Offering help with a bike purchase if you are coming to Australia

[wigger]

In the spirit of karma i'm offering to assist a person coming here and wanting to buy a bike for touring. I'm very familiar with the market because I'm on the web looking at stuff most days (but not the exotic stuff) .

I know the sites and what is practical for a big ride here. However i'm not interested in getting into an area of bikes like GS 1200s and complicated stuff. More the DR and KLR and CB500X type stuff.

So an example of what is out there ( and i did buy this bike myself) - a 2013 Honda CB500X 73000kms fitted with Hepco Becker C rack and daybags. Motor good but been attacked with a rattlecan paint job on the tank. $2500. It is perfect for a big ride and i'm going to Darwin on it next year. (4500 kms)

If you tell me what you are after, then i can send you "possibles" between Sydney and Brisbane which because of price, condition etc are worth considering. Anything more than this, would be a matter of negotiation.

I don't want to get bogged down with people who are just perusing the Aussie market so you'll need to show some evidence of being serious about coming here and buying a bike.

[Marshyboy]

Hi Wigger.
That's a very timely post thank you! I'm coming over to Oz and will be in Sydney around December 28th this year and have time off until January 23rd next. My thinking was to buy a bike and then leave it with someone to sell when I'd finished my month - cheaper than hiring. I'd sell at a decent price as it would still be a saving. I was thinking of buying in Sydney or Brisbane and then riding to the other state, but I understand it may not be easy to sell that way, so I'd possibly buy in the northern end of NSW and after a bit of exploring sunshine coast and the parks, ride down to Sydney to sell. Would that work?

It sounds as if you're thinking about the same sort of bikes as I am. Nothing over 800cc but preferably 650ish and as good value as I could get and ready to go with no works. I would need luggage as I'd only be coming with riding gear. Any help and advice would be appreciated. Many thanks.

[wigger]

My initial thought is that 3 weeks is just too short a time to be opting for buying a bike given that you will probably be wanting to use it up to day 21 and then have an expectation that in leaving it behind with someone to sell, you will achieve a satisfactory financial outcome.
I am attempting to do this with a ride in NZ where i have bought a DR650 and will be riding 8000kms over 2 months. The maths for a rental (60 x $135) tells you that for $8100 I am better off actually buying and then selling, but I am not anticipating that the sale process will be quick. Same problem - I leave the country and hope to have another person take care of the sale process.

But if you do go ahead with the idea of buying, I would suggest that you do not buy a bike (say QLD rego) and then sell in NSW. there are just too many hassles in buying in one state and then finding a willing buyer who will buy and accept the added costs of transferring the plates to NSW. They have plenty of local options and only a cheap deal will steer them towards your bike.
The CB500X I mentioned above was on QLD plates but that suited me because QLD does a cheap single seat rego deal and with a Qld address I can take advantage of this. Otherwise my stance is not to buy extrastate unless the bike is one that you particularly want. If you buy in Victoria, and do not have a VIC address then you will be pressured by their "RTA" to surrender the plates.
So what I'm saying is that it is best to buy and sell in the same state. This still means that you can ride into other states but you are best to return to NSW. Others may tell you differently but I've had hassles with bikes I've bought extrastate.
Don't want to put a dampner on your plan but the bike market has cooled here lately (recession jitters !!) and this will impact on your sale plan. Are you prepared to have a bike sit for a couple of months before selling? the only counter to this is to buy really well and who is going to take care of this for you?

Just to put you in the picture. I know I put my hand up to help but your timing is too soon for me. I fly out on Nov 28 to NZ and won't be back until mid Feb, This means that i can't do a bike search for you this year.
Are you interested in a bike swap - my CB500X for 3 weeks for a bike from you for 3 weeks in Sept next year?

edit -to clarify. I just wont have the oodles of data (that I have here) to go online searching for bikes while travelling in NZ.
Give me your email address so that I can send links to stuff that i think is worth considering. Can do up to the 27th Nov. Sure, the stuff might have already sold in that month before you arrive but it will give you a guide.

[Marshyboy]

Thanks for the honest answer Wigger. I'm constantly reviewing options so will plug your thoughts into them - maybe I'll just try harder to blag a bike or look at exactly how long I need one for - it may be that as I'll be visiting people, bike hire between visits may be a better option.
Bike swap would have been great and thanks for the offer, but I'm in Canada and Alaska from next July to October and would probably fly one of my bikes over and I wouldn't be around to sort one of the others for you sadly.
I'll message my email address to you - let me know where you are in NZ as I'll be on a ship popping in to ports on the south coast mid Feb. I'll be biking in NZ later from 21st Feb to end of March and am borrowing a bike there from a friend with too many!
Many thanks for your pointers.

