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[SPIDERMAN]

In the course of doing a bit of business with several of our international members, I have run up against a staggering wall of rules, regulations, tariffs, import duties, paperwork and customs issues. There are so many issues involved, it boggles the mind. All of us Americans who love our Harley-Davidson motorcycles and enjoy modifying and working on them should thank our lucky stars we live here in the USA. Site members like TWOLANERIDER, UNBALANCED, HUBBARD, OTIS, SILVER/BLACK,HOIST, HOGBREATH,MJZ and 100 others would have close to $100k USD tied up in their rides if they lived overseas. We're not supposed to talk politics, but if this is any indication, it's no wonder the USA has a HUGE Trade Deficit. All these countries want to dump stuff on us cheap but charge us bazillions to sell anything there. And the ones that suffer are their own citizens. I don't see how causing something to cost 1/2 again as much helps local industry when there is no local industry making he item(s) in question. All of your overseas members have my sympathy. It amazes me as many of you as do make all the changes to your rides I read about on the site here.

B B 

[Gone Fishin']

@ SPIDERMAN
Thank you for the post, we appreciate it. However, a lot of the extra cost for the bikes is not only the Moco overcharging, but cost for modifications (helpful or not) to match national regulations for roadworthiness, duty and taxes such as value added tax (a kind of complicated sales tax ,-). Then there is the fluctuation between currencies, this year more than 30% between the dollar and the Euro, for example.

Ride safely,
Louis

[sadunbar]

In the course of doing a bit of business with several of our international members, I have run up against a staggering wall of rules, regulations, tariffs, import duties, paperwork and customs issues. There are so many issues involved, it boggles the mind. All of us Americans who love our Harley-Davidson motorcycles and enjoy modifying and working on them should thank our lucky stars we live here in the USA. Site members like TWOLANERIDER, UNBALANCED, HUBBARD, OTIS, SILVER/BLACK,HOIST, HOGBREATH,MJZ and 100 others would have close to $100k USD tied up in their rides if they lived overseas. We're not supposed to talk politics, but if this is any indication, it's no wonder the USA has a HUGE Trade Deficit. All these countries want to dump stuff on us cheap but charge us bazillions to sell anything there. And the ones that suffer are their own citizens. I don't see how causing something to cost 1/2 again as much helps local industry when there is no local industry making he item(s) in question. All of your overseas members have my sympathy. It amazes me as many of you as do make all the changes to your rides I read about on the site here.

B B 

Every so often I empty the garage via Ebay of whatever collection of parts and pieces I no longer want.  I sell a fair amount of these items to motorcycle enthusiast located in Europe.  I am typically amazed at the prices they will bid items up to.  After the sale, I will sometimes ask why they would bid more then new price for items.  The answer is always availability.  They apparently have limited options when buying parts and are willing to pay a premium - supply and demand.  I had one fellow from Sweden ask if I would buy some particular SE items for him and ship them to him for a 20% premium.  I told him if he was interested, I would buy at a 20% discount and sell them to him for US list price.  He was ecstatic!  He paid me up front via paypal and I acquired his parts for him.  He told me those same parts, if he could even find them, would have cost double in Sweden or Europe.

[Gone Fishin']

Every so often I empty the garage via Ebay of whatever collection of parts and pieces I no longer want.  I sell a fair amount of these items to motorcycle enthusiast located in Europe.  I am typically amazed at the prices they will bid items up to.  After the sale, I will sometimes ask why they would bid more then new price for items.  The answer is always availability.  They apparently have limited options when buying parts and are willing to pay a premium - supply and demand.  I had one fellow from Sweden ask if I would buy some particular SE items for him and ship them to him for a 20% premium.  I told him if he was interested, I would buy at a 20% discount and sell them to him for US list price.  He was ecstatic!  He paid me up front via paypal and I acquired his parts for him.  He told me those same parts, if he could even find them, would have cost double in Sweden or Europe.

Good for you, that this guy does not know Chicago Harley, where we shop regularly at 20% off with very reasonable shipping to Germany.

[MUFFMAN]

My sister in law lives in Germany and former husband was a Harley enthusiast. Every time they would visit us he  had to go to the HD store and load up/ship etc. His trip was almost always paid for from the stuff he bought here/shipped and resold. And I'm from Canada where the crap is 30% more than in the US. THE MUFFMAN

[bisounours]

In the course of doing a bit of business with several of our international members, I have run up against a staggering wall of rules, regulations, tariffs, import duties, paperwork and customs issues. There are so many issues involved, it boggles the mind. All of us Americans who love our Harley-Davidson motorcycles and enjoy modifying and working on them should thank our lucky stars we live here in the USA. Site members like TWOLANERIDER, UNBALANCED, HUBBARD, OTIS, SILVER/BLACK,HOIST, HOGBREATH,MJZ and 100 others would have close to $100k USD tied up in their rides if they lived overseas. We're not supposed to talk politics, but if this is any indication, it's no wonder the USA has a HUGE Trade Deficit. All these countries want to dump stuff on us cheap but charge us bazillions to sell anything there. And the ones that suffer are their own citizens. I don't see how causing something to cost 1/2 again as much helps local industry when there is no local industry making he item(s) in question. All of your overseas members have my sympathy. It amazes me as many of you as do make all the changes to your rides I read about on the site here.

B B 

Thanks for your sympathy !
The only way, for us if we wish satisfy our OCD, is to buy directly in States (eventually as Louis said : from Zanotti, Chicago Harley, TriCounty or M&M with 20% down on the official US pricelist.
It was more interesting last summer with the currency $/euro.

In other case, it's not possible to satisfy all wishes.
The french HD prices are the official US prices X 1,89 and the result in Euros.

Sometime, I need the help from friends of the site for purchases and I thank all for this cooperation.

Jacques

[ice6900]

ur a top man sadunbar