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A couple of questions about coming to the USA

I will be coming over from Australia next August for 3 months with my girlfriend and have decided to buy a GS over there rather than ship mine Ideally Id like to buy with a garaunteed buy back from what i can gather Oregon is a good place to start looking. If i buy in Oregon and i have a friend say in New Mexico who says I live with him Is this Ok.... i will also most probably go with Progressive Insurance.... Also what can I expect to pay for clean accommodation as Im trying to work out some kind of budget .I dont want to skimp but also dont want to get ripped off as well... cheers phil

Hey man
All I can give is advice I know about, maybe someone from Oregon can chip in.

I don't think you can register a bike as a foreigner in Oregon, they will demand to see your immigration status - unlike here in New Mexico. I might be wrong, but keep in mind most US states aren't user friendly.
I have met riders from other countries who have registered in Arizona and California too, just not 100% sure if they still do that.
If I'm still here when you get here will be glad to help you register bike, no sweat. ... but be aware that some motor vehicle departments in New Mexico LIKE IN SANTA FE will make it hard for you, others like in Deming, will fall over themselves to help you.

Buy back ??? Good luck. I don't think in the states but you can try.

Accomodations are typically expensive in the states - cheap hotels are 35-45 dollars for 1 person, maybe 10 more for the extra - but in many parts of US prices are almost double that.
Lot's of camping from free anywhere including small town parks in Nebraska, to 25-30 a night in Colorado State parks...and up. If you want to rent a hotel room for a month in places like I live (Deming, NM) it's about $350 a month for 1, maybe 50 extrqa for two. But there are lots of cheap and free options if you search - maybe couchsurfing or warmshowers to start

Good luck let me know if I can help til I get outa here...maybe in January, certainly by April.

Zig

thanks Zig for your reply.and offer.. So if I buy a bike in Oregon can i not ride it to New Mexico and register it there... Or do I have to register it in the state I bought it?.any advise from anyone would be appreciated....cheers Phil

Hi Simo,

I have registered many bikes in Oregon when I lived there. Problem is, I am a US citizen, so don't know the rules for foreigners. For a local, you have the private party seller sign over the title and registration, take the registration to the local Dept. of Motor Vehicles along with proof of insurance. Fill out the back of the registration and title with your name and address. You need a local address for them to mail the new title and registration to, but that can be a friends house in Oregon. They need to see the bike and check that the Vehicle Identification Number on the bike matches the title, and if the tags are expired you will have to pay any back registration fees. The fees in Oregon are low. And it is one of 2 states that don't have sales tax, so you don't have to pay any tax. That saves you a couple hundred bucks right there. There isn't any vehicle inspection or smog check in rural Oregon. They need to see Identification to verify who you are, to fill in the paperwork. I used my Drivers License. Not sure if a foreign license and some local mail addressed to an Oregon friend's address are needed. They need that for a drivers license, but not sure about registering a bike. Now, if you buy from a dealer, they take care of the paperwork, and have the title mailed to them and can forward it to you. It takes 2-4 weeks for the new title and registration to be mailed to you. They issue a temporary registration until the new one is mailed.

Okay, that's the legalities for Oregon for folks that need to know.

But let's face it. The only time you need registration and insurance is if you are pulled over by the police or get in an accident. There is no reason you can't ride the bike from Oregon to New Mexico if it doesn't have expired tags. You have 30 days to register the bike in your name, but believe me, some people wait longer if the registration tags are still current. I have bought motorcycles where the person I bought from never registered it in their name. They gave me the signed over title and registration from the previous owner that they bought the bike from. I'm not saying you should come to the US, buy a bike with at least three months left on the tags, print out a Progressive insurance card, ride around the US, have fun and sell it and turn the signed over title to the new owner. That would be bending the law and wouldn't work if you intend to leave the country, in which case you would need the bike in your name and would need to register it in New Mexico before heading south of the border. All fifty states have their own rules for registering a bike, so getting an easy answer to your question is difficult. It sounds like New Mexico is easy peasy if you care to register a bike. Lots of Aussies come to America and buy a bike to ride, so it is possible. Most buy in California, since there is more to choose from.

I haven't been to Australia, but traveled around New Zealand for 3 months. Bought an old Toyota van from a musician who got married, quit his band and didn't need it to haul around his drums anymore. He was depressed and sold it for 1200NZ. I felt kind of bad buying it so cheap, but it made selling it easy. The first night in Christchurch, I pulled into a caravan park and parked next to the fence. It turned out there was an Elton John concert going on in the outdoor coliseum on the other side of the fence, and I put a folding chair on the roof of the van and had a front row seat. Elton John was sweating and pounding on the piano forty feet away on the stage. Nice start to the New Zealand leg of my journey. Sold that van in Auckland before heading to Thailand. Got the required insurance. I think I had to bend a few rules, but it wasn't that hard. And I'm not too bright.

Guaranteed buyback? Motorcycles? Sounds nice. They were doing that in New Zealand for cars sold to foreign travelers. Haven't heard of it in the US though.

