So many potential pitfalls….

To begin with, you’ll need to import the bike into Canada in order to register it there. I don’t know where you get reliable information about doing that (When my sister wanted to import a US registered trailer I found out how to do that somewhere on the internet), but it’s a place to start.

Then there’s the issue of registering it locally in your province. I don’t know whether that’ll be possible (and neither does anyone else until they know what province you live in), but I have some doubts. In the US, you could go on the internet and look up the rules for whatever state you live in—some will allow registering a bike which is not present, but many won’t. I have to believe the same thing is true in Canada.

There may also be issues of insurance, safety or smog inspections, or similar. Again, you’ll want to look into requirements specific to your home province; it’s probably best not to take anyone’s word for anything until you see it in print on a government website.

You might consider registering it instead in the US state where it’s already registered—some states allow this to be done remotely, and some allow it to be done remotely by a non-resident. There are some threads here on the HUBB you can find with a site search which will start you on your way

Last, of course you’re not allowed to keep a foreign-registered bike in Europe indefinitely—that would constitute permanent importation, about which there are many, many rules and regulations. The reason I left this for last is that lots of people bend or break these rules, and most—but not all—get away with it. It’s definitely worth thinking about in terms of risk vs. consequence, and of course I’m not suggesting that you break any laws.

Hope that’s helpful.

Mark

As Mark said,
So many potential pitfalls….
Personally I'd have to REALLY want THAT bike to go through all the aggro - and there is a lot. This is a REALLY complicated path. My Canadian bike has been registered in the UK, and back, and that was relatively easy - but bringing a foreign bike into Canada is a hassle.

Recommendation - buy a bike in Europe, there's a guy in Ireland on the HUBB here (search the HUBB for motofeirme) as who can organize it all for you and store while you're not there. I think Stefan Knopf in Germany will also do the same.

__________________
Grant Johnson
Seek, and ye shall find.
------------------------
Inspiring, Informing and Connecting travellers since 1997!
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

Oh dear Grant,

I think you made a little mistake here, but you couldn´t know.

Of all the search results on the first page of results ALL of them except one are at least 6 to 12 years old. Even if there is some information in those results it´s probably old and outdated.

But that only one result which is not old (2022) is very negative about that ¨guy in Ireland¨ and unfortunally written by.................exactly, the original poster of this thread.

I do not see any other post on The HUBB written by the OP. Could you clarify, please? Thanks.

Mark

HI Mark,


Here is the search result i was talking about:

https://new.horizonsunlimited.com/ts...on/nightmare-3

Best regards,

Rögnvaldur

Thanks Rögnvaldur, that is VERY concerning, and I will be checking into it.

__________________
Grant Johnson
Seek, and ye shall find.
------------------------
Inspiring, Informing and Connecting travellers since 1997!
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

To answer a few of your questions.Buying an American or Canadian motorcycle here in Ireland is ok as long as your not pulled over by customs, ( not police)
They will ask for import documents in your own name along with other supporting documents.
In saying that, I have, and currently store motorcycles here, registered all over the world and nobody has been asked for any documentation.
It’s a grey area.
Also some states won’t let you transfer a title without the vehicle being physically in the country.


I have also heard of people packing a license plate in their suitcase along with a stick on VIN. Apparently it worked for them at border crossings. To each their own.


At the end of the day, it’s only a motorcycle.

__________________
https://www.facebook.com/motofeirme
http://motofeirme.com/

I am also in a similar situation so will add the information I have and also ask a few questions. First I know there are threads dealing with non-resident registration for US plated bikes but am wondering if anyone knows the most current and trouble free options.

Personally, I was planning and am still considering WA. It used to be quite easy to do that. Apparently in the last couple of months they are now requiring a WA license now as part of the registration process. I asked about a Canadian who resides in WA, but wants to keep their Canadian DL, and was told it may be possible with rental agreement, or power bill etc.but it sounds like simple things like mail, or bank statements may not be sufficient. I have also heard this new rule may not always enforced, but would be good to get some info if anyone knows how things may have changed in this regard.

Vermont apparently has tightened their rules now and it is no longer possible. OR is quite similar to WA, except proving residency is easier as you can get a DL, with just a bank statement with your OR address, and an amazon or some other package with your name on it to the same address, and some form of hard ID like passport, birth certificate, etc. South Dakota seems to require a SIN number which is ok for Americans who are not residents of Dakota, but not possible for Canadians and I have found no work around. I have heard Texas is possible, and possibly AZ, and AK, but haven't followed up on the details.

Another thing to consider is whether online registration is possible, whether there are yearly inspections, and whether insurance is required for registration in the case of people using their vehicle outside of US for extended periods. guess Montana LLC is the only one I a currently aware of that seems to be for sure possible. Personally I will try my luck in WA, and if that does not work most likely will go with Montana, but it would be great to hear if anyone knows any other options or solutions...

As far as importing a foreign vehicle into Canada if it is plated in the US, there is a process for doing that and it's fairly straight forward. Anything newer than 2008 must be entered into the RIV system, which is basically a register of vehicles, and that costs $200, US customs clearance (which requires an appointment) is needed before entering the vehicle into Canada, and then duty must be paid to CBSA and provincial authorities. Then you go about trying to register the vehicle which will require further explanation. If the vehicle is older than 2008 it does not need RIV but still needs US customs clearance, and tax and duty paid on entry to Canada.

The obvious issue here is that if the bike is in Europe I imagine it would first need to go back to USA to get customs clearance and doing that without first having attained proper registration would likely be problematic. It is possible by presenting only the paperwork to US customs the clearance could be attained but I am not sure about that.

One other question about a possible simplified cheap solution for the multiple riders who find themselves in this or similar situations. Curious if anyone knows if a Montana LLC could be formed that would operate as an umbrella for multiple owners, each who could have their own vehicle registered in their name, but share the costs of the actual running of the LLC.