[wigger]

Hi Mb
Pity about the NZ timing because I'm going to ride both islands over 2 and a bit months but will be finished by mid feb in Auckland. I couldn't delay beyond a Dec 5 start because the dealer (whom i bought the bike from in March 2021) has been telling me to come and pick it up pronto.
I know NZ well so have picked out easy dirt roads that run up the middle of the south Island. The bike i picked up here(CB500X) would have been perfect for that ride and I found that "TRADE ME" had a very limited number of bikes for sale (except expensive ones). Instead I'm doing it on a new DR650 and it's not the most suitable bike for me with a high seat.
Just remember that inland NZ starts to get cold from the end of March so take some warm gear. The roads are perfect for mbike riding -low traffic volumes, varied terrain.

[wigger]

PMd you

[wigger]

pm'd you

[Bushbikes]

Hi Wigger

Thanks for your helpful posts!

My husband and I are experienced motorcyclists from the UK. We're coming to Perth on 5th March and will spend 3-6 months riding across to Brisbane. We plan to buy 2 motorbikes when we get there. We have identified one (a 2014 BMW G650GS) and are looking for a second bike (650 or less). Although we have always had bigger bikes, we want to take smaller bikes on this trip (cost being one factor but also novelty and manoeuvrability as we're both getting older).

We have an offer to borrow a F800GS but will need to get the suspension lowered, a low seat and panniers and a tank bag (we're both shorties). Then pay to return the bike when we get to Brisbane. We may take this offer up but our initial plan was to buy 2 bikes, leave them with friends in Brisbane and then come back next year to ride across the Northern Territories. So borrowing a bike for this trip might not be economically sound.

Anyway, I'm sure we'll find a second bike (we're looking at all the dealers in Perth and also the second hand bike websites). Max cost is $7000.

It's the insurance that's bothering me. For the 650 that we'll buy, we have the compulsory 3rd party insurance as part of the Rego. But I can't find any company in australia willing to give us comprehensive insurance (I've tried Shannons, NMCI and KT Insurance). Do you have any suggestions / thoughts? Without that, it leaves us vulnerable if we damage someone else's vehicle.

Also, if we were to borrow a bike, then I'm wondering if we'll be able to get both of us as named drivers on that person's insurance. We both have always ridden each others bikes so that we get a change of riding position etc. Do you have any experience or thoughts on that one? Of course my best bet is to ask the current owner's insurers but I thought I'd mention it anyway.

I'm sorry for other bikers on the forum that these are such specific questions. I will be posting more on some of the research I've done as I've found some useful stuff for bikers but time is getting shorter and so for the moment I'm just trying to sort out this insurance question.......

Thanks

[wigger]

Hi Bushbikes
Just saw your post.

to clarify - (these categories and definitions are common to all Australian states)

1 The insurance (called Greenslip in NSW ) that is a cost component of the registration fee is THIRD PARTY PERSONAL INJURY COVER and has nothing to do with vehicle cover. It indemnifies you against claims by injured other drivers, pedestrians so only people.

2 Next level - you can get THIRD PARTY ONLY vehicle insurance which means that if you run into a Ferrari then its repair bill is covered but you have no cover for damage to your vehicle.

3 Next COMPREHENSIVE INSURANCE which in addition to third party damage, covers your vehicle.

I'm not sure what you have been enquiring about in taking up insurance, and am not the best person to talk to you about finding a company. This is because I run 20 bikes with NO COVER for 2 and 3.
Why ? - too expensive with multiple bikes. So far I've been lucky (and careful) and haven't had a bike claim in 30 years.
I would suggest that getting 3rd PARTY COVER if Comprehensive is not available, could be enough esp if you are not riding in big city areas. You need to determine the cost difference between just taking up 2 or taking 3. Often it can be surprisingly small.


Buying.
You will have difficulties if you buy a bike in one state and want to sell in another. I have already explained why on this forum.
So if you buy in W A and leave the bikes in Qld and come back for them in a year, make sure you understand the registration renewal process. Some states have an inspection requirement so if this is the case for WA then you will have a problem if the bike is still in Qld. States that don't have annual inspections are QLD and VICTORIA. Don't know about SA. NSW does have inspections.
Minimise problems by buying bikes with "long" rego on them

Only my opinion/experience but be very careful if buying sub 7000 bikes. You are getting into older stuff and if mechanically something goes wrong, you will obviously have a BIG problem and your ride plan torpedoed.
This is why for my NZ ride which have just finished (9000kms), I bought a new DR650. Better to stump up more money upfront and avoid any chance of a breakdown which may wreck your plan. Sure, i bought a 2013 CB500X last year for $2500 and intend riding to Darwin in april but I have the benefit of time and a bike recovery plan.
I would suggest that you decide whether off road riding is an essential component of your ride (as i did for NZ). Buying off roaders is more risky. They can be pretty clapped out.
You could do easy dirt/gravel roads with something like a V strom or CB500X and the choices are much wider. Don't even think about a DR650 if the seat has not been done. In fact, don’t even think DR.
Don't worry about asking lots of questions here. We are here to help each other.