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Thread: USA Trip

  1. #1
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    15th January 2018 - 08:47
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    USA Trip

    I'm heading to the US in June for 3 months to ride. First trip to the States. I have purchased a bike privately in Connecticut. Can anyone who has done this in the past recommend an Insurance Company and also the process to get the bike transferred into my name. Anything else to be wary of in this process.

  2. #2
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    19th March 2005 - 18:55
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    Good luck and I hope you enjoy it hugely.

    It's very difficult to get US insurance for a US-purchased motorcycle without a US license. And unless you have snuck across-the-border from Mexico into California, the land of fruits and nuts, and can present yourself as a immigrant refugee, it would be very difficult to get a US license without US residency.

    I found a solution while back because my motorcycle stored in LA is insanely unlikely to ever be able to be VINn'd in NZ (V8, nitrous, nitromethane, Gatling exhausts etcetera) which was to have a company that specialises in such things, set up a limited liability company for me in a northern state, license/register the motorcycle to the company not to me personally (i.e. the LLC actually owns the motorcycle), and buy insurance that will cover me with a foreign license and an international driver's license for short periods, through an insurance company affiliated to the company that sets up the limited liability company... if you see what I mean.

    Perfectly legal, valid insurance.

    Problem: not cheap, but hugely cheaper than risking driving while not insured (something I would never want to do in any country).

    PM me if you want the link to that service.

    Good luck with finding a cheaper and faster solution, I'll be tremendously impressed if you do because I could not find one and I researched it thoroughly for months about four years ago...

  3. #3
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    9th November 2017 - 02:38
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    Tufftimes, as RDJ said, this may not be easy to do. One thing to be very aware of is that the process of buying, registering and insuring a vehicle varies by state, so the requirements in Connecticut are going to be different from those in other states. Buying the vehicle from a private party and getting a title issued in your name is probably the easiest part. The seller would just give you a bill of sale and sign over the title. Registering and insuring the bike are going to be more problematic. I think the problem that you will run into somewhere in the process is that you will need to establish a residency, that is a physical address, in some US state to register and insure the vehicle. Where I live in Massachusetts, the key would be to get a state issued ID card. You would need the state ID card (or some other accepted form of ID) to register the vehicle, but in order to get an ID you would need to furnish residency documents (see this, for example: https://www.mass.gov/files/documents...t%20030518.pdf). The insurance company would also need a phsyical address, sometimes called "location of garaging". Although I am sure it happens all the time, using someone else's address would technically be considered fraud.

    A couple of other things to be aware of: most states have a "sales tax", 6.35% in Connecticut. You will generally have to pay this tax in the state where you register the vehicle, not necessarily in the state where you buy it. New Hampshire, Oregon, Delaware, Montana and Alaska have no vehicles sales tax, but may have larger registration fees. The insurance requirements also vary by state and are rather mininimal in some states. New Hampshire and Virginia do not require insurance, but have other requirements.

    Good luck.

  4. #4
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    19th March 2005 - 18:55
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    Quote Originally Posted by axil View Post
    The insurance company would also need a phsyical address, sometimes called "location of garaging".

    A couple of other things to be aware of: most states have a "sales tax", 6.35% in Connecticut. You will generally have to pay this tax in the state where you register the vehicle, not necessarily in the state where you buy it.

    Good luck.
    100% correct and v useful info axil (clearly you're no relation of the axzle...).

    When I bought another of my US bikes in Texas (used) and then registered it in Florida during Daytona Bike Week, FL charged me over US$1000 sales tax (7%). Unavoidable; had to pay. At the time I had no Texas address only a Florida one. Without FL registration I could not insure the bike. Without insurance - apart from the risk I'd run in a crash, the Forces Of Lorrenorder require us to carry proof of insurance at all times and if we can't produce it on demand, shit happens. Expensively bad shit.

  5. #5
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    1st June 2017 - 07:34
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    I'm off to USA in May 2021 (assuming it's somewhat covid free).
    Plan is to buy a bike in Los Angeles, ride it's arse off for a month then (ideally) sell it back to the person I bought it from (at a lower price of course).

    All my reading to date tells me that doing this as per the letter of the law is expensive and difficult (see previous posts in this thread).

    But I have learned that (https://www.cbp.gov/trade/basic-impo.../importing-car) I am permitted to ride my bike on NZ plates and NZ license on the basis that I'm a short term visitor. It's cost prohibitive to actually ship a bike NZ to US (about $2400), so my plan is to buy a bike in L.A., hand the US plates back to the seller, fit my NZ plates (from same model bike) and ride off into the sunset. When I'm done, return bike to original seller, take my NZ plates off, they hand me a smaller amount of cash and put their US plates back on.

