Heard only good things about Empire, so thinking of ordering a bunch of stuff from them to the UK, anyone have any experience with this? (shipping times prices etc)
Empire are rock fucking solid, you need have no worries at all on that.
Whether you get stung for customs is down to luck and value. If you are ordering several hundred quids worth then it may well get charged and wont be within your "allowance". Smaller cheaper items are both less likely to get charged and more likely to slip through.
Obviously UK distributors and shops are loosing out on business though and distributors are unlikely to support warranty, so factor that in to the price as well as possible duties.
If you have a relative or friend in the US (even if they are just visiting for a few weeks) then get it shipped to them and they can ship it on to you as a "gift" (or bring it back on the plane)...
In the old days, UK BMXers would put together a load of orders and then someone would go out and ride for a few weeks (often not taking a bike but building one there and bringing it back) and essentially get a free holiday. There is obviously the need to go through the "nothing to declare" lane when you get back, but if the bike is already built and looks used then you are likely to be fine..
G.