payable on the full purchase price (less depreciation) PLUS the freight and insurance costs incurred in transporting to NZ.

Depreciation Deductions

Motorcycles owned and used overseas by the importer for:

Between 2 & 3 years 60%
[/quote:a1f5640e67]

So I have to pay 12.5% of 60% the value of the bike, plus 12.5% of whatever it costs to get it there?

How do they decide on the value of the bike? One that I was thinking of important was a cosmetic write, which although repaired is worth a fraction of a non written off one in the same condition, hence why no point selling it over here, would rather ride it for a few years.


Also what does it cost to physically get the bike there. If we are hiring a container and are paying per container which would be the same if there was a bike in there or not, what would they decide the cost of transportation is?

[quote="NW2NZ"]:

1. Customs Duty & GST

First time immigrants taking up permanent residence can import motor vehicles, [u:7f29f2b05d][b:7f29f2b05d]motorcycles [/b:7f29f2b05d][/u:7f29f2b05d]& boats [u:7f29f2b05d][b:7f29f2b05d]Duty and GST free[/b:7f29f2b05d][/u:7f29f2b05d], provided they can prove they have owned and used the vehicle overseas for at least 12 months prior to their departure date.

Hi Moggy,

As it says above, my understanding is that, if you have PR when your bike arrives, you won't have to pay ANY duty or GST.

With regard to transport costs, you can put your bike in the same container as your household goods. They just build a crate around it. I'll know more about costs when I get my own quote in a few weeks' time.

Good Luck

Thanks I would really appreciate that. Currently we have 2 SV650s we plan to sell one, and maybe take the second, but this depends ultimately on cost. I would probably make sense to sell the undamaged one and ship the damaged one. Do you know anything about how legal the bike is to ride once it gets there, does it have to have a NZ test/plate.

Hi Moggy,
When you import a vehicle, it has to be inspected by the LTSA for fitness to use on the roads. Importing damaged vehicles (depending on the severity of the damage) can be a major headache, and they may insist on you stumping up the cash to get it repaired before they will allow it through.

When I say damaged , it has a scratched faring and a dent in the exhaust. Purely cosmetic. Might even replace the exhaust soon if we decide to keep it.

Thats good then! If its got a current (preferably recent) MOT, then it should go through the LTSA inspection easily enough.

Yes, current MOT and tax. The story behind having two identical bikes is that I had an accident on one when it was 6 months old. The insurance company wrote it off. I put down a deposit on a new one. Then we managed to find someone to take some photos of it for us (it had ended up in a salvage yard in London and was too far to go and look at it.) When we saw the photos we realised it really was purely cosmetic damage, so we bought it back off them. Replaced the mirror and two brake levers, polished a couple of scratches and that was it. However I had already put the deposit down on the new one, so I got that and my husband got my old one as he was without a bike at the time.

Hi Moggy,

I can second what Taffy said. Once they arrive in port, MAF look them over to check whether they've brought any bugs with them etc, and then you have to arrange to take them to a LTSA approved station where they check the condition of the bikes and that they comply with NZ regs. The LTSA is very helpful and quite easy to navigate so have a look through that. Once passed by LTSA, you pick up your new reg plates and away you go! Remember, insurance is really cheap over there.