11-05-2021, 02:46 AM
(11-05-2021, 02:07 AM)pekingduck_imp Wrote: A non-US model has not been certified by our Department of Transportation or EPA.
DOT regulations apply to mirror and light size and color and placement, license plate holder size, fender coverage, passenger grab straps/rails, etc. Tires must be DOT approved, exhaust/airbox must meet noise restrictions. And braking tests must be passed.
Technically, it can't even be imported into the country unless a bond is issued to guarantee it is exported back in 12 months. But there are loopholes.....
all this is fact, but the meat and potatoes of the issue is also one of protectionism. they use complex red tape like this to prevent "non-us" models from being brought into the US simply because those models were not manufactured with the same handicaps as those that were approved for US roads. Take the CB1300 for example. Honda just didn't see a purpose to making all the modifications and adjustments required to make the CB1300 pass inspection in California, and because they didn't make it pass in california, it's not worth selling in the US market. if it's not worth selling they're not going to go through all the expense of paying to have the testing done (yes, the government makes the manufacturer pay for all of it). If the testing isn't done you can't register the bike here, at least not until it becomes "vintage" in 25 years.
a great example of this is all the tiny japanese kei cars that are being imported to the US in droves right now. they're all just now turning 25, and the US market is collecting them like beanie babies. none of those cars would even come within 100 miles of passing EPA emissions regulations, crash testing safety, or body restrictions imposed by the US government, so until they turned 25 they were completely illegal to have here.