Worth bringing a race bike from the uk?

[Oggy]

Still wondering if it's worth the trouble to bring my K1 GSXR1000 to Perth when we move in February.

Thing is it's a pretty good spec and I'm not sure if I'd get a similar bike setup in Oz for what I paid here on the Isle of Man.

Any advice on shipping a race bike which is unregistered, is it any different to bringing a bike in road trim to Oz or do the same rules apply?

[thro]

I'd do some research into prices here and over there, and work out shipping.

I suspect that it might not be worth it unless you have done some significant (ie, expensive) modifications.

To get the straight dope on what's required, you'd be best off getting the info (in writing, so that it's legally binding) from the licensing centre in teh state you are planning to move to.

If it's WA, check out Department for Planning and Infrastructure, and probably australian customs....

[wayney]

I know in terms of cars, vehicles can be personally imported if the person is migrating or a returning Australian that has lived in the country of the vehicle's origin for over 12 months. I know with cars, getting it complied is relatively simple, side intrusion bars have to exist or be retrofitted, seatbelts have to be changed to ones that have Australian Standards approval, other things like tyres, mirrors, headlights and a vehicle road worthiness check.

I have no idea when it comes to bikes, but I can't see it being much harder. Importing vehicles are actually governed by federal rules, DOTARS (Department of Transport and Regional Services) check out Importing Vehicles to Australia for more info, I recoomend calling and talking to one of the engineers there for much more details.

AFAIK, race bikes can be brought in with no restrictions but you might have to give an undertaking that it will not be road registered and you might personally need to have a rave licence from an approved body. ( My experience is with cars not bikes so I'm not clear on this matter)

[BlackFZR]

Be aware that if you intend to race it, depending on the class, you may have a few difficulties as well, due to some of the rules in the GCR's.......

Go here to see what class you may consider racing, and whether an imported bike can be used in it. If you just intend to use it as a track bike, you should be fine.

Good luck, whatever the decision.

[Nero Diablo]

Bringing a race bike in is much much easier a you don't have to meet ADR's providing you have no intention of returning it to road trim. Import permit costs around $50 as you already own it you shouldn't have to pay GST but check with customs first. You need to prove that 1. you own it 2. you have used in close circuit situationans before (race licenses photo's sts dec's etc etc). Just check the local hill billy racing series runs pretty stock bikes in order it keep costs down. Shipping is around 2K takes around 6-8 weeks but if you are bringing a heap of other stuff over might be worth looking into getting an entire container.

[Jamathi]

Bring them, as it always comes to be that you say afterwards:
"I wish I'd kept it"
and the cost overall regarding moving is not that great!

[thro]

My only other point would be that perhaps a bike of the same age/model in australia may be in better condition.

We don't have salt on the roads here....

(aware it's a track bike - but it would have spent the first few years of its life on public roads most likely?)

[Martin1]

also, the more important question, why are you moving here from the isle of man to race bikes?? it seems a bit of a backwards step!!
i would've though you were well catered for over there?
good luck with the move.

[Tex]

We had a guy who moved over here from the UK and bought with him his Supersport CBR600rr, he had a bit of a nightmare of a time due to it not compling to our GCR's , eventually he sold it and bought a 675

If you can I'd just strip off the bling bits ( rear shock and forks) and bring them over and bolt them onto a bike over here, the track here in WA is not a big horsepower track, under a second difference between the Superbike lap record and the Supersport lap record.

there are a fair few good bikes on the market over here and more than happy to help you find one when you get here, If you were two weeks earlier you could of purchased mine.

Tex

[Oggy]

Thanks very much for the info folks, I feel I really need to bring it as it is still a relatively quick bike even considering its age. Last time on the dyno it was pushing out 173 BHP at the wheel, although it was slipping on the dyno so it was under reading to a degree. The motor was done by Slick Bass, ex foggy mechanic, and it's got a full Yoshi system, a Maxton rear shock and fork internals, Harris bits n pieces, rear sets nad so on. The thing is I got it for very little money @ £1,500 or AUD $3,300 approx. with minor scuff damage. I bought it as a race bike but thankfully when Slick built it he left all the wiring in place, so I fitted a single NC30 Headlight and an aftermarket tail light etc. It was registered as a road bike from new but the owner crashed it and sold it to Big H (Paul Hunt) who had Slick modify it for him. The registration book was handed back to the DOT but as it was not classified as a writeoff by an insurer I'm still allowed to register it again as long as it passes the DOT test.
Moving from the IoM to perth is more of a lifestyle change, as really I've retired from racing since a big spill in 2002, but I'm looking to have a little bit of a ride around the track and road in Perth. The IoM is probably the worst place in the UK to short circuit race, it costs a small fortune to race in the UK due to severe travel costs to and from the island.
Also the climate isn't particularly kind for road riding, and bikes here tend to spend most of their lives in the shed. Being a small island surrounded by salt water the sea breeze plays havoc with magnesium and alloy. I ended up selling my RGB500 MK7 (like Sheen and Mamola raced) because it was turning to powder, I kid you not!

Anyway, thanks for the links and info etc, will try and follow up on the suggestions.

[thro]

Ahh sounds like a weapon, and a bit expensive to replace - definitely worth importing

The climate here is quite a bit more condusive to road riding (a bunch of people don't even have cars), but unfortunately the track situation is nothing to rave about... :|