Question for RTW riders crossing Continents and Borders

[Buzzlightyear]

I’m seeking info regarding Carnets and border crossings in Canada and the US for a bike that is going to be shipped from the UK to Toronto. I’m reading very conflicting posts on Carnets. A post on this site says NO Carnet is necessary in the Americas at all (North, Central or South) - period. Yet I read other sites that say a Carnet is required. Here’s my short story:

I live in Southern California and have owned a bike in Scotland for 10+ years (2007 F650GS). I’ve only ridden it 13,000 miles (all within the EU), and it was purchased in the UK and has always been registered in my name with a UK (friends) address. (But I only have a US license with a California address.) I will be riding to Morocco in 2025. Then I’ll ride north to Paris where I intend to airfreight the bike to Toronto, Canada via BIKE’Air. Then I’ll ride it down the East Coast of the US and leave it there for a year. (I realize those 12 months will be problematic. ;-) Then return in 2026 and ride it across the US to California. My questions are simple:

Does anyone know what documents I’ll need at the Toronto airport and US border (aside from the usual UK registration and UK insurance docs)? If I don’t have a Carnet (clearly stated as not required on this site), will I have any problems in Toronto when I claim the bike, intending to ride it to the US border? Will the US border officials expect a Carnet or will they simply “wave me on” when I claim to be riding across the US to California? Finally, my UK insurance won’t be valid in Canada or the US. Does anyone know if it’s possible to secure Canadian insurance just for a few days to get to the border, and can I get similar temporary insurance for the US portion of the trip?

These types of situations must be very common to RTW riders who transit countries and continents continuously, sometimes over several years. But I can’t seem to get a definitive answer on whether or not I will need a Carnet for North America. (I’ve previously only had EU borders to deal with, but that will change with Morocco.)

If anyone has practical knowledge or has done this, I would appreciate any input on the required docs (or any other pitfalls I might encounter!). Many thanks!