How Do I Register A Canadian Vfr

After totalling my beloved 2003 RWB VFR, I've been looking for a replacement, and I really want one with ABS, but they are hard to find. User Weaver is selling his ABS model with hard bags for a fairly good price, but does anyone know what I would have to do to get it to the U.S. and register it? How much would this add to the cost? Would I be paying huge import fee's and then additional fees to get it titled and registered? Do laws on this vary from state-to-state?

--Ryan

I think it's easier/cheaper to bring a bike to the states than it is to get one into Canada. I would take a trip to your local Motor Vehicle site if I were you.

[image: View Post]SEBSPEED, on May 31 2009, 08:25 PM, said:

I think it's easier/cheaper to bring a bike to the states than it is to get one into Canada. I would take a trip to your local Motor Vehicle site if I were you.

Planning on it, but I'm sure you know long that can take, and how efficient all DMV's are. Oh well, I hear New York is the worst, and that Michigan is good comparatively.

[image: View Post]Ryanme17, on May 31 2009, 08:14 PM, said:

After totalling my beloved 2003 RWB VFR, I've been looking for a replacement, and I really want one with ABS, but they are hard to find. User Weaver is selling his ABS model with hard bags for a fairly good price, but does anyone know what I would have to do to get it to the U.S. and register it? How much would this add to the cost? Would I be paying huge import fee's and then additional fees to get it titled and registered? Do laws on this vary from state-to-state?

--Ryan

Update: a friendly EPA hotline assistant was able to tell me all the forms that I need (and there are a lot).
Looks good so far, but does anyone know what the import fee is? How much I'll actually pay?

[image: View Post]Ryanme17, on Jun 1 2009, 10:53 AM, said:

[image: View Post]Ryanme17, on May 31 2009, 08:14 PM, said:

After totalling my beloved 2003 RWB VFR, I've been looking for a replacement, and I really want one with ABS, but they are hard to find. User Weaver is selling his ABS model with hard bags for a fairly good price, but does anyone know what I would have to do to get it to the U.S. and register it? How much would this add to the cost? Would I be paying huge import fee's and then additional fees to get it titled and registered? Do laws on this vary from state-to-state?

--Ryan

Update: a friendly EPA hotline assistant was able to tell me all the forms that I need (and there are a lot).
Looks good so far, but does anyone know what the import fee is? How much I'll actually pay?

I don't know anybody who has done it, and I don't have any of these answer's but am interested to hear how it goes....

[image: View Post]VFDoug, on Jun 1 2009, 01:51 PM, said:

[image: View Post]Ryanme17, on Jun 1 2009, 10:53 AM, said:

[image: View Post]Ryanme17, on May 31 2009, 08:14 PM, said:

After totalling my beloved 2003 RWB VFR, I've been looking for a replacement, and I really want one with ABS, but they are hard to find. User Weaver is selling his ABS model with hard bags for a fairly good price, but does anyone know what I would have to do to get it to the U.S. and register it? How much would this add to the cost? Would I be paying huge import fee's and then additional fees to get it titled and registered? Do laws on this vary from state-to-state?

--Ryan

Update: a friendly EPA hotline assistant was able to tell me all the forms that I need (and there are a lot).
Looks good so far, but does anyone know what the import fee is? How much I'll actually pay?

I don't know anybody who has done it, and I don't have any of these answer's but am interested to hear how it goes....

Well, there's lots of things to take care of, most of which aren't a huge deal. DOT form, EPA form, and then EPA letter of compliance from Honda.

The last one is the problem. Honda of Canada flat out refused to even talk about it, it's an American EPA thing, and Honda of America will give you one-- as long as you have a driver's license, the title, AND it's an American VIN number. Why you'd need to import an American VFR is beyond me, and how are you supposed to get the title without the document needed to get the title?

So no way of getting a letter of Compliance From Honda means that you have to go through an importer, for a $350-$500 fee, probably plus a 2.5% duty fee.

Michigan Secretary of State FAQ: Can I import a vehicle to Michigan from a foreign country?

