Importing Motorbike to HK
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Importing Motorbike to HK
Does anyone have any experience importing a used motorbike into HK from the UK? Will be moving here next year and wondering what the ins and outs were/if it's worth doing at all.
Cheers in advance.
Cheers in advance.
Leave the bike at home.
As you are no doubt aware, many serious and sometimes fatal bike accidents are not the fault of the bike rider.
You will have a much much better chance of survival during your Hong Kong stay if you drive a car.
I know you won't completely understand what I am trying to tell you, but at least I made the effort to warn you.
As you are no doubt aware, many serious and sometimes fatal bike accidents are not the fault of the bike rider.
You will have a much much better chance of survival during your Hong Kong stay if you drive a car.
I know you won't completely understand what I am trying to tell you, but at least I made the effort to warn you.
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FC
to back up what FR is saying - just the other day a bus driver(perceived to be a professional driver), driving a double-decker, pulled out of a T-junction and didn't see another double-decker that was coming to the side of him. This was a wide open junction, no obstructed view. 2 people killed in one of the buses, the other was empty.
So in a city where there are 4,000 buses alone, not including the 20 seater PLB's which are lethal, as a motorbike rider I would suggest you take a long time to think about importing your bike.
Personally, I am 4 wheel fan and love to drive the occasional exotic - mostly Porsche. BUT, I choose to do this outside of HK, as the standard of driving here is miserable and don't even feel safe in steel box on wheels.
Another testament to the driving standards here are the taxi-drivers, again in London certainly one would view the black cabbie as some of the most reliable drivers in any city around the world. BUT, again, here in HK on the loccal chinese language news every morning they show the previous night's automotive carnage, and you would be amazed where HK taxi drivers are able to wreck their vehicles. Guaranteed their will be one taxi featured in an overnight pile-up every day.
I tried to get statistics but could only get a partial one from Google:
Not sure which year, but 3,000 taxi shunts in 9 months is 4,000 a year.
As your biking friend HKGPEK1 says - and I mean it in the sincerest sense - "Good Luck"
Brgd's
N1 Vibes
PS sorry if this puts the mockers on your plans - but truly the meaning is sincere.
PPS before HKGPEK1 comes back with any comment - I owned a car here and drove almost every day for 2 years. Having driven in London for 10 years before that, quite happy driving round cities. Believe me nothing will get me back on the road here!
to back up what FR is saying - just the other day a bus driver(perceived to be a professional driver), driving a double-decker, pulled out of a T-junction and didn't see another double-decker that was coming to the side of him. This was a wide open junction, no obstructed view. 2 people killed in one of the buses, the other was empty.
So in a city where there are 4,000 buses alone, not including the 20 seater PLB's which are lethal, as a motorbike rider I would suggest you take a long time to think about importing your bike.
Personally, I am 4 wheel fan and love to drive the occasional exotic - mostly Porsche. BUT, I choose to do this outside of HK, as the standard of driving here is miserable and don't even feel safe in steel box on wheels.
Another testament to the driving standards here are the taxi-drivers, again in London certainly one would view the black cabbie as some of the most reliable drivers in any city around the world. BUT, again, here in HK on the loccal chinese language news every morning they show the previous night's automotive carnage, and you would be amazed where HK taxi drivers are able to wreck their vehicles. Guaranteed their will be one taxi featured in an overnight pile-up every day.
I tried to get statistics but could only get a partial one from Google:
A taxi driver whose blood-alcohol level was nearly five times the legal limit ... there were 2982 taxis involved in accidents in the first nine months of ...
As your biking friend HKGPEK1 says - and I mean it in the sincerest sense - "Good Luck"
Brgd's
N1 Vibes
PS sorry if this puts the mockers on your plans - but truly the meaning is sincere.
PPS before HKGPEK1 comes back with any comment - I owned a car here and drove almost every day for 2 years. Having driven in London for 10 years before that, quite happy driving round cities. Believe me nothing will get me back on the road here!
