Purchasing a UK bike

[Blackbird_Pilot]

Hi everyone, new guy here looking for some advice. I'm thinking about buying a bike from Ebay over seas. If I do end up buying the thing how does customs work and such. When it does get here what about registering? What paperwork do I need and the title work. If its UK does it have to be switched to US? And certification, does the bike have to prove that its up or I guess down to US standards?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Scott.

 

[Chris French]

In message <j8cUb.70189[email protected]>, Blackbird_Pilot <usenet-
[email protected]> writes
>Hi everyone, new guy here looking for some advice. I'm thinking about buying a bike from Ebay
>over seas.

You sem to mean that you want to buy a bike from the Uk and import it into the US.

You might find some one on u.r.c who knows about this, but i'd have thought posting to rec.cycling
would have made mores sense, since you will find people there who are more likely to have had
experience of importing stuff into the US.
--
Chris French, Leeds

 

[Just Zis Guy]

"Blackbird_Pilot" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> Hi everyone, new guy here looking for some advice. I'm thinking about buying a bike from Ebay over
> seas. If I do end up buying the thing how does customs work and such. When it does get here what
> about registering? What paperwork do I need and the title work. If its UK does it have to be
> switched to US? And certification, does the bike have to prove that its up or I guess down to US
> standards?

Assuming you mean a pedal cycle not a motorbike...

Standards. I believe the CPSC standards apply only to point of sale - since eBay is a used cycle,
I'm pretty sure it's not affected.

Switching over. Why? UK have the front brake on the right, as recommended by the Great
Sheldon Himself.

Registration? I didn't know the US had bike registration. There is no "title work" for bikes
over here.

Customs? Depends on the value. The seller will deal with this anyway - normally a simple customs
declaration form. Check the US customs & excise service for the rate of duty on second-hand bikes.
Or ask in rec.bicycles.misc, I'm sure Mark at Habanero can help. The value affects the amount of
paperwork - there is a value limit below which a simple green sticker is all that's required, but I
can't remember how much it is and the UK Customs & Excise website is about as much use as a
chocolate teapot.

--
Guy
===

WARNING: may contain traces of irony. Contents may settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

 

[Steve Holdoway]

On Wed, 04 Feb 2004 19:57:03 GMT, Blackbird_Pilot
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Hi everyone, new guy here looking for some advice. I'm thinking about buying a bike from Ebay over
>seas. If I do end up buying the thing how does customs work and such. When it does get here what
>about registering? What paperwork do I need and the title work. If its UK does it have to be
>switched to US? And certification, does the bike have to prove that its up or I guess down to US
>standards?
>
>Any help would be greatly appreciated. Scott.

Lets put it this way... the cheapest way I could get a used Softride from Los Angeles was to go and
get it myself. Just take an old bike bag with you, and walk through customs back in the UK. If
you're lucky, like I was, you'll not get stopped.

Mind you, having ridden one, I'm converted for life, so it was worth a day trip to LA! Wish i'd
bought a 700c, not 650c version though... the wheels are a bit difficult to find!

ymmv,

Steve

 

[Just Zis Guy]

"Steve Holdoway" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> Wish i'd bought a 700c, not 650c version though... the wheels are a bit difficult to find!

Check between the forks. Oh, and get your eyes tested ;-)

--
Guy
===

WARNING: may contain traces of irony. Contents may settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

 

[Zog The Undenia]

Blackbird_Pilot wrote:

> Hi everyone, new guy here looking for some advice. I'm thinking about buying a bike from Ebay over
> seas. If I do end up buying the thing how does customs work and such. When it does get here what
> about registering? What paperwork do I need and the title work. If its UK does it have to be
> switched to US? And certification, does the bike have to prove that its up or I guess down to US
> standards?

Hope you like the front brake on the right...they're all like that over here. Not too hard to
fix though.