Scooter Importing?

[Mr Eps]

hey everyone as thread suggests... haven't the slightest idea of who or where else to ask about this sort of thing

but was wondering about buying a scooter - then i realised a few things

they are

compared to when i'm overseas and ride a scooter - the scooters here cost entirely too much money and

the scooters here suck... i don't WANT a V-moto or some cheap rubbish that's "retro" i just want an automatic motorbike that's easy and fun to ride

but yeah - overseas a brand new scooter seems to cost about $1500AUD - $3000 MAX??? essentially i want something sporty like the kymco xciting250 or the downtown300 as pictured here

both these scooters are priced well below $5000 AUD and yet for anything that comes close in aus you're looking in excess of 8/9K!!!

so does anyone know IF anything can be done and WHAT needs to be done to import a scooter???

i've heard there's not much compliance that needs to be done on most models outside of emissions control etc

[Priestley]

Motorbikes (and I imagine scooters) fall under the same rules as importing cars. So you would need to find a workshop to compliance them if they were deemed eligible for import.

Or you could buy a pre 1989 model, but scooters of the kind you're looking at weren't around then from what I know.

[BigWillieStyles]

Doubt that any good ones are elligible for import. Decent scooters cost money overseas too.

Buy a Yamaha Majesty, they sell in Aus and there is heaps of aftermarket support for them via yahoo auctions. They come with a 250cc and a bigger 400cc if I remember correctly.

I might get one when I get back to Melbourne.

[funkymonkey]

Dear Kristian (Iron Chef).

I want a Honda Ruckus.

Make it so.

To the OP. Buy a Yamaha Majesty Sport 250cc.

[bozodos]

how did i guess that you of all people would have made this thread rowan?

man up and get a gsxr600!

[Mr Eps]

okay - one - no gsx-r600 bozodos. i don't want gears and i want the practicality of a scooter - my mate has a ninja250 and outside of "commuting" it's useless IMO cos there's no storage and unless u aren't afraid of dieing anytime soon (like i am) then pilion passenger is hard!! haha

reasons i want a scooter are:

automatic, so easy to ride

storage for things within the seat

etc

etc

yes i'm aware of the yamaha majesty 250 and it's awesomeness - i'm also aware of it's aftermarket support

haha

but

yamaha majesty in aus is only avail as 500cc as of 2007... the only majesty's available as 250cc is one i've found in queensland, it's nearly four years old and she wants 5.5K for it... dreaming... scooters do not hold their value that good!!!

and im def not getting it from qld.. too far! (i'm in WA)

again honda forza - only available as 500cc now

i specifically want a 250 because obviously i have to have my 250cc class license for a year before i can get anything larger ... so i want a stylish customisable <250cc scooter!

as for funkymonkey - the ruckus (last i heard) was on the cusp of being readily available in australia

for those who don't know

now you know.

honda ruckus is cool - but again - 50cc... while it's great idea to think about how good on fuel it would be - reality is you'd get spat on by every car driver because you didn't accelerate to 100km/h in 4 secs in a school zone. it's a shit reality but a reality nonetheless - 50cc is unfortunately too slow for aus roads, maybe it's okay in melbourne but not anywhere else =/

but yeah - looks like importing a scooter will be way too hard... will shop locally - the derbi range seem to have good sporty looking scooters but i more want something customisable ... like...

oh and another scooter i want - the yamaha morphous

soooooooo long n low

[The Bogan]

how did i guess that you of all people would have made this thread rowan?

man up and get a gsxr600!

On topic- Red Baron Imports, got my 1986 GSX-R 1100 from them.

Off topic- My scoota uses $3.00 a week in fuel to get me to work whereas my GSX-R 1100 slabie would use $25.00 and wouldn't even be warmed up when I shut it down after the 10 min ride.

Scoota,s are great for short trips, but if your on it for more than 20 Min's it gets a bit painful (my epic ride on a 50cc scoota to Texi confirmed this).

If I need a bike to commute further I would look into a Motard, great vision and more maneuverable than a road/sports bike.

[funkymonkey]

please refer to thread from 2006:

http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/Ow...in-t133007.html

[Priestley]

You can get auto clutches for motorbikes.

Put a pack rack and tank bag on and you have plenty of storage space. You can also wear a backpack.

So buy a 250cc roadtrail bike, put in an auto clutch and a pack rack and you have a pretty good package.

