Importing motorbike from UK to Florida

[lindajo]

We are moving to Florida early next year and would like to take our Harley Davidson motorbike with us. Has anyone got any information or contact addresses regarding shipping, freight clearance etc.
Thanks

[esprit]

They are very cheap to buy here in Florida. It cost us an arm and a leg just to import a small amount of furniture and ornaments. Personally I would sell it in the UK and buy another one here as it may not be worth the expense and hassle of importing. We just moved over. What are you going to be doing here?

[blott]

Hi Lindajo

Welcome to the forum. I think you may find, as well as Julie's info above, that there is a liability to pay tax on importation and also a distinct possibility that a machine acceptable to UK standards may not be to US standards.

Try http://www.cbp.gov/ImageCache/cgov/c.../publications/ importingacar_2edoc/v1/importingacar.doc

http://www.cbp.gov/ImageCache/cgov/c.../moving_2edoc/ v2/moving.doc

http://www.cbp.gov/ImageCache/cgov/c.../publications/ tipsforvisitors_2edoc/v1/tipsforvisitors.doc

[chrizzy100]

quote:Originally posted by lindajo

We are moving to Florida early next year and would like to take our Harley Davidson motorbike with us. Has anyone got any information or contact addresses regarding shipping, freight clearance etc.
Thanks

We've done it....I'll have to hunt out the paper work....the company paid for the shipping....but the cost to make it road worthy for the USA cost around $2000+ 4 years ago....

[euro82]

We imported our 62 Triumph about 5 years ago. It was air freighted from Luton to Orlando. (or rather Sanford) and we collected it from Tampa. We used Woodland Internation Transport Radius park, Faggs Rd Bedfont TW20 ONG. Sorry lost their phone number. From what I remember the costs was about £300. The tampa import agent was J cortina, I don't have their address or number here in the UK but you should be able to find them on the web. We have also used U.T.I (I think it is United Transport Internation) at Tampa Tel: 813 880 9339. We are bikers thru and thr and spend many months at our Pinellas home. In our opinion, in the last few years Harleys have become cheaper in the UK. Oviously it depends on the model. We had no problem registering the Triumph and Florida does not have an equivilant to an MOT, looking at the state of some bikes we'e seen it's just as well. No one asked us to modify anything,(maybe because it was considered a classic) but you must have a mirror and use lights even in daytime. We took our UK v5 and had someone notorise that the frame and engine numbers on the bike were the same as the v5 and we didn't even have to take the bike to the DMV office. Contact the Dept of Motor Vehicles, they are very helpful.

[chrizzy100]

quote:Originally posted by euro82

We imported our 62 Triumph about 5 years ago. It was air freighted from Luton to Orlando. (or rather Sanford) and we collected it from Tampa. We used Woodland Internation Transport Radius park, Faggs Rd Bedfont TW20 ONG. Sorry lost their phone number. From what I remember the costs was about £300. The tampa import agent was J cortina, I don't have their address or number here in the UK but you should be able to find them on the web. We have also used U.T.I (I think it is United Transport Internation) at Tampa Tel: 813 880 9339. We are bikers thru and thr and spend many months at our Pinellas home. In our opinion, in the last few years Harleys have become cheaper in the UK. Oviously it depends on the model. We had no problem registering the Triumph and Florida does not have an equivilant to an MOT, looking at the state of some bikes we'e seen it's just as well. No one asked us to modify anything,(maybe because it was considered a classic) but you must have a mirror and use lights even in daytime. We took our UK v5 and had someone notorise that the frame and engine numbers on the bike were the same as the v5 and we didn't even have to take the bike to the DMV office. Contact the Dept of Motor Vehicles, they are very helpful.

It may have been because it was a classic..or the State you live in....we had 48 modifications made to our harley before it could be picked up....at a cost with paper work of $2000 back 4 years ago....our bike was around 12 years old then......we do have a MOT of sorts in Mass.....

[lindajo]

quote:Originally posted by euro82

We imported our 62 Triumph about 5 years ago. It was air freighted from Luton to Orlando. (or rather Sanford) and we collected it from Tampa. We used Woodland Internation Transport Radius park, Faggs Rd Bedfont TW20 ONG. Sorry lost their phone number. From what I remember the costs was about £300. The tampa import agent was J cortina, I don't have their address or number here in the UK but you should be able to find them on the web. We have also used U.T.I (I think it is United Transport Internation) at Tampa Tel: 813 880 9339. We are bikers thru and thr and spend many months at our Pinellas home. In our opinion, in the last few years Harleys have become cheaper in the UK. Oviously it depends on the model. We had no problem registering the Triumph and Florida does not have an equivilant to an MOT, looking at the state of some bikes we'e seen it's just as well. No one asked us to modify anything,(maybe because it was considered a classic) but you must have a mirror and use lights even in daytime. We took our UK v5 and had someone notorise that the frame and engine numbers on the bike were the same as the v5 and we didn't even have to take the bike to the DMV office. Contact the Dept of Motor Vehicles, they are very helpful.