What to Watch out for When Importing Motorcycles. The U.S is a great place to bike ride a motorcycle.
There are plenty of wide-open spaces and riding on a motorcycle is a wonderful way to explore the country.
Small wonder that the streets are crowded with motorcycle importers.
However, I learned the hard way that one has to know some of the rules before jumping into the arena.
Two areas of particular interest to me have been conforming to regulations and shipping.
First and foremost, any motorcycle you decide to import has to conform to the regulations of both the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Transportation (DOT).
You will need a DOT Form HS-7 that certifies that your imports comply with the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety, Bumper and Theft Prevention Standards, and also the EPA Form 3520-1 to be submitted to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
These documents certify that your motorcycle conforms to U.S. standards, failing which it has to be brought to compliance for it to clear Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
Only then can your motorcycle be legally registered, used, and sold in the country.
When I first ventured into the business, I thought I could sidestep some of these rules and regulations but that made things more difficult for me. Ultimately, the only option open to me was that I either had to re-export my motorcycle or destroy it.
Ok, and what else do motorcycle importers need to look for?
Another aspect of importing your motorcycle is choosing your shipper.
From my experience, I have come to trust and rely on the smaller shippers.
I found that the larger shippers tend to be inflexible and that the smaller shippers can be counted on to deliver the shipment in a timely manner.
Nevertheless, I still recommend that when it comes to choosing your shipper, it would be better to do some basic research on your bidders. Fortunately, there are a number of online sites where you can read reviews and determine which is best for your specific needs.
I would also advise that you go out of your way to contact them and ascertain the advantages of each.
One important aspect of shipping is the issue of insurance.
Make sure that your shipper provides insurance cover, and to be sure you can also take out and insurance on your motorcycle.
In the final analysis, you have to trust your gut reaction. Your interest and passion for motorcycles and common sense are dependable guides.
