Buying a bike out of state

California may be different than Washington but here, you are not allowed to bring in a new vehicle into the state if you are a resident here. The vehicle has to be used (7500 miles). The idea is to make sure the vehicle is used and it will be Vin verified then titled here, no problem. Check with Washington though, it may be different there.

MACE knows all details :worship:

You may want send him a PM

Sounds like a canadian bike. A whole different ball game. Buying from another state is not a big deal, but from another country gets harder.

a454elk, do you know where can I find more info on this (Canadian bikes in CA)?

I live in California and got my new bike from Canada back in September '02 but never tried to register with the DMV. I've been riding tracks only and it's not a new bike anymore so I am wondering if they would let me register it as an out of country used bike.

Thanks!

I think you also have to declare it when you bring it across the border. In other words pay the federal tariff.

Steve

Originally posted by Pacho
I live in California and got my new bike from Canada back in September '02 but never tried to register with the DMV. I've been riding tracks only and it's not a new bike anymore so I am wondering if they would let me register it as an out of country used bike.

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Here's an idea... buy a salvage bike (with hopefully a good frame), and register that here.

Probably way easier than import duties, sales / use taxes, etc. There are plenty of bike bone yards in CA.

(currently all the way over here in Camarillo)

I've met a number of guys who bought bikes from BC, heard it was a good idea to have the bike delivered to a bonded warehouse to save on the duty, had talked to the guy who advertizes online, he said bikes are sold as used bikes with dealer plate, don't know much else about it. Might be worth the 12 clams to subscribe so you can PM Mace if he has all the answers. Also, if you can be satisfied with a leftover '02 model, you can easily find one as cheap here as across the border, for instance, Cliff's in Bremerton has a 200 and 300 leftover, either one can be bought under 5k, should be able to find a 125 of any make with similar discounts. Another friend of mine has recently bought bikes for both his boys and soon to purchase one himself in Oregon, saved boatloads. Unlike buying and registering a car in OR, you're unlikely to get cited for an out of state sticker, which is a very good thing, because getting "cited" for out of state tags in WA is a misdemeaner, as I had the poor fortune to find out 11 years ago.
Try and make your best deal first with your local dealer, that way there'll be just a tiny bit better chance they'll still be in business when you need them.

Pacho - check over on Thumper talk. There are a lot of threads on that BB regarding trying to register a Canadian bike in Calif. Sounds like DMV is refusing to title them, because they do not meet federal emission standards(go figure - isn't that what the red sticker is all about?) I don't think that there is a problem in WA or any other state, only Calif.

I bought my sons KX65 in B.C. last year, brought it to Washington, and licensed it here. It is a little bit of paperwork, but worth the money in my case. I saved about 20%.

A couple of key points:
1. You need to buy a new bike from a dealer to get the Canadian version of the MSO (Manufacturers Statement of Origin) (they call it something else in Canada, but it is essentially the same)
2. You will need a reciept/Bill of Sale from the dealer
3. You will need to declare it at customs at the border and have them stamp off on ALL of your paperwork
4. Depending on the size of the bike you may have to pay a tarriff or import duty. For small off road bikes there is no fee. Call customs ahead of time to figure this out.
5. I did pay WA sales tax on the U.S. dollar equivalent of what I paid for the bike when I went to get my title and tabs.
6. The ladies at the WA license agent were confused, but once I found someone knowledgable, showed all my paperwork, there was no problem.
7. I have not tried the broker routine, so I can't comment on that.
8. Many used dirt bikes in Canada have no title and there is no way you can get ORV tabs in WA without a title to transfer - buy new imo
9. You probably won't be eligable for contingency money from the MFR with a Canadian VIN #. I.E. Kawasaki would not pay contingency money on my son's bike.
10. If there was a warranty issue, your local dealer wouldn't help you.
11. I would do it again. I paid $2300 instead of $2900 for 1/2 days worth of driving.
12. The import tarriffs on large street legal bikes are very high (to protect Harley from Japanese competition). Make sure you check into that before you buy a bike.

Pacho, I've verified countless vehicles from Canada so having it for off-highway use only shouldn't be a problem. I can't speak for DMV because they can't make up their minds on how they want to proceed from day to day. Best way, honestly, is to talk with the guys that have done it here on DRN or Thumper talk. If itis intended for off-road use only, the emissions shouldn't play a part. It gets sticky when you add in a 250f that you want for the street.;)

Originally posted by MXP1MP
Looks like only cali is the one thats a pain, looks like most people are registering them in AZ then transfering the title to CA to get around it.

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You can ride in California with an out of state off road sticker, just like you can drive a car with an out of state plate.

But to make it all legal, you'll have to have a "residence" in that state.

And I forgot to mention, you don't have to pay sales tax if the machine is predominately out of the state during the first 6 months. In other words, at 91 days, you can bring it in.

This is for non-highway type vehicles, like airplanes and boats, etc.

Franchise tax board has all the info, and freely explain it with just a phone call to Sacramento.

The 7500 mile/90 day deal is for use tax purposes. If I bought a new car from a dealer in WA AND it has CA emissions on it I won't have a problem titling/registering the car in CA. I just get to pay the use/sales tax.

There are two ways around use tax in CA - 1. bring it into the state 91 days after purchase or 2. The 6 month test The Board of Equalization has the info on this. I brought my 5th wheel into CA 94 days after purchase and got flagged for a BOE exemption by the DMV in Crescent City. Took forever and was a royal PITA dealing with the BOE. Finally got out of use tax because a DMV employee had enough brains to figure out that the vehicle came into CA 94 days after purchase and should not have required the BOE exemption. Saved me ~$1100.

Regarding titling/registering a 'used' track bike in CA - no problem. I bought my '99 WR from a dealer in Ohio and didn't title/register it for 6 months due my knee injury/surgery. I figured I'd wait out the 90 days and save myself the sales tax. I had no problem titling/registering the bike. It was over 90 days and show me an odometer on a dirt bike that reads to 7500 miles:)

My recommedation is to wait a bit longer than the minimum 90 days (or whatever it is in your state) before trying to title the bike if you want to avoid sales tax.

Brian