> I live in Washington State just a few miles from the Canadian border. I
was
> checking out prices of a new KLR 650 between our two countries and found
> that I could save almost $1000 USD buy buying it up in Canada. I was
quoted
> $4999 in my state, and $6299CDN or ($4090 US). Is there anyone in the
group
> who has found this, and is there anyone that has imported a bike from
Canada
> - if so what are the hassles?
There is one positive to this scheme ... you save money. Everything else is
a negative. Foremost, you fail to support your local dealers. If you're
shopping amongst other dealers in the area each has a shot at your business
depending on their willingness to compete. None of those dealers can
financially compete against the Canadian economy and yet we still expect
them to be there when we have questions, want parts, etc. The common
scenario (not necessarily in this case) is to go "shopping" at the local
place (sit on their bikes, use their time for questions) then head to
somewhere else to "get the best deal". Secondarily all the purchase money
ends up out-of-country and does nothing to support the U.S. economy.
Their may be warranty issues. Some companies do not have warranty coverage
on units purchased outside the U.S. In general, Kawasaki of Japan does not
own the bikes that are sold in the U.S. and Canada, Kawasaki USA and
Kawasaki Canada do. They are the entities that provide warranty coverage to
their respective sold units. Depending on policy they may or may not
provide reciprocal coverage (except when traveling which is almost always
done out of courtesy).
The bike must be certified to meet U.S. EPA requirements.
My recommendation is to call all the Kawasaki dealers within the distance
that you are willing to travel to get a bike, tell each one that you have
decided to purchase a KLR 650 and that you are looking for the best price.
Tell them you can get it for "X" dollars at another dealership if you've
gotten a legitimate lower quote. Generally, I find two types of reactions
to this approach...1) If you're so interested in price and are willing to go
to then "go for it, bye" and 2) "sure,
we'll compete...what price do I have to beat?". You may catch a dealer that
is overstocked, paying to much flooring or just wants to make a deal. THEN,
call your closest local dealer, the one you're probably going to contact for
parts, help, service, whatever and give them the last opportunity to earn
your business. Tell them that you want to buy from them if possible but
that you've found a KLR 650 available for and they'll
need to come close to make the sale. Now, it's your turn. If they come
anywhere near the price go with them (unless you already hate the place, in
which case you wouldn't be this far along the process) considering the cost
to go get a bike from further away and the lower hassle factor/ driving
distance if you do have some warranty issues with your bike. Yes, your KLR
will be covered at any Kawasaki dealership, they *must* provide warranty
service to every unit but you may find yourself waiting quite a while to get
that service. Quicker service may be just one of the "perks" to having
purchased your machine from the dealer who will provide service and parts.
All in all, I recommend to my customers to shop for the best value, not
necessarily the best price. They aren't the same at all.
___o=^\o______
Les Lampman
Whidbey Island, WA
COG# 4698, BMWMOA #56205
KLR 650 A2