Moving to the USA and bringing my motorcycle with me

[Yomtl 0]

Hi!

I will be moving to the USA once I get my K1 visa and I want to bring my motorcycle with me.

Does anyone know what the procedure is to move a motorcycle from Canada to the USA? (required papers, conformity with US Department of Transportation, etc....)

Thank you in advance for your help!

Yohann.

[Cdn_Ali 11]

Are you planning on riding it down, or shipping it? A friend of mine who emigrated 3 years ago had 2 motorcycles to take across the border. He rode his first bike down when we took a road trip together - I rode back to Canada and he continued onto his final destination. A few weeks later, he flew back to Canada and picked up his other bike and rode that one down. As far as I know, he did not have to do any special paperwork.

As you will be on a K1 visa (single-entry) you won't have the option of returning to get your motorcycle during the process so you may have to ship your bike instead. Or get it across the border before you activate your K1.

Be aware that you may not be able to get insurance in the US until you have your Green Card/SSN so you will have to keep your Canadian insurance in place until you are eligible. Check the requirements of the State you are moving to & get confirmation of this.

When the time comes, I intend to ride my motorcycle down and make a road trip of it. I'm not sure which province you are in, but in BC, you can't put storage insurance on the bike unless it is actually stored in BC. So I won't be riding it down until I am about to move. Then I'll fly back for the rest of my stuff (but I will be on a CR-1 so multiple border crossings are OK).

[Flames9_RN 358]

Hope u dont live in the DC area!!! far to crowded around here to enjoy driving!! i bought a bike, but after a year I sold it!! No fun on the belt way crawling along at 10 mph in 100F weather,lol

[Krikit 1,165]

Some links for you:

Importing a Motorcycle

Vehicle Importation Guidelines

Motorcycle Importation FAQ's

As you will be on a K1 visa (single-entry) you won't have the option of returning to get your motorcycle during the process so you may have to ship your bike instead. Or get it across the border before you activate your K1.

K-1's can exit and re-enter the country once they have received their AP document or greencard. The bike can be brought in at a later date. Another option is to declare it at a later date using any POE on this list: Ports of Entry

Be aware that you may not be able to get insurance in the US until you have your Green Card/SSN so you will have to keep your Canadian insurance in place until you are eligible. Check the requirements of the State you are moving to & get confirmation of this.

Agree with the above. Best to call around. Geico insured my Canadian plated and licensed vehicle using a Canadian driver's license.

At the POE you will be required to provide them with an estimate on the value. Choose a low amount in case your State requires you to pay tax to register the vehicle. See the regulations at the DMV site for your State. You can check the Kelley Blue Book for estimates, which the tag office in Florida used to assess my taxes.

[Flames9_RN 358]

Ya insurance can differ big time!! Geico was not the cheapest for me. We have USAA, but they don't directly insure bikes, they pass you along to another company. For me State Farm was the cheapest, but one just has to sit down and work the phone/computer!!

[Krikit 1,165]

Ya insurance can differ big time!! Geico was not the cheapest for me. We have USAA, but they don't directly insure bikes, they pass you along to another company. For me State Farm was the cheapest, but one just has to sit down and work the phone/computer!!

I agree. From what I can determine, Geico quotes are much lower if you're a government employee.

[Flames9_RN 358]

my wife works for the USA govt, and wasnt the case for us!!

[Krikit 1,165]

my wife works for the USA govt, and wasnt the case for us!!

Oh. Hubby's with the federal gov't and we got a good deal. Wait a minute. We might be talking apples and oranges. I'm talking car. Are you talking motorcycle?

[Flames9_RN 358]

yes, I'm talking motorcycle,lol But we checked for car insurance as well a few yrs back and still USAA was cheaper for us. Different for each person.

[Cdn_Ali 11]

Thanks for the great links! I guess my buddy who rode his bikes down got lucky - I know for a fact he did not contact any manufacturers or do any paperwork to bring them down. I'll have to look into this a bit more.

I'm moving to a state that requires a driving test to change my license over...do you know if they will require a motorcycle test to transfer that endorsement onto the new license, or will the driving test in a car be suffice for both? Can't find this info on the DMV site.

[Krikit 1,165]

I'm moving to a state that requires a driving test to change my license over...do you know if they will require a motorcycle test to transfer that endorsement onto the new license, or will the driving test in a car be suffice for both? Can't find this info on the DMV site.

I'm sorry, but I haven't read anything about motorcycle tests. You may want to try asking in the Moving Here forum.