• Welcome, Guest! We hope you enjoy the excellent technical knowledge, event information and discussions that the BMW MOA forum provides. Some forum content will be hidden from you if you remain logged out. If you want to view all content, please click the 'Log in' button above and enter your BMW MOA username and password.

    If you are not an MOA member, why not take the time to join the club, so you can enjoy posting on the forum, the BMW Owners News magazine, and all of the discounts and benefits the BMW MOA offers?

$500 Letter

37071

New member
A friend has bought an 02 R1150R in Florida. He is trying to get it licensed in Ontario. One of the requirements for the new ownership is a letter from BMW Canada saying that all the recalls have been repaired. To get this letter; the bike is taken to the local dealer who inspects it. Then the official letter is sent. The cost is flat rate - $500.:banghead
In the past BMWNA sent out the letters for a token fee.

What experience have you had importing "new" BMW to Ontario recently?
 
I was considering importing a bike into Ontario last June. I had heard that the letter had been dropped so I called BMW Mottard Canada. Not so. They will not issue it without a prior Ontario BMW dealer safety check and any adjustments necessary to make the bike "Ontario friendly". Hence, that letter is going to run closer to $700 or $800. It was actually less costly for me to buy a Canadian bike priced $1500 more than a comparable American bike, taking into consideration the "Letter", the exchange rate, a $250 Canadian customs fee, motels, and gas to trailer to and from the U.S. Either way of purchase demands GST and PST taxes to the respective governments.

Last week might have been a good time for a buy when our dollar was $0.96 on the American dollar.:ca
 
Wouldn't it just be cheaper to move to the US, eh?
:nyah:usa

Motels, campsites and gasoline are certainly cheaper, but being retired, I doubt that I could afford health insurance. I guess I'd better stay here, but having said that, the US is a great place to visit and tour with lots of friendly folks south of the border.:ca
 
This problem just came up on a car board that I belong to. One of the members reported there that RIV will accept the recall clearance letter from a U.S. dealer, or, alternatively, a print out from an authorized dealer's vehicle service data base that shows the recalls as being clear, (it must have the dealer's name and address stamp stamped or printed on it).

The member phoned a couple of U.S. dealers for his car, and found one that would do it for $100.

Ah, I found the thread; see posts 16 to 20.

http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforums/rennlist-canada/529626-dealer-prices-in-canada-are-really-just-crazy-2.html

Hope this helps. If the dealers are reluctant, you might suggest that your friend ask the seller to get his former dealer to help out. Good luck. If he needs extra time, RIV will extend the 90 days; they're pretty flexible.
 
Last edited:
Motels, campsites and gasoline are certainly cheaper, but being retired, I doubt that I could afford health insurance. I guess I'd better stay here, but having said that, the US is a great place to visit and tour with lots of friendly folks south of the border.:ca

My Medicare(actually Advantage through KY teacher retirement-at least until "O" does away with Advatage plans)) costs $93 monthly-if that is too much for you, then I guess you will, in fact have to stay in the land of fire & ice? Be glad you don't have to pay such an atrocious amount.
My wife, who is under 65, still has her insurance via Teacher Retirement plan and pays like $24 mo...
I love Canada but will hopefully? stick with my medical care.
 
Last edited:
The warranty clerk/service people @ a dealer can print out the history on a BMW(car at least) and some are hyper as to privacy and others will give it to you unmarked or with the names of previous owners blacked out. Why would that history not suffice in this case?
I tried to buy a Canadian bike once and short story is that the broker wanted $7-800 to put a kilometers to MPH sticker on the speedo. I balked at the rip on the sticker and the deal was off.
 
Wouldn't it just be cheaper to move to the US, eh?
:nyah:usa

....let me see.... uh, health insurance about $800/ month (I'm likely embelshing a bit here) but taxes lower on many items but house and rental costs the same....have no freakin' idea how to load anything other than a rabbit rifle.... dollar jumpin' around..... warmer though, in some parts.... :whistle nah, think I'll stay. We're just fine up here in that quasi socialist nation of Canada. OMG! did I say socialist? - Bob
 
My Medicare(actually Advantage through KY teacher retirement-at least until "O" does away with Advatage plans)) costs $93 monthly-if that is too much for you, then I guess you will, in fact have to stay in the land of fire & ice? Be glad you don't have to pay such an atrocious amount.

... but what about if you don't 'have a plan'? - Bob
 
Motels, campsites and gasoline are certainly cheaper, but being retired, I doubt that I could afford health insurance. I guess I'd better stay here, but having said that, the US is a great place to visit and tour with lots of friendly folks south of the border.:ca

That is what we say about Canada. :wave
 
A friend has bought an 02 R1150R in Florida. He is trying to get it licensed in Ontario. One of the requirements for the new ownership is a letter from BMW Canada saying that all the recalls have been repaired. To get this letter; the bike is taken to the local dealer who inspects it. Then the official letter is sent. The cost is flat rate - $500.:banghead
In the past BMWNA sent out the letters for a token fee.

What experience have you had importing "new" BMW to Ontario recently?

I guess that NAFTA isn't so "free" in Canada? :D
 
Bud:

Most BMW's aren't NAFTA, because they're built outside the U.S. Those we pay 6.1% duty on, in addition to federal sales tax of 5%. Any U.S. assembled vehicle, Subaru, Toyota, whatever, attracts only sales tax.

As to the other topic on the thread, on whether it's cheaper to live north or south of the border, if you had a degree in business math, and analyzed it state by state and province by province, you would probably still not have a definitive answer.
 
Back
Top