Requirements to own and ride a motorcycle in USA, as a foreigner

[Anthony]

Hello,

I am looking for what it takes to buy and ride a valkyrie in the USA, as a foreigner.

I have been dreaming about a long motorcycle trip in the states, and would like to buy a valk locally.
Looks more interesting to buy and ship home afterwards, as a stable mate for my supercharged F6C Valkyrie, then to rent some wing for 2-3 weeks.

Can anyone point me to what are the requirements to own, insure and ride a motorcycle as a non US resident?
Minimum requirements and or best practice?
Legal advice?

Any tips on how to proceed to buy before i get to the states, without looking as a scammer?

Thanks in advance,
Anthony
Vrcc #18624

[Jess from VA]

Found these.  

http://travel.stackexchange.com/questions/53219/can-i-drive-in-the-usa-with-a-french-drivers-license

https://www.usa.gov/visitors-driving

https://www.interexchange.org/career-training-usa/driving-united-states/  (links to each state's DMV)

Tourists may drive in the US for up to a year with a foreign driving license, provided the issuing country is party to the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic (see art. 1 and art. 25 para. 1) or to the Convention on the Regulation of Inter-American Automotive Traffic (Washington, 1943); most countries are contracting parties. If your license wasn’t issued by a country which is a contracting party to either of these conventions or if you intend to work or study in the US, you must obtain a driving license (usually within 30 to 90 days) in the state where you land or where you’re a resident. This may result in the confiscation of your foreign or existing license (or your American license may be stamped ‘valid in state only’). You may need an American license in order to obtain car insurance.

If your foreign license doesn’t contain a photograph or is written in a language other than English, it’s wise (but not mandatory) to obtain an International Driver’s Permit (IDP). Always carry your foreign license as well as your IDP. Without an IDP it may be necessary to obtain a certified English translation of your foreign driving license, usually obtainable from your country’s embassy in the US.

Assuming that your Belgian Dr license has an endorsement (or code) specifically for motorcycles, that should cover you in the USA.

http://www.usatourist.com/english/traveltips/transportation/car-buying-tips.html

I would seem to be a good idea to travel to the state where you will buy your motorcycle (so ideally, you look to buy on the east coast).  You make a deal with the seller to pay him what he wants.  Then go together to that State's Dept of motor vehicles (DMV) to process the title transfer.  Normally they would expect you to be a resident of that state to title it there, but they will be willing to take your money anyway (title transfer and sales tax, which also varies by State).  To get a license plate and vehicle registration at any DMV, you will have to already have insurance on the bike and proof of same.  Most of us buy insurance at one year intervals, but you should only get a policy that covers the period of your trip, and shipping back to Belgium (and you need to make the shipping part clear to them).  A period of months, rather than a year.  You likely have to insure back in Belgium, once it's delivered there (and probably pay import taxes there too).

Obviously, if you arrive here in Winter (late fall, early spring) it could be a problem trying to ride in the snow and ice in the northern states.  

It also seems likely you'd want to have the bike already picked out and purchased before you arrive, so doing business with a VRCC seller (from our classified adds) would be ideal, hopefully in terms of quality of the bike, and then with help getting everything lined up with that State's DMV.  If you use another source to find a bike, like MotorcycleTrader.com or Craigslist, you would of course hope for the same help from the seller (and may be able to get a local VRCC member to go by and look the bike over for you before committing to the sale).

So it seems like Passport, Belgian Dr license with motorcycle endorsement and your picture, (maybe) an international driver's license, wire or electronic transfer of funds for purchase, knowledge of a particular state's DMV rules for title transfer, plate and registration, and insurance (start with Geico and maybe Progressive).  I have not been overseas for many years, but it would seem a Belgian Mastercard or Visa credit card would do automatic conversion of Euro to Dollar, and visa versa when paying your bill back in Belgium.

Finally, I think there are a few German VRCC members who have done this (and may actually keep a couple motorcycles stored in the US for their annual trips here).  So there may be some advice available from European VRCC members as well.

