Per the above posts, the key is that bikes are far cheaper in the States than in Europe, all things being equal. In most cases the price difference is greater than shipping and storage; you save money by bringing a bike over from the States and either leaving it there or even shipping back home again (or both in succession, which is what I did). Meanwhile, you get to use your own bike with your own chosen upgrades, and you save the trouble of shopping for a bike on unfamiliar ground. Since AFAIK you can't bring a Urpian bike home and register it in North America, you also save the trouble of selling when you're finished.
Hope that helps.
Mark
(from South America, riding the same bike which lived in Europe for 16 months)
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