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Import a used bike from Spain to California?


dj_rknz
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Hi All,

I have been thinking about something - I would appreciate if you could tell me all the reasons it can't work. Quick background - I am a newbie, have been riding an electric trials bike for about a year (awesome as I can ride it in public parks/woods but limited performance vs a gas bike), never owned a gas trials bike before. I owned some dirt bikes when I was younger so I can take them apart and put them back together without too many parts left over. ;)

Used trials bikes in Northern California tend to have a few things in common: they seem pretty hard to find, they are nearly as expensive as new ones, and many of them have a cute little seat and two chrome shocks on the back... 

Given this, I had an idea. I'm taking the wife to Europe this summer and we will be driving around Spain for a few weeks. After looking for just a few minutes, I am already salivating at the range and prices of used trials bikes for sale there. By very rough guess it looks like bikes at least a few years old are $1k and maybe even $2k cheaper there. In addition, it seems like I could get just about any bike I wanted within a model year or two without much problem....

The potential problems:

1) Getting it home. I was thinking I could take it apart and put the engine in a box as excess luggage and the remainder in a bicycle box and take it home on the plane with me. Crazy idea? Possible? If this isn't feasible perhaps I could have it shipped somehow but I don't know by whom or what the cost would be. Any thoughts? The best bikes I have seen are from private sellers (just like here), but I suppose I could buy from a dealer if that would facilitate transport.

2) I live in California and I will end up with what I believe will be an illegal immigrant bike. I suspect this will prevent me from getting a red or green sticker and therefore preclude me from riding on public lands. From SF we have to drive a few hours anyway to get to an OHV park; I believe there are some privately owned trials areas not much farther than that. Would I be able to ride it on a "commercial" private trials area or would the bike be deported or confiscated? I am not sure how titles work over there but since I won't be trying to register it I don't think it matters? Also, while I don't have plans to compete, I suppose I might want to in the future at some point. Would it be enough to just install whatever required equipment (e.g. spark arrestor) or would I be precluded from competing on such a bike?

In any case, any experience, guidance, or ideas would be much appreciated!

Rick

 

 

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Isn't most of California a 'refuge' for illegal immigrants now? Your bike should be welcomed with open arms!

You're not going to get a trials bike frame in a bicycle box.

And how exactly do you expect to get access to all the tools and work space to strip a bike down?

All the issues involved here boggle the mind if you put the time in to actually thinking it through. Why you wouldn't just buy a used bike from a reputable seller in the US and have it shipped to your door I can't imagine.

Edited by heffergm
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My wife did the opposite in 2006. She brought a bike from the US to Europe. It was about $800 through UPS at the time. Multiple packages less than 150 lbs. Your obsticals are the california sticker. A european registration for road use is your best chance to get a green sticker in cali. She has her 2012 gasgas 250 for sale now in Germany which is road legal registered and inspected. PM me for specifics if ya want.... any bike shop there has crates and box material usually available for cheap or free. Best way to get a bike over here is to find space on a shipping container. 

 

Heffergm, 

tools and items to transport a bike in europe are much more available there than here. Their version of lowes or home depot is not quite as generic as ours. The big box tool stores are much closer to our mom and pop ace or true value stores. Their difficulty are rules and regulations around bike transport on the outside of the vehicle. Racks, trailers ect.... renting a van and stripping it down inside isnt a big deal in a hotel parking lot. €20 of tools and your golden. 

--Biff

Edited by biffsgasgas
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Thats what im planning to do when i go back to Taiwan . Its not a motorcycle if  has no  engine be sure to drain all fluids from the tank and engine.  Good luck maybe some day you can escape CA and see real America 

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On ‎26‎/‎04‎/‎2017 at 11:32 PM, dj_rknz said:

Hi All,

I have been thinking about something - I would appreciate if you could tell me all the reasons it can't work. Quick background - I am a newbie, have been riding an electric trials bike for about a year (awesome as I can ride it in public parks/woods but limited performance vs a gas bike), never owned a gas trials bike before. I owned some dirt bikes when I was younger so I can take them apart and put them back together without too many parts left over. ;)

Used trials bikes in Northern California tend to have a few things in common: they seem pretty hard to find, they are nearly as expensive as new ones, and many of them have a cute little seat and two chrome shocks on the back... 

Given this, I had an idea. I'm taking the wife to Europe this summer and we will be driving around Spain for a few weeks. After looking for just a few minutes, I am already salivating at the range and prices of used trials bikes for sale there. By very rough guess it looks like bikes at least a few years old are $1k and maybe even $2k cheaper there. In addition, it seems like I could get just about any bike I wanted within a model year or two without much problem....

