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Motorbikes in Singapore

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infrno
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Motorbikes in Singapore

Post by infrno » Wed, 19 Jan 2005 10:24 pm

I'm just on the verge of being offered a job in Sing and am curious as to biking conditions/requirements in Singapore. Bikes obviously aren't at the same crippling prices as cars and given the climate it'll be somewhat ncer as a sole form of transport than in the UK. So, a few questions:

the government doesn't seem to allow me to swap my full uk license for a full Sing bike license so what's involved in taking a full test?

What are insurance costs likely to be on a 600/900cc bike? <late 30's, good record>

any issues with parking, servicing or general day to day biking in sing?
Any tracks in the area?

cheers

Paul

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Strong Eagle
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Post by Strong Eagle » Thu, 20 Jan 2005 9:09 am

First of all, if your bike is older than 3 years, you cannot bring it into the country at all (I don't know if there are exclusions for antiques but then again you mentioned this will be your primary form of transportation).

If your bike is less than 3 years old, then you will need to supply manufacturer's certifications that the bike meets noise and pollution standards at the time is was manufactured for the country in which it was sold.

Besides shipping, your bike will be subject to a 46 percent import tax (if memory serves - may be more), and that tax is based on shipping as well as the value of the bike. There are additional registration fees and you will have to get into an auction for a COE, which for January was $552. My take on the used bike market here is that a machine is about double the cost of a bike in the US, and by the time you get through with shipping, taxes, license, and fees, you'll be in the same position.

You really want to have a motorcycle endorsed license from an "acceptable" country... I believe the UK is one... before you get here. If not, you need to take 24 hours of theory 3 hours at a time and must pass all 8 modules. Of course, you can't take the test on the same day, and given the timing of the courses, expect to take two months to do this.

Then you must take the practical school which includes riding for an entire weekend. These are commercial schools and cost money. The practical test is performed by the government, is somewhat arbitrary, and if you fail it (which most people seem to do the first time), you must take the practical driving course again.

On the other hand, if you already have a motorcycle endorsed license from an approved country, you need only take a written test to demonstrate your knowledge of the laws.

I can't speak to insurance. Parking is not too bad, although it is still not cheap to park in the CBD. Riding here is whatever you want to make of it. Lane splitting is common, nay, an art form at every light, but if one avoids such dangerous practices, it seems safer here than in my hometown of Houston.

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infrno
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Post by infrno » Thu, 20 Jan 2005 5:01 pm

Thanks for that. I wouldn't bother shipping my current bike; be cheaper to just buy one out there.
the big issue for me is that according to the gov website despite having a full uk bike license they will only swap it for a 2a.
Do you know where I can find info on the license upgrade path? I've not yet found any sites which contain much in the way of useful info.

As for the lane splitting I did five years of commuting into central London so it doesn't hold too many fears for me. Biggest issue will be trying not to accumulate too many demerits for speeding.

Ahh well, maybe I should just stick to the 2a and get a slow 200cc dirt bike for pootling around on.

cheers

Paul

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Post by Lurlinedom » Sat, 25 Jun 2005 9:20 am

Hi,

Despite the negative rumour I have managed to convert my full UK bike licence to a full Singa licence with a minimum of fuss - only having to explain to the police lady that >50cc meant unlimited on the UK licence!

I was a longterm commuter in London and the conditions seem pretty good here. The real difference for me in terms of safety is that there is no way of wearing the leather, body armour and mototcross boots of my London commute.

I am thinking of lashing out on a Harley as a suitable trropical ride and am very pleasantly surprised that it is no more expensive than the ludicrously overpriced Warrs of london price. The insurance quote that the guy in the Harley dealership gave me also seemed very good value compared to London (I am guessing that theft is much less of an issue) but apparantly there is no way of carrying over any of my full no claims bonus - ho hum.

I would be very interested in any advice that anyone had on where to go to buy bike gear, helmets, gloves, body armour etc and any general advice or observations before I take the plunge and get hogged up. I wonder whether an 88Cu harley engine will enjoy a short singaporean commute for instance.

LD

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