The countdown has begun, my bike is on her way to Ireland!!!
#1
09-08-2008, 12:03 PM
The countdown has begun, my bike is on her way to Ireland!!!
I just got news from Daytona HD that my 2007 Heritage is being picked up tomorrow by the shippers to begin her trip to New York and then from there to Dublin by plane. I just can't wait as its been weeks since I paid for it!
The background is a long story but sure aren't the Irish supposed to be good at story telling!
A friend of mine went on a holiday to the States in early July and I gave him $1,500 to put down as a deposit on a bike (a Heritage 2004-2007. It couldn't be new as the dealers would not sell a new bike or would need a US address etc!) and I would look after the rest, getting it shipped home etc. The only thing was that he could only purchase from a HD dealer as you never know what trouble you could get into giving a stranger $15k or more and be 3-6,000 miles away!
So he went over to San Diego first and called to all the HD dealers in Southern CA but I think they had like 3 secondhand bikes between and none a softail let alone a Heritage.Then he travelled to the East coast and had no better luck so when he was on his way home he called into Santa Barbara HD and saw a 2005 Deluxe which had 11,500 miles on her and had V&H Bigshots Long and a full chrome front end in Cherry Black which I fell for the second I saw it. Anyway I did a deal to buy it for $15,000 and than ordered a screen and tank bags and sissy bar etc etc....
All was going well until I asked for the date of first registration which I was told was August 2004 and because this is the date that the Irish customs go by for registration and also dictates the year which is the first two digits on the number plate that you get. This meant in essence, that this to me was a 2004 bike!!
I immediately spoke to the dealers and after a week or so of "well this is a 2005 MODEL YEAR bike and this is how we sell them etc) they were very good about it and sent me back my money which I had by then sent to them a week or so but the $1,500 I had paid for the parts was reduced to $1,100 as I was charged a 25% re-stocking fee and could only get a credit note for more parts or clothing etc.....
I then got talking to another friend of mine who told me he had just bought a 2006 Rucker Custom Pro. from Daytona HD and that I should give them a call which I duly did and bought the Heritage within 24 hours of seeing the photos for $16,000 (834 miles on the clock and first registered July 2007) so I was a very happy camper indeed. I then decided to get some V&H Bigshots Long a tuner kit and the A/C filter that makes up the trilogy and so I ordered them from SB HD and they looked after this only it took 2 weeks to get the parts across the country (well some of the parts were misplaced! for about 10 days!) and with the time it took for Daytona HD's bank to accept my transfer and move it about between their branch in Atlanta and God knows where else that brought the time up to 5 weeks since I did the deal.....and so to the present! (Hello!! Are you still reading this? I did say it was a long story! Do you want to grab a coffee and come back as it will still be here.....Ok no coffee yet so I will carry on......
I am now told it could take up to another 2 weeks as it could be 3/4 days in NY as the Stateside customs have to have a look at it and see that nothing is being smuggled out of the country in the saddlebags etc and then it has to wait for a plane and then when it gets to Dublin the Irish customs and excise officers can take up to a week before they are ready to inspect it and then I have to pay Customs Duty of 6% on the price of the bike PLUS VAT @21%(Value Added Tax I don't know if you have this over there but it was introduced by Britain's Maggie Thatcher in the 70's na dis a very unfair tax imo) on the price of the bike including the 6% Customs Duty and then VRT tax which is a tax that is only charged by the Irish Revenue as a first registration tax on a vehicle (a complete rip off!) which will end up with a price that started out at $16,000 plus $1,500 for extras (I forgot an airhorn) ending up close to €18,000 (around $26,000) by the time I get to swing my leg over her.
The whole experience has been a learning curve for me but I am sure glad that I only dealt with main dealers and I have to say they did a great job for me and treated me well overall!
So you can see why I am getting excited at the thoughts that she will soon be on Irish roads (or more like rivers as they have been this Summer) and I will finally get to see what its all about, this thing called Harley ownership....it will be completely new to me as I have never riden a Harley before (plenty of Jap bikes 750cc Suzuki, 1100cc Gpz Kwacker many years ago etc etc)
I have the following photos which are;
A. My new bike
B. My friends Rucker (notice the reg plate! The 06 is for the year and LH is for County Louth)
Thanks for reading this, it was therapy for me to get (most of it anyway) down in print and it becomes more believable for me when I see it here on the forum that my baby is on her way!..............Caddyman
The background is a long story but sure aren't the Irish supposed to be good at story telling!
A friend of mine went on a holiday to the States in early July and I gave him $1,500 to put down as a deposit on a bike (a Heritage 2004-2007. It couldn't be new as the dealers would not sell a new bike or would need a US address etc!) and I would look after the rest, getting it shipped home etc. The only thing was that he could only purchase from a HD dealer as you never know what trouble you could get into giving a stranger $15k or more and be 3-6,000 miles away!
So he went over to San Diego first and called to all the HD dealers in Southern CA but I think they had like 3 secondhand bikes between and none a softail let alone a Heritage.Then he travelled to the East coast and had no better luck so when he was on his way home he called into Santa Barbara HD and saw a 2005 Deluxe which had 11,500 miles on her and had V&H Bigshots Long and a full chrome front end in Cherry Black which I fell for the second I saw it. Anyway I did a deal to buy it for $15,000 and than ordered a screen and tank bags and sissy bar etc etc....
All was going well until I asked for the date of first registration which I was told was August 2004 and because this is the date that the Irish customs go by for registration and also dictates the year which is the first two digits on the number plate that you get. This meant in essence, that this to me was a 2004 bike!!
