The cost of tires is sick, you need the free health care! A couple of years ago I saw a German guy on a GS with a couple of spare TKC's strapped to the top can and thought what a dork...does he think we don't have tires in the GWN. A smart man he was, 5,000 Km latter I was looking for a tire for the KLR, none to be found at any price, ended up using up what I had and then putting on a nearly worn out rubber to get home. Moral of the story bring those cheap American rubbers with you, the money you save will buy a lot of our northern gas.

Why not just go for a ride in a southerly direction with a couple of tire irons? Canada may be a big place, but almost all the people live less than a day's ride north of the border. I'm always looking about for an excuse to go for a ride, so saving a couple hundred bucks would almost seem like overkill! Or does the tax man measure how much rubber you have left when you cross the border?:nono:

Crikes ! Don't give the tax people ideas !
I live so far from the border that the tyres would be half wore out by the time I got back .:mchappy:

I was on a consulting project in California last year and would purchase tires, use packaging tape to tie them together, put my name on the tape with a sharpie marker, then bring them back as my checked luggage. Paid less than 1/3 what Blackfoot in Calgary quoted me for the Continental Conti-Escapes.

Got some halarious looks as they came rolling down the luggage carousel. Since they were not deemed hazardous and counted as my luggage I could bring them back free. Something to consider next time you take the kids to Disneyland - bring back a nice set of Continentals with your Mickey ears.

Note: Forgot to mention customs. They werent impressed when I said I was bringing Motorcycle tires back, but i declared the cost, and there is nothing wrong with brining them home, so its akward, but no problem in cusoms.