Buying and registering a motorbike in Canada
 

Good day,

Like many fellow riders on this forum, I'm seriously considering doing a bigger trip on a motorbike. This year in June/July would be the right time as I could free myself from work - and as time is passing by I'm not getting any younger :)

I've searched answers to the questions I have on the forum and on the internet more generally, but can't get a final statement as there seems to be conflicting reports. I'm sorry if this has already been answered here.

My idea would be to buy a motorbike in Canada and register/get plates in Canada also. Then I'd take the bike South down to Argentina (and maybe back to Canada).
I'm not a Canadian citizen and I've actually never been to Canada.

- Can I buy and register a motorbike in Canada? If I buy new, can the dealer arrange for me the paperwork and get the plates so that I'm ready to start as soon as I arrive at the shop?

- Will I be able to buy a Canadian insurance? I have an international driving license. Is the standard Canadian insurance also valid in the US?

- If for example I buy this DR650 advertised here for CAD 6300, what's going to be the final cost including registration, third-party insurance and all existing taxes and fees?

Thanks for any hint! :scooter:

Nick

Where in Canada? It's a fairly big place, and each province has different licencing and insurance requirements.

Most foreign owned Canadian vehicles down south are registered in British Colombia so they obviously make it easy to do. Mandatory liability insurance is coupled to the registration process so that is one less thing to worry about although that would not cover comprehensive insurance. That would also cover you for the USA although you might have to declare that to the insurer. In Mexico and further south you will have to get approved liability insurance either at the border or on-line - and same for countries further south.

The BC department of motor vehicles - ICBC - has full details on their web site

The flip side of easy to buy is said to be close to impossible to sell if people or vehicle are outside BC

BC makes it easy to buy, register and insure, but beware
 

It would be difficult to find the motorcycle of your choice in the maritimes provinces, Manitoba and Saskatchewan because they have a small population

Forget Alberta and Ontario. They request the provincial driver's license to register and insure a motor vehicle.

Forget Quebec, you would have a very difficult time to get insurance.

Yes it is possible to buy register and insure a motorcycle in British Colombia and no need of a provincial driver's license if you are a tourist. It's straight foward. If you buy new, you only need the bill of sale, if you buy used, just show up with the seller

You can register and buy insurance for terms of 3,6,months in 15 minutes with ICBC mandatories.

Make sure you bring with you a statement of your insurance to get a rebate, otherwise, newbe raate, and it's costly.

Make sure you pay with a credit card if you want to be reimburse instlantly when you sell the motorcycle or you no longer require registration and insurance.

Never pay cash or by debit card, because they send you a refund to you mailing address.

Thanks very much to all of you. I must admit I thought I'd come with some cash to any place in Canada and would easily buy and register a bike...

Originally I wanted to start the trip in Quebec in order to ride West across Canada, then South along the Pacific coast.
So this would be feasable only if I can get an insurance in Quebec - which is impossible, is that correct?

I could change the plan and start the trip from British Colombia. However in that case I'd be able to vsit Canada only on my way back. If I ever get back :D

Please help me understanding that ad for a DR650 in BC:

- The ad highlights CAD$ 6299
- The small prints show FRT/PDI/Doc $900 combined. Total price $7199 plus taxes.

What is that FRT/PDI/Doc? How much will I end paying if I buy this bike?

FRT is freight, PDI is pre-delivery inspection, DOC is documentation.
These guys think they can bill you to complete a Bill of Sale, quite common in Canada. For me, if I am buying from a dealer (not often), is the part I am going to haggle on.
Taxes are 12% in BC.

I am planning on doing the same, buy a KLR from a dealer in Montreal and ride up to Alaska.
I spoke on the phone to insurance companies and some sort of administration responsible for all the insurers in QC specifically emphasizing that I'm a EU citizen . They all tell me it is very well possible to insure a bike as a foreigner in QC. Some MIGHT not cover you for theft though.

I got an online quote for said KLR of $22 CAD per month.

If that's true, they sure have a lot lower rates in Quebec than here in BC. I'm paying about 4x that for basic liability on my 650, and I have a 43% safe drivers discount from the base rate. Damn you, ICBC!

Some good info here.

I too want to buy in Canada and BC would suit me as a start and finish point since I have huge loop of North America planned as opposed to one way ride.

By chance would anyone be from BC and have suggestions on a dealership I might enquire regarding buyback arrangement or the best online bike sales site for private sales.

Thanks.

Things are going forward - slightly.
I've spotted an ad for a DR 650 in BC that has many accessories I'd fit anyway: larger tank, squid plate, rear rack - and even a lower comfort seat...
I don't think I'll come again across such a nice combination.

