Importing A Bike & Need A Little Advice

[ronk1200lt]

Hi guys! The run around is unbelievable, but I think that I am making progress on trying to import an LT from the U.S. One question that I have is that the Canada Border Agency needs to see title documents, registration and sales receipts when you cross into Canada. What title and registration documents do I need? I called RIV and asked them, but they referred me on to the Canada Border Agency and of course they don't answer their phone. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Ron H

[HammerStar]

By the rules, a copy of the original title and the bill of sale needs to be delivered to the US side of the border crossing location that you are going to use 72 hours ahead of time, to allow them to do a title search. Check with particular location for actual requirements as some need original documents on hand, some require copies only. Some US border stations will consider vehicle exports 24/7, while some have hours restricted to Mon to Fri. When you arrive at the US side of the border location stop to have the title stamped to show the vehicle has been legally exported (ie. clear title) then carry on to the Canadian side. The CBSA may look at the title, but for private imports they are really only interested in the bill of sale. You will have to pay GST on the converted Canadian value of the bike, remember motorcycles are "duty-free" irregardless of where they were manufactured. Customs have blue or black books for reference values to compare your bill of sale, so if it is much lower than current Canadian values be prepared to substantiate your bill of sale (having it notarized may help).

I'm not sure of the current process to pay the RIV fee, it may be done at the border, if not it can be paid online through the RIV website. I think the RIV fee has to be paid by standard credit card (Visa or M/C) and the GST can be paid by credit card or cash. After that you should be on your way - federal safety compliance inspections are done at most Canadian Tire stores (don't worry about this you will know more about the bike than anyone there, the inspection is usually done by a clerk, not a mechanic) the main concern as I remember was converted the weights on the gross vehicle weight sticker to kilos. A provincial safety inspection may be required based on Alberta's requirements then you can go to your provincial department of motor vehicles for local licencing, they will need to see the title. Eventually you will receive a letter from the RIV completing the process and providing you a sticker confirming the gross weights and compliance with CMVSS. Have fun, take it one step at a time, it will all fall into place.

Steve Collier
'05 KLT

[ronk1200lt]

Thanks for the help Steve.

[ajs]

Agree with all of the above except when I took mine to Canadian Tire they also verified the speed indications on the spedometer also read in Km., and they checked to see if the headlight came on with the key.

[legacy]

Try this site. It's very informative and has been used by a number of people for bikes and cars.
The guy that posted it is a friend of a friend of a friend. He ended up buying two Wings this year after he totaled the first one.


http://ronh2005.googlepages.com/howtoimportamotorcycle