    If I'm pulled over by law enforcement, I can explain it's a tourist import bike, show my plane tickets (proof of exit from USA), show my passport and plead 'tourist'.
    The only way they can work out I'm actually riding a US bike is if they run the VIN which seems unlikely unless I've committed some heinous crime.

    Am I mad or does this plan have legs ?

  6. #6
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    7th September 2009 - 09:47
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    Why do you want to ride here with a NZ number plate? I can’t think of anything that prevents you buying a bike in la and riding it as is.
    Plus NZ and USA have a reciprocal agreement where you can drive for a year on your foreign license.

  7. #7
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    7th September 2009 - 09:47
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    Further more I called my insurance agent and put forward your scenario.
    She knows an agent that says the insurance can be done.
    PM me and I'll forward you the details.

    (You might have to wait a couple of weeks to pm me as I am in the naughty room for telling whoseaturd to get fucked).

  8. #8
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    1st June 2017 - 07:34
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    Quote Originally Posted by jasonu View Post
    Why do you want to ride here with a NZ number plate? I can’t think of anything that prevents you buying a bike in la and riding it as is.
    Plus NZ and USA have a reciprocal agreement where you can drive for a year on your foreign license.
    You're right, I can ride on a NZ license. But it's very difficult for a non US resident to register a bike. Hence the suggestion of riding a US bike on NZ plates.

  9. #9
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    19th January 2013 - 16:56
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    Quote Originally Posted by Euro2018 View Post
    ... If I'm pulled over by law enforcement, I can explain it's a tourist import bike, show my plane tickets (proof of exit from USA), show my passport and plead 'tourist'.
    The only way they can work out I'm actually riding a US bike is if they run the VIN which seems unlikely unless I've committed some heinous crime.

    Am I mad or does this plan have legs ?
    How are you going to prove that the bike is a "tourist import bike"?

  10. #10
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    1st June 2017 - 07:34
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    Quote Originally Posted by Moi View Post
    How are you going to prove that the bike is a "tourist import bike"?
    I wouldn't be able to.

    I would be hopeful that the combination of NZ plates, NZ license, NZ passport, insurance will make it clear I'm a tourist, couple that with a trivial traffic offence I'm hopeful I'll be let off.

    I expect all bets to be off if I've committed some heinous crime.

    I'm hoping that someone who has tried this will share their experience

  11. #11
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    19th January 2013 - 16:56
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    Quote Originally Posted by Euro2018 View Post
    I wouldn't be able to.

    I would be hopeful that the combination of NZ plates, NZ license, NZ passport, insurance will make it clear I'm a tourist, couple that with a trivial traffic offence I'm hopeful I'll be let off.

    I expect all bets to be off if I've committed some heinous crime.

    I'm hoping that someone who has tried this will share their experience

    So if you can't prove the bike is a genuine tourist import don't you think that is going to raise red flags for a police officer?

    I wonder how a LEO will feel about things when you say it's got NZ plates etc but you don't have any documentation to show that the bike has been imported? You won't have a carnet or the US equivalent.

  12. #12
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    7th September 2009 - 09:47
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    Quote Originally Posted by Euro2018 View Post
    You're right, I can ride on a NZ license. But it's very difficult for a non US resident to register a bike. Hence the suggestion of riding a US bike on NZ plates.
    Shoot me that pm again after the 12th of August.

  13. #13
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    1st June 2017 - 07:34
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    Quote Originally Posted by Moi View Post
    ... I wonder how a LEO will feel about things when you say it's got NZ plates etc but you don't have any documentation to show that the bike has been imported?
    It all hinges on how likely it is that LEO will ask those questions. That's why I want to hear from someone who has tried this.

  14. #14
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    9th November 2017 - 02:38
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    The one hitch in that plan might be insurance. You might be asked for your insurance papers. I assume whatever insurance papers you have from NZ would be for an obviously different bike, unless you buy the same kind and color of bike that you have registered back at home. I can't imagine anyone checking the VIN unless you are in an accident, in which case you would be in deep sh*te.

    I was thinking about a variant of this for a trip to Europe next year (assuming we can ever travel again). Bring my plates, buy a bike there, then call my insurance company to transfer my insurance to the new bike. I would claim I bought it to bring it back to the States. I know people used to buy cars in Germany, ride them around Europe, and then bring them back as used vehicles. In this case, I would just "change my mind" about bringing it back. Anyone know if that would work? I might call my insurance company and ask if they would do that.

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