Kindest regards,
John Downs

Hi John,

Thank you very much for shedding a bit more light on the subject. I was aware about Oregon being sales tax exempt and this is a good a place as any to start looking I guess... I know its a while away before we come over but never hurts to start early.The exchange rate is making it attractive and Im going to commit to this trip. I was talking to a nice guy in New Mexico on Adventure rider who "may" offer his address to me, but time will tell. After all he doesnt know us and I understand that. I love your Elton John concert experience, amazing how fortune can show its hand sometimes. Hey if your ever in Australia look me up [You too Zig}, We live on the East Coast 2 hrs north Of Sydney, out of all the traffic and there is some amazing riding to the north of us. Ive been exploring it for years and know the area to the Queensland border well.. we can even put you guys up..... we have lots of room.....cheers phil

Just to add to the confusion a friend of mine, another Brit, bought a bike and went to register it in Arizona, I cannot remember which city, and was told no you are not a US citizen, went to the next city, still in Arizona and no problem. He was told by an American friend that it varies from county to county as well as state to state, the message seems to be if you are refused at one place try another.

You are welcome of course to come here and register. As a resident of New Mexico, you have 90 days in which to register a motorcycle from another state - BUT every state has different rules about driving a moto in that state -
- as a general rule, if you buy one that has current plates you can drive straight here and register without a problem, you must have insurance and will be asked for it EVERY TIME YOU ARE STOPPED -

--EXCEPT THIS DISCLAIMER -

there is no shortage of Brown Shirts here in USA. Maybe a cop stops you on the way, and decides he doesn't like your story - you get a ticket, no way out of it it is almost IMPOSSIBLE to not get a ticket if you are stopped -

- OR you come here to NM, and go to Motor Vehicle Dep't to register, and the agent decides he/she doesn't like foreigners...no go. So you have to go a different day or to a different city.

There is no guarantee that officialdom here in USA has anything to with intelligence.

Best scenario - in Oregon get a temporary permit I think it's valid for 10 days, you will need a copy of your insurance - faxed is ok.
. Drive here., rent from me, take the rent receipt, and your insurance card that has been faxed to you by Fernet Insurance , and that has my (your) address printed on it.
You get a title, registration and plates in your hand all at same time. For out of state motos they will have to walk outside and inspect VIN - extra cost I think 10 dollars.

IN NEW MEXICO IT IS ILLEGAL TO ASK ANYONE THEIR CITIZENSHIP OR IMMIGRATION STATUS,

it was recently pointed out to me that i had posted some potentially illegal information, so that has been fixed in this post.

Zig

Ok I can see it is possible... I just hope they like the look of me in New Mexico... then again i may have to send my girlfriend in to the DMV instead....I just hope I dont have to go from DMV to DMV till I find someone that accepts my application

Just show up, act the fool.....we'll get it done.

James

Ok James....im going to hold you to that....i have started the ball rolling, accumulating some US dollars in bits and pieces...looking at bike prices , maps etc....have been to the travel agent, airfare deals should be better in November so will be hanging off till then....Once i buy them I know its all systems go...

Just get here before January....I'm planning to head out then for a long time.

...

Zig

It might be easier to rent a bike, eh? There's a great place in Montana that rents GS's and has insurance coverage- probably wouldn't cost you any more than the depreciation an a bike you would purchase and would be a lot less hassle. It's called Moto Montana Outfitters- I rode with them a few months ago- Kyle (the owner) will bend over backwards for ya to make sure you have a good trip. As a bonus Montana has some of the best riding in the country!

That's US$7500, more or less, for a three month rental. No way in the world that's equivalent to depreciation, no matter how you ride, abuse or crash the bike. In fact, for that price you could buy a slightly lesser bike brand new (KLR, DR, DL), insure it, then ride it off a cliff when ready to return home.

Mark

I forgot to mention that he will charge significantly less for a long term rental, and I did not mean to insult anyones knowledge of the used bike market or imply that a GS depreciates faster than a Chrysler product. It's worth looking into as it might be about the same amount of money to rent as opposed to buying and licensing a bike, minus the hassle of buying, licensing, insuring, and then trying to sell said bike. If you try to sell it back to the dealer you will take a beating- they don't make a profit by giving you retail value.

You may be taxed when you register and title your bike in New Mexico as you do not pay tax in Oregon.
Looking at Oregon law it seems you need some "proof" you live there. But looks as if any thing will work. mail dropMaildrops in Oregon, USA (MaildropGuide.com)
Oregon dmv. Oregon DMV Motorcycles.
The form you need http://www.odot.state.or.us/forms/dmv/226fill.pdf

New Mexico DMV you can have the forms filled out before you go. Register Your Vehicle A bank statement and rental form is all you need it seems. Open a checking account at an bank and "rent" your self a mail drop. No post office boxs but never said any thing about mail drops. And they want "Real property rental agreement" but nothing about a house or living there. You can use that address as you may need it for insurance anyway. If you need a drop box Maildrops in New Mexico, USA (MaildropGuide.com)

Now I have never needed proof of any thing but insurance for title or registration. I was never asked.

Any way think all you need is a signed title and bill of sale as you are not a resident of the USA If you are in a state less than 30 days. so you may not need any of that any way. But the shop can help you with that I hope.

I do not know of any buy back but I think there is consignment at most BMW shops (well most shops sell used bikes) such as Welcome To PORTLAND MOTORCYCLE INC. Doing business with a smile since 1948.
You may want to look at this from them not a bad price Portland Motorcycle Showroom bit better more than a rental and you can sell or ship or home.

have fun on your trip