Importing motorcycle parts from EU - Taxes and Import Duty Tariff question?

Jhonny Yoga · Trail riding god

Importing motorcycle parts from EU - Taxes and Import Duty Tariff question?

Snaf · Loadsabikes

If you buy through ebay this all gets sorted as they use bonded warehouse.
Other companies that export a lot do the same and in both scenarios they effectiviely bring an item into the country as their own and pay duty on their declared value including shipping but are able to reclaim any duty they have already paid. They then sell it to you with UK vat.

If it's private you'll most likely get clobbered for vat/duty/customs handling by the courier and vat again for good measure.

Which Mikuni is it, got a link.

Jhonny Yoga · Trail riding god

www.mikuni-topham.de/ENGLISHSITE/TM_4-Stroke_Carburetors/TM34-B110/TM34-B110_XS400.html

Cheers Snaf ... looks like two Mikuni TM34's.

Seems a right rigmarole buying from Germany but setting up CV carbs with POD filters equally painful to date....and no suppliers found in UK (who are interested).

Snaf · Loadsabikes

How about using Mikuni VM34 round slide, cheap as chips.

Jhonny Yoga · Trail riding god

I dunno? Losing the will to research currently. I can get it running perfect in neutral hot n cold when reserve tap on but plugs saying far too much fuel I guess cos vacuum to fuel tap bypassed. Put fuel in ON position and activate vacuum to carb and it runs rough then dies of fuel starvation.... CV carbs and Air Pods not good at all so everyone seems to say. Young Dave says no chance of getting CV carbs to work with Air Pods he doesn't believe anyone has ever done it. Seems the world agrees CV and Pods no go and all say Mikuni Flatsides. Maybe its the double choke on the XS400 that precludes Mikuni Round-sides. I dunno and I've had enough for now. wink

-- Edited by Jhonny Yoga on Saturday 27th of September 2025 07:45:47 PM

Tim · stephenson spielburg

I have no idea what you're on about. My brain was fried reading this.

*could be the cider. I'll try again in the morning.

-- Edited by Tim on Saturday 27th of September 2025 08:15:58 PM

Dirty Ming · Wannit delivered? Well do ya punk?

He lost me at "vacuum"

Jhonny Yoga · Trail riding god

Yeh Constant Velocity carbs and air/fuel mixtures screws will do anyone's noggin I reckon

Snaf · Loadsabikes

Does it run better without the air filters on, I had a rally car running K&N filters once. It ran OK at high revs but low was terrible until I put an airbox on it to stop water ingress. My conclusion was bad airflow through the gauze filter the airbox corrected that.

Mikuni VM's are £60-70 each and probably only need a 30 choke.

Jhonny Yoga · Trail riding god

Testing will continue. At the moment spark plugs sooty deposits suggest too rich (i.e. too much fuel) I know the original builder had the carb re-jetted but no specific details and he suggested his next move was to put Mikuni Flatsides on the bike but someone insisted on buying it as a display bike before he had the chance to do that...I believe it has been a display bike pretty much ever since.

I have some Ram Air foam pods to try at suggestion of other folk who had similar issues but I'm not convinced this is the solution either. Overwhelming consensus to date is Mikuni flatsides are the route to go down as big performance and set up boost for both XS400 and XS650(no mention anywhere else so far of VM Roundslides being possible or suitable for either...bigger volume pots not good for VM?) or alternatively fit an airbox (ie as original design) and use the original CV carbs ...

Amusing short filum found in research ref Air Pods fitted to CV Carbs

https://youtu.be/vlA8hsbyaK4?t=5

-- Edited by Jhonny Yoga on Sunday 28th of September 2025 11:05:59 AM

Snaf · Loadsabikes

ahaha indeed, looking at them the air intake volume must be very small and have a large effect on air flow pulse. Where's Simon when you need him, he'd have some great ideas on repurposing hoover filters or such like to fix this problem.

