Is a motorcycle not cleared through customs equal to stolen? Is the market for such equipment large and how does it get into the Russian Federation?

The constant increase in the number of cars, endless traffic jams and the frantic pace of life are increasing the demand for motorcycles in Moscow and other large cities of Russia. Fans of motorcycles are divided into two armies: those who prefer to make a purchase at a showroom, and those who order bikes abroad. The second method provides more opportunities in terms of choice (the markets of the USA, Asia, and Europe open before you) and price (you can buy a decent used model, the characteristics of which are superior to the new one from the showroom). The only question that remains is “Is it difficult to clear a motorcycle through customs in Russia?” We will discuss in detail below how much the procedure costs and what stages you need to go through to become the happy owner of your dream.

How much does it cost to clear a motorcycle through customs in Russia?

Let's figure out what stages the customs clearance process consists of:

• First, you need to contact the customs authority at the place of registration of the new owner, submit an application and provide a package of documents (passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation, invoice for payment and confirmation of payment, for example, a check or receipt from the seller for receipt of money).
• Make a deposit to the account of the customs authority in the amount of 41.6% of the cost of the vehicle. This amount guarantees that the owner will be able to pay subsequent fees and complete the registration process.
• Pay customs duties.
• Obtain a receipt and a warranty certificate allowing you to import and operate the vehicle in Russia.

How much it costs to clear motorcycles through customs depends on a number of parameters:

• Customs value of the vehicle (determined according to the official catalogs “SCHWACKE” for Europe and NADA for the USA).
• Engine power and type.
• Weight of the bike and year of its manufacture.
• Subject submitting documents (individual, individual entrepreneur or legal entity).

Please note that if the customs value according to the catalog is lower than the purchase price indicated in the invoice, then calculations will be made based on the purchase price. For individuals, it is enough to pay 30% of the customs or declared value of the bike (see note above).

It is not difficult to calculate how much customs clearance costs for legal entities. Operate with these numbers:

• 12-18% of the cost of the bike (the rate depends on the cubic capacity and the country from which the equipment is imported) is customs duty.
• 20% of the amount of customs value and duty – VAT.
• 455 rubles per 1 hp. – excise tax for engines with a power of more than 150 hp, for example for the urban streetfighter Yamaha MT-10.
• 150-500 rubles – the price of paperwork.

Instead of manual calculations, you can use an automatic calculator. If the final cost seems too high to you, this is not a reason to refuse high-quality imported motorcycle equipment. Pay attention to the American or Japanese auction, where the price of the lot is indicated taking into account customs clearance and delivery.

Sequence of actions during customs clearance

Any transport unit imported into Russia must undergo customs clearance.

You can do the procedure yourself or entrust this process to professionals. Each of these methods has both advantages and disadvantages. You just need to study each issue separately, and weigh your position, which issue will have more advantages for you. In any case, if you or you have a motorcycle brought to you from a European or Asian country, you must clear it through customs. If you decide not to do this, it may simply be taken away from you.

Let’s not discuss how this procedure goes in one country or another; in Russia, customs clearance of a motorcycle is a rather complicated procedure that requires time, effort, and money. The first problem you may have is if customs does not accept the value you declared for your bike. In this case, you will need to contact an independent appraiser. He will make the verdict. They refer to list prices to determine the value of your motorcycle.

Who usually buys motorcycles abroad? Those who really want to save money. But when crossing the border, such a motorcycle can become half as expensive as what you bought it for.

You can more accurately determine customs clearance fees based on the power of the bike’s engine. It depends on its model and manufacturer. The year of manufacture is of great importance.

But you need to know the following. If you purchased a motorcycle that was manufactured before 2005, with an engine power of less than 150 cubic meters, it will be most profitable to clear it through customs in Russia.

How much does it cost, is it possible to calculate at least an approximate amount? In case you decide, you must make a total payment in euros or dollars at customs. This amount will be approximately 44% of the cost of your motorcycle. What does it consist of?

• Customs duty. It is 20% of the cost of the bike, but already the customs value.
• Value added tax, that is, VAT. The customs value of the motorcycle and customs duty is twenty percent of this amount
• Payment for all customs procedures.

And in the end, you get approximately this amount - a little less than half the cost of your motorcycle.

Table. Customs duty when clearing a motorcycle

How to clear customs a motorcycle from Japan?

If you have long dreamed of a Kawasaki GTR 1400 or the iconic touring Honda Gold Wing 1800, brought straight from their historical homeland to your home, calculate the cost using the above diagram. The duty in this case can be 18-45% of the cost of the model. In the case of Kawasaki, you will need to include excise tax in your purchase budget (455 rubles multiplied by 160 hp + 20% VAT). For Honda with a power of 117 - 126.5 hp. Depending on the year of manufacture, this is not necessary.