Quote

A vehicle without this certification label must be imported as a nonconforming vehicle. In this case, the importer must contract with a Registered Importer (RI) and post a DOT bond for one and a half times the vehicle�s dutiable value. This bond is in addition to the normal Customs entry bond. Copies of the DOT bond and the contract with an RI must be attached to the HS-7 form.

Sounds like a huge PITA and expensive.

http://www.itintl.co...-to-the-us.html

[image: View Post]JayWalker, on Jun 1 2009, 05:31 PM, said:

Quote

A vehicle without this certification label must be imported as a nonconforming vehicle. In this case, the importer must contract with a Registered Importer (RI) and post a DOT bond for one and a half times the vehicle�s dutiable value. This bond is in addition to the normal Customs entry bond. Copies of the DOT bond and the contract with an RI must be attached to the HS-7 form.

Sounds like a huge PITA and expensive.

http://www.itintl.co...-to-the-us.html

It actually wasn't too bad, except for the fact that I can't get the statement of compliance from Honda-- which would take 4 weeks anyway. So the other alternative is to go through an importer-- at $350-$600. So I decided not to go through with it.

It's really dumb, the U.S. and Canadian models are identical. Thanks a lot, Honda of America and Honda of Canada... :mad: !

Are you sure you need the HM statement? I was told that the FMVSS sticker on the frame indicates that the vehicle complies with EPA (even if it was delivered in Canada) and if it has that then you are able to get a waiver of the HM statement from the EPA. Sure is a lot more work than when I brought my Germany delivered 1980 BMW 735i over from Germany, except for making the "deal" with the friendly US certification guy.

[image: View Post]Ryanme17, on Jun 1 2009, 06:19 PM, said:

[image: View Post]JayWalker, on Jun 1 2009, 05:31 PM, said:

Quote

A vehicle without this certification label must be imported as a nonconforming vehicle. In this case, the importer must contract with a Registered Importer (RI) and post a DOT bond for one and a half times the vehicle�s dutiable value. This bond is in addition to the normal Customs entry bond. Copies of the DOT bond and the contract with an RI must be attached to the HS-7 form.

Sounds like a huge PITA and expensive.

http://www.itintl.co...-to-the-us.html

It actually wasn't too bad, except for the fact that I can't get the statement of compliance from Honda-- which would take 4 weeks anyway. So the other alternative is to go through an importer-- at $350-$600. So I decided not to go through with it.

It's really dumb, the U.S. and Canadian models are identical. Thanks a lot, Honda of America and Honda of Canada... :mad: !

It's your own fault. So many Canadian bikes were being sold to US customers in the late 90s, the dealers allotment of bikes were reduced. That meant they didn't have enough bikes to sell to Canadians when local demand went up.

[image: View Post]rhubarb, on Jun 1 2009, 09:03 PM, said:

[image: View Post]Ryanme17, on Jun 1 2009, 06:19 PM, said:

[image: View Post]JayWalker, on Jun 1 2009, 05:31 PM, said:

Quote

A vehicle without this certification label must be imported as a nonconforming vehicle. In this case, the importer must contract with a Registered Importer (RI) and post a DOT bond for one and a half times the vehicle�s dutiable value. This bond is in addition to the normal Customs entry bond. Copies of the DOT bond and the contract with an RI must be attached to the HS-7 form.

Sounds like a huge PITA and expensive.

http://www.itintl.co...-to-the-us.html

It actually wasn't too bad, except for the fact that I can't get the statement of compliance from Honda-- which would take 4 weeks anyway. So the other alternative is to go through an importer-- at $350-$600. So I decided not to go through with it.

It's really dumb, the U.S. and Canadian models are identical. Thanks a lot, Honda of America and Honda of Canada... :mad: !

It's your own fault. So many Canadian bikes were being sold to US customers in the late 90s, the dealers allotment of bikes were reduced. That meant they didn't have enough bikes to sell to Canadians when local demand went up.

How's that my fault? Honda should've alloted the bikes better. Or brought better bikes to the U.S...