Bin the current filters and install an airbox or at least somehting like this with adapators so the intakes are joined together.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/395952405037?_skw=HD-2075&itmmeta=01K67SMBM3ZGAJB3SMJVX04VBH&hash=item5c309a3a2d:g:ImcAAOSwLypnSfCb&itmprp=enc%3AAQAKAAAA4FkggFvd1GGDu0w3yXCmi1eHsXp5%2FXRJg0nesniIU6LRbODMiWXAhLH25Nrf8MCXoInzfIZBCljFKbLvIdWrtmjGwQEuDdQBc0Pr0FL2ACP2dRqcq6KhBJWfAU8fTjgrcgenDEULfHGQ6TPIOY9%2F10tAizD0mAtQ9VqMUERyA7oniDgcRiWKDZpgLQL5WG3VyPeDxHG5V7CQ9tHvUe7MDOS33bIN3EKir9C0JybzvTG1x3amYolMdYX2IxifOQFNHjUFNNt8qHlZHcMnBK5%2BRaVCo%2Fsc%2BoNOyn4ZMA%2BmroNe%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR6S60fmxZg

-- Edited by Snaf on Sunday 28th of September 2025 10:16:53 AM

Jhonny Yoga · Trail riding god

Yes will try the ram Air filters next. Just been around the block and it has a good sputter in 3rd under load but runs okay idling. Suspect plugs will be black and sooty when I remove them and a longer test would gunk them up completely. If Ram Air doesn't work out of the box I will try them on an original air intake duct which has a balancer tube, as you suggest, between inlets.

If that doesn't work bite the bullet and shell out for Mikuni flatsides after I have worked out or got some assurance ref Import Duty payable.

This one quite amusing too - lot of material on YouTube about Air Pods and CV Carbs.....

youtu.be/Na6dbH9Mprc

Jhonny Yoga · Trail riding god

After much frigging about I have had a successful three local lap tour around block! Mostly flat with small hills (up n down).

The Ram Air filters fitted with an additional 2 inch straight through extender pipe (no balance pipe). There was no spitting, farting, bogging (even under sharp acceleration) noted. Tick-over rpm steady and throttle response remained good when hot. So I'm feeling very encouraged and may yet not need the Flat Sides or the totally non-existent help of DHL or Parcel-Force to understand UK Import Tax rules....fingers crossed.

Tomorrow I will try six laps. I felt I should stop at 5pm as my near neighbours could justifiably have been arranging a lynch squad for the noisy sod!

Jhonny Yoga · Trail riding god

fishin for bass in the morning need some gentle quiet time..

https://youtu.be/6SFNW5F8K9Y?t=8

-- Edited by Jhonny Yoga on Sunday 28th of September 2025 10:29:26 PM

Jhonny Yoga · Trail riding god

So having steak for supper no fish from kayak but gorgeous early morning on the water.

Ref Importing Carbs from German supplier Topham - UK HMRC - Commodity Code 84099100 designates "Parts suitable for use solely or principally with spark-ignition internal combustion piston engines" and attracts a 2% Import Tax - DHL fully familiar and Topham confident

However, I may not need to lash £700 at Mikuni Flatsides - hurrah! The RAM air filters seem to be working well albeit running rich. This afternoon I pinned the bike up ****ington hill for a couple of laps and no flatspots noted nor bangs or pops and hot idle steady. Running rich which I think is no real issue aside from MPG and regular cleaning of sooty deposits on plugs. So I have ordered some very thin 52mm OD stainless tube and will extend the carb inlet neck out to 100mm each carb which I believe, with the RAM foam filters, will pretty much then equate to the volume of the original Yamaha airbox and hopefully lean out the mixture. Doesn't fell like I need a balancer tube at the moment. So I also ordered spare set of plugs and when they arrive will venture further afield carrying a plug spanner brass brush and some cleaning media .... it's a fun bike about as far away as I can imagine to ride from a dirt bike - but I like it !

Update completed! Out.