Announcements

**Gerald Bauer** · #1 29 Apr 2006

My motorcycle is now in the U.S. after a trip through latin america without insurance and without a registration (since more than two years).
It has german titles but no technical clearance 'Tuev' any more, which prevents it from a reregistration in Germany.
For my next trip in the U.S. and Canada an insurance is necessary. I found in old posts that I do not get this insurance without a registration.
Is it possible to import my bike, insure and registrate it, though I have only a tourist visa and I do not want to stay permanently in the U.S. ?
The customs fees should be low, for a 18 year old motorcycle.
The information, which I found on the customs and the texas government web pages give me no security, that I can handle this (in less than two weeks).

What happens further on, when I enter Canada, park my (I hope) U.S. registered bike and fly back to Europe ?
The import to the U.S. and the U.S. registration are not longer valid for Canada as I stay there !

Step 1: permanent import to the U.S.
see http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/import/in...al_vehicle.xml
"importation of personal vehicles for personal use by nonresidents" with the CF 7501 form
The criteria:
o Declarant's Personal Vehicle
o Imported for Personal Use
o By a Non-Resident
o Conform with EPA and DOT Standards
o Not Intended for Resale
seem to be correct in my case, if I can get the 'EPA 3520-1' and 'DOT HS-7' papers.
Has someone experiences with this ?

Step 2: registration in Texas
see http://www.dot.state.tx.us/vtr/vtrreginfo.htm?pg=faq
should be 'easy', if I get from the Department of Motor Vehicles a form, that basically exempts me from having a social security nr.
The number of the form was missing in the old post :-( , but they from the DMV will know it.
All other restrictions start with "I just moved to Texas" but continues more friendly with this requirements
o A completed Application for Texas Certificate of Title, Form 130-U.
o Original out-of-state title or current foreign document
(an English translation may be required).
o A completed Form VTR-68-A and proof of compliance with
U.S. Department of Transportation safety requirements
if you have a foreign ownership document.
o Vehicle Identification Certificate,
issued by an approved safety inspection station.
o Valid proof of liability insurance meeting Texas requirements.
o The vehicle’s current odometer reading,
if the vehicle is less than 10 model years old.
o Sales or use tax verification
if you have not previously registered the vehicle in another state.
Who has made this as a nonresident short ago (the old post was from 2002) ?

Step 3: Entering Canada with the bike
but with the intention of leaving Canada without.
Who has experiences in this ? I want to keep my bike, I do not want to sell it.
If this gets to difficult (dangerous when I will come back to Canada year(s) later), then I am looking for a safe place in the U.S. near Vancouver.

Has anybody some exact informations or perhaps better ideas ?
My trip starts already in June ...
Gerald

**Grant Johnson** · #2 29 Apr 2006