Modern Buddy

Has anyone ever purchased a scooter overseas and shipped it back to the USA?
Is it possible to do this? and what does it take.
I know often USGIs in the military purchase something while over there and then ship them home when they return stateside.

If anyone has any personal experience in this please let us know what it involved.

Is it a hassell or worth the effort.

I don't have any experience with this, but I think if I were interested I would call the department of licensing (or stop by their office) and ask them.

My concern would be not only emissions requirements, but certain vehicles/vehicle types they flat wouldn't allow you to license for what ever reason.

Over in Europe, from what I understand, they have some some cars that get very high gas mileage, but I suspect that if you were to try to import one here, you would have a heck of a time getting it licensed (I'm not going there regarding what I think might be the reasons... ). I'm sure you are talking about a scooter, not a car, as this is a scooter forum, but just throwing my thoughts out there.

Anything's *possible* but it will drive you insane, there are large, often expensive and/or time-consuming hurdles every step of the way. I think a lot of the military people sneak them back on military transports, then either don't title them, or put plates from another vehicle on them, or only use them on private property/base. And I bet it's harder to pull off than it used to be.

Another route is to ship the engine and body seperately as "parts," or ship to canada or mexico and get it over the border somehow, but even then, you're still dealing with no title and an unregistered VIN once it gets here.

Legal importers need to work with EPA, CARB, Border Patrol, Homeland Security, NHTSA, pay import duties, pay shippers to get it to and from the coasts, then deal with getting plates, a title, and insurance, I wouldn't ever bother with it.

The best way to do this... go there, buy the scoot, drive it around for a week, then have it shipped home as a used vehicle. Ordering new vehicles from overseas and having them shipped here is extremely expensive, a bit of a hassle and it can take months. You're much better off buying it "while on vacation." That way you come back with a legally registered and titled vehicle with a temporary plate that merely needs to be re-registered and titled here. I've seen it done with a certain few motorcycles, Volvos, Audis and classic Minis.

illnoise wrote: I think a lot of the military people sneak them back on military transports, then either don't title them, or put plates from another vehicle on them, or only use them on private property/base. And I bet it's harder to pull off than it used to be.

Not necessarily true. My mother (in-law, but not) was in the military and stationed in Germany as a linguist for a few years decades ago, she returned in the early 90s and bought her Volvo there, as it was a model not available in the US. After driving around Europe for a week she had it shipped back the proper way through US customs as a used car, and has had it on the road ever since. The only problem we've had with it is finding the right parts as that model never existed in the US in 1994!

It can be pretty tough for new and used vehicles. A lot will depend on your state. I know several people who brought over scooters from overseas and haven't been able to get them properly registered with the state. There are some tricks to this, and dealers can help. Many have scooters that are registered as different models.

AWinn6889 wrote:

illnoise wrote: I think a lot of the military people sneak them back on military transports, then either don't title them, or put plates from another vehicle on them, or only use them on private property/base. And I bet it's harder to pull off than it used to be.

Not necessarily true. My mother (in-law, but not) was in the military and stationed in Germany as a linguist for a few years decades ago, she returned in the early 90s and bought her Volvo there, as it was a model not available in the US. After driving around Europe for a week she had it shipped back the proper way through US customs as a used car, and has had it on the road ever since.

He didn't say all military do that, just that "a lot" do and that is necessarily true. Many have done what your mother (in-law, but not) did but I know vets who in the past snuck in things like scooters and motorcycles and not gone through customs or proper channels to avoid paperwork, hassles and import fees. They've snuck in many other things as well.

ericalm wrote:He didn't say all military do that, just that "a lot" do and that is necessarily true. Many have done what your mother (in-law, but not) did but I know vets who in the past snuck in things like scooters and motorcycles and not gone through customs or proper channels to avoid paperwork, hassles and import fees. They've snuck in many other things as well.

...and I didn't say that NO ONE in the military did it either. Take it easy. It is still true that in more recent times "a lot" of them don't do it anymore because of newer policies regarding such things.
I have only ever heard of those who served in WWII sneaking home scooters and motorcycles, among other things like war trophies in the way of guns, swords and the like... and I'm sure it was much easier to do back then.
I actually met an old man last fall at my part-time job that told me about his scooter that he "snuck home from somewhere in Europe, as [he] was stationed all over the place for a few years."
Anyway, yes it's easier to sneak small things home from other countries because you can hide it in your stuff, but it has become much harder to bring home any sort of vehicles unnoticed, or so my friends that have returned home after being stationed overseas have told me.

AWinn6889 wrote:I have only ever heard of those who served in WWII sneaking home scooters and motorcycles, among other things like war trophies in the way of guns, swords and the like... and I'm sure it was much easier to do back then.

Nope, people were still doing it in the '80s and '90s and probably still are today.

ericalm wrote:

AWinn6889 wrote:I have only ever heard of those who served in WWII sneaking home scooters and motorcycles, among other things like war trophies in the way of guns, swords and the like... and I'm sure it was much easier to do back then.

Nope, people were still doing it in the '80s and '90s and probably still are today.

Well obviously I'm an idiot and you know everything then, my bad for relaying information from friends and family from every branch of the US military, most of whom have served overseas for several years. Like I stated, from things I have been told over the years:

AWinn6889 wrote:Anyway, yes it's easier to sneak small things home from other countries because you can hide it in your stuff, but it has become much harder to bring home any sort of vehicles unnoticed.

(...especially without proper paperwork and processing through customs.)

Really, I don't think that arguing and trying to make someone look stupid is going to give the OP any useful information. Just sayin'.

^^And pissin' off the property owner is rarely a good idea. Either online or in life.

AWinn6889 wrote:

ericalm wrote:

AWinn6889 wrote:I have only ever heard of those who served in WWII sneaking home scooters and motorcycles, among other things like war trophies in the way of guns, swords and the like... and I'm sure it was much easier to do back then.

Nope, people were still doing it in the '80s and '90s and probably still are today.

Well obviously I'm an idiot and you know everything then, my bad for relaying information from friends and family from every branch of the US military, most of whom have served overseas for several years. Like I stated, from things I have been told over the years:

I'm not trying to make you look stupid and haven't even implied you're an idiot. All I'm saying is that while your experiences and those of people you know may be true, this practice still occurs.

We all have different experiences and know different people with their own experiences. What illnoise mentioned does still occur and has for decades. But yes, others do go through proper channels. That's the only point I have here. Really no need to read any more into it than that and take it so personally.

I wasn't trying to start a fight, I'm just saying I've been following scooter groups and club lists for more than 15 years, and this question comes up a lot. I've seen maybe three documented cases of someone that pulled it off completely legitimately, and it was always a ton of paperwork, legwork, and expense. As I said, it can be done, but I've seen people who know a lot more about the system than I do tearing out their hair over it.

I've also seen lots of grey-market vehicles, so they get over. But most of the ones I've seen were brought over as demos for motorcycle shows, or as props for movies, or for EPA testing, or through Canada or Mexico, or just entirely snuck over the border and titled in a shady way. And in the last few years, DMVs have really been cracking down, a few years ago you could walk into the IL DMV with some questionable paperwork and talk your way around it but I've had problems titling LEGIT scooters lately because they've become so careful about blocking illegal chinese bikes.