Can anyone recommend me good grey importers?
I am looking for a KR250 and all I have found so far are the 2 on ebay - one being overpriced and the other being damaged and overpriced IMO!
Recommended grey importers for a KR250
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Re: Recommended grey importers for a KR250
It's been a long time since I imported a bike direct from Japan, and the importers I used are no longer in business (shame, 'cos they were great). I've got no experience of any of the current importers. I've been watching KR's advertised on Ebay and elsewhere for years, there are some questionable bikes (missing parts, wrong paint, mix-and-match models) and also some daft prices being asked. That's not to say that you shouldn't buy one like that, it depends what you want.
I have a garage full of oddball grey-import bikes, and my advice is this : the best bikes are rarely advertised for sale. When I say 'best', I don't necessarily mean the highest quality or originality, I mean the one you should buy, because it's sensibly priced and has known history with a loving owner. Cool bikes change hands all the time, with little fuss, at realistic prices, via word of mouth. Ask around at bike shows, on here, on other forums, and one will turn up. Dealers and Ebay are the 2 worst places to find sensibly-priced bikes.
My opinion of the two currently advertised on Ebay :
The red/grey one looks nice, but it's hard to tell from those crappy photos. It's advertised as an 'S' but that paint scheme is from a non-S model. Can't tell from the blurry pic whether it has an 'S' motor or not, I suspect not. It's a lot of money, but if you want one in those super-rare colours you'll struggle to find another. Silencer heatshield is present (often go missing), can't see any obvious flaws.
The red/black one is plainly not a "1989 B2" as advertised. It's missing the bellypan and LH mid-fairing (they're the hardest bit of bodywork to find), it has bar-mounted mirrors (should be fairing-mounted on an A2) and it has a few scuffs, tears, dents and scars. Not many around in those colours either, and the heatshield is present. The video shows it initially running on one and then the other pot kicks in a bit later, that's common ! Considering the eye-watering prices that particular dealer usually asks for stuff, that's not actually a bad (dealer) price.
If you bought either of those, I wouldn't think you'd made a big mistake. I'd even be a bit jealous of the red/grey one, though I couldn't bring myself to pay anywhere near their asking price. It'd be a big shame if either of those were ever resprayed green/white though, that happens far too often.
I have a garage full of oddball grey-import bikes, and my advice is this : the best bikes are rarely advertised for sale. When I say 'best', I don't necessarily mean the highest quality or originality, I mean the one you should buy, because it's sensibly priced and has known history with a loving owner. Cool bikes change hands all the time, with little fuss, at realistic prices, via word of mouth. Ask around at bike shows, on here, on other forums, and one will turn up. Dealers and Ebay are the 2 worst places to find sensibly-priced bikes.
My opinion of the two currently advertised on Ebay :
The red/grey one looks nice, but it's hard to tell from those crappy photos. It's advertised as an 'S' but that paint scheme is from a non-S model. Can't tell from the blurry pic whether it has an 'S' motor or not, I suspect not. It's a lot of money, but if you want one in those super-rare colours you'll struggle to find another. Silencer heatshield is present (often go missing), can't see any obvious flaws.
The red/black one is plainly not a "1989 B2" as advertised. It's missing the bellypan and LH mid-fairing (they're the hardest bit of bodywork to find), it has bar-mounted mirrors (should be fairing-mounted on an A2) and it has a few scuffs, tears, dents and scars. Not many around in those colours either, and the heatshield is present. The video shows it initially running on one and then the other pot kicks in a bit later, that's common ! Considering the eye-watering prices that particular dealer usually asks for stuff, that's not actually a bad (dealer) price.
If you bought either of those, I wouldn't think you'd made a big mistake. I'd even be a bit jealous of the red/grey one, though I couldn't bring myself to pay anywhere near their asking price. It'd be a big shame if either of those were ever resprayed green/white though, that happens far too often.
Kawasaki KR250 Tandem Twin (x4) & KS-II 80,
Yamaha RD350LC,
Suzuki GSX-R750RK & RB50 Gag.
Yamaha RD350LC,
Suzuki GSX-R750RK & RB50 Gag.
