Importing Brand New E-Bike to Australia. Anyone with Experience?

pegaxs on 26/03/2024 - 21:47

Friend and I are looking at importing a couple of Honda DAX-e e-bikes, because “nerds” and they kinda look like fun.

So far I have found a supplier in China (these seem to be Chinese market only bikes at this point) that is a bike shop who is willing to sell us 2 in crates, unassembled.

We have a shipping/freight company that will pick up the bikes and ship them to Australia. They will be shipped as “part of container” load.

I applied for and was granted permission to import the bikes by the relevant Australian government department (who I am not going to mention, because they are about 40 departments in one, but it was the old “department of infrastructure and other nonsense”)

What the hell comes next? Do I get them delivered to a port? What paperwork do I need to send with the bike? I will need to pay GST when it arrives, will customs just contact me? Do I just order it, get it picked up and deal with it when it arrives?

I just can’t find any reliable information online about these import steps. All the websites say is “you need permission” but nothing more. No step by step on what’s going to be expected.

Sports & Outdoors Electric Bicycle

Comments

  • Hybroid on 26/03/2024 - 21:52

    You will need to get a freight forwarding company engaged to pickup the goods after they have cleared customs to then deliver last mile to you.

    Do not be surprised if a 15 min port-to-home delivery costs more than shipping the entire pallet from China to Australia.

    • pegaxs on 26/03/2024 - 21:57

      You serious? I literally live 15 mins from Newcastle port. Why the hell would I engage a freight forwarder for that last 15 mins? What are they offering to do that I can’t do with a ute from work and a high vis vest?

      The overseas freight company has given me two options, delivery to my door, or delivery to port of my choice, I was going to pick port to save a few $$’s.

      • Hybroid on 26/03/2024 - 22:51

        Some ports do allow you to pickup items yourself once cleared customs. No idea if PoN does and they don't state it on their website but maybe give them a call on the general enquiries line tomorrow to find out.

        There's a lot of paperwork required and a whole process you need to go through to be allowed inside. Generally deemed not worth the effort for private cargo, hence using a freight forwarding company to do it on your behalf.

        It's much much much easier to just pay the delivery to door option frankly.

        • pegaxs on 27/03/2024 - 06:55

          Actually, that makes more sense now. I would imagine that they are not going to unload a container at the docks just to get my cargo out, and that it would need to go somewhere else to be unloaded fully. If it was a whole container load and I was picking up the whole container, it would be worth it, but not a single item.

      • sumyungguy on 26/03/2024 - 23:00

        You commercial invoice will need to state the agreed Incoterms®; likely FOB (Free on Board) or DPU (Delivered at Place Unloaded). Best to clarify this with your shipping agent in China so you'll be clear on whom is paying for what. You may not save anything going with FOB because you'll need a forwarder to bring the shipment across the border.

  • DashCam AKA Rolts on 26/03/2024 - 22:25

    I've imported 2 moderately expensive conventional bikes from the UK in the last few years.

    Both bikes from the same company, 2 different experiences.Both were delivered to the door.

    1st bike - notified when it arrived at customs, was sent a link for a website to complete paperwork, calculate customs, and a link to pay both the customs and GST. Navigating the various classes of items to calculate the duty was a bit of a pain as I was a total newbie. But a couple of hours and it was complete. Received an email from Customs, informing me my goods were released. Final mile delivery was Australia Post. Courier and final mile delivery were sorted by Bike company.

    2nd bike - DHL were the courier from UK to my door. They handled all the Customs & GST; sending me a link for paying the amount due. Bike arrived fairly quickly, as DHL seemed to have an expedited process.

    • pegaxs on 26/03/2024 - 22:30

      My only concern is that this is for an ebike, and unlike a regular bike, it requires import approval (that I have been granted already). I have a feeling that you might be on the right path and I might have to give them the approval number at the time I get this email.

  • sumyungguy on 26/03/2024 - 22:44

    The freight forwarder will charge a laundry list of fees involved with unloading the container, customs & border clearance and local cartage. Most forwarders will allow you to collect from their warehouse. Shipping LCL you will be paying your chinese forwarder's origin & freight charges plus an Australian forwarders destination charges (minimum $700). If you have a door-to-door option that may be the cheapest way.

    • pegaxs on 27/03/2024 - 06:52

      Thanks for that… now that I have import permission, I’ll chase this up with the shipping company and ask them about it. Most of the quotes I got were around $300~400 and I just know there was going to be “oh, yeah, that extra $700 is from your port operator, not us…”

      I don’t want the freight for the bike to end up being more than the cost of the bike itself.

  • Drakesy on 26/03/2024 - 22:51
    +1

    Out of interest (you've probably done your research though) are these legal even though they have pedals, i thought throttle assist bikes were largely illegal in Australia.

    Looks sick though.

    Have you looked at Super Socos?

    • Kenb0 on 26/03/2024 - 23:11
      +1

      Reckon they’re about as legal as those e-bikes with throttle assist that a lot of delivery riders use and never pedal ie. not legal at all but police turn a blind eye to them… they’re essentially mopeds with decorative pedals at that point.

