The Latest From BMW Canada

[ronk1200lt]

As of this morning, to get a U.S. bike across the border you need a letter of admissibility. This comes from the local dealer, submitted to head office. The turn around time is two days. This you need to bring the bike across the border. Cost $350. After the bike comes across , your local dealer will get you a Recall Compliance Letter. Cost $500. Turn around time two weeks. They are not requiring any speedometer changes and since U.S. bikes have daytime running lights there is also no need to change the headlight harness.

[ajs]

It certainly appears you are doing your homework on this subject and, no doubt, your information most accurately describes BMW Canada's requirements to import a bike into Canada. I do have a question or two. What is a letter of admissability? Is it required by U.S. Customs; Canada Customs; or BMW Canada? If BMW Canada, are they saying why they require it? Which dealer issues it, my local dealer or, the sellers or selling local dealer?

[ronk1200lt]

The letter of admissibility replaces the Vehicle History that you can see but no longer have a printout of from a U.S. dealer. This has to be faxed to the border along with registration and bill of sale 72 hours before you get to the border. Only $350. Nothing including paperwork is now cheap at BMW. Your local dealer applies on your behalf to BMW Canada for this document.

[brianbeemer]

your information most accurately describes BMW Canada's requirements to import a bike into Canada.
Are you sure this is a 'BMW' requirement? Surely BMW have got nothing to do with Canadian law, or did parliament delegate that bit to the dealers? If BMW has to give you a piece of paper before the Canadian authorities will register your bike for you, and they refuse to do so, isn't that a case for your MP? BMW are just a business trying to protect their market and make money. SUre we're the mugs paying for it, but when there's this sort of exploitation therre has to be a case for making it illegal.

I can see that BMW Canada might raise problems about servicing your bike, but who needs them to do that? I could also see them making warranty issues a pain for the owner, but isn't discrimination illegal?????? Actually there probably wouldn't be any discrimination there as BMW hates warranty claims everywhere! :rotf:

[ronk1200lt]

Unfortunately no one in the U.S. will give you a recall letter or a vehicle history report under threat of losing their franchise. RIV requires a recall letter to register the bike in Canada. The only place you can get a letter that is admissible to RIV is through BMW Canada because it has to have the company logo on it and be signed by a company official. To get the recall letter you first need an admissibility letter. If you don't get the admissibility letter you don't get the recall letter. If you don't get the Recall Letter, you have to deport your bike. If I am missing something here let me know.

[DarkMeister]

In my NSHO, BMW Canada has made the worst corporate blunder since CocaCola's "new Coke" fiasco.
I am sixty-some days in since bringing the bike in and still in limbo. A service receipt specifying "no recalls" wasn't accepted. A Vehicle History Report wasn't either, exactly because the dealer couldn't print it - and hand-wrote it on a lettehead. Not good.
My brand loyalty is in the toilet. If I survive this import (before having to 'deport' the bike, or have a heart attack) they've lost a customer for life.
Love the LT. Hate BMW. With a passion. In both cases. :mad:

[Taff18]

The letter of admissibility is only required with BMW cars. I got this from BMW Canada and had it confirmed by the RIV. I just yesterday brought a 2005 K1200LT across the border at Port Huron. I now have to take the bike to a BMW dealer to get the Recall Clearance letter done which I have to wait 15 - 20 business days for, then they send the letter to the RIV. By the way I didn't have to pay duty at the border so it appears that motorcycles are exempt from duty as the customs officer thought I had to pay duty but their computer system wouldn't even accept it. Knowing that makes the $500 recall fee a "little" easier to take. At the end of the day it will be all worth it!!!

