Thread: Importing Used Harley Davidson Motorcycles Advice Needed

I have a friend that wants to import and sell used Harley Davidson motorcycles in Thailand.

I have heard that if you send them over in parts, you avoid the import tax and then can rebuild them here.

Any truth to that?


Anyone have advice on my friend's business venture?

If it were that easy, 1,000 guys would be doing it.

Packages go missing very frequently around here.
If they catch you, you're screwed.
How are you going to register illegal bikes? Yes they'd be illegal -- no import tax paid.

Far too many headaches in my opinion.

Originally Posted by chitown

Anyone have advice on my friend's business venture?

If hes Thai and has some great connections and a lot of money then go for it.

If hes farang tell him to forget it as Tex said, if it were easy me dalton rigger peterpan eliminator squirrel etc etc etc etc would all have probably been doing it for the last 3 years or whatever!!!!!!

This kind of thing seems to be reserved for a select few, and farangs aint too welcome to the party

Tell him to sell it and buy one here
But if he must bring it over many shops in Bangkok can do it for you. I got quotes from a few shops and it ranged from 220K with book from the main Bangkok harley dealer with book (forgot the name) to 380K from some rip off farang knuts.
I could tell you more but I would have to kill you after

Unwritten rule but they allow you 2 imports, still have to pay duty and lots of it, but they will turn a blind eye to many requirements for just two.
Saying that I know of at least two guys who imported their Harleys and they just disappeared, one poor bastard paid the duty and still had his bike disappear from Leam Chabang.

Originally Posted by chitown

I have heard that if you send them over in parts, you avoid the import tax and then can rebuild them here.

Sorry bud, don't think it can be done. I have tried and tried to figure out a way. Don't tell anyone, but my wife has an uncle who is a big guy with customs.

Even he said, some parts might be lost in transit. He also said that was an old trick. "Big car, little pieces"

Then I looked into buying a used HD and having it sent to BKK. Way to much money.

Met a guy in our BKK village who did bring his custom HD over from New York City. Talked with him at the local market. Let's just say he lived in a different economic bracket than I do.

hillbilly: How did you get your big machine over here?
Him: Shipped it.
hillbilly:Was it expensive?
Him: No, not really, about what the bike cost me back in the states.

Still haven't given up hope yet...