      • mshanann on 26/03/2024 - 23:40

        If you goal is to only ride on the road, those bikes look the business. If you want to ride on footpaths and bikepaths without attracting any unnecessary attention or grief from pedestrians - then those (motorcycle-style-looking) bikes are definitely not suitable.

        I've got a home made ebike using a front-wheel-hub motor and big battery pack running on a 1990s apollo women's mountain bike with an obnoxious kid's bell on it. It looks like a complete P.O.S - but will comfortably do 30km/h and you can use all the gears and pedals if required and go along bike paths. I've never had any grief from pedestrians - I ring the bell and give them plenty of notice and cut the power a good 50m away from them. You can also take it up the shops and throw a lock around the front wheel and be pretty sure no one will pinch it.

        • Kenb0 on 27/03/2024 - 01:05

          you seem like a considerate ebike rider, even cutting power when approaching pedestrians on the bikepath. I have absolutely no issue with considerate riders, whether or not the bike they're riding are technically legal or not. However, the laws as written are usually to cater for the lowest common denominator, to stop (profanity) being (profanity). Unfortunately, these are also usually the same people who ignore the same laws written to cover them so its almost kinda pointless.

          The ones I see fanging about in the melb CBD and surrounds(usually delivery riders) don't seem to give a flying **** about others or rules in general.

          • pharkurnell on 27/03/2024 - 09:11

            @Kenb0: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hFGXCuyqhg

            If ever there was a case for a warning this was it.. Dude was friendly and helpful to the cops. $1100 in fines.

            • Kenb0 on 27/03/2024 - 16:36

              @pharkurnell: Watched that video and while I agree that he wasn’t being a (profanity)(actually he was the opposite of being a (profanity)), I’m not so sure that a warning would have been appropriate for what he did. When you strap a small petrol engine and fuel tank with all the trimmings onto a bicycle, it’s gone far beyond a simple e-bike, it’s pretty much a DIY motorcycle with no consideration for safety. I also doubt that a regular bicycle has big enough brakes or chains/gears are strong enough to take the extra power of the petrol engine without being stressed beyond their point of safety if he keeps it up. If he wants to do that and ride in the bush or backyard, go for it, but if he’s riding that on public roads with others, then he should probably need to comply with regular road laws for a motorcycle which is what it is now. We’re not at the level of mad max dysfunction yet that anyone can DIY their own transport vehicles however they like without some controls over what’s suitable and what’s not.

              Obviously he passed the attitude test with the cops, which is already a credit to him, but you can’t take the piss with the laws surrounding e-bikes/motorcycles that much and expect to get away with it if pulled up on it.

    • pegaxs on 27/03/2024 - 06:49

      are these legal even though they have pedals

      I applied for it as an ebike, not as an off road bike, and they had no problem with it. BUT, with that being said, there was nothing in the paperwork that suggested this has a throttle. In NSW, the power limit for e-bikes was raised to 500w, so it also comes in under that. As for “legal”, other than the throttle, it should be ok. To make it legal, it would just be a case of unplugging or removing the throttle assembly.

      Have you looked at Super Socos?

      I have, but they are not ebikes. I owned a cUX for about 3 years before I traded it up for a Fonz Arthur. It was great, but I can’t use it on bike paths. The DAX just looks retro AF and are different to all the usual “Super 73” style e-bikes I currently see around.

      • Kenb0 on 27/03/2024 - 16:41

        If you unplug/remove the throttle assembly, then is it still any use as an ebike? Ie. can you still use the motor in pedal assistance mode when pedalling without the throttle attached? Or is the throttle the only way of engaging the motor?

        • pegaxs on 28/03/2024 - 13:23

          You know what, I am not 100% sure on that part. I dont know if it has a trigger on the pedals or not. If it only makes the bike go by using the throttle, then it's a motorcycle and not a true ebike.

          • Euphemistic on 28/03/2024 - 15:57

            @pegaxs: Younneed to be a bit careful with e-bikes. Theres a lot out there that arent legal. But if you dont ride like a gooose you're unlikely to end up on the wrong side of the law as policing is sporadic at best. The danger is that the fines are very high if caught riding an illegal e-bike.

  • mmd on 27/03/2024 - 01:56

    CIF or FOB?
    Check out this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQLO8lfuQrU

    • pegaxs on 27/03/2024 - 06:41

      Cheers for that, Jeremy is the guy that got me looking into this almost a year ago. His video is good, but it doesn’t really tell you much about what you need to do or what to expect exactly. He does a good job of explaining it in general though.

  • xshe024 on 27/03/2024 - 15:21

    The shipping and the import tax as well as the handle fee will cost almost the same of the dax e itself. I have already got quotes and all the other paper ready for buying one, couldn’t justify paying that much for a e-bike. if you importing as a business I don’t know, the process will be different and gov charge probably different. GL

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join