Selling a Canadian bike in the US

[Xanato5]

Hi Team!

I've got a V-Strom (Canadian insurance/registration has lapsed) it's Sitting in Oregon... Was looking for a way to offload it, do you reckon it'd be easier to import and then sell in the US?
Or try get it re-registered and insured in Canada....although it's stuck in the US.
I'm Aussie based and trying to come up with a plan before I head to Oregon.

[PanEuropean]

It would be a lot easier for you to sell the motorcycle in Canada. This is because amongst other things, you would need to "import" the moto into the USA - that implies paying taxes and duties - then you would need to pass whatever safety inspection is required to ensure that the moto conforms to USA norms (speedometer in MPH, etc.).

You are at some risk that when you initiate the importation process, the US Customs people will realize that you violated their laws by bringing the vehicle into the USA as a temporary tourist import, then leaving the vehicle behind in the USA when you left the country. So best for you to just quietly get hold of the moto and return it to Canada, even if that is in the back of a truck or on a trailer.

You could, if you wish, consider advertising the moto in Canadian publications whilst it is still present in Oregon - if it looks like you have a sale pending, all you have to do is plan to pick it up and get it back to Canada.

Michael

[markharf]

OP, you're looking at a bureaucratic nightmare unless you happen to thrive on that sort of thing. I'm guessing that doesn't describe you, or you'd have already looked into this yourself.

There are websites which will teach you how to import your bike into the US--or give you an idea whether it's possible to do so at all. There are other websites which will offer to do it on your behalf, for a price...again, if it's even possible. Google a few obvious search terms--"import vehicle Canada to USA," for example--and you'll see. The taxes and duties are actually not much of a problem: it's the emissions certification and safety standards that will trip you up. But if the bike is more than 25 years old you might have a chance.

I'll just cut and paste a description of a representative sample of what's involved (from a US gov't website):

[begin paste]

"Importers of motor vehicles must file form HS-7 at the time of vehicle is imported to declare whether the vehicle complies with DOT requirements. As a general rule, motor vehicles less than 25 years old must comply with all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) in order to be imported permanently into the United States. Vehicles manufactured after September 1, 1978, must also meet the bumper standard, and vehicles beginning with model year 1987 must meet the theft-prevention standard. For more information, please contact the DOT import hotline at (202) 366-5291.

Vehicles manufactured to meet these standards will have a certification label affixed by the original manufacturer near the driver's side door. If you purchase a vehicle abroad that is certified to U.S. standards, you may expedite your importation by making sure the sales contract identifies this fact and by presenting the contract to CBP at the time of importation.

A vehicle must be imported as a nonconforming vehicle unless it bears the manufacturer's label certifying that it meets U.S. standards. If it is a nonconforming vehicle, the importer must contract with a DOT-registered importer (RI) to modify the vehicle and certify that it conforms to all applicable FMVSS. The importer must also post a DOT bond for one and a half times the vehicle's dutiable value. This bond is in addition to the normal CBP entry bond. Copies of the DOT bond and the contract with the RI must be attached to the HS-7 form.

Before a RI can modify your vehicle, however, it must first be determined whether the vehicle is capable of being modified to comply with the FMVSS. If a vehicle has not previously been determined to be eligible for importation, it must go through a petition process to determine whether it's capable of being modified for such compliance. If the vehicle under petition is not similar to one sold in the United States, the process of bringing it into compliance becomes very complex and costly. A List of Nonconforming Motor Vehicles that are Eligible for Importation (By or Through a Registered Importer may be obtained from a RI or from NHTSA's website."

[end paste]

And so on (and on and on). Motorcycles are subject to far fewer regulations of this sort, but AFAIK the same rules apply for whatever regulations do exist.

Aside from all of this, you might wish to consider that you'll probably get a better price in Canada, assuming you can wait for warm weather.

Hope that's helpful.

Mark