US Grey market importers

[tmckay]

Does anyone have links for US grey market importers?

It might be interesting to find out what kind of bikes you can get legally in this country through a professional grey importer.  I hear that they will do all the paperwork and make it legal, for a hefty profit of course.  Still might be interesting.

Trev

[bob]

Try doing a search for a specific bike, like NSR250, RGV250, ZZR400, GSXR 400, that kinda stuff.  It's been quite a while since I've looked up any of those bikes but I did do a little looking around a few years ago & was able to find a coupla outfits that did at least some importing.  & BTW, they were quite expensive.  You could pick up a nice 2-3 year old officially imported SuperSport 600 for the prices they were asking for grey import 400's.  What kinda bike are you looking for?

[bob]

Dang it!  Ya got me thinking again - - - & I hate it when that happens.  I was having this fuzzy memory about a "Grey Bike Mecca" website or some such name & I finally found it.  It's "Grey Motorcycle Mecca" & it's at
http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/5733/index.html
Take a peek.  It's not an importer's site, but it might eventually lead you  to one if you poke your way through all the links (the ones that still work that is).  Have fun.

[pantablo]

do a search here for cbr400 or gsxr 400 on this forum. I seem to remember soemone posting a link to a for sale forum (not the same as above) of grey market bikes. But they WERE more expensive...I seem to remember that a 80's cbr400 was about $6500 ...or about the cost of a slightly used 600 as stated above.

[Adam R]

I know Speedwerkes in Delaware brings in bikes.  

Look at http://www.speedwerksracing.com/index.html

[Adam R]

Strangely there is no mention of grey bikes on the web site.  I know as of last year they were bringing in Japanese bikes via Europe.  Maybe worth a phone call if your serious.  The shop has a pretty good reputation.

[tmckay]

I'm thinking ahead to the next bike, a few years down the road but I am wondering what the costs are.  My thought is that if you are going to keep the  thing for a long time, the extra $$ might not be so bad.

Plus you could be the only guy on your block with a .....
JK, that doesn't matter to me.  

I'm frustrated, for instance, that there is a 750 version of the Kawasaki Z1000 that is apparently not available here.  I don't want a liter naked bike, I want a 750. Just one example.  There are some current 400s from Suzuki that look cool too; size and handling of the GS but with a little more power but not as strong as a 600.

Just investigating.  Thanks for the links!  I've got a long slow trip to Japan for business meetings so I may go surfing  I'll let you know if I find anything.

Trev

[bob]

...I've got a long slow trip to Japan for business meetings so I may go surfing  I'll let you know if I find anything.

If you end up going to Japan, you gotta schedule some time to get to the motorcycle "mall" district they have.  I've read a little about it here & there & apparently it's an awesome motorcyclist's toy box.  If you go & get to investigate any of this, especially the grey import thing, you gotta give us a full report!  I'm jealous!!  

[tmckay]

Bob thanks!

I did a search and found out the "morotcycle mall" district is in Ueno, about 7 minutes by train from the Tokyo station, on my way back to the airport.

And, Ueno has a national science museum and an art museum as well  :lol:

I have not given up; my only fear is getting lost long enough to miss my plane home.  I might try to go Friday night and stay over or go very, very early Saturday morning (I wake up at 4:30am everyday anyway  :x   )

Trev

[Turkina]

Could you point me to the info on the 'motorcycle mall'?  I'll definitely have to check that out next time I'm in Tokyo.  Maybe I just walked in the wrong direction last time I passed through Ueno, not that I expected to see motorcycle shops