Last February I took a a decision that it was time to step up and change my 2002 BMW R1150RT to a 2014 BMW R1200RT. Same model, 12 years newer.
The RT above is the 2002. It is a bike that marked my move from the big scooters to the motorcycles, and within that, to the BMW tourer world. I must say that I enjoyed every minute of riding with it, but since last year in the Pyrenees, when I had a rental 2014 RT, I was thinking that it is probably time to move on.
Since you can't find 2014 for sale in Israel (whoever has them hold them tight), I decided for buying it abroad and doing a personal import. More than that, I decided that I would personally go and bring the motorcycle to Greece and put it on a ship to Israel. If not for the price difference, then for the adventure of doing that kind of import experience (and all the expectation that comes with it) once in my life.
So I began looking for the dealers' websites in the internet. It didn't take much, just some conversations with friends on facebook, until someone pointed out a website called http://mobile.de which aggregated the sales of a very big number of german dealers. I began to look there and try to find the bike of my dreams.
Here I must make a stop and comment: Israel is a difficult country for personal imports. First, the motorcycle must be maximum 2-years old, but not from first licensing, from production day, at the moment it comes into the country. Considering that it takes 6-8 months from production to first license, this ruled out most 2013 bikes - specially the 90-Jahre special edition that I wanted much. Besides that, you need to get the import license BEFORE you ship the bike. This means you need to find a dealer who is willing to keep the bike for you for around 3-6 weeks while you have paid a first down-payment and can still withdraw from the deal in case you don't get the license for any reason. Third, you have to prove that the bike complies with all the European standards and some additional local requirements to get the license.
After some months of writing back and forth with some dealers, I came up to this beauty at MCD - Motorrad Center Darmstadt:
Since you can't find 2014 for sale in Israel (whoever has them hold them tight), I decided for buying it abroad and doing a personal import. More than that, I decided that I would personally go and bring the motorcycle to Greece and put it on a ship to Israel. If not for the price difference, then for the adventure of doing that kind of import experience (and all the expectation that comes with it) once in my life.
So I began looking for the dealers' websites in the internet. It didn't take much, just some conversations with friends on facebook, until someone pointed out a website called http://mobile.de which aggregated the sales of a very big number of german dealers. I began to look there and try to find the bike of my dreams.
Here I must make a stop and comment: Israel is a difficult country for personal imports. First, the motorcycle must be maximum 2-years old, but not from first licensing, from production day, at the moment it comes into the country. Considering that it takes 6-8 months from production to first license, this ruled out most 2013 bikes - specially the 90-Jahre special edition that I wanted much. Besides that, you need to get the import license BEFORE you ship the bike. This means you need to find a dealer who is willing to keep the bike for you for around 3-6 weeks while you have paid a first down-payment and can still withdraw from the deal in case you don't get the license for any reason. Third, you have to prove that the bike complies with all the European standards and some additional local requirements to get the license.
After some months of writing back and forth with some dealers, I came up to this beauty at MCD - Motorrad Center Darmstadt:
I wrote to them (I had already written in February regarding another bike, but their answer was that it was too early if I wanted to take the bike only in August), and this time - it was already May - this very nice man, Mr. Manfred Zachau, said to me it is already close enough to August for us to begin rolling the deal. And for my surprise, he already sent me the scanned copies of the papers and removed the bike from the website, even before my first payment.
One week after that I found myself on my way to Darmstadt, to see the motorcycle, decide that this is what I wanted, and give him the first payment of nearly one-third of the price of the bike. I even managed to do a small trip around the neighborhood with the bike. Paid the amount agreed, set the details of the deal with them, and came back to Israel.
I got a letter from BMW Israel that they are able to service this bike (how wouldn't they if they import them regularly?), a requirement to get the license. Then I entered all the paperwork to get my Import License in our Ministry of Transportation website, took the hard-copies to their office (just to make sure), and began waiting. Every week I got an email from them telling me the status of the request. After approximately 16 days they wrote me an email requesting that I provide some proof that the bike has ASC (Automatic Stability Control). I provided the details of the bike from the manufacturer (provided to me by MCD) and a picture that I took from the bike's dashboard while I was there, which showed the ASC display. Three days after that I got another mail: the request was approved and a License was on its way to me.
I finalized the deal with MCD, and now I am waiting for the date of the trip.
This is the itinerary I have prepared:
One week after that I found myself on my way to Darmstadt, to see the motorcycle, decide that this is what I wanted, and give him the first payment of nearly one-third of the price of the bike. I even managed to do a small trip around the neighborhood with the bike. Paid the amount agreed, set the details of the deal with them, and came back to Israel.
I got a letter from BMW Israel that they are able to service this bike (how wouldn't they if they import them regularly?), a requirement to get the license. Then I entered all the paperwork to get my Import License in our Ministry of Transportation website, took the hard-copies to their office (just to make sure), and began waiting. Every week I got an email from them telling me the status of the request. After approximately 16 days they wrote me an email requesting that I provide some proof that the bike has ASC (Automatic Stability Control). I provided the details of the bike from the manufacturer (provided to me by MCD) and a picture that I took from the bike's dashboard while I was there, which showed the ASC display. Three days after that I got another mail: the request was approved and a License was on its way to me.
I finalized the deal with MCD, and now I am waiting for the date of the trip.
This is the itinerary I have prepared:
This trip will take me through some main capitals of Western and Easter Europe, and bring me to Greece to ship the bike to Israel. I am meeting my wife in Vienna two days after I leave to Darmstadt, and when I arrive to Volos, Pelion, in Greece, I will meet another two couples of friends who will be doing with me the Greek mountains tour. On my way to there, I will be meeting some good virtual friends from the BMW R1200RT Owners Group on Facebook.
Yes, the motorcycle is ready, the trip is ready, I am ready. Can't wait to the beginning of August in order to start. Be ready for updates at the moment we begin.
Yes, the motorcycle is ready, the trip is ready, I am ready. Can't wait to the beginning of August in order to start. Be ready for updates at the moment we begin.
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