750 Katana

[Uncle Bob]

Of course we coluld all chip in and get 20 brought in do 'em up etc!

I'd be up for that - a 250 and 750 Popup would be nice. Possibly worth waiting a short time as anything over 30 years is only 5% vat and no import duty. Popup would fall into that but the 250 is a another 2 or 3 years away so currently would have to add 20% Vat and import duty to it.

[pookie]

If you look at some Japanese auction sites like Noppin (as I do now and again) you'll see the price of classic Katanas, especially the watercooled 250's and 400's, have rocketed in price over the years, the Japanese have just discovered nostalgia after years of throwing things away after a few years ownership, they are even posting adverts asking overseas owners to sell them their bikes! bit like the now rich Chinese buying back all their antiques at stupidly inflated prices.

[17again]

i just imported a suzuki rg gamma 400 from japan and there are plenty of other fees to add to the bill if you buy a single bike.

i do have a contact there if someone needs it

here are some of the fees you might have to pay.

japan local delivery fee
contact fee
grating fee
shipping to uk fee

terminal handing fee
document fee
caf fee
port security fee
isps surcharge


import customs fee
deferment fee

import sales tax

uk delivery fee if you dont want to pick it up

[Uncle Bob]

i just imported a suzuki rg gamma 400 from japan and there are plenty of other fees to add to the bill if you buy a single bike.

That's interesting thanks for the post. How much did the fees add as a percentage of the bike purchase price?
Was it worth doing compared to the ones on Ebay (starting around £8500)?
What was the actual shipping cost to the uk part?

Possibly on more expensive bikes it isn't so bad, though it has got me looking on those Japanese auction sites again - dangerous - though I think Fossie is right, the water cooled Kats do seem to have increased in value over there.

[17again]

ok this is only a guide and they are exchange rates too.

japan fees

bike cost RG400
Domestic transport
supplying and making crate, packing and delivery to port.
buyers commission

£5,598.60

shipping to uk £400

shipping uk to door + other uk fees £660

total £6600 ish



then you do your mot and v55 £100 ish ( mine is still pending)

i may have missed something so its only a guide

the photos do make it look cleaner but it gives you an idea of condition compare with some of the dealer prices in the uk.

you are buying blind and i have had to do some work to it as its been stood for about ten years


bike cost £4800 so add about £1800 to the price of what you see on the japan yahoo

[Uncle Bob]

Thanks for that info. The bike looks great and a good saving over the UK dealer imported ones. Well done.

I guess the bike is over 30 years old so was just the 5% VAT. I'll have to wait until the 250's are that old probably, as it would add too much to import now (though of course Japan prices can increase in that time).

How did you organise the shipping from the port to your house? Which port did it arrive in? Sorry about questions, just interesting to know, you are the first person who i have heard of that has done a personal import from Japan, rest are dealers.

[17again]

i have a contact in japan that will buy the bike for you that want from yahoo.

you tell him how much you want to bid and send him a deposit via paypal.

you win the bike and then pay the rest for the bike and shipping grating fees ect.

he then ships it to dock of you choice ( Southampton ) for me.

The dock shipping company can help with the rest including paying the vat and duty on your behalf for some fees.

then can even ship direct to your house.

comes in a nice little box

[pookie]

Remember to keep the box, it makes it more valuable nice rg, used to go to BAT bikes in South Norwood and dribble over the unusual and exotic bikes, always hankerd after the Walter Wolf paintwork rg 400, I've owned a Kawasaki Kr-1 for 30 years from new, love two strokes

[17again]

nice i like the ww too.

kr1 looks great