In general, Japan is famous for its large selection of heavy models and low logistics costs compared to equipment from Europe. It is also necessary to include in the budget the cost of storing equipment in a warehouse until the moment when it can be officially imported into the Russian Federation (calculated on a daily basis).

Sports equipment.

This term is used by cross-country athletes. The equipment they train on (cross bikes) is considered a sports tool intended for use on closed tracks. It is prohibited to drive such equipment on public roads. However, in advertisements for the sale of road motorcycles, the term “the motorcycle was brought as sporting equipment” is often used.
Such a document is issued by the motorcycling sports federation. Of course, it is impossible to legally obtain such a document for road motorcycles. Therefore, unscrupulous sellers are mastering the method of falsifying documents, their goal is to lull the vigilance of naive buyers when selling their supposedly legally imported motorcycles.

How do motorcycles enter the territory of the Russian Federation without customs clearance?

The scheme is quite simple, has been worked out for years and works flawlessly.

There are several groups: some live permanently in Italy, others in Ukraine. The first ones steal motorcycles , dismantle them down to the last screw and put them in trucks going to Ukraine. Cars cross the border without inspection by prior arrangement. These trucks with motorcycles are met by members of the group in Ukraine. The motorcycles are reassembled and put up for sale.

Something is sold in Ukraine, and something is sent to Russia. Of course, the border between these states is not as impregnable as in the case of Europe. Thus, assembled motorcycles enter the territory of the Russian Federation and are sold there under the guise of “not cleared through customs.”

How to clear customs a motorcycle from Europe (Poland, Belarus, Lithuania, Germany)

If your choice of motorcycle is the German BMW R1200RT, it makes sense to pay attention to used models from Europe, since the price from an official dealer may be too high. The state duty for importing equipment from Europe can range from 40%. The customs value will be calculated according to the Eurotax catalog “SCHWACKE” (popularly “Schwacke”). Please note that the Shvaka price may be higher than what you paid for the bike. Therefore, in Europe it makes sense to order, for example, what you will not find in Japan. So it’s better to look for a 125 cc Yamaha or 600 cc road Honda in the Land of the Rising Sun.

To buy or not: advantages and disadvantages

You can buy a new or used motorcycle of any model and any manufacturer from us in almost any city. But there are also those who are trying to save money on their favorite bike.

Only diplomatic embassies can use vehicles that have not been cleared through customs. We, ordinary citizens, must pay customs duties.

Customs clearance of a motorcycle involves paying tax and registering the vehicle with the traffic police. When you decide to buy a bike, you may face a lot of serious problems, because it will be difficult to prove the legality of your purchase.

If you nevertheless purchased such motorcycle equipment on the market or from a private person, you will have to spend a lot of time to register it as your property. And it will cost you quite a large amount of money. We advise you not to take risks, and if your dream is to buy a motorcycle, buy the equipment legally and at your own expense. Good luck on the roads. Details of the customs clearance procedure can be found on many websites.

How to clear customs a motorcycle from the USA

If a Harley-Davidson cruiser is your weakness, you should buy it in its homeland - in the USA. But not just Harley... The advantage of the American motorcycle industry is a large selection of unique models, including motocross and choppers, which cannot be found in Europe or Asia. And American manufacturers have developed a reverent attitude towards build quality.

How much the same Harley will cost when it arrives at your home depends not only on its age and engine size. To a duty of 18-45% of the price from the NADA directory, it is worth adding VAT, excise tax (for power over 150 hp), as well as the services of brokers who help with registration and the auction commission if the equipment was purchased at auction.

Is it possible to clear a motorcycle through customs and still save money? Yes, and the most popular methods are:

• Import equipment for spare parts. This option is suitable for those who are well versed in motorcycle technology. And it is worth considering that in this case you will need to register the motorcycle with local authorities, which will not be possible to obtain with such an import.
• Buy a bike at ]Sinergosmoto[/anchor], where customs clearance is already included in the price of the model. At the same time, you will save not only money, but also time and nerves.
• Another option is not to clear the bike through customs, but to register it in the name of an individual living abroad and ride it under a power of attorney. However, in this case, the possibility of further sale of the equipment is excluded.

Whatever option you choose, study all the nuances in detail, and let the reality meet your expectations.

It's a question of time

Even the most vigilant people can easily be tempted by such a tempting offer: Ducati HyperMotard 2001 - 180 thousand rubles, MV Agusta Brutale 920 2012 - 200 thousand rubles, BMW S1000RR 2012 - 300 thousand rubles. And this is at a time when the real prices of these motorcycles are two to three times higher. The joy of the purchase can quickly evaporate if a traffic police officer, when checking documents, discovers that the motorcycle is on the international wanted list. And here no fake certificates, big connections and significant bribes will be able to help - the motorcycle will be taken away without exception . There is another side to the coin - an inexplicable pattern of events that occurs with “uncleared” motorcycles. As a rule, this technique has three scenarios for the development of events:

1. such motorcycles are stolen again, but from new owners;
2. equipment is permanently confiscated by the state;
3. Sadly, such motorcycles get into accidents, after which they cannot be restored.

