I'm new to biking and have just bought a Kawasaki D'Tracker 250.

I'm trying to get kitted out with protective clothing...jacket/boots etc....and then to customise the bike....is it just me, or are the
prices here a big rip-off?

I've been to three shops - Panda, Dirt and Racing Corner: The prices of jackets/gloves seem to be marked up by 100% compared to US prices and I'm assuming other gear probably is too. Is it worth going to Singapore to buy? Or buying in the US and having them ship?

Any advice much appreciated

Quote by: Angus

I'm new to biking and have just bought a Kawasaki D'Tracker 250.

I'm trying to get kitted out with protective clothing...jacket/boots etc....and then to customise the bike....is it just me, or are the
prices here a big rip-off?

I've been to three shops - Panda, Dirt and Racing Corner: The prices of jackets/gloves seem to be marked up by 100% compared to US prices and I'm assuming other gear probably is too. Is it worth going to Singapore to buy? Or buying in the US and having them ship?

Any advice much appreciated

Hi,

you are right, motorcycle accessories are cheaper in USA, the taxes are very high in Thailand for imported product. singapore and hong kong have the same problem ,on the top of that is it worth the trip ?
you can try another shop like Rider's on silom soi 9 (=sathorn 12 ), or blacksteed.com, or ninja-shop.net, those are small shops with a large selection of accessories, i am sure that you will find there the products that you need.

bye


Sylvain

I think it shouldn't really be called rip-off as it is merely the import taxes here. Sylvain already mentioned some of the good shops and i also made some list of online resources where you may just find what you may need. http://tigersachsclub.com/Forum/viewtop ... 6&t=19

hope that helps & happy trails,

The Kawasaki D-Tracker 250 you bought is probably also a bit higher in price than outside Thailand. Sure if I was you and a overseas trip was on the agenda I will surely look around, but I will not travel to get some cheaper stuff.

Hi, i have a 600cc road bike in Australia, and intend to buy a bike in Thailand next month. i have purchased a lot of protective gear from E-bay. with absolutely no problems and at less thaan 1/2 the cost as i would have paid in motorbike shops here is Aus, I have bought 3 helmets, boots and 2 jackets. mostly from the USA.
What i do is go to bike shops, try on the helmets for size, comfort and fit, check the price , then order from E-bay.
Same with boots and jackets.
This ensures you get the correct size and fit.
You can do this also from Thailand, just make sure the E-bay seller isnt charging huge freight costs, some offer free freight, others are reasonable freight charges.
You will save big money buying this way and wont have to make a trip just to get quality gear.
Hope this helps
Matty...

With buying from foreign online shops and Ebay, you have the chance that the postman who delivers the stuff also has a few documents and want the import duty. If this happens, the low cost of the product quickly disappears and often the product becomes more expensive than when you bought it at your local motorcycle shop.

On the other hand I also know that not all products are being charged with import duty, it seems to be a lucky draw... So if you feel lucky order online, if you not feel so lucky you order at some of the local shops.

Talking to other farang it does seem that using the postal service as opposed to say DHL you have more chance of getting away with not paying taxes; not 100% sure of this. Maybe the volume of stuff through Thai Post is much greater so you have a better chance of it slipping through than with DHL etc.

Quote by: taichiplanet

Talking to other farang it does seem that using the postal service as opposed to say DHL you have more chance of getting away with not paying taxes; not 100% sure of this. Maybe the volume of stuff through Thai Post is much greater so you have a better chance of it slipping through than with DHL etc.

Thaichi, i can confirm this....and make sure it is sent as gift too. I got pants and tankbag via dhl and had to pay extra...now i got my Bike spares 2x via USPS and 1x DHL. ..the dhl was caught and i had to pay import tax, the USPS shipment went through without any hassle.

Thanks guys. Appreciate all the information and advice. You've saved me a speculative trip to Singapore when I'd really rather be out riding
my bike

I'll try the Silom 9 shop this evening... otherwise I'll probably size the stuff here, then get someone from back home (UK) to
buy it and send it as a gift.

I agree with the advantage of sending things here by normal post...remove labels/receipts etc. Have had some things slip through and some others where
I had to pay the postman extra.

Thanks again guys. Happy riding

Checked out the sathorn shop - had a few nice jackets, pants etc but still with sky high prices.
Dirt Bike had loads of stuff but hardly any stock and didn't know when or what would be delivered next. Manager said she would
phone with info but didn't. Nft.

Finally found a small supplier through a mate (in the On Nuit area) and
got an absolute bargain Alpine Stars jacket, textile with leather panelling Inc chest and
back armour - 2800 baht. Result!