[Ice]

Anthony, you may want to check with Andy from the German VRCC, he has a Valk here and I am not sure how he does it seeing he has family here.
Keep us posted when you will be here in the US, would love to share  the wind with you again, it has been way to long since IZ 3 and ferry from Finland to Travemünde.

[Hook#3287]

As to the buying part, Jess has good advice, if you state were you want to start, look to craiglists or e-bay or post here in the classifieds, I'm sure someone nearby will help you out.

A couple of years ago, I did that with MickManchester from Manchester UK.  He found a bike in Canton, MA he wanted.  I checked it out and he bought it.  Had it triked and shipped to England.

[Pete]

In some states you will need a mailing address for the title to be mailed to you. As well as tag renewal if it will be renewed.

[Misfit]

When are you planning to do this? I could probably hook you up with a bike to ride while you are here and if you wanted to keep it you could buy it and ship it home without jumping through a bunch of government hoops. 

[fudgie]

I talked to a few last yr. What they do is they put their bikes in one of them huge shipping containers and they ship it to the US. They fly over and ride for a month and ship their bike back. They said the more bikes they have the cheaper it is. You maybe able to hook a ride back in one of them.

[Anthony]

Thanks for the info,
I am not worried about the buying part of such a deal. more the registration and insurance part.

I would love to do this next year, just before or after summer. Maybe attend an Inzane?

Most friends that I know had/have a local relative or friend who has the bike registered in their name. I talked to VRCC friends from Norway, Germany and the U.K., during this years EU Inzane that I helped organise.
Nobody has it in his own name, that is why I was getting suspicious if possible.

Now that I have the wife starting to ride a motorcycle as well, there soon will be a need for more Valkyries in our garage 
So even if I bring my F6C over for the holiday, an extra bike is needed.

I thought that importing into Belgium of a vehicle that was already registered in my name is easier/cheaper, but apperently I would need proof of me living in that country as well.
So having it registered in my name is not mandatory, but still preferred since I don't have relatives there.

I am contacting those insurance Co's  and will see where that leads to.

I will report back here with updates.
Thanks in advance,
Anthony

[Anthony]

so the insurance seems to be a problem without a US driving license:
I emailed to Geico, and got a negative answer:
"Dear Anthony :
 
Good morning!  Thank you for your interest in GEICO.  At this time we do not offer a short term policy.  We would also require a United States license within 30 days.  I would suugest contacting an insurance broker in the area that you will be staying here in the US.
   
Thank you for using our online services. We appreciate your business and look forward to serving your insurance needs for years to come.
 
Sincerely,
 
Sally   
Your GEICO Internet Team
"

Then I called to Progressive and got the same answer "we can not insure you without a valid US driving license".

so either I get a valid US driving license, (probably difficult to obtain before I arrive ??)
or is that also going to be a problem for a non US resident.

or anybody have a contact to a service minded insurance broker in his/her area?

Thanks in advance,
Anthony

[Jess from VA]

We would also require a United States license within 30 days.

Without a US State residence/domicile, I'm not sure how one can get a US State driver's license?  Did you fully explain you want to buy (license/insure), ride for X days, and ship home?  Did you discuss also having an International Driver's License (as well as your Belgian license, which I'm assuming has a photo and motorcycle endorsement)?  Understand that this issue is more complex than the average insurance rep is used to dealing with, and you may not have gotten completely accurate information.

I suppose EU tourists who rent cars just buy the car rental insurance... generally that's pretty expensive.  US driver's licenses are harder to get after 911, because it's more than a driver's licensee, it's more like a national ID (and a license).  The 911 murderers had VA (my state) driver's licenses.

How long would your trip/visit be?

So you tell them OK, get the insurance for six months or a year (but only make monthly payments, if possible), don't make the 2d payment if 30 days covers your visit.  Let them cancel you (or just call and cancel yourself).  Get a separate shipping policy (if possible, I know nothing about this).  (just thinking out loud)

Is it possible to get a Belgian policy that is good in the US?  Or, do any Belgian ins. co's have a partnership or some type of agreement with any US ins co's?

