IK's Grey Import FAQ: COMPULSORY READ FOR NOOBS BIKESHOPPING

KaneMortlock · Post by **KaneMortlock** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 12:49 pm

http://www.overclockers.com.au/wiki/IK' ... Import_FAQ

Stereo · Post by **Stereo** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 1:18 pm

8. Why do so many grey 250's in shops have really low odo readings?

Because part of preparing the bike for sale involves winding back the odo.

Since this is actually Illegal in Australia I guess they are doing that part in Japan?

Couldnt those bikes genuinely have low K's considering the article claims they have been sitting in a yard for 15 years.....

ZX10R King · Post by **ZX10R King** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 1:23 pm

Stereo wrote:
8. Why do so many grey 250's in shops have really low odo readings?

Because part of preparing the bike for sale involves winding back the odo.
Since this is actually Illegal in Australia I guess they are doing that part in Japan?

Couldnt those bikes genuinely have low K's considering the article claims they have been sitting in a yard for 15 years.....

I could be wrong in saying this, but I thought in Japan, once a vehicle gets to a certain number of km's it has to be taken off the road, therefore if it sits in a holding yard, for X amount of time, no more mileage is going to get put on it, hence, the low mileage

javaman · Post by **javaman** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 1:28 pm

ZX9R King wrote:
Stereo wrote:
8. Why do so many grey 250's in shops have really low odo readings?

Because part of preparing the bike for sale involves winding back the odo.
Since this is actually Illegal in Australia I guess they are doing that part in Japan?

Couldnt those bikes genuinely have low K's considering the article claims they have been sitting in a yard for 15 years.....
I could be wrong in saying this, but I thought in Japan, once a vehicle gets to a certain number of km's it has to be taken off the road, therefore if it sits in a holding yard, for X amount of time, no more mileage is going to get put on it, hence, the low mileage

Not taken off the road, but *very* expensive to register etc. It is also expensive to dispose of a vehicle. Quite common that vehicles are given for free to someone else (thus become their burden).

diesel · Post by **diesel** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 1:46 pm

Stereo wrote:
8. Why do so many grey 250's in shops have really low odo readings?

Because part of preparing the bike for sale involves winding back the odo.
Since this is actually Illegal in Australia I guess they are doing that part in Japan?

Couldnt those bikes genuinely have low K's considering the article claims they have been sitting in a yard for 15 years.....

nah mate,
it's done here.
they can do this because the bike has to pass inspection as a new bike and pass the current year's ADRs.
its bullshit, but cos they sell em as a 2006 cbr250rr which complies, they can wind it back.

Damon Z1000 · Post by **Damon Z1000** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 2:28 pm

Guys, don't kid yourselves, clocking happens everywhere on everything, cars, bikes, trucks even forklifts.

Anything that has got and odometre or clock that records usage can be clocked.

Ya pick a car up that has been registered for 11 months and been used for a taxi for instance or high mileage company car, hence gaining maybe 60000 k's in 11 months, for a small sum wipe 50000k's off and hey presto when goes for pink slip its got approx 10/12000 ks more than last year no body knows any the wiser.

Massive, massive business in the UK, even main dealers do it, believe me I knew a lot o dealers when I was back home and the small independent dealers thrived on near new cars coming in with high miles and minimal service history(a clockers dream).

Manufacturers try to make it more difficult to perform clocking but as soon as they do something new within a week or two someones cracked it.

I used to know a guy who used to advertise in the yellow pages under, wait for it.......Milage Adjustment!
Law couldn't touch him as he used to declare that he only 'adjusted' new or replacement clocks to the original clocks setting

To see this guy work was amazing, he would hook up his laptop, with the correct leads for vehicle, literally start a program, type in desired mileage and click, done

Average cost around $200 but considering every 10000 miles was worth 1500 pounds on the vehicle it was worth it.

Bikes are no different, thats why if possible you should always do ya homework, try and get a full service history that you verify with the company that stamps the book, do a pre check with previous owners if possible, try and check for high mile tell tale signs(even though they can be hidden easily), most important thing is, if suss walk away.

Grey imports are notoriously dodgy, how many do you see with low k's with fresh paint?

We all know that Japanese kids are spoilt rotten and that daddy will buy them a new bike every 12 months, but does this mean that Po So junior is going to look after it for the 12 months he has it, who knows?

Grey import is a take your chance market, if I was lookin for a pocket rocket to keep for 6 months till I got my opens then fine, but for a long term stayer, nah fark it.

My 2c anyway

mrmina · Post by **mrmina** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 8:43 pm

i thought grey imports have low odo reading cos as part of the jap (maybe asain) EPA laws they are to export all vehicle after they have done very low odo readings.

thats why they might be sitting in a yard for a few years before they are exported.

ZX10R King · Post by **ZX10R King** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 8:45 pm

mrmina wrote:i thought grey imports have low odo reading cos as part of the jap (maybe asain) EPA laws they are to export all vehicle after they have done very low odo readings.

thats why they might be sitting in a yard for a few years before they are exported.

That's what I was trying to say, and I got Flamed

I-K · Post by **I-K** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 12:13 am

mrmina wrote:i thought grey imports have low odo reading cos as part of the jap (maybe asain) EPA laws they are to export all vehicle after they have done very low odo readings.

No. Japan doesn't have any kind of mandatory laws like that. The standard of living is just such that those who have somewhere to keep a vehicle can also afford a new one on a fairly regular basis.

The rest of Asia, far from exporting its old vehicles, can't get enough of Japanese ones.

thats why they might be sitting in a yard for a few years before they are exported.

No, they end up in the holding yards because nobody wants them. See above.

It's true that most Japanese vehicles don't travel very far in their lifetimes, but 3000, 2000, 1500km... come on.

mrmina · Post by **mrmina** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 12:24 pm

well obviously i have been told falso information

diesel · Post by **diesel** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 1:39 pm

mina, there aren't any absolutes here (except with regards to that law. i always thought that was bullshit) what ur saying is quite possible.

but if you pop into sumoto, they'll tell you they're bikes have 0kms on em and are brand new..............effectively.

Gosling1 · Post by **Gosling1** » Wed Apr 26, 2006 7:01 pm

Stereo wrote:...Couldnt those bikes genuinely have low K's considering the article claims they have been sitting in a yard for 15 years.....

Yes, they could have genuinely low k's.

Japan is a bloody tiny place. It costs a fortune to use the highways, due to exorbitant tolls. They simply *do not* average the 20,000km per year that is fully normal for most Aussie vehicles (considerably higher than that for many.......)

shit, one trip in Oz from Brisneyland to the Island and return would equal 3 or 4 years worth of riding in Nippon.........

that, and the constant insatiable Japanese desire for *the latest and the greatest* is the reason why there are hundreds and hundreds of low-km cheapo imports........