What bike to buy in NZ?
 

Hi everyone,

I'll be arriving in New Zealand around January on a WHV as part of a RWT. I plan on buying a bike as soon as I get there and was wondering which bikes, specifically cruisers and tourers. hold their value best in NZ and which were in the most demand? I had planned on buying a late model Suzuki GN250 since I am familiar with them and I will be riding one through SE Asia before I get to New Zealand. Now I'm thinking older BMW. I'd like to stay under $4000 and don't need anything too fancy, however I don't want to take a huge loss when I sell it either. I take meticulous care of my vehicles so it would still be in great shape. Also what bike would you guy recommend to ride across both Islands that fits into my restrictions? Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks,

John

Suzuki GN250 in NZ verry best choice
 

Hello, Patricia and I, we did travel Southern Island, two years ago, wonderful
There are a lot of these bikes for sale ,even with verry few Km , the price you mention is fair.
In NZ there are rules about driving 250 CC during 2 (?) years to get a licence for a big bike,therefore there are a lot of them, so they are relatively cheap
There are also yamaha RS 250 available, but suzuki's are common.
The issues on paperwork, I would not know, I traveld with a friend's vehicle.

watch out for the ..;sheep
Pol

We Would Also Love To Know Other's Experiences!
 

We had planned to ship our bikes to South America, but the prices have been so crazy that we are looking more towards buying bikes either in the States or New Zealand. We are still up in the air as to where we will go. It will depend a little on how easy it is to register the bikes! Anyone ever try to get the bikes out again? Or is selling and buying again better? My task for the day is combing old posts, but recent experiences would also be welcome!

Hey guys, I don't really know the answers to your questions but if you want to research what's on the market go to:

trademe.co.nz

It's what you might call New Zealand's equivalent of ebay.

It's easy in NZ
 

Anyone with a valid drivers license can register a vehicle in NZ. It's very easy, all you need is your ID (ie license), an address here in NZ (feel free to use mine, PM me), the vehicle details, and it will cost you less than $10 at any AA, and most Post Offices. You don't need insurance to ride legally in NZ, but as anywhere, there are good reasons for having insurance. Some banks offer insurance if you have an account with them (Westpac is one). These annual policies can be paid by monthly premium, so you just stop paying when you leave (don't tell them you are leaving before the year is up). You can export out of NZ with this.

Yes, 250cc bikes are plentiful, but 350-400cc bikes are cheaper, because learners can't ride them and experienced riders often want bigger. If you are an explorer, then I'd say go for a trial bike or dual sport.
TradeMe is a good idea. You can easily sell there as well. If you are brave enough, just put up a $1 reserve auction, ending the day you go.
Here's a good example:
Suzuki DRZ 400 EY 2000 | Trade Me

If you are wanting smaller, then the Yamaha Scorpio 225 is a good bike and quite cheap here.
Again, feel free to post here or PM me with any questions.

Cheers

Nigel in NZ