If I had a bike to sell you, I suppose I could work out an agreement where you paid in full and I signed the title over to you (for transfer in Belgium), but we left my plates and insurance on it during your trip (being sure you were fully covered as a permissive rider on my policy) (giving you a copy of my valid registration to carry).  I would provide you with a written statement or power of attorney giving you permission to ride my bike, to show any cops who might pull you over during your trip.  Then you would only need a shipping policy back to Belgium. (again thinking out loud) (this plan would involve some risk to me if you were involved in a big accident where the damages exceeded my coverage, I would be facing personal liability, even though I had sold it to you, I would still be treated as the owner since no change of title/registration had ever been filed; not that this is likely)(there would also be risk to you... if the bike was wrecked or stolen during your trip, and I made a claim on my insurance, the payment would be to me, not you... though I would provide those proceeds to you, I could keep them)(again, very unlikely)

I have little faith in the US State Dept, but if a US consulate was close to you, you could go there and try to get some help/advice.  It might very well be a complete waste of time.

  

[larue]

If you buy it in Florida , motorcycle insurance is optional you don't have to have insurance on a motorcycle

[Anthony]

I also contacted my Belgian insurance Co: there is no affiliation with any US insurance Co,
Not for my bike, if i would put that in a container,
not for a local purchased bike.

Their suggestion : rent locally.

Trip would not take more then 1month

I will contact the US embassy in Belgium for advice.
Anthony

[F-six]

I'm Dutch. In 2010 I've done a 3 month's trip through the USA. Bought a Valkyrie Interstate on Ebay and rode it from Key West to San Francisco and back again. After this trip I had the bike shipped to the Netherlands
I used http://motorcycleexpress.com/ for insurance. Was no problem. I think you can get an insurance from https://www.motorcycleservices.com/ too.

I shipped my bike to Holland with: https://www.schumachercargo.com/motorcycle-shipping/

Don't know if you read Dutch, but here is some useful information too: http://www.motor-forum.nl/forum/list_messages/292961/0/0/usa

Have a nice trip.
 

[3fan4life]

If you buy it in Florida , motorcycle insurance is optional you don't have to have insurance on a motorcycle

I was going to suggest buying one in FL for that same reason.

It would at least take that part of the problem out of the equation.

[fudgie]

, motorcycle insurance is optional you don't have to have insurance on a motorcycle

    

[The emperor has no clothes]

, motorcycle insurance is optional you don't have to have insurance on a motorcycle

    

It is odd. When I bought my I/S in Tampa a couple years ago I was in and out of DMV in about 15 minutes. The only thing they really seemed to care about was collecting the sales tax. 

[Gryphon Rider]

Just throwing an unresearched idea out there, but you may have an easier time with the red tape buying, registering, and insuring a vehicle in Canada than in the USA.  The problem is that, as in the States, every province will have different rules about it.  I can check into it for Alberta, if you like.  Asking prices in Alberta for 1500 Valkyries range from CAD $5000-10,500, from a quick search on kijiji.ca.

[Anthony]

Hey Cor, yes I can read Dutch!
Great post you have there, thanks.
Looks like I can start from there.

I will contact the listed companies, see if everything still works the same after 9/11.

For me, insurance is required, not optional. Interesting to know that some states do not require it.

A canadian bike would already have km and miles on the speedo. Or do some other US models also have km on the dial?

Thanks for all the replies,
Anthony

[Gryphon Rider]

US bikes have km/h in smaller numbers inside the MPH numbers. And, of course, odometer and tripmeter are in miles.

[MP]

Rode with a guy from Germany at Inzane in Frisco, CO.  He said he had been buying a Valk in US every summer for several years.  Spent a month or so here riding, then shipped home.  He bought aftermarket seats, bags, etc while here, as he said no extra fee for them, if on bike.

Said he then sold the Valk after shipping it home, and he was paying for ALL his expenses with the profits made, as they brought a LOT more money in Germany.