Alas, I won't be in BC before end of June.
I'm trying to negociate by email with the seller that she (lady) stores the bike in her garage until early this summer, but realize it's rather unexpected.

What can I do? Is there a garaging option near Vancouver/Victoria that I could use? Someone collecting the bike and keeping it for me during 3 months?
Or maybe I can ask the owner to drop the bike at a dealer who could also perform a service on the bike?

Hmm :) Any suggestion? :)

Alright, I ended buying a brand new one in Vancouver :)

America! I'm coming!!! :mchappy:

What did you end up buying and what will you do when finished?
thanks,

Oh so I got a DR650.
Sorry I don't understand the 2nd part of your question :oops2:

Hi Nico,

Lots of people ask about doing what you’re doing, so any specific information you could post would probably be helpful. For example, what dealer, how long did it take, what were costs for registration and insurance....?

I believe the previous poster wanted to know what you’ll do with the motorbike when you are finished traveling in the Americas. A lot of people also wonder how to get rid of a bike—who to sell it to and where, and whether legally or not. Some people keep traveling on the same bike by shipping from South or North America to Asia, Africa, Europe or Australia. If you’re planning to do this, you might want to check out what will happen to your B.C. Insurance (and therefore your registration) after it runs out.

There is also a lot of information on The HUBB about riding between Alaska and Ushuaia, as you’re planning. Just ask. In fact, if you pass through my town on your way south feel free to get in touch and stop by. I’m a couple of kilometers from the last stop on the Alaska ferry system.

Enjoy!

Mark

Following up with this thread.

Got the bike from Motorcycle Worlds (Motorcycle World | New and Used Motorcycle Sales, Parts, and Accessories in Surrey, BC). I requested a quote (including all taxes and fees) for a DR650 at various dealers in BC and they came with the best offer. It's worth asking as there are significant price discrepancies among dealers for the same item.

I'm in contact with Eddie at the shop, the whole buying process was fairly easy and carried out by email only. They also stock aftermarket parts (tanks, seats, skidplates etc). Eddie confirmed it's straightforward to get the insurance and offered that I use the shop's address for all paperwork.

I ended buying new because they can store the bike at the shop until I'm flying to Vancouver this summer. Previously I had found on the net a seemingly nice second hand DR in Victoria, however the seller said she had no garage and that the bike was kept off-street. Also, there's always the risk that you're buying a lemon when you buy via internet.

The thing is, the DR 650 is fairly cheap in North America for those of us living in Europe. I mean, I cannot buy a CRF250L with that kind of money. Even second hand you'd pay EUR 3000 for a (well maintained) 20 year-old DR with 30,000+ kms on the clock...

Because of Euro regulations (emissions, compulsory ABS...), they stopped importing the DR in 2003. I suppose similar regulations will end hitting North America soon - so guys it's maybe worth buying 1 or 2 spare DRs and reserve them for future trips ;)

For that reason, and also sentiments :), I might actually ship the bike back home when I'm done with the trip.

@markharf: thanks a lot for your invitation, I might knock at your door for one fresh beer

Alberta: i had zero issues insuring my G650X Challenge with my Hong Kong (& international) drivers License, albeit i had to pay a higher price due to non Albertia license, but it was still cheaper then changing over.

I would recommend not buying in Canada, but buying in the USA instead. With a US bike, you can sell it in any country to anyone from any country and they can get a new title and registration and plates in their own name by mail from anywhere. That's a really big deal!

This is not true. It may be possible to get a new title and registration by mail in some of the 50 US states, but it is certainly not possible in all of them. Caveat emptor.

FWIW, I also suggest buying in the USA, all things being equal. Prices are generally lower, availability is generally better, and transfer and registration are generally easier--again, depending on the specific state.

Hope that's helpful.

Mark

I'm now in Vancouver and picked up the bike yesterday, thought I'd post a quick follow-up.

What I can say is that the whole process was pretty easy: within an hour or so I was riding the bike on open roads with plate number and insurance.

So buying a bike in BC as a foreigner is easy, but one thing to keep in mind: insurance in BC is the most expensive in Canada and cost me a kidney although I have a clean claim history. A kidney, I mean it.

If I had to do it again, I'd look at buying the bike in Quebec. Prices in general are lower in Quebec but insurance is harder to get when you're a foreigner - from what I heard. Potential savings are probably worth the extra effort.

Sorry you got caught in our dumpster fire! :blushing:

Prices in QC are lower, but the annual registration costs about $550.
I tried that trick...

Hi Nico,

Can I ask how much the insurance cost you? Im thinking of doing similar and buying in Vancouver.