Importing a Motor Vehicle To Canada (the be all end all)

[timk519]

Forum Sponsor

Did you need the recall compliance lettrer from the manufacturer to cross the border, or can that wait until the bike gets its federal inspection?

I have it, but they didn't ask for it at the border.

I'm waiting for the gov't paperwork to come in the mail so I can get the inspection done.

TimK

 

[NinjaNikki]

Did you need the recall compliance lettrer from the manufacturer to cross the border, or can that wait until the bike gets its federal inspection?

No, you don't need it to cross the border.

 

[gldwngr]

Did you need the recall compliance lettrer from the manufacturer to cross the border, or can that wait until the bike gets its federal inspection?

No, you don't need it to cross the border.

Perfect!

 

[sibermage]

Just curious but if I were to import a kawasaki ninja 250, is it possible to change the speedometer to reflect km/h?

Forgive my ignorance. Newbie to motorcycles here.

 

[gldwngr]

Just curious but if I were to import a kawasaki ninja 250, is it possible to change the speedometer to reflect km/h?

Forgive my ignorance. Newbie to motorcycles here.

Yup. But why bother? The speedo on many US market bikes is already in both kmph and mph. Only the odometer is unilingual miles.

On a related note, I was reading New York State tax advisories, and noticed that out-of-state buyers who do not intend to register the bike in New York Sate do not have to pay sales tax. In Michigan, they make you pay 6% sales tax in the same circumstance.

Talking about new bikes bought from the dealer here. Doing currency conversion and GST?PST payable at the border, and looking at list prices for the Kawasaki Concours at $8599 US or $12,299 Cdn, you could buy in Buffalo and save $3,000 on the bike once all taxes and fees are paid.

And the Canadian dollar continues to rise... it's looking like cross-border shopping time again...

 

[NinjaNikki]

Just curious but if I were to import a kawasaki ninja 250, is it possible to change the speedometer to reflect km/h?

Forgive my ignorance. Newbie to motorcycles here.

IMO, The 250 in the US is fuggly. :wink:

 

[gldwngr]

Just curious but if I were to import a kawasaki ninja 250, is it possible to change the speedometer to reflect km/h?

Forgive my ignorance. Newbie to motorcycles here.

IMO, The 250 in the US is fuggly. :wink:

The US list for a brand new Ninja 250R is $2,999 US, or about $3,350 CDN. For that price, fuggly is something a rider coukd easily live with.

The Canadian list for the ZZR250 is $6299 CDN. Is there that much technical difference between the two models to justify that price difference?

If not, I'm really surprised that more people don't make the Buffalo run to buy their bikes.

 

[tiger]

that's 'shuffle off to Buffalo', gldwngr..

get it right, would ya !


:lol:

 

[McG]

I'm looking at a bringing a bike in from Montana (I live in Calgary).

It seems that the only hitch for me here is the 72 hour lead time that the US customs requires. Since the bike I'm looking at is used, I don't want to pay for it upfront, but I'm assuming that a title with my name must be sent to the border.

In other words it's a catch-22: I can't get the title until I see the bike, but then I can't bring it back without waiting for 3 days.

There must be a good way to do this....

 

[gldwngr]

I'm looking at a bringing a bike in from Montana (I live in Calgary).

It seems that the only hitch for me here is the 72 hour lead time that the US customs requires. Since the bike I'm looking at is used, I don't want to pay for it upfront, but I'm assuming that a title with my name must be sent to the border.

In other words it's a catch-22: I can't get the title until I see the bike, but then I can't bring it back without waiting for 3 days.

There must be a good way to do this....

You don't need title in your name to get US customs clearance for export. Get the owner to fax copies of the title registration documents to you, and then you fax them on to US customs at the border crossing you plan on using. Then make your trip down south, pick up the goods, and mosey on back.

When you do show up on US Custom's doorstep a few days later with bike in hand, just be sure you have the original title registration documents plus a bill of sale with you. You can change title once you're back in Calgary.

