When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Does it make any sense to ship a 2007 Road King Classic to Europe and ride it for a month and then sell it there? Bike would be from California.
I am trying to figure out the best way to ride in Europe.
Probably gonna run into some import tax problems with that idea, so if you still turn a profit after shipping and paying import tax, why not? Aren't there dealers there that rent HD's?
If it helps to give any indication of how much could be made or lost by shipping the bike here and selling it, I can offer a comparison of how much an '07 RKC would have cost new in the different regions (prices show the msrp for the basic vivid black version):
US: $17695
UK: ÂŁ13895 which, at current exchange rates, is about $27245
Depending on shipping costs and importation taxes (which I know nothing about) there may still be a big enough difference to return a profit.
Simon is on the right track. Import duties, VAT, and the cost of converting whatever needs to be changed to meet European standards. For instance if you do it in the UK the headlights have to be changed, the speedometer would need to be changed to Kilometers anywhere in Europe too. Do a google search for something like "import vehicle europe" and you should get all sorts of gobbledegook.
There are several dealers in Europe that rent. One, I believe, in London and one in Munich that I've heard of.
It depends on what country you sell it in. In Norway you will have problems with bikes newer than 15.06.2003. But older than that you will earn moore than you use on your holliday in Norway.
I've looked into this for American friends, basically it works like this.
You can bring your own bike and ride it on US plates for up to 6 months, but you need insurance.
Dealers in most European Countries rent but your looking at over $200 a day.
Selling your bike in England while not registered here, won't realise it's value, because of the problems paying import duty and VAT. On my $12000 RG I paid $4000 import tax and VAT.
Best solution we found was to buy a bike from a dealer here who agrees to buy it back when you go home. the buy back price is negociated when you buy and takes mileage into account
Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Becomes a Dark, Decepticon-Inspired Custom
Slideshow: Killer Custom's latest build relies on styling changes rather than performance upgrades, giving the cruiser an entirely different personality.
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.