Buying used 2012 ST1300 from Canada ?
- Thread starter Tom P
- Start date
You need to go to the US Customs website (and or CA DMV website about importing vehicles in to the State) and see if you can find out if the Canadians ST1300s are different from the US models.
This was a while back (1999), I bought a 1985 V45 Sabre that was a Canadian model, that the US did not sell here, due to the Harley Tariff of 1983. US models were 700cc VS 750 for Canada.
Since the bike was not over 25 years old, I had an issue getting it across the border. It didn't have a particular sticker on it for US Emissions. So I had to leave it at a guys house (in Canada) that did vehicle Imports/exports for a month, while the original owner of the V45 Sabre and I devised a plan for him to ride it south of the US border and I would pick it up from him in Montana. Which we did.
When I took it to a SoCal DMV, they had some issues with it, gave me a three month temporary plate. About a month later, I got a letter from DMV stating the "Proper way to Import a Vehicle into California". And gave me all the details that I didn't do, because I knew it wouldn't get a pass from US Customs.
I waited until about two weeks before my temporary plate was due, I called the number on the letter of the DMV office (which was in Sacramento) and the gal on the other end said the guy that sent me that letter, was no longer there and that she would send me, my plates, right away!
At that point, that bike was considered a "Grey Market" bike.
This was a while back (1999), I bought a 1985 V45 Sabre that was a Canadian model, that the US did not sell here, due to the Harley Tariff of 1983. US models were 700cc VS 750 for Canada.
Since the bike was not over 25 years old, I had an issue getting it across the border. It didn't have a particular sticker on it for US Emissions. So I had to leave it at a guys house (in Canada) that did vehicle Imports/exports for a month, while the original owner of the V45 Sabre and I devised a plan for him to ride it south of the US border and I would pick it up from him in Montana. Which we did.
When I took it to a SoCal DMV, they had some issues with it, gave me a three month temporary plate. About a month later, I got a letter from DMV stating the "Proper way to Import a Vehicle into California". And gave me all the details that I didn't do, because I knew it wouldn't get a pass from US Customs.
I waited until about two weeks before my temporary plate was due, I called the number on the letter of the DMV office (which was in Sacramento) and the gal on the other end said the guy that sent me that letter, was no longer there and that she would send me, my plates, right away!
At that point, that bike was considered a "Grey Market" bike.