Or so I have been told by the US Customs office at Lewiston NY. I'm still an ebay win away from testing the procedure.

 

[McG]

this is great news!

It means I can just head down there and buy the bike if I like it, no blind sale needed.

Excellent.

 

[McG]

- Present your vehicle along with original title docs to US Customs prior (72 hours) to entering Canada. www.customs.gov

I just noticed this.

It does say "original"...does that mean that the fax communications with the American customs will not work?

 

[gldwngr]

- Present your vehicle along with original title docs to US Customs prior (72 hours) to entering Canada. www.customs.gov

I just noticed this.

It does say "original"...does that mean that the fax communications with the American customs will not work?

I called and asked specifically if a faxed copy of the originals would suffice to get the export process started, and was told that this would be fine, but that when I arrived at US customs with the bike 72+ hours later, that I would need to present the original copies to US Customs for them to inspect/verify against the faxed copies.

 

[NiteshadeTA]

Your correct goldwinger, I bought my Ex500 from New Hampshire, and all you do is fax copies to US customs, and then bring the originals with you the 72 hours later.

Nites

 

[McG]

Glad to hear it....you just can't be too careful with this stuff.

 

[rjskipper]

Still haven't seen a response regarding actually riding the bike from a US point into Canada. Can anybody shed some light on this? I am able to fly to the US city I will purchase a used bike from and would like to ride it back to Ontario. Who has experience with this regarding bike certification and licensing requirement within the US and into Canada?

Thanks

 

[NinjaNikki]

Still haven't seen a response regarding actually riding the bike from a US point into Canada. Can anybody shed some light on this? I am able to fly to the US city I will purchase a used bike from and would like to ride it back to Ontario. Who has experience with this regarding bike certification and licensing requirement within the US and into Canada?

Thanks

I wouldn't recommend ridng a bike back. First of all you will need insurance and plates from whatever state you purchase it. Then you'll need to get plates again here. Seems like a lot of wasted money besides I"m not sure how the whole plate system works in the US (ie if you as a non-resident can even purchase plates).

Best bet is to rent a trailer and save the hasselment.

 

[gldwngr]

Still haven't seen a response regarding actually riding the bike from a US point into Canada. Can anybody shed some light on this? I am able to fly to the US city I will purchase a used bike from and would like to ride it back to Ontario. Who has experience with this regarding bike certification and licensing requirement within the US and into Canada?

Thanks

I wouldn't recommend ridng a bike back. First of all you will need insurance and plates from whatever state you purchase it. Then you'll need to get plates again here. Seems like a lot of wasted money besides I"m not sure how the whole plate system works in the US (ie if you as a non-resident can even purchase plates).

Best bet is to rent a trailer and save the hasselment.

Michigan issues transit tags to non-residents, but the real problem could happen when you get back to Ontario. How do you put Ontario plates on a vehicle that has not yet passed RIV inspection, or that you don't even formally own yet because you haven't transfarred ownership?

 

[rjskipper]

Has nobody been able to do this? It seems that if I can fly somewhere cheap outta Tarrana, it would be more cost effective to ride it home. In order to take advantage of deals somewhat further away than Buffalo, like Texas for instance. Renting a van or truck to drive up to the border would be more costly I would think. I will contact MTO tomorrow to see if they have any suggestions. Anyone else with experience actually doing this, I would appreciate your lessons.
Mark

 

[gldwngr]

Has nobody been able to do this? It seems that if I can fly somewhere cheap outta Tarrana, it would be more cost effective to ride it home. In order to take advantage of deals somewhat further away than Buffalo, like Texas for instance. Renting a van or truck to drive up to the border would be more costly I would think. I will contact MTO tomorrow to see if they have any suggestions. Anyone else with experience actually doing this, I would appreciate your lessons.
Mark

You could use a shipper to ship it from Texas back to Ontario for under $1,000 dollars. http://www.motorcycleshippers.com/s_Ontario.htm

Forum Sponsor