Gs 1200ss

[Anonymous]

I think suzuki isnt importing those beautiful bikes to the US because they dont think they'll sell out here. Our market right now is dominated by crotch rockets and hogs. Not that those bikes are bad but it leaves us to choose between them if we want a new bike. Even standards like the bandit have a "sporty" design to sway would-be sportbike buyers.

[Anonymous]

DOT Schmott

It's sad, really. Everytime I start looking into foreign-market bikes, I get depressed.... Who's to dictate what I want to spend my money on - I thought that's what the free trade system was all about - supply and demand????

Anyways - it's truly a pity what one has to go through to get grey-market bikes into the country. The last thing you'd want to do is try to legitimately import bikes that aren't currently DOT approved. I found a guy in San Diego with a slew of 400cc sportbikes, which he bought as a lot from some broker in the UK, intending to sell them as race bikes. They didn't sell, and none of them are street legal in the US, so he's stuck with them all taking up room at his shop. Thinking about how much fun it would be to own a featherweight fourstroke, I started digging around to see what it would take to become an importer.... No money to be made. you could grey-market them from Canada, but there are limitations to how many you can bring into the country as a private owner, and they have to be used bikes when you purchase them (of a certain age with a certain number of miles on them). To import new bikes, you have to furnish the DOT with two specimens of the bike, shipped directly from the manufacturer with chain of custody certificates, a customs permit to remove them from the shipping yard with a one-way pass to your nearest DOT testing facility where they will remain until someone gets around to testing the safety and emissions levels of the bike - all on your dime, and in the end the bike(s) may or may not pass. If they do, then you can register it and make arrangements to independantly import them. If they don't, you just paid in blood for a non-registerable conversation piece.

I'm depressed again just thinking about it.

-Q!

[Anonymous]

Re: DOT Schmott

It's sad, really. Everytime I start looking into foreign-market bikes, I get depressed.... Who's to dictate what I want to spend my money on - I thought that's what the free trade system was all about - supply and demand????

Anyways - it's truly a pity what one has to go through to get grey-market bikes into the country. The last thing you'd want to do is try to legitimately import bikes that aren't currently DOT approved. I found a guy in San Diego with a slew of 400cc sportbikes, which he bought as a lot from some broker in the UK, intending to sell them as race bikes. They didn't sell, and none of them are street legal in the US, so he's stuck with them all taking up room at his shop. Thinking about how much fun it would be to own a featherweight fourstroke, I started digging around to see what it would take to become an importer.... No money to be made. you could grey-market them from Canada, but there are limitations to how many you can bring into the country as a private owner, and they have to be used bikes when you purchase them (of a certain age with a certain number of miles on them). To import new bikes, you have to furnish the DOT with two specimens of the bike, shipped directly from the manufacturer with chain of custody certificates, a customs permit to remove them from the shipping yard with a one-way pass to your nearest DOT testing facility where they will remain until someone gets around to testing the safety and emissions levels of the bike - all on your dime, and in the end the bike(s) may or may not pass. If they do, then you can register it and make arrangements to independantly import them. If they don't, you just paid in blood for a non-registerable conversation piece.

I'm depressed again just thinking about it.

-Q!

While you are being sad will you tell me if the bike in your avitatr is yours and is it in the gallery

[GSXRDR]

GSX1400 Owner

I live in Sydney Australia and just bought a 2004 GSX1400 with 32000kms on it yesterday. It's a 1.4 litre 4 cylinder 6 speed and it flies.
I found one in black with the 4 into 2 exhaust. Very tidy bike.
They are available in Australia as well....too bad about the US.

[b1ackd3ath]

GSXRDR - photos?

[80GS1000]

Does anyone know what's involved in importing a used bike purchased from a private party overseas to the U.S? Q! hinted at it but didn't include much detail. I'd love to get my hands on a used GSX1400 or GS1200SS, but I have no idea what hoops you'd have to jump through with the U.S government to bring one of those bikes into the country.

[Billy Ricks]

Does anyone know what's involved in importing a used bike purchased from a private party overseas to the U.S? Q! hinted at it but didn't include much detail. I'd love to get my hands on a used GSX1400 or GS1200SS, but I have no idea what hoops you'd have to jump through with the U.S government to bring one of those bikes into the country.

I believe it has to go through an EPA and NHTSA inspection which is the worst part of the ordeal. Back in the '80s two stroke bikes were brought in through the grey market after they quit selling them here.
http://www.oig.dot.gov/StreamFile?fi.../mh2005052.pdf

[Billy Ricks]

I did find out that if anyone has ever gotten even one example of any vehicle to meet regulations then you don't have to go through the process yourself.

[80GS1000]

I did find out that if anyone has ever gotten even one example of any vehicle to meet regulations then you don't have to go through the process yourself.

Which begs the question: has anyone been able to get a GSX1400 or GS1200SS to pass regulations? Those bikes are schweeet!

[GSXRDR]

'04 Gsx1400

Had to attach them in here one by one.....

[GSXRDR]

gsx1400

If you want to see larger photos, let me know and I can send them via email.
canaussie28@yahoo.com.au

[first timer]

can't you ship the bike over in pieces, take the tires off, ship them, take the forks/ exhaust off ship them, ship frame and motor. each one one shiped through ups or sumtin. then get it home, assemble the bike and register it as a custom bike, get a new vin number. what do all those custom chopper guys do when they built a frame from the ground up and get it licenced?

-ryan