Quote

It's your own fault. So many Canadian bikes were being sold to US customers in the late 90s, the dealers allotment of bikes were reduced. That meant they didn't have enough bikes to sell to Canadians when local demand went up.

It's Ryan's fault? How many bikes did you import in the late 90s Ryan?

[image: View Post]JayWalker, on Jun 1 2009, 09:18 PM, said:

Quote

It's your own fault. So many Canadian bikes were being sold to US customers in the late 90s, the dealers allotment of bikes were reduced. That meant they didn't have enough bikes to sell to Canadians when local demand went up.

It's Ryan's fault? How many bikes did you import in the late 90s Ryan?

I just couldn't help myself!

When I moved to the US from Canada 13 years ago I brought my Canadian-spec Virago with me (along with two cars). I seem to recall at the time that there was an exemption to the standards for motorcycles. I found a form that I took down to the local federal building, they inspected the bike to make sure the VIN matched what was on the form, stamped it and I was able to take that to the DMV and get it registered. It's been so long I don't recall any of the specifics, but it was quite a painless process.

ask this guy

[image: View Post]rhubarb, on Jun 1 2009, 07:03 PM, said:

It's your own fault. So many Canadian bikes were being sold to US customers in the late 90s, the dealers allotment of bikes were reduced. That meant they didn't have enough bikes to sell to Canadians when local demand went up.
Actually, if you think about it...it's your fault for not providing enough demand in the late 90s so the dealers had to sell them to the US. :rolleyes:



:goofy:

[image: View Post]VFDoug, on Jun 1 2009, 01:51 PM, said:

[image: View Post]Ryanme17, on Jun 1 2009, 10:53 AM, said:

[image: View Post]Ryanme17, on May 31 2009, 08:14 PM, said:

After totalling my beloved 2003 RWB VFR, I've been looking for a replacement, and I really want one with ABS, but they are hard to find. User Weaver is selling his ABS model with hard bags for a fairly good price, but does anyone know what I would have to do to get it to the U.S. and register it? How much would this add to the cost? Would I be paying huge import fee's and then additional fees to get it titled and registered? Do laws on this vary from state-to-state?

--Ryan

Update: a friendly EPA hotline assistant was able to tell me all the forms that I need (and there are a lot).
Looks good so far, but does anyone know what the import fee is? How much I'll actually pay?

I don't know anybody who has done it, and I don't have any of these answer's but am interested to hear how it goes....

Not so well. I am 80% sure I'd have to go through an import broker, pay $350, and have to wait while they did it all. All because Honda doesn't give out Letters of Compliance...

[image: View Post]Ryanme17, on Jun 3 2009, 08:56 AM, said:

Not so well. I am 80% sure I'd have to go through an import broker, pay $350, and have to wait while they did it all. All because Honda doesn't give out Letters of Compliance...
According to the EPA's Quick Overview of Vehicle Import Requirements, Section 4.C.C (2) states (highlight mine):

Quote

The importer must obtain a letter from the manufacturer's U.S. representative stating the vehicle met the U.S. emission requirements at the time of manufacture. Alternatively for Canadian vehicles, a Canadian vehicle qualifies if it is on the EPA list of identical Canadian vehicle models. Most 1988 and later Canadian cars and light trucks are on the EPA list.

I managed to find the Approved Canadian Vehicles List. Unfortunately it only goes up to 2001 model year vehicles. On the good side, for any 1998 and up vehicles (except for the Volvo V70 built prior to September 1, 1997 :huh:) it's basically a blanket statement that they all qualify.

So, if it were a 1998 - 2001 vehicle, you then just need the right EPA form, and you check the box that says you have an EE exemption.

If the vehicle is newer than 2001, I'd contact the EPA and ask them when (or if) they intend to update the list of Approved Canadian Vehicles to include the model year of the vehicle you're looking at. It's possible they won't be updating the list, because this page states "Canada has harmonized vehicle emission standards with the U.S. and many vehicles made for sale in Canada are eligible for import to the U.S."

BTW, I found this all out by doing a Google search with the keywords: import motorcycle epa exemption.