Are Japanese Imports really that bad?

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Dob8604
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Are Japanese Imports really that bad?

Post by Dob8604 »

I know the purists poo-poo Japanese imports but at present Australia is being flooded with Hailwood Replicas and SS 900s. So many that the price has dropped to the point that they can be had for half the price of an original Australian version. There seems to be an unlimited supply of used Ducatis in Japan going for peanuts.
I recently paid less a Japanese MHR than for an Australian model Darmah and after owning it for a few months I can't fault it.
Paint and bodywork are original and quite perfect and it had only 18,000km when I bought it. It hasn't missed a beat for the 7000 k's I've put on it. I ride it everywhere, rain hail and shine. I wash and service it but I don't mess about polishing or fussing over it because it didn't cost me a fortune.
While Aussie models are locked up in mothballs for fear of adding too many K's I enjoy riding mine.

So are Jap imports so bad? At least it puts more Ducatis on Australian roads instead of under covers in garages.
And if they break at least there might be a few second hand bits around for everyone else.
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Re: Are Japanese Imports really that bad?

Post by BevHevSteve »

it's not about Japanese MHRs etc being 'bad' or even different - it's all about the local market and what it can bear. You can say the same thing about any bevel found in the USA - compared to pricing of equal bevels sold in AU... Prices here are way soft compared to AU, which is why so many of them are being bought up and shipped to AU.
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Macdesmo
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Re: Are Japanese Imports really that bad?

Post by Macdesmo »

If someone wants to buy a particular Ducati then,to me, it doesn't matter which country it is imported from. The bike was still made at the factory. The people who quote "original Australian Import" are using a perception that they have to get the best price possible. Buying second hand always comes down to Caveat Emptor. I guess it is easier to check a local bike's history, but that doesn't matter in most cases.
I have always thought that the Australian MHRs were overpriced especially '82 on. The imported Japanese MHRs that I know about were likely to have been purchased for approx $9000 AUD so that means they can be sold relatively cheaply and represent a good opportunity for someone wanting the bevel experience. Having said that, one chap who imported 20 of them is still having a bit of a time moving them on.
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Dob8604
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Re: Are Japanese Imports really that bad?

Post by Dob8604 »

So true, there's a stigma that the Jap imports are total junk but there's not much choice if Australia didn't import them. Given the small population of Australia at the end of the 70's there weren't that many Ducatis sold compared with Japan and USA.
All the original Australian imports are now either clapped out with 80,000 km on the clock or been totally restored and way out of the price range of the average punter.
While I was looking I reminded myself of the rumours of Japanese winding back speedos, leaving bikes on the docks for years to rust in the salt air, bottom ends failing after bearings drying up and coroding. I looked at a lot of imports and although there's obvious evidence of touchups and detailing including mismatched colours of bodywork, it's more likely as a result of the importers rough packing and not labelling the panels before dismantling bikes for the container. They literally pack bikes into every available space.

I'm not an expert but the bikes appear to have only done the kilometers on the speedo. Most paintwork is original but not perfect so it comes with all the minor scratches and dents that one would expect after moderate kms and often have original (ie. Silentium) exhausts still in good condition.
As you say, let the buyer beware. You could just as easily get stung by the guy down the road selling the original Australian import. It would pay to take an expert with you.
machten
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Re: Are Japanese Imports really that bad?

Post by machten »

[quote]It's not rocket science.[/quote]

My point exactly..... T'aint no big deal. IF you find something you like and it's out of the country you live in, then do some figuring on shipping costs, import duty etc, and you may or may not find it is worth it. Blanket statements regarding good/bad of all bevel drives from any specific country only has to do with import costs vs buying locally....... Supply/demand and various $ conversions.
Dob8604
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Re: Are Japanese Imports really that bad?

Post by Dob8604 »

Weird bikes these Japanese imports. The lower fairing on the MHR was covered in big HELLO KITTY stickers. I carefully removed then expecting to see scratches everywhere but nothing but perfect paint.
I couldn't imagine anyone doing that to a MHR over here, must have been a big fan of HELLO KITTY. Are fans of the Kitty rough on classic Italian sports bikes?
Also a sticker under the neutral light saying NEUTRAL and a sticker near the gear lever showing the order of the gears 1N2345. :shock:
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jaffa
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Re: Are Japanese Imports really that bad?

Post by jaffa »

Mine has "Kenny" stickers all over it....I guess that means something to someone.
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Dob8604
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Re: Are Japanese Imports really that bad?

