Bought in the USA
Last month I bought a mint, original 1974 Honda TL125 in the USA. It went like this…
I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR A Honda TL125 for some time, but with little success here in the UK. So, having some experience of buying from, and selling to, the USA I turned West… 1 Where to look? Having had my TL quest thwarted in the UK I transferred my attentions to Craigslist – an online classi ed (not auction) site. Craigslist divides itself into areas, but can be searched nationwide. I chose to look in San Diego and the Inland Empire. 2 Victor the vendor Almost immediately up popped three TLS, including a minty, unrestored example. I emailed Victor the vendor – a busy man and owner of a mom and pop restaurant. The reply was curt (which is par for the course) but positive. The bike was still for sale. 3 Negotiations I nd anglo-american trade negotiations go much better with a phone call. If you have to use email, sign o each communication with ‘cheers’. It works wonders. Victor and I agreed a price. 5 The practicalities I have friends in California and they picked the TL up from Victor, along with a bill of sale and title (the only documents you need). They then dropped it o at the Long Beach shippers where it was packed into a container. The price of bike and shipping: £2200. As far as insurance goes it is wise to have it, but if you do have a problem claiming is not without its challenges, mainly because so many people are involved in the process (truckers, container packers, warehouse handlers, ship’s company). Think happy thoughts and all will be ne. 6 The Trump effect For a bike that is 30 years and over you pay 5% VAT when it arrives in the UK. For a bike less than 30 years old it is 68% standard import duty, depending on engine size, 20% VAT and 25% EU ‘retaliatory’ duty, because Trump slapped duties on EU exports to the US. Your documents – stamped by US Customs and Border Protection – will have been Fedex’d to your chosen UK agent (in my case the highly recommended Kingstown Shipping, Hull. kingstown-shipping.co.uk).