Taking a Motorbike to NZ from Canada

[TwoStrayCats]

has anyone shipped their motorbike down to NZ upon making the move?

hubby wants to take his Kawasaki WD650 down with us when we go?
what's involved to make it legal to ride once it's there?

thanks in advance
Lily

[NAP]

Hey there

Yes, my hubby did..He took his Ducati over from Ireland. When it came off the container, he had it couriered direct to the Ducati team in Auckland who sorted everything out - including connecting up batteries, making it legal to ride on here (rego and warrant of fitness etc). It was actually a very easy process in the end..

If you have any specific questions, let me know and am sure hubby can answer them

[LuminaireX]

Make sure it's paid off and you have the title to get it through customs. After that, just gotta register it and get the warrant of fitness done.

Get a motorcycle endorsement on his Kiwi license. If it's only a learners, he can't legally ride anything over 250cc.

[TwoStrayCats]

thanks for the help Nap and Luminaire! much appreciated
his bike is all paid off so that isn't a problem ...

question about the license though ~ he will have an international driving permit and his Alberta license (which has a class 1 - equivalent of HT in NZ)
but if he goes for an NZ license does he have to sit the learners, then restricted, then full? can he get the motorbike endorsement on the restricted license?

thanks for all the help
Lily

[Manks]

If your husband has a full motorbike endorsement on his drivers licence now, he can apply to have it transferred straight to his NZ licence.

I have a UK licence for cars and motorbikes. On the application form it asks which classes you want to transfer. So he just has to make sure he ticks motorbike as well as car, and it will be done. No tests to take.

If either of you have any other classifications, such as trucks, you will need to take a theory test to get those transferred. Hubby has every classification possible on his UK licence and he just had to sit the theory to get his truck licences transferred.

[Super_BQ]

Make sure the bike has no record of a previous accident that would compromise the registration process in NZ. The inspection is pretty thorough and they check for modifications.

[TwoStrayCats]

thanks for all the help! much appreciated I'll let hubby know

[doc44]

The inspection is pretty thorough and they check for modifications.

Super_BQ, could you elaborate on that? I have two modified bikes I want to bring with me but I wasn`t aware of this.

[Super_BQ]

During registration - the inspector / tester looks for issues that compromise it's safety (ie. previous accidents and/or unwarranted modifications). It's much easier to bring a bike (or any vehicle) that is in pristine factory condition because there's hassles.

The hassles are lengthy - ie. such as proving that the modification are safe? Waiting for documentation is lengthy from the manufacturer of the aftermarket product. Years ago I was shopping for a mini-van with a swivelling seat modification to allow for elderly people to get in - the dealers importing these vehicles in from Japan have huge hassles getting the modification "certified". Since these 2nd hand vehicles come from Japan - there's a language barrier and the documentation has to be translated. In some cases, the modification may not be allowed and have to be removed - ie. if the welding work is not good enough. The more expensive approach for approving the modification is to seek an independent NZ engineer to say it's safe (but many won't because it's not their product - taking a risk).

So it depends on the nature of the modification? Making the engine more powerful? If so what impact it would have on the frame of the bike (the stresses and more importantly, the safety aspect). The registration process is bad enough where they have to document details like the safety codes they look on your reflector lights, on your tires, brake caliper measurements and possible scouring of the rotors, etc.

The previous poster mentioned bringing in a Ducati to NZ and having it done through the local Ducati dealer. This is not a bad idea if you don't want any hassles because the dealer can 'vouche' if there's something on the bike that appears to be aftermarket (or where the inspector is unfamiliar). If the option is questionable, then the Ducati dealership can say it's genuine and end of story. You will pay a premium for the dealer to handle the registration as importing takes away a sale

[doc44]

Thanks for the info. So, basically, in order to have fewer hassles I should convert my bikes back to standard/ near standard condition for the import process?

The mods are mainly suspension/ wheels/ brakes on both bikes, but one bike also has extensive engine mods - but I don`t imagine they are going to take a look inside the engine? Possible to convert them back (bar the engine) but a right pain. I heard from a friend that they are hot on brake discs.

After hearing this it makes me wonder if it is worthwhile bringing them over. Do you have any links that go into detail on this subject?