Edit: Also postie bike.

Edited February 22, 2010 by Priestley

[The Bogan]

+1 for postie bike.

[BigWillieStyles]

Scoota,s are great for short trips, but if your on it for more than 20 Min's it gets a bit painful (my epic ride on a 50cc scoota to Texi confirmed this).

.

I did a 2 hour trip on my old 50cc once, had to peal my ass off the seat afterwards. But bigger scooters a designed for more comfort than the 50cc ones. Alot of the guys I see cruising around are lying back like an arm chair when driving the larger scooters.

Found this Majesty, looks quite nice to me and cheap. --- CLICK

Edited February 22, 2010 by BigWillieStyles

[bozodos]

It doesnt matter who's riding a scooter in Australia, you could be Clint Eastwood with a 44magnum, a keg of beer strapped to each side and a highway patrol officer being dragged by a length of chain behind it and youre still going too be a rampaging arse bandit in the eyes of pretty much everyone.

QFT.

I like the idea in the same thread of getting a dirty old 250 trail bike and painting it matte black, the ultimate in urban manoeverability!

[Mr Eps]

no. no. no. no.

i don't want to get a trail bike.

i don't want to get a 250cc and convert it to automatic

i don't want to get a postie bike and modify it

i want a scooter. thanks to whoever posted up the 250cc yamaha's

they're not sold anymore and that pricing is well within my reach of purchase. cheers!!

seriously. my mate is always in my ear already saying "if you're getting into the 250 size then why piss around with a scooter why not just get a motorbike"

like

shut

up

already

i just want a scooter - that's the product i want. easy to commute on. and much more useful than a motorbike.

ps - funky did you end up actually buying a scooter or did all the knuckle dragging mouth breathers talk you out of it?

Edited February 23, 2010 by Mr Eps

[funkymonkey]

ps - funky did you end up actually buying a scooter or did all the knuckle dragging mouth breathers talk you out of it?

yeah pretty much got talked out of it. That said, I did buy a 250cc Suzuki Across after that thread. I'm trying to figure out a way of importing a Honda Ruckus and legalising it in oz these days. First thing to go will be the 50cc engine, probably replace it with a drop in 250cc engine you can get in the US.

I did find some Honda CN250's (Helix) for under 3 grand locally (and you can still import them from Japan as they're older than 1988)... but they're so old that its not really that viable a choice.

Oh BTW:

http://www.bikepoint.com.au/all-bikes/priv...0&R=2268932

Just found a majesty for 2.5K near my mate's house... might have to go check it out Might get a VIP Scooter after all haha.

[Priestley]

What would you need to modify on the postie bike?

They're auto, plenty of storage space (just ad a milk crate to the pack rack ) and for less than $1000 they're a decent bike. Lots of spare parts around and they even have a racing series for them in NSW i believe.

Talking myself in to wanting a postie bike now...

Funkymonkey, is the Across the one with storage under the tank?

Edited February 23, 2010 by Priestley

[funkymonkey]

Funkymonkey, is the Across the one with storage under the tank?

yup, the tank is actually under the seat, and the area which is occupied by the tank usually is a storage compartment. Possibly the best commuter bike ever, don't have to lug around a helmet everywhere.

I'm guessing Roawn's only interested in feet first scooters (ie, "cruiser scooters"). They are way more comfortable, more stable and come with the same brakes and engines as their crotch rocket siblings. Postie bikes are uncomfortable as sin, as are most crouching scooters.

also, some links:

http://www.freewheel-jp.com/trikes.html

http://www.dragon-japan.net

http://www.showcase-tune.com/index2.html

Honda Fusion clone:

http://www.cfmoto.cn/Product_info.php?id=64

[Mr Eps]

the honda fusion clone isn't avail in aus is it....

i've found the TGB xmotion250

it's a neat little machine - apparently the kymco downtown300 is hitting retail soon - it's lighter than most 250cc bikes, has more storage capacity and accelerates faster than the suzuki burgman 400

only problem with these bikes is - the TGB is not avail until mid april and is $6,990driveaway - a lot of money for a fkn scooter!!!!!!

[Tony de Wonderful]

I should have known that Mr EPS would be into scooters.

[Rekin]

[Priestley]

Are Hyosung selling scooters in Australia yet? Might want to look in to them Eps. Decent quality and their bikes are pretty cheap.