With the massive selection of Motorbikes available online overseas, it makes sense to cut out the middle man and import your own motorbike. However, Australia is rather unique in its import restrictions, so before you get out your credit card to pay for your sparkly new Ducati or Harley Davidson, do keep reading our guide to shipping motorbikes.
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Costs to Consider When Shipping a Motorcycle to Australia
If you already own the motorbike and have done so for more than 12 months, then it’s a no-brainer.
Pricing of motorbikes overseas is considerably cheaper than in Australia. So if you were to take the loss on selling the bike in the foreign country you’re in, and purchase the same motorbike again on arrival in Australia, it would generally be more than the cost to ship the motorbike to Australia and pay Import GST.
Ports We Ship to in Australia
Taurus Logistics can ship your car to all the main ports across Australia, including Brisbane, Sydney and Fremantle. Crated motorcycles are available from our depots, or alternatively, we can arrange straight to your home. This makes for a more seamless shipping process, taking the hassle out of the equation.
Ports we ship to in Australia:
- Adelaide
- Brisbane
- Fremantle (Perth)
- Melbourne
- Sydney (Port Kembla)
How Long Does It Take to Ship a Motorcycle?
While it’s not possible to list the shipping times for every route Taurus Logistics offers, below are a few of our most popular routes. These are indicative transit times, and do not include all shipping lines, containers, or part container options. Please contact us to discuss container sailing dates, or for roll on roll off please refer to our RORO Sailing Schedule.
- Australia to New Zealand – 10 days Approx.
- New Zealand to Australia – 8 days Approx.
- Europe to Australia – 45 days Approx.
- USA to Australia – 25 days Approx.
- Australia to Europe – 40 days Approx.
- Australia to USA – 25 days Approx.
Can I import a motorcycle into australia?
Before you purchase your motorbike, DO NOT proceed unless you meet the following criteria. Otherwise, you will not be able to get an import permit for the motorbike, and you will not be able to uplift from the port (under any circumstances).
Most of the motorcycles we ship are imported under the “Personal Effects option” or the “Manufactured over 25 years”. Below are the main five categories but there are others for rare circumstances.
Personal Effects
This option allows migrants settling in Australia or expatriate Australian citizens returning permanently to Australia after a long period overseas, to bring their personal vehicle with them as long as it has been owned for the qualifying 12-month period.
Concessional RAV approvals
Reimportation Import Approvals
This option allows road vehicles originally sourced within Australia but subsequently exported to be re-imported.
Reimportation import approvals
Motorcycles Manufactured more than 25 years ago
This option allows for the importation of road bikes manufactured more than 25 years ago.
Concessional RAV approvals
Overwhelmed?
Save time and stress, let us apply for the Vehicle Import Approval
Non-Road Motorcycles
A ‘non-road vehicle’ (‘off-road motorbikes’) refers to a vehicle not principally designed for use in transport and/or is not permitted to be driven on public roads. This is ideal for dirt bikes or quad bikes.
Non-RAV approvals
Race and Rally Bikes
This option allows for the importation of vehicles intended to be used for road vehicle rallies, closed circuit road vehicle racing and vehicles designed to support road vehicle racing or rallying.
Non-RAV approvals