The potential problems:

1) Getting it home. I was thinking I could take it apart and put the engine in a box as excess luggage and the remainder in a bicycle box and take it home on the plane with me. Crazy idea? Possible? If this isn't feasible perhaps I could have it shipped somehow but I don't know by whom or what the cost would be. Any thoughts? The best bikes I have seen are from private sellers (just like here), but I suppose I could buy from a dealer if that would facilitate transport.

2) I live in California and I will end up with what I believe will be an illegal immigrant bike. I suspect this will prevent me from getting a red or green sticker and therefore preclude me from riding on public lands. From SF we have to drive a few hours anyway to get to an OHV park; I believe there are some privately owned trials areas not much farther than that. Would I be able to ride it on a "commercial" private trials area or would the bike be deported or confiscated? I am not sure how titles work over there but since I won't be trying to register it I don't think it matters? Also, while I don't have plans to compete, I suppose I might want to in the future at some point. Would it be enough to just install whatever required equipment (e.g. spark arrestor) or would I be precluded from competing on such a bike?

In any case, any experience, guidance, or ideas would be much appreciated!

Rick

 

 

Hi Rick I have crated a complete bike before now, but if you took it to pieces it would easily go on a euro pallet then just make a box affixed to this and your good to go , last one I sent to the US was about 300 pounds but took a few weeks to arrive  . They normally charge on size rather than weight and prefer if it can be stacked . if you are coming to the uk buy one here and I would assist you to get it all sorted

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FYI you can get an out of state temp sticker at just about any bike shop that will allow you to ride and unreg'd bike at an OHV in CA.  $50/yr rather than $25 for a red sticker.  Almost all of the Sacto Pits events are on private land so no issue there and when we do and event at and OHV (Prairie City etc) they consider it a special event and you don't need a sticker, just a spark arrestor.  Doubt it will be an issue for you to have that bike, lots of folks in our club have Sherco/Scorpa/TRS and none of them can be reg'd in CA.

You may want to expand your search a little, there are some good dealers in Idaho, Oregon and even BC that may be easier to deal with than bringing one back from the EU.

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  • 1 month later...

Hi Rick,

My "good friend" brought in bikes from the UK and EU and swears he'll never do it again. Maybe you can ship several boxes of "motorcycle parts" and have no problems. And maybe customs will decide you need to send it back. If you do get it in and decide to sell it some day, the value is much less without a title. The one or two grand you may save could be quickly lost. Overall seems a big risk to me. 

Call Lewisport and tell them what you're looking for. Go to some PITS events and ask around. Expand your radius and check Oregon, SoCal, Arizona. It's not a wasteland here, you'll find something.

Also, depending upon where in the bay area you are, if you have an OHV sticker you can ride Metcalf (smaller park with some nice trials areas) which is about and hour away or Hollister which is about another half hour further 

Happy Hunting!

 

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Thanks very much to everyone who responded to my post. At this point, while it seems like it might be possible, I am leaning towards not trying to buy a bike in EU and just paying a bit more for one with a CA OHV sticker when I get back.

Cheers-

Rick

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  • 1 month later...
On 6/10/2017 at 6:19 PM, dj_rknz said:

Thanks very much to everyone who responded to my post. At this point, while it seems like it might be possible, I am leaning towards not trying to buy a bike in EU and just paying a bit more for one with a CA OHV sticker when I get back.

Cheers-

Rick

Hi Rick:

Good choice.  I think that by the time you paid for shipping and the time you'll sink getting it legal you'll come ahead by buying a local bike.

Some other things to consider when "importing" a bike:

DMV will make you get a VIN inspection from the CHP (just that process takes at least one month in the Bay Area to get an appointment with the CHP).

If you import a bike (or just an engine), customs will ask you to get it approved by the EPA...  And that's another untold number of hours that you will sink in chasing the EPA, the customs, etc... etc...

If you import the bike as a bunch of separate parts, DMV will still ask you for either a MSO (Manufacturer Statement of Origin) or bill of sales for all the parts you bought to assemble the bike.  Then (if they accept the bike!) they will use as a tax basis the the total cost of the parts + your labor (at a nominal labor rate).

And that won't get you a green sticker unless you have a frame older than 2002.

Worth the risks and hassles?  Nah!  Best is to find a local bike.  If your electric bike is an Electric Motion if I were you I'd stick with it.  As a newbie, it i going to take quite a while for you to see the difference in performance between that and a petrol powered bike, unless you want to start riding PITS event, in which case you might need a spare battery pack.

Gas bike: if you want to ride year round there are a few "newer" unicorn bikes that have slipped through the DMV and have green stickers but these are few and very far in between.  Best would be to get a 2002 in good shape (Beta or GG).  If you are just starting to ride, you won't make the difference.  Then invest your money in some riding lessons with Adrian in Copperopolis (but wait until fall because it's gotta be too f****g hot there right now).

Happy trails.

DC

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