DAVE’S IMPORT ADVICE

“Having never imported a bike, it was a bit daunting when I saw the Indian for sale in Texas. The seller, John Spencer, is a customer of mine and someone I trust. That’s the first thing, really – there’s a big leap of faith here!

“My bank wanted too much to transfer the money, but shopping around international money transfer specialists got a much better deal. I went to Kingstown Shipping to import the bike and they couldn’t have made it easier. Specialists in vehicle imports, they organised everything from collecting the bike from John to unloading it at a depot near London. As part of the package, they sorted out all the paperwork and duty payable, supplying me with the NOVA documentation needed for UK registration. I was also able to track the bike’s voyage online, which was a comfort.

“Once on UK soil, you get seven days to collect before incurring storage charges, so get a van or whatever organised well in advance.

“When I filled in the DVLA V55 form for registration, it wasn’t clear that I needed a dating letter from a recognised owners’ club. The delay caused led to another problem. My insurance policy only covered the bike for a month on the chassis number, but I was assured it could be extended if necessary. I should have got that in writing, because at the end of the month they tried to cancel the policy, leaving me with a fee and an uninsured bike! It took a lot of calls to sort that out.

“Other than that, it went very smoothly; I’m sure paying the shipping company to handle everything saved in the long run, because they know the ropes. I’m delighted with the bike – and I’d be happy to import again. That’s the only problem: I’ve spotted this really nice Knucklehead Harley...”