Registering a motorcycle in the United States
I have just gone through the process of purchasing a motorcycle in Canada and importing it to the United States. This is what you need to do to complete this.
Obviously, you need to obtain the registration and bill of sale. In addition, you need to contact the manufacturer of the motorcycle, and obtain from them a letter of compliance. If it meets standards, then you are ok. If not, then it would have to be reworked to meet standards. There are some exceptions to this rule-I have an RD350LC registered in the U.S. even though the motorcycle does not meet U.S. EPA and marking standards.
At the port of entry, you will need to complete a customs form-which is very simple. There may be duty payable (I didn't have any), and then the bike is in the United States.
Then you have to obtain a HS-7 form (for Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, and mminor exceptions are permitted here-for example, the speedometer may be in KM/hr. In addition, you have to obtain an EPA 3520 form, which governs emissions standards.
Insurance is mandatory for most (if not all) states, and with all this in place, the registration can be done.
Regards,
Dennis Caswell
|