Modern Vespa

Has anyone done this here in the States? There are T5's up the wazzooo in the UK...just curious

wouldnt think there would be an economical way of getting them over though, unless you git a load and sea freighted them in a container. I would like to get some allsates the other way but cant see any easy way.
I used to bring Toro lawn mowers into the UK from the states on an adhoc basis.
It was about £120 per mower air freight on fedex from what i can remember. The weight was about 30 kilos, great sellers on ebay those were...!! until Toro got heavy about it..

Oh man..that's funny. Here we have tons of AllStates that nobody really wants...but I would give my left nut for one of those bad ass T5's with the round headset!

I'm thinking shipping would cost a fortune to get it here

makes you wonder how the nammers do it, i think they just ship em singularly by crate, shouldnt be that much, but you need organisers at each end

Shipping, and getting it through customs. Plus it's a pain in the arse registering one over here cos they didn't meet US DOT specs. Anything Vespa past 1984 isn't on their books. I'm still going through hoops with my T5.

If you want a T5 classic, what you call the T5's with the round headset, then just buy a T5 engine and put it in a PX frame. That's all they were. That might be feasable from overseas. Look at Italian ebay as well. Tons over there too, more than the UK in fact.

I agree. It's not fair that they can ship these pieces of shit anywhere. I'm just curious of the cost..how much it would be to ship and what's up with customs and what they are looking for exactly.

Customs is looking to make money. Taxes, duties, DOT compliance, Manufacturer's Certificate of Origin , blah blah blah. Somewhere I ran across a blog where someone bought a Nammer Vespa and had a hell of a time getting to pass customs. Your best bet would be to hire a customs broker for a scoot that "new" anything older than '84 will get in no problem.

You could have one brought over disassembled and claim it's "parts" then register it as a recontrusted vehicle.

So I'm looking for 84 or older and I should be ok and go thorugh a customs broker. I wonder if I could buy an Allstate for 1000 bucks and see if someone in the UK is willing to trade it for a T5

Problem there is that are no T5's that are 1984. UK ones will be 1986 or newer, T5's went into production in 1985.

One of the issues with bringing a T5 into the States is the VIN number. It simpley doesn't exist in US databases because it was never imported here. That's the hurdle I'm facing with mine. Post '84 PX models have the same VIN prefix as older ones. The T5 has a different prefix.

Got it. So what is the hang up right now with your T5? Where did you buy it?

I bought mine at a local shop. They brought in a container of 30 scooters from Italy and the UK. They had 3 T5s. The shop did most of the paperwork for me as far as the title goes, and obviously took care of the customs side of things - they were all imported as "for parts only".

I just 2 days ago got a HUGE envelope from the state saying they can't issue a title because they don't have the VIN in the database and can't verify what year/make the scooter is. The envelope has a small phonebook worth of paperwork that traces the scooter back to the UK, then Italy. All the customs declarations, foreign titles, etc. Even paperwork verifying that the Italian documents have been translated to English by an official Italian translator!

I now basically have to have the scooter inspected and the VIN verified by the state. I'm hoping it goes well. It's been almost a year since I bought it. It's taken THAT LONG!

That's because you bought it as "parts" with no official paperwork. Yikes..good luck..I hope it all goes well!

http://scoot.net/classifieds/forsale.html?id=15708

ugh...this was Greasy's...totally missed out on this one

Oh no, there is plenty of official paperwork. I have it all including the Italian title. The state at first didn't know how to transfer the title from Italy. That took an age and finally happened in April.

The sold as parts bit only had to do with how it was brought in to the States and allowed to enter the country. That's a customs issue with the federal government, the title is a state issue.

If this is the scoot your gonna "euro racer"??. I'd buy a frame, loom then the engine seperatly. You was gonna swap the forks and bars anyway. It'd probably work out cheaper for you

do it i wana see a cut down with extended forks and worked motor

If you bring it in as a motor vehicle through a proper customs broker, the resulting paperwork clears the way for a title in virtually every state. The VIN becomes no issue, as the certifications for entry into the US make VIN tracing (for DOT, EPA compliance) a non-issue.

However, based upon the year of the scooter, it may take modification to enter the US, and this has to be done by a recognized shop as part of the entry process.

Check these links for starters:
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/CARS/RULES/IMPORT/

http://www.epa.gov/otaq/imports/factmnb.htm

Al

Register it as a barn-find moped, since that apparently flies with some DMVs

At the risk of stepping on some toes, there are documented ways to legally import motor vehicles from overseas, and there are ways to try to get around the system. The former may cost some money, but after all is said and done, it works. The latter is a crap shoot, and while Joe in Wyoming may have pulled it off, that's no guarantee that Pete in Massachusetts will have the same success.

I have brought 5 vehicles across national borders in my life. Three into the US and two into Greece. All were done by following the rules, and all were basically trouble free. I will say that my last import into the US was about 15 years ago, but the basic law is still the same. If the vehicle coming into the US is over 21 years old, it is relatively trouble free - if you import it as a vehicle and follow the published rules.

The biggie is that when you satisfy the import requirements of the feds, you end up with the papers that a state must accept. Doesn't matter if the VIN is in anyone's database. It is federally approved for registration in the good old US of A, which is exactly what that brand new made in Italy Vespa's papers say.

So, if you can find a T5 that is over 21 years old and can arrange proper, by the book importing support, you may pay a few bucks to the customs broker, but the papers he will ultimately get for you will do the trick.

Been there. Done that.

Al

That's what I did with my Euro PX. The shop I bought the T5 from did too much paperwork, title application, etc, for me to go that route. Can't blame them , they were trying to make things easy for me.

Yeah I was kidding anyway, I figure it would suck to be pulled over going 55 on an unplated "moped" ~ might lead to questions and consequences

Questions and consequences - the story of my life

This is 100% true. I need to find a T5 motor. This would be a whole lot easier to ship here I suppose correct?

I'll keep them peeled for you. But they're getting expensive

you snooz
you looz



all kidding aside, if you're looking to go cut up street racer you don't need a whole bike. find a slightly damaged frame-- or whole bike. sell off what you don't want or need to recoupe some of the cost. shit, you could even start with a stella frame if you wanted to.

really, importing a bike from the UK is a PITA. and i'm lucky to have registered what i have here in cali.

if you want a T5 motor, let me know. i may be convinced to let you pry it from my death grip....

anyway, P-frames are cheap and plentiful round these parts. build a custom harness, slam in some forks, get a pair of drop bars (let me know if you need a base as cores) a single seat and then you're pretty much ready to rumble. that's the beauty of the P-frame-- stick what ever motor you want in-- zipped up 125, honking 200, T5, stock.

let me know if you need help.

best,
-greasy

We need more people like you in this world...seriously. Hopefully you will put down the booze and go a little lighter on the hookers and help a brother out this time! Will you be at scoot invasion tomorrow? Let me know, I'll be there...it will be fund to pick your brain on this. Thanks Greasy.

subito.it is also worth looking at, this search will display all classic Vespas listed anywhere in Italy: http://www.subito.it/annunci-sicilia-italia/vendita/moto-e-scooter/?q=vespa&th=1&mt=7.

Of course, like ebay.it it's all in Italian which makes things harder. If you're looking at importing don't bother looking at anything that says 'senza documenti' (without papers) which seems to be quite common.