Post by Dob8604 »

"Kenny" could be Kenny Blankenship from MXC (Most Extreme Challenge)
Wikipedia - ..an American comedy television program that aired on Spike TV from 2003–07. It is a re-edit of footage from the Japanese game show Takeshi's Castle which originally aired in Japan from 1986–89.
Apparently Japanese viewers found the English overdub hillarious as it was completely made up and had nothing to do with the original dialog.
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Steve Foster
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Re: Are Japanese Imports really that bad?

Post by Steve Foster »

All the original Australian imports are now either clapped out with 80,000 km on the clock...
I resisted biting before, but as the owner of a 750 GT with 88,000km on the clock (that has never been rebuilt) I would take issue with the view that bevels that have covered these sorts of distances are necessarily "clapped out" if they haven't been restored. Granted, the GT is less highly stressed than an SS or MHR, but I have seen quite a few bevels with 100,000+ kms on the clock. In my experience these high distance bikes have owners who know how to look after them: those that suffered at the hands of owners who didn't were often clapped out after having covered much lower distances.

I'd be curious to hear from others to see what sort of distances their bevels have covered. Who owns the bevel with the highest "mileage"/"kilometerage"?

Cheers
Steve
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Dob8604
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Re: Are Japanese Imports really that bad?

Post by Dob8604 »

Sorry, I meant that they have two characteristics - that of being clapped out and that of having over 80,000km on the clock. I looked at a few with 30K - 40K that blew heaps of smoke and needed paintjobs badly and visa versa there's some that are remarkably preserved. Kudos to the previous poster if that's the case. I didn't mean to offend.
Just a question. There's lots of Ducatis for sale with milage around 80k but they the ads seem to always seem to make the point "unrestored" or "in need of loving owner".
I've always got the impression that a 30 year old unrestored Duke with more than 80K is due for a bit of mechanical work and detailing, meaning the new owner will soon be up for some expense. Doesn't mean it's a bad bike but the buyer needs to take this into account if intending to keep the bike running long term.

Now when you add the milaege to the fact that the bike appears "clapped out" ie. seat needs recovering, clutch slips, oil leaks, faded or scratched paint, rusty exhaust, dubious electrical repairs, needs chain and sprockets, tyres etc. etc. etc.... it no longer seems an attractive buy.
Riv
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Re: Are Japanese Imports really that bad?

Post by Riv »

My '82 Replica is a Jap import, less than 10,000km when I got it, original paint and I reckon the front tyre was original! It has the lead seal on the crankcase screw and even one on the front header nut. The only differences from an Oz delivered bike I can see are the red line on the speedo from 80km/h upwards, some stickers with Japanese text under the ignition switch, and the beautiful condition. I love it.
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TomGC61
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Re: Are Japanese Imports really that bad?

Post by TomGC61 »

Slightly off topic but it seems near on impossible to shift an MHR in the UK. They are really not in demand and to add to that there are lots on offer. Dealers seem to ask about $20,000 AUD equivalent but there are no takers. On the open market in the UK I think you would have no problem finding a buyer at about $10,000 AUD maybe a bit more. Above that level its a tough sell. It may be fashion, but at the moment they seem less interesting to the market than a really good 860 in standard spec and a lot more common also.

We live in a global market and I think that the availability of cheap MHR's from Japan is simply a result of poor demand.
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Oldfatbeerman
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Re: Are Japanese Imports really that bad?

Post by Oldfatbeerman »

My aussie delivered Darmah has 117,000 km on it , the top end has been refreshed once at about 70,000 km( with high comp pistons ) and then a comprehensive top to bottom rebuild was done on the motor after the big end went just after the guvmint outlawed super fuel , that was because the unleaded fuel burns at a faster rate and causes the dreaded " nock " which will eventually kill the big end . My Darmah also has not turned a wheel in the past 15 years , so all those kilometers were done pre 1998 , which was the first 19 years of it's life , it is a 1979 model . It is currently undergoing a cosmetic restoration to get it looking and feeling newish again .

I would be more than happy to buy a MHR for around half the regular asking price regardless of where it was originally sold , anyone that sees it otherwise , is a fool and ignorant of the fact that all the MHR's of the same year model were the same no matter where they were in the world they were sold new . I have seen one advertised recently for around $15 K and have actually discussed with my wife buying it , but alas , she has just thrown in her job and does not have another to go to yet , so the timing is no good for a not needed :tisk: ..... but wanted `-* purchase . :(!
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