I immediately spoke to the dealers and after a week or so of "well this is a 2005 MODEL YEAR bike and this is how we sell them etc) they were very good about it and sent me back my money which I had by then sent to them a week or so but the $1,500 I had paid for the parts was reduced to $1,100 as I was charged a 25% re-stocking fee and could only get a credit note for more parts or clothing etc.....
I then got talking to another friend of mine who told me he had just bought a 2006 Rucker Custom Pro. from Daytona HD and that I should give them a call which I duly did and bought the Heritage within 24 hours of seeing the photos for $16,000 (834 miles on the clock and first registered July 2007) so I was a very happy camper indeed. I then decided to get some V&H Bigshots Long a tuner kit and the A/C filter that makes up the trilogy and so I ordered them from SB HD and they looked after this only it took 2 weeks to get the parts across the country (well some of the parts were misplaced! for about 10 days!) and with the time it took for Daytona HD's bank to accept my transfer and move it about between their branch in Atlanta and God knows where else that brought the time up to 5 weeks since I did the deal.....and so to the present! (Hello!! Are you still reading this? I did say it was a long story! Do you want to grab a coffee and come back as it will still be here.....Ok no coffee yet so I will carry on......
I am now told it could take up to another 2 weeks as it could be 3/4 days in NY as the Stateside customs have to have a look at it and see that nothing is being smuggled out of the country in the saddlebags etc and then it has to wait for a plane and then when it gets to Dublin the Irish customs and excise officers can take up to a week before they are ready to inspect it and then I have to pay Customs Duty of 6% on the price of the bike PLUS VAT @21%(Value Added Tax I don't know if you have this over there but it was introduced by Britain's Maggie Thatcher in the 70's na dis a very unfair tax imo) on the price of the bike including the 6% Customs Duty and then VRT tax which is a tax that is only charged by the Irish Revenue as a first registration tax on a vehicle (a complete rip off!) which will end up with a price that started out at $16,000 plus $1,500 for extras (I forgot an airhorn) ending up close to €18,000 (around $26,000) by the time I get to swing my leg over her.
The whole experience has been a learning curve for me but I am sure glad that I only dealt with main dealers and I have to say they did a great job for me and treated me well overall!
So you can see why I am getting excited at the thoughts that she will soon be on Irish roads (or more like rivers as they have been this Summer) and I will finally get to see what its all about, this thing called Harley ownership....it will be completely new to me as I have never riden a Harley before (plenty of Jap bikes 750cc Suzuki, 1100cc Gpz Kwacker many years ago etc etc)
I have the following photos which are;
A. My new bike
B. My friends Rucker (notice the reg plate! The 06 is for the year and LH is for County Louth)
Thanks for reading this, it was therapy for me to get (most of it anyway) down in print and it becomes more believable for me when I see it here on the forum that my baby is on her way!..............Caddyman
#2
09-08-2008, 12:15 PM
Seems like the price after all shipping and taxes would add up to the same as if you bought the motorcycle at Dublin H-D or Waterford H-D. BTW, visited the dealer in Dublin, back in April of this year. Got a great tee shirt....Pog Mo Thon written on the back of the shirt!!!!!! LOL. Fits the biker mentality, IMHO.
#3
09-08-2008, 12:22 PM
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#4
09-08-2008, 12:25 PM
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#5
09-08-2008, 12:29 PM
Wow, what a story! Congrats on the Heritage, you will LOVE it!!!
While I was in the US Air Force I spent many years stationed overseas and been to a LOT of countries, mostly in Europe (and the middle east of course), but Ireland has to have the most beautiful country side of any I visited. I only spent a short time there but it's one of the only countries I'd like to visit again now that I'm a civilian.
I'd venture to say that most people in the U.S. don't realize how many additional taxes there are for [foreign] vehicles in other countries. We do lots of bitch'n about the taxes we have, and rightfully so, but there's always someone else who has it worse.
While I was in the US Air Force I spent many years stationed overseas and been to a LOT of countries, mostly in Europe (and the middle east of course), but Ireland has to have the most beautiful country side of any I visited. I only spent a short time there but it's one of the only countries I'd like to visit again now that I'm a civilian.
I'd venture to say that most people in the U.S. don't realize how many additional taxes there are for [foreign] vehicles in other countries. We do lots of bitch'n about the taxes we have, and rightfully so, but there's always someone else who has it worse.
#6
09-08-2008, 12:53 PM
Seems like the price after all shipping and taxes would add up to the same as if you bought the motorcycle at Dublin H-D or Waterford H-D. BTW, visited the dealer in Dublin, back in April of this year. Got a great tee shirt....Pog Mo Thon written on the back of the shirt!!!!!! LOL. Fits the biker mentality, IMHO.
For sale at the time and all the prices I saw were mad compared to the prices in the states and that was without any extras! So I am a very happy chappy!
#7
09-08-2008, 01:06 PM
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€18,000, what did you save by not buying over here in Ireland/Northern Ireland at one of the main dealers, if there is a problem are you covered by warranty over here, there is a glut of s/h bikes over this way and some deals to be got, new Harley's are dropping in price, the recession is biting, changing from a VRSCDX to a FLSTSB myself and got a sweet deal from Lenny in Waterford Harley, your bike is sweet, well wear and enjoy the ride
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#10
09-08-2008, 02:08 PM
No I didnt! I think you were the first to figure it out for me that it was a Firefighter SE but I am very pleased that it is as I like to be different and this will be just that in Ireland! Do you have any idea how many of these bikes are made by HD each year