Job Discussion Forums

[sonbuenas2]

Anyone done this or know anyone who has?

I'm assuming it's not really practical or cost-effective to do. But I'd be into getting a restored classic bike here (they're so cheap!) if I could find a way to get it home.

[Jbhughes]

I have a German-Viet friend who is planning on taking her Honda Wave (her name) with her back to Germany this year. She says she will take it to a place somewhere in the airport that will send it with her on the same plane that she takes.

She says the price is $4 per kilo (wave-type bikes are around 100kilos :S) and she expects to pay some tax at the airport too.

I don't think she's got any VN I.D such as the CMND or a passport, she will be doing all of this on her German passport.

I realise this isn't going back to the States and is costly, but she seems convinced that it's possible, so I figured you may at least be interested for this reason.


Actually, I'm also really interested in this topic too, as I own a VN-made bike and would love to be able to take it with me when I leave (although possibly not for 10,000,000vnd or so).

[LettersAthruZ]

GREAT question! But four dollars per kilo is insanely cheap to get it to Europe!!

What about Canada and the USA? ANYONE have a very vague, rough guess as to what some shipping freight services might charge?? I'm outta here in not too long and I'd love to bring my scooter back with me.....

[mark_in_saigon]

The site I looked at was charging by size of the container, leading me to speculate that it would be better to get 2 bikes, maybe remove the handle bars, mate them together and send them in one container. I think it was like $600 or so for one bike.

Yeah, it is like going back in time, having these great old Hondas. The VN do not like them, as they have seen them for 40 years, they want something that they consider stylish, but my old Hondas just kick total ass. BTW, if anyone wants to talk technical stuff on them, hit me, I have been regearing the supercubs by changing the front sprocket, and find that for the HCMC environment this is an excellent modification.

[sonbuenas2]

Mark_in_saigon: Could you point us in the direction of this website you mentioned? $600 sounds reasonable to me.

[mark_in_saigon]

That was about a year ago I found that. I see I did not bookmark the site. So that was what I found then, but it was based on an hour or so of research. It would probably be best to use a VN national or V Kieu to ask around about this subject first. I think that VK Phillip guy who sells classic Hondas in HCMC and advertises them on CL VN might have a contact on this, and that Nathan guy (I think he is Brit) who does the same thing with other bikes would also have some info. Honestly, if I was going to do this, I would probably try to import some of the even older bikes that you can still find, some of the bikes left over from the 40's or so. The old Hondas are great bikes, but there are so many of them, they will be a curiosity in the west, but never a true museum piece like the old French Mobilette (or whatever the spelling is on that thing). I suspect making a VN bike legal in the west would be an additional expense, so upon getting it there, you either use it off road, or hang it from the ceiling in your front room and remember the good times. Plus, its suicide on the highways, even if you can get it up to speed (my 67 could keep the pace with the right sprockets). I think it is kinda like some of the other great things here, we can enjoy the great bargain that it is, but not effectively move that bargain to the west and expect it to work out for us.