Hello George:

You don't need to provide proof of 'right to reside' in Canada to register a vehicle here, but you do need to be able to provide an address that is within the same province that you intend to register the vehicle in. This could be the address of a friend or fellow HUBB member. The rationale behind this is that motor vehicle registrations are a provincial matter, and a province won't register a motor vehicle to a person who does not have an address in that province. You don't, however, need to register it in your friend's name, you can register it in your own name.

There may be some finer details than that depending on what province you register the bike in, but generally speaking, that's how it works.

It might be a little tricky for you to get insurance if you don't have a driving licence from a Canadian province. This is because the insurers want to be able to look up your driving history to see if you have any convictions for speeding, etc., and they can't do this if you have a UK licence. You might be able to smooth that problem over by getting a transcript of your UK licence history, and also by getting a letter from your present UK insurer attesting to your driving and claims history.

Coming north into Canada, the answer is yes, especially if the vehicle is registered in one of the Canadian provinces. I'm assuming that there would be no immigration problems associated with the entry of the person (yourself) - in other words, that you have a UK passport & therefore don't need a visa, that you have sufficient funds to support your tourism, that you don't have any problems in your background (criminal record, etc.) that would complicate your entry into Canada.

Going south into the USA should not, in theory, present a problem, but the Americans are pretty fearful people and you never know when the officer you encounter at the border might start going down some rabbit hole about your residence in Canada (the address the bike is plated to), etc.

Hope this info helps.

Michael