[zarly]

When I imported my 2002 GSA into Canada, back in Aug. 2005, I had no problems importing my bike. I had a piece of paper from the BMW shop in Oregon that was faxed to me, saying "No outstanding recalls" basically, listing in handwritten form the recalls that had been done on the bike... I think I paid Canadian Tire a nominal fee to go over the bike and tell me how cool it looked, then I registered it and all was fine. There was no $350 Admissibility Letter and no $500 dollar recall clearance letter. There was no drama from BMW about importing the bike or supplying me with any information I needed. So has this changed since then or what?

Just wondering because I have been thinking about doing it again. I don't think there was duty either. Just a fee at the border 180 bucks I think, and GST and PST.

Does anyone know anything about this, this thread hasn't been active in a long time, I found it on google.

Thanks.

[bowdon]

Hi all;

I recently imported( Nov 2008) a 2005 LT and only required a recall letter, no admissability letter. As stated from BMW, this is for cars only. I have no problems with getting the bike across ( had to have the recall letter, bill of sale, and copy of the title at the border 72 hours before the bike crossed).
I paid the taxes to import into Canada and got the paperwork.
Did the two inspections ( one for federal & one for provincial) and registered the bike.

It was a good experience, and one I would do again.

I estimated I saved ( even with the exchange at 16%) over $5,000.

Hopefully the bike will have little to no problems!!!

Regards,
Bowdon

[05hexhead]

I imported my RT in April 08. RIV Canada requires a recall clearance letter on all vehicles entering Canada. At that time with the exchange rate being favorable I believe BMW Canada had concerns that their dealerships were suffering. I believe around December 07 they started their compliance (recall) letter that could only be issued from BMW Canada at the $500 dollar fee. US dealerships were instructed they could no longer print off the records of recalls that were previously acceptable.

Bowdon, where did you get your recall letter? Must have been from a US dealer?

There is no duty on any motorcycle imported into Canada as there are no Canadian manufactures to protect.

[bowdon]

I imported my RT in April 08. RIV Canada requires a recall clearance letter on all vehicles entering Canada. At that time with the exchange rate being favorable I believe BMW Canada had concerns that their dealerships were suffering. I believe around December 07 they started their compliance (recall) letter that could only be issued from BMW Canada at the $500 dollar fee. US dealerships were instructed they could no longer print off the records of recalls that were previously acceptable.

Bowdon, where did you get your recall letter? Must have been from a US dealer?

There is no duty on any motorcycle imported into Canada as there are no Canadian manufactures to protect.


Yes I got my recall letter from the dealer where the bike was. He did me a big favor!!!
Saved me 500.00 Can. I even got them to do Piaa lights!!!

Bowdon

[zarly]

But how does RIV know if you get the letter from the dealer you buy the bike from, or from BMW Canada for $500 - Is it a special format? Here's why I ask. when I got my 02 GSA from Oregon in 2005, the dealer in oregon gave a simple enough looking letter hand written on their letter head, stating that the recalls had been completed and non were outstanding. It seems that this should suffice. I certainly don't want to pay $500.00 for something that was free in 2005 just because BMW wants to protect sales in an overpriced market. Grrrrrr, how annoying is that? And the CDN dollar isn't even strong anymore.

Hmmm,
Doug.

[bowdon]

But how does RIV know if you get the letter from the dealer you buy the bike from, or from BMW Canada for $500 - Is it a special format? Here's why I ask. when I got my 02 GSA from Oregon in 2005, the dealer in oregon gave a simple enough looking letter hand written on their letter head, stating that the recalls had been completed and non were outstanding. It seems that this should suffice. I certainly don't want to pay $500.00 for something that was free in 2005 just because BMW wants to protect sales in an overpriced market. Grrrrrr, how annoying is that? And the CDN dollar isn't even strong anymore.

Hmmm,
Doug.

zarly;

It has to have a BMW logo on it, and has to be from the special BMS site that dealers log into. I don't think a hand-written letter will get by RIV which they need a copy before they send you the inspection form (done at Canadian tire) which you have to show at the licence bureau when registering. ( This is what I know based on importing my 2005 LT in November 2008).
Bowdon