Any tips on purchasing a new Honda motorbike

[thebears]

I'm planning to order a new bike from the main Honda dealer in Cha-Am and don't know what's usual in terms of free insurance, warranty, service costs or breakdown cover. I have previously owned a saloon car here and knew about those terms only and what one might expect.

1. Is it usual for the first year's insurance to be provided?

2. Are there any free extras, or services (such as warranty, servicing, breakdown) that one might obtain if aware of it at the outset?

3. Is it usual for dealers to put the registration in foreigners' names? I know there is some ludicrous claim by some of the motor dealers that they can't.

4. Finally, is it easy enough to sell the bike back after a few months, when I need to.

Thanks very much for any recommendations.

[Spitfire]

Firstly, if you're going to do it, then pay cash. Don't do credit as they will arse-rape you on the interest to the tune of 40% over 2-3 years.

To answer the other questions candidly as they have been so many times before on here......

1. Yes, plus tax. You do need a bike license but it appears to be optional if you feel thus inclined and simply wish to pay the bribe if nicked at a cop-stop.

2. Limited warranty (different for each company I guess). As for service and breakdown, you're having a giraffe dude....have to pay something extra each time.

3. Not usual, but possible if you pay cash and have the right documents and photocopies of such required plus do a dance and juggle 5 ping-pong balls at the same time in front of them.............just kidding. Not paying cash, then you'll have to have a work permit or non immigrant visa etc to do it on credit.

4. Yes, but you'll loose loads of money as they are scamsters at these places when it comes to foreigners and this subject....that's if your Mrs or girlfriend lets you do that instead of leaving her in charge of it.

Begs the question of why bother buying when you can just rent if you intend to get rid of it when you have already decide to leave after a while for long enough to think about reselling?

[thebears]

Thanks Spitfire, I appreciate the help.

Yes, I'll pay by credit card if they accept them.

1. I have a Thai bike licence.

3. I take that to mean that I can have the bike in my name.

4. Ok. I could do with someone who's interested in buying it from me when I leave Thailand, but it's best if I can minimise the myriad of things to organise when I'm in the processing of leaving. The bike is just to keep me mobile for a few months, without having to spend a fortune on a car. If I'm honest about it, I don't really have high expectations about getting much back for it.

Alternatively, as you say, renting might be better. What are my options on renting? Can I rent from one of these dealer shops?

[Arlo]

I don't know if the dealers rent out there bikes but there are places all over hua hin that rent bikes. Some hotels also rent out bikes. Its not very expensive to rent a bike long term.

[Big Boy]

Why not contact these guys to see what they can do for you http://www.huahinmedia.com/huahin-bike-rental.php ?

[Pleng]

4. Finally, is it easy enough to sell the bike back after a few months, when I need to.

Well it was very difficult for me to find a nearly-new bike a couple of months ago when I was looking, so if you advertise it well (there's classifieds here, and there are plenty of other websites that you can look around at for selling bikes in Thailand) I'm sure you'll find a buyer that will give you better rates than the shop you bought it for.

But if you already KNOW that you are only going to have it for a few months, then do you really need to be burning up cash on a brand new bike? Unless you have some genuine reason I'd seriously contemplate renting, or at least buying an older bike, which will loose less value comparatively over those few months.

[GLCQuantum]

Off Topic:

I am a little curious as to why many people use the word 'loose' instead of 'lose'.

I'm not the best writer by far and make mistakes all the time but this is very common and isn't a typo. Has something changed in the language that I'm unaware of?

Not having a go... just curious.

[Frank Hovis]

It's a common mistake all over the internet, whether it's just people not knowing the spelling difference between the two words but still presumably pronouncing them differently or it's just a typo that the spell checker doesn't pick up on as it's not a grammar checker I'm not sure.
But there are always exceptions; as young Mr Rooney says after humping a granny, "I Wayne, You Loose".

[Spitfire]

.....but this is very common and isn't a typo.

Not necessarily, depends how many beers you've had could be a reason. Typing is not a strong skill for many.

[thebears]

It seems that not everything is included in the bike's purchase price, from Honda Cha-Am.

They want an additional 5,000 on top of the 100,000 for the CBR250R, for tabien rot and insurance.

Is that reasonable?

[buksida]

It is if it includes a couple of years of theft cover, which is worth having on a CBR. Tabien is about a grand, and the annual road tax and legal minimum cover insurance (por ror bor) on the CBR250 costs 850 - did it last week.

[PeteC]

The wife mentioned to me one time that you can't get theft insurance on a motorbike after it's either 1, 2 or perhaps 3 years old, I forget which. Is this correct? Pete

[thebears]

It is if it includes a couple of years of theft cover, which is worth having on a CBR. Tabien is about a grand, and the annual road tax and legal minimum cover insurance (por ror bor) on the CBR250 costs 850 - did it last week.

I'm trying to establish what one would normally expect to be able to negotiate, including the tabien rot and a single year's insurance. The web page of jrmotor (it's a dot com suffix by the way) shows a page for the CBR250R and indicates that the price is 100,000 exactly. The page doesn't mention insurance and tabien rot.

But these people in Cha-Am are trying to say that everything is extra, including the tabien rot., making a total of 105,000. According to spitfire's reply, insurance and tabien rot should be included in the price.

Therefore, shouldn't the price be that of jrmotor's web page - 100,000 inclusive of those items?

[buksida]

I'm trying to establish what one would normally expect to be able to negotiate, including the tabien rot and a single year's insurance. The web page of jrmotor (it's a dot com suffix by the way) shows a page for the CBR250R and indicates that the price is 100,000 exactly. The page doesn't mention insurance and tabien rot.

But these people in Cha-Am are trying to say that everything is extra, including the tabien rot., making a total of 105,000. According to spitfire's reply, insurance and tabien rot should be included in the price.

Therefore, shouldn't the price be that of jrmotor's web page - 100,000 inclusive of those items?

The RRP of a bike is often different to the price in the dealerships due to demand etc, at one stage last year the CBR250R ABS was over 140k because of the flooding.

The price on these websites will not include all the extras such as green book, number plate, insurance, charges for rego, etc - the dealer adds them on.

[Dannie Boy]

It is if it includes a couple of years of theft cover, which is worth having on a CBR. Tabien is about a grand, and the annual road tax and legal minimum cover insurance (por ror bor) on the CBR250 costs 850 - did it last week.

I'm trying to establish what one would normally expect to be able to negotiate, including the tabien rot and a single year's insurance. The web page of jrmotor (it's a dot com suffix by the way) shows a page for the CBR250R and indicates that the price is 100,000 exactly. The page doesn't mention insurance and tabien rot.

But these people in Cha-Am are trying to say that everything is extra, including the tabien rot., making a total of 105,000. According to spitfire's reply, insurance and tabien rot should be included in the price.

Therefore, shouldn't the price be that of jrmotor's web page - 100,000 inclusive of those items?

Have you checked with the Honda dealers in HH? If they say the same price (105k) as those in CA then it would seem to be the normal practice - all you can do is ask for a discount but if they both quote the same price you either have to pay the asking price or walk away!!