Importing MotorCycles & Scooters from India

One of the most common requests we receive is importing motorcycles such as Goldstars, and triumphs both restored and those to be restored and the ever  popular lambretta scooter. We have added a dedicated page to our site covering the main points of import a motorbike from India.

The easiest way to import is to use a dealer/supplier who has exported before. If you buy you motorcycle / scooter  on the terms FOB this had the advantage of the the shipper worrying about all the local India charges. They will arrange to crate the motorbike for shipment, ensure all the relevent export documentation is filed, and get it to the container loading terminal.  If you buy ex-works you will require us to arrange all this on your behalf and as it can be time-consuming the charge can be as much as what you would pay buying FOB.

If in doubt we are always happy to check for free if your supplier is correctly registered or if you are going to have to use an agent for the export documentation.

If you do not want to deal direct with the Indian supplier then you can deal with our product manager from BusinessLink India who will ensure your contract for the shipment is valid and it will get fulfilled.

Golden rule – No full payment up front. Cash Against Documents is the accepted way for any reputable dealer/supplier. Here you only pay for the goods once the shipping documents have been issued. Once this is done then you pay the money and release and they release the documents including if valid. If your supplier wants payment upfront then walk away. Once they have shown proof that they have the product available and they want a deposit, pay no more than 25%.

Duties and Taxes

If you are importing into the EU (which includes the UK) you will pay duty and VAT at your countries set level. If you

Importing into the USA is slightly different to Europe. A lot of motorbikes and scooters will not meet current Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules. Unlike in for example in the UK where this means you simply could not use it on public highways. In the USA you have to bring the bike up to current standards before clearance. If you cannot do this then the bike has to be re-exported or destroyed. Make sure you can do this before you buy a machine.

Additionally in the USA while there is no VAT tax you will have to pay duty on the invoice value of the bike and this can be up to 2.4%. Note if you cannot prove the purchase value or customs officials think it is undeclared they will use the “Blue Book” value to assess the duty due.

If you have any doubts contact your local customs office or email us with what you are planning to buy, where from you want to export the motorbike and where in the world you are going to import the motorbike.