The Real COST , no its not cheaper to import a bike

So you have found the perfect Indian Chief at say $30,000 USD in New York so it has to get to the Los Angeles Port $648 USD then it has to get to Melbourne so with a certificate to import from Canberra and a customs broker add another $1200 Ausd then of course your Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull wants a cut out of the lot including the freight charges and the damn cheap Indian is now $45,000 and it doesn’t look that good in the flesh the photo’s always look better. Yanks don’t ride their bikes so a 100 point AMA restoration means it’s usually looking good but absolutely buggered mechanically but another $8.000 minimum will make it better for the old 1200 cc, 3 speed. Hmm you know what, buy a local bike and ride it because the import bit only works when the $ is on parity and by the way Border Security may impound your import and $4000-$5000 later after the asbestos has been removed by a Gorilla you will get your bargain bike  back in a tea chest, doesn’t look that cheap now does it?