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Flying Clog,
Dont listen to the old women who have posted here. Hongkong traffic is no worse than any number of western countries I could mention. In the past a number of Cathay pilots rode bikes, among them Captains Mike Dearden and Ian Whittle. I personally had an expatriate barister friend who loved his Harley and another who had a nice Honda. There is an active motor cycling club in Hongkong and I see they have just done a charity Xmas toy run. Also there is some enthusiastic track racing local boys who are all good types. If you do bring your bike make sure the headlight has the strongest bulb the electrical system can sustain ( for daytime recognition ) and bring a fluorescence type vest to wear over your jacket. Basic stuff really. In Hongkong the traffic police ride the latest machines and one occasionaly reads they get involved in accidents but then again they are out there all the time. Is it dangerous? well I suppose there is an element of hazard, but if
you like the feel of the twist grip and you reckon you can stay alert then I dont have to tell you it's a load of fun. I'd be interested to know what you decide but dont forget you could always buy a nice bike after you arrive and had the chance to evaluate Hongkongs traffic for youself. 828a.
Dont listen to the old women who have posted here. Hongkong traffic is no worse than any number of western countries I could mention. In the past a number of Cathay pilots rode bikes, among them Captains Mike Dearden and Ian Whittle. I personally had an expatriate barister friend who loved his Harley and another who had a nice Honda. There is an active motor cycling club in Hongkong and I see they have just done a charity Xmas toy run. Also there is some enthusiastic track racing local boys who are all good types. If you do bring your bike make sure the headlight has the strongest bulb the electrical system can sustain ( for daytime recognition ) and bring a fluorescence type vest to wear over your jacket. Basic stuff really. In Hongkong the traffic police ride the latest machines and one occasionaly reads they get involved in accidents but then again they are out there all the time. Is it dangerous? well I suppose there is an element of hazard, but if
you like the feel of the twist grip and you reckon you can stay alert then I dont have to tell you it's a load of fun. I'd be interested to know what you decide but dont forget you could always buy a nice bike after you arrive and had the chance to evaluate Hongkongs traffic for youself. 828a.
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N1 Vibes sounds like the sort of person who isn't open to rational analysis of data, but for anyone else who might be, some data for 2006. Personally I don't see much in this that supports the assertion that Hong Kong is a more dangerous place for motorcyclists than London, bearing in mind that the population of HK is between 50 and 70% of that of London, depending on how you measure London):
Total number of people killed/seriously injured in traffic accidents in HK: 144/2508
Total number of people killed/seriously injured in traffic accidents in London: 231/3715
No of motorcyclists killed/seriously injured in HK: 10/403
No of motorcyclists killed/seriously injured in London: 43/805
Ratios:
In Hong Kong motorcyclists are around 6% of road traffic (measured by number of licensed vehicles) but about 19% of KSIs
In London motorcyclists are 2.8% of road traffic (by vehicle-kilometres, 2005 data) but 22% of KSIs (2001 data)
(So even if motorcycles in HK did half as much mileage as the average for all vehicles, they would be a relatively safer mode of transport in HK than in London)
Sources: http://www.td.gov.hk/road_safety/roa...2006/index.htm
http://www.td.gov.hk/FileManager/EN/...sus%202006.pdf
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloa...afety-Plan.pdf (2001)
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloa...e_March_07.pdf
http://www.td.gov.hk/FileManager/EN/...02/atc2006.zip
Total number of people killed/seriously injured in traffic accidents in HK: 144/2508
Total number of people killed/seriously injured in traffic accidents in London: 231/3715
No of motorcyclists killed/seriously injured in HK: 10/403
No of motorcyclists killed/seriously injured in London: 43/805
Ratios:
In Hong Kong motorcyclists are around 6% of road traffic (measured by number of licensed vehicles) but about 19% of KSIs
In London motorcyclists are 2.8% of road traffic (by vehicle-kilometres, 2005 data) but 22% of KSIs (2001 data)
(So even if motorcycles in HK did half as much mileage as the average for all vehicles, they would be a relatively safer mode of transport in HK than in London)
Sources: http://www.td.gov.hk/road_safety/roa...2006/index.htm
http://www.td.gov.hk/FileManager/EN/...sus%202006.pdf
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloa...afety-Plan.pdf (2001)
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloa...e_March_07.pdf
http://www.td.gov.hk/FileManager/EN/...02/atc2006.zip
