This Post is meant to give one person's experience buying a motorcycle in Australia for the sole purpose of riding around the country and then selling it at the end of the journey. I rode from the end of May through July, 2010

Rider: I am an American. My USA motorcycle license was valid for my entire time there and from what I was told by the the NSW "Road and Traffic Authority" (RTA) is valid indefinitely. One only has to get an Australian license (issued by the state of residence) if they plan to reside permanently in Australia. Furthermore I was not limited by the tiered licensing requirements that apply to Australians, meaning that my non-tiered California license allowed me to ride any size or type of bike. I was under the impression that this is true for most English speaking countries

Bike: I was looking for a Dual Sport bike, in the mold of a KLE 500 or DR 650. I found, and was told, that these bikes are not very common in Australia. They also, not unexpectedly, carry a premium over more road oriented bikes. I wanted to spend no more than what it would have cost me to ship my own bike, there and back, from California ($3500-$4000 USD). I settled on a 1996 VFR750. Not the best choice for Australia's roads, but given where I planned to ride, and that I had less than two months, it made sense (see attached map).

Buying Process: I paid $3900 AUD from a dealer, and sold to a private seller for $2200 AUD. I took a bigger hit than I would have liked, but buying from a dealer, one will always pay more, and I did not want to spend weeks at the end of my trip trying to sell the bike. The dealer I went with in Sydney, "Bikebiz" (Bikebiz - New & Used Motorcycles, Motorcycle Parts & Motorbike Accessories), were helpful and their inventory of used bikes seemed well maintained. I would recommend them over the other dealers I visited (I had not a single mechanical problem with the VFR in over 12000 miles). There are number websites to look for bikes and to try to sell on after. I used primarily Trading Post - Online and Mobile Classifieds, and Used Motorbike For Sale - Buy and Sell Motorbikes Australia - bikepoint.com.au, while searching for motorcycles.

Paper work: The paper work process is surprisingly easy in Australia. Every motorcycle that is up to date has what is called "Rego" (registration). This paper serves to show who is the registered owner, that the fees are up to date, that the bike is road worthy. It also serves as insurance paperwork, as personal liability insurance goes with the motorcycle. Therefor ones does not "have to buy" insurance when buying a bike. The Process is listed below:
1) Find desired bike and pay seller
2) Have seller fill out the sale portion of the "Rego" paperwork
3) Take this to any state RTA office
4) Be able to produce proof of residence within that state (I used my Hostel accommodation address and all I needed was a copy of a receipt showing that I stayed/was staying there, signed by an employee)
5) Passport and drivers License from home country
6) pay 3% of sale price of motorcycle, for taxes and fees.

That was about it. I was then off for two months. The main thing I learned while over there is that, in comparison to the USA, motorcycle parts and labor are 30%-40% more expensive, even when exchange rates are taking into account (A rear Michelin Pilot road cost me $300 AUD in Perth, and I was told that was a deal). While I paid more than I had expected for the VFR 750, knowing it came from a dealer, who gave me a three month warranty, New tires, and that the bike had gone through a complete service, was worth the piece of mind knowing I was less likely to break down in the outback, or need to use the services of an expensive repair shop (hourly rates were often in excess of $100 AUD/hr)

All that being said, buying and selling a bike is a very easy process in Australia, and unless you are greatly attached to your own bike (yes big BMWs and KTMs are readily available, just expensive), it is far easier and cheaper to buy a bike and then re-sell it when your tour is over, either to a third party or back to the dealer you bought it from (albeit taking a bigger hit)

Also, Sydney and Melbourne are by far the two best places to buy motorcycles. Everything in WA is more expensive. Bring your own gear as well, as helmets, gloves, luggage etc. is extremely expensive

Cheers

Matt

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