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Making buying a motorcycle easier in the USA for foreigners. Making buying a motorcycle easier in the USA for foreigners.
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Photo by Andy Miller, UK, Taking a rest, Jokulsarlon, Iceland

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Photo by Andy Miller, UK,
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Jokulsarlon, Iceland



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  #31  
Old 5 Jul 2012
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fysl View Post
this is my first post and I like to get some opinions regarding my plan which is buying a used bike in the US or new and tour all around in 30 days then keeping the bike in a storage by paying a full year in advance ( for storage ) then next year starting from another point for another 30 days and so on , I went across europe but I want to try the stretched roads in the US , Europe is so compressed to me everything is next the other no stretched kind of roads that I like , so can I keep the bike in any local storage for a year , I asked one local storage in new York and they say that they do month to month , it is cheaper than shipping to me , two trips will cost me same as the brand new bike ( bike shipping + tickets + wife + expenses = forget about it) , so the cheaper option is to buy one and keep it there , plus I have future plans for Canada
There are plenty of guys on Advrider.com that would gladly store a bike for you for a case of .
I am unfortunately leaving the USA in a few months so I will not be able to help anymore on this side of the pond, however, I have big plans for Europe.
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  #32  
Old 6 Jul 2012
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Gee, wheatwhacker, you know there's loads of people right here on HU that will store a bike - often for less than a case of !
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  #33  
Old 7 Jul 2012
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Storing bikes
Since the state of montana is 10.000 square miles bigger than germany we have lots of room. storage is something done a bit carefully so you can be sure the bike will run in a year. Here in montana we store lots of bikes for 8 months while the snow is blowing and drifting.
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  #34  
Old 17 Jul 2012
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I've found a bike and want to buy it, but insurance is proving to be a PAIN!

I've found these guys:
Overseas Visitors
Motorcycle Express - Ship Your Bike
Motorcycle Insurance - Instant Online Motorcycle Insurance Quotes

But they all want a processing fee to get a quote.
If I have to I have to, but are there easier options?
(I've got a UK licence, not a US).

Other options is to 'sell' the bike to a friend and have them insure it and have me as a named rider (legal in the UK but seems frowned upon here).
Is that do-able?
(I'm in LA and have an address FYi)
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  #35  
Old 17 Jul 2012
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Try Progressive (google it). Actual purchase might have to be from a local agent--in person, on the ground. Remember that each state has different insurance requirements and procedures, so scout around for a Progressive agent in LA if that's where you're at.

Mark
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  #36  
Old 17 Jul 2012
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Cheers for that...
i'm a little frustrated. I'd previously called Progressive and right away the guy said that they wouldn't insure me as I had a foreign licence. Yet on the website, I filled out the forms and there was an option for foreign licences.. Grrr..

I got a good quote that's WAY under my anticipated range.. so that's awesome.
Cheers for the heads up.

Now I've just gotta buy a bike..
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  #37  
Old 8 Aug 2012
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Progressive WILL, I repeat WILL, insure people with foreign license as long as they can provide a "US" address. FACT!!!!!
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  #38  
Old 8 Aug 2012
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wheatwhacker View Post
Progressive WILL, I repeat WILL, insure people with foreign license as long as they can provide a "US" address. FACT!!!!!
Indeed they do.. and have.
I had to pay almost $1k for a year and will try and get a refund as I only needed 3 months and couldn't do online monthly payments without a SS No.

I'll worry about that later..
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  #39  
Old 14 Aug 2012
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Ok I will be arriving in the North American contenient sometime in next 3 weeks and will be looking for a bike.

My first preference is to do this n Canada so I don't have to start using up a US visa until I have a bike, this will be subject to somethings though.

Are bikes of simllar condition roughly the same price in both in both countries? Cost is important as I am leaving KTM 950 in Russia without recouping the replacement cost.

Is easy to secure Canadian registration and insurance on a tourist visa?

Is buying in Canada and selling in the US easy/possible?

Thanks,

Craig
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  #40  
Old 14 Aug 2012
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Bikes are cheaper and more plentiful in the States. On the other hand, you only need one bike, so to some extent all depends on whether you are either lucky, patient, or both.

Selling a Canadian bike in the States is not easy, but it's possible. Barely. You can Google as well as I can, but my 5 second search gave me this hit: Importing a Motor Vehicle into the U.S. . If that looks like the way you want to spend your holiday (and potentially a significant portion of your 90 day entry), well, you know what to do.

Sorry I don't know how Canadian insurance and registration works. I do know that in the USA, you can easily Google the specific state requirements and insure with Progressive. You might try something similar with whatever Canadian province you're aimed at. Answers which apply to one might not apply to others.

Hope that's helpful. Good luck with your trip.

Mark
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  #41  
Old 14 Aug 2012
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Thanks Mark I think you have given me the answer. Buy it in the US!

We going via South Korea so I think I will visit the Consulte and inquire about a longer visa.
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  #42  
Old 14 Aug 2012
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1. Bikes are substantially cheaper in the US.

2. Your (?) UK license is good for 12 months in Canada and most of the US if on a tourist visa, definitely in New York.

3. Insuring the bike in Canada is not an issue in BC on a UK license. You will need an address, though.

When I 'did' North America many moons ago I did the test and got a US license as it made all sorts of things easier but I think that is harder now - need to be resident, give SS number/show tax returns and all that sort of stuff (thanks DHS).

Getting a Canadian m/c license is a right royal PITA and takes a couple of months.
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  #43  
Old 14 Aug 2012
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Thanks for that.

Anyone have a KTM 9x0 or GS800 they are looking to sell
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  #44  
Old 19 Aug 2012
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Okay further to this, if I was to buy a new bike (a discussion point since we have had big reliablility problems with the bike i leaving in Russia) I fancy I will get slugged with state sales taxes.

So from that point of view what state is the cheapest for this?

I of course would need a wheatwcker in that state.
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  #45  
Old 19 Aug 2012
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Oregon, New Hampshire &Texas are states in which I believe there is little or no sales tax.

You will need to be resident in that state to register the vehicle which may involve filing a tax return or at least showing utility bills with your name & address on them.

Perhaps one of our resident yanks could chime in at this point....?
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