Importing a bike into the US from Canada

Eh, not really ridiculous when you think that a dealer pays $400(then passes this on to the customer) for a freight fee

I did it the reverse way but the only people that cared were US customs. It was simply a matter of sending the paperwork 3 days in advance of taking it over and then they stamp it and you're good to go. If there was a fee, it wasn't much.

if it is under $2500 US you dont need a broker involved, would just go through the commercial lineup and pay $10 for your car and they will send you inside to fill out a form as far as I know. call the closest border to verify though

I just did this for a 2012 Service Honda CR500AF I bought from a guy in Canada a month ago. The bike was shipped from Thunder Bay Ontario Canada to Rochester, New York.

I had to do all of the stuff you mentioned - get a broker to set up the paperwork prior to crossing the border. The seller and I were not aware of this, and the bike was held up mid-shipment in Toronto until I did this.

I used Cole International USA Inc. Their number is (716) 773-9207, and the person I worked with was very helpful and she got everything in place pretty quickly. The price for all of this was $343.20

Let me know if you have any other questions about my transaction that might help you out.

Edit- Note that this was totally separate from what i had to pay to ship the bike from Canada to here. The seller took the wheels, forks, and handlebars off, put it on a pallet, and dropped it off at the shipper. The total for shipping was $325.

Well if your bring it across the broader yourself don't say your selling it at the crossing. Then sale it afterwards no this is not illegal they sure like to make you think it is though. I looked into this and have done it a couple times.

Since its a dirt bike it's pretty easy getting one reg'd in most states. Unless it's a street legal or the buyer absolutely needs the import docs. I wouldn't bother buyer needs to check on how strick his state is or isn't.

We used to "import" new bike across the boarder by stopping on the side of the road and throwing mud on them before we hit the bridge.....

In 2004 I ordered up an RM250 from this place in BC. I forget their name but they had this nice website and awesome prices (i think it was motorcycle brokers dot com or something like that). They shipped the bike, still in crate, via Forward Air and I picked it up at a warehouse near the airport (SFO). The bike came with a signed Indiana (or was it Iowa?) title. I had to have the bike inspected (VIN verification) at my local DMV but got it registered. At the end of the day I saved a ton of money. The bike came with Canadian jetting specs and two manuals, one in French. There was definitely some funny business going on but I didn’t realize it until the bike was already in my possession. Soon thereafter the place went out of business (shocker!)

I've done some of this in the past. MX bikes are competition/off-road motorcycles. There is literally nothing needed to bring them into Canada. They have a sticker on them stating for competition that use so all you need is a bill of sale and you pay tax.

For into the US NHTSA states off-road bikes don't need FMVSS standards or EPA regs as they are for competition. That should be found on a box of the HS-7 form. You'll need that and a bill of sale. They may try and ding you for import fees if its made in Japan.

Edit: If you are exporting you'll need to get this rolling with 72 hour advance with US customs but a broker would take care of that and coordinate with shipping.

I would recommend Livingstons if you need a broker.

Some of you guys in the states can save a bunch of money with the exchange rate. Probably 4500 - 5500 USD for a new bike up here.

OTSFF can help you out...

You know, Andre Laurin's company that owns and operates the Rockstar-OTSFF Yamaha Canada National Championship Team?

They're on the web.

Hey guys, reviving an old thread here. I”m about 3hrs from Montreal. I”m considering buying a used MX bike. I would drive to get the bike, no shipping. Best I can tell I may have to declare the purchase & pay a nominal tax at the border? Thanks for any input.

I bought a race bike and drove it over. Have your paperwork and tell them it’s a race bike. Talked with the guy at the crossing for 30 seconds and was on my way. Super simple

Thanks for your input, that’s what I will do if I decide to buy it.

I used a van. The hardest part was loading it without a ramp. Bring a ramp.

In 2003 I drove to Montreal & bought a brand new YZ250F, the exchange rate was very favorable. I had a van & figured I would just drive through customs without declaring my purchase. That pissed off the border agent, They had me pull off & fill out the proper paperwork, but made me sit & wait about 2hrs before they would accept my paperwork. The fee was nominal but they were pissed.

Make sure you hit the border about a half hour before shift change.
They'll be ready to go home, and not be as likely to nit-pick.