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Re: Recommended grey importers for a KR250
From speaking to Fastline in Preston and Unit 5 motos (Romford) a few months ago, it would seem we have got to a tipping point where(according to them and in some of the biking press) a lot of 250s are now heading back to japan or the japs are holding on to what they have as their market now also has a desire for all the "old 250s/400s . Fastline certainly have exported a few back to Japan.
i would agree eBay is not the best place to look for a bike, it seems to be used like "google" nowadays.
If you ring Fastline, they will tell you what they have coming in and send you pics before it reaches advertisement, there stock is usually very good but their prices can be very rich!
Car and classic is good, some of us older folk dont trust these new fangled auction sites but still trust names like MCN and Autotrader, my KR1 came from an MCN ad.
Best place nowadays to buy IMHO is to join the VJMC, as strokerboy states, many folk sell their bikes to people within the club, not using the net at all...that said, they do have a FS section on the club site and facebook but again, you'll need to be a member, worth every penny ...
i would agree eBay is not the best place to look for a bike, it seems to be used like "google" nowadays.
If you ring Fastline, they will tell you what they have coming in and send you pics before it reaches advertisement, there stock is usually very good but their prices can be very rich!
Car and classic is good, some of us older folk dont trust these new fangled auction sites but still trust names like MCN and Autotrader, my KR1 came from an MCN ad.
Best place nowadays to buy IMHO is to join the VJMC, as strokerboy states, many folk sell their bikes to people within the club, not using the net at all...that said, they do have a FS section on the club site and facebook but again, you'll need to be a member, worth every penny ...
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Re: Recommended grey importers for a KR250
Thanks to changes in US laws vehicles over 25 years old can now be legally imported and registered for street use without too much hassle. This means that Kawasaki KRs of every variety, Suzuki RG(V)s, Yamaha TZRs etc which for so many years were Forbidden Fruit to Americans are now also being snapped up by American dealers. This will inevitably result in fewer bikes being available and higher prices. See the January 2018 issue of "Cycle World".
"Mine is a long and sad tale", said the mouse.
"Indeed it is", said Alice, looking at the mouse's tail.
"Indeed it is", said Alice, looking at the mouse's tail.
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Re: Recommended grey importers for a KR250
Thanks for the replies - I will start phoning around and googling.
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Re: Recommended grey importers for a KR250
I man a club stand (Diff'rent Strokers) at Stafford Show every October. We sometimes have a KR on display, though not this year (unless we get let down at the last minute and I have to take mine again ).
Bikes change hands during the show every year. Not necessarily the ones on display, in fact we're not allowed to 'trade' from the club stand anyway. But a punter walks up, looks at the bikes, starts telling us about a similar one that he's got, we point him at someone on the stand or someone else we know well, a phone number is written down, phone photos are examined and a week or two later, the deal is done. Nothing has been advertised for sale anywhere but everyone's happy. It works just as well when the punter wants a bike rather than has one to sell. I personally have done this with a few bikes, and I know of many more that have changed hands between friends or friends-of-friends.
It's a big community, and generally we all look out for each other. You just have to talk to people, and try not to be an arse.
Bikes change hands during the show every year. Not necessarily the ones on display, in fact we're not allowed to 'trade' from the club stand anyway. But a punter walks up, looks at the bikes, starts telling us about a similar one that he's got, we point him at someone on the stand or someone else we know well, a phone number is written down, phone photos are examined and a week or two later, the deal is done. Nothing has been advertised for sale anywhere but everyone's happy. It works just as well when the punter wants a bike rather than has one to sell. I personally have done this with a few bikes, and I know of many more that have changed hands between friends or friends-of-friends.
It's a big community, and generally we all look out for each other. You just have to talk to people, and try not to be an arse.
Kawasaki KR250 Tandem Twin (x4) & KS-II 80,
Yamaha RD350LC,
Suzuki GSX-R750RK & RB50 Gag.
Yamaha RD350LC,
Suzuki GSX-R750RK & RB50 Gag.
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Re: Recommended grey importers for a KR250
That's ruined everything thenStrokerBoy wrote: ↑Fri Sep 21, 2018 5:36 pm You just have to talk to people, and try not to be an arse.