And the question is no longer whether one of the three “coincidences” will happen. The question is: “When will this happen?”

Is a motorcycle not cleared through customs equal to stolen? Is the market for such equipment large and how does it get into the Russian Federation?

“I’m selling a KTM 1190 2014, 430 thousand rubles, Belgorod, without title.” And another ad features a 2013 BMW R 1200 GS from Krasnoyarsk for only 400 thousand. True, instead of a PTS he has... a registration certificate for sports motorcycles. Issued for a regular road bike! Am I the only one who thinks this is how they sell stolen goods?

In the dashing 90s, fresh, expensive foreign cars, stolen in Europe, came to Russia in a stream. Or “culturally borrowed”, and with the knowledge of the owners. Let me remind you of the diagram. Fraudsters found a compliant owner, for example, in Holland, and took the car from him for a quarter of the market price - without registration, just with keys and documents. But on the condition that he will report the theft in a week. During this time, the car calmly crossed borders and ended up in Russia. Meanwhile, the rather grief-stricken ex-owner received insurance compensation and bought a new car that was even cooler and more expensive. In the end, everyone was happy, except the insurers. And buyers in Russia, who, thanks to Interpol, after some time turned from “bona fide purchasers” into owners of stolen cars.

So, motorcycles are now imported into our country in exactly the same way! They are transported, for example, from Italy through Ukraine - and in disassembled form, since it is easier to transport a “construction set” across the border. And here they assemble and sell the motorcycle as “uncleared.” Or with a bashful note in the ad: “Without PTS.”

How to drive without license plates? After all, such a motorcycle cannot be registered for obvious reasons. Particularly cunning comrades are constantly drawing up new sales contracts for themselves (by law, it takes ten days to register, and during this time you can legally be on the roads without license plates). But if such a craftsman is accepted a second time, then they can easily “draw” Article 327 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (forgery, production or sale of counterfeit documents, state awards, stamps, seals, forms). By the way, up to two years in prison. The alternative is the so-called double, when somewhere in the fields and villages of our vast homeland a completely legitimate apparatus is rolling out. And, let’s say, his twin rides in Moscow, the same motorcycle with the same license plate. However, the ubiquitous photo and video cameras will someday reveal this brother too.

And there is also such a story as a sports registration certificate. These are now issued by the MFR (Motorcycle Federation of Russia) and NRMF (National Russian Motorcycle Federation) upon a simple application. Moreover, to confirm the legality of the purchase, it is sufficient to provide a copy of the purchase and sale agreement “or other document confirming the legality of ownership.” And such “documents,” as you understand, can be drawn anywhere and any way. This is how KTM Adventure or BMW “geese” with sports registration certificates appear on the market. Remember the bearded joke about Chapaev - when he sat down to play bridge with gentlemen who took their word for it? “That’s when Petka gave me the card!”

But racing motorcycles are allowed to be used exclusively on closed tracks for competitions and training. In addition, the sports technical passport in no way insures the owner against checking the VIN number of the motorcycle - and then it turns out that the equipment is wanted by Interpol. At best, the device will be confiscated, and at worst, a criminal case will be opened.

It is curious that it is precisely these motorcycles that are extremely susceptible to the risk of secondary theft, but in Russia. Plus problematic resale: those who want to buy obviously illegitimate equipment are not so long in line. By the way, any accident with a dockless vehicle automatically exposes its owner to clean water. However, another dangerous temptation appears here - to criminally leave the scene of the accident. If, of course, the limbs are intact, including the head. And if the motor battalion inspectors don’t catch up with you - who are quite common in Moscow during the season. Another interesting nuance: I always believed that the internal order prohibiting chasing motorcyclists was a figment of the latter’s imagination. But no, it really exists, but with an important caveat: it is forbidden to chase two-wheelers in cars, but you are welcome on motorcycles.

But, despite all this, the volume of the market for “black” motorcycles is not so small! Studying the advertisements, you realize that about 10% of all two-wheeled vehicles sold are of extremely dubious origin. Guard, they're robbing! And they sell.

However, not only motorcycles. I have seen with my own eyes more than once Toyota and Honda cars registered with the traffic police in the Far East, whose PTS indicated completely different models from different years of manufacture. But what can I say if I myself got caught when I bought my two-door Toyota Soarer. And after all, I ran it through all the databases in the Novosibirsk traffic police, passed the examination at the inspection site - and everything was clean. True, in STS and PTS my beauty passed through like a fabulous push-pull: Toyota-Lexus Soarer. And when trying to register in Moscow, she... went to the impound lot! Unexpectedly, it turned out that during the three days of travel to Moscow, a welded frame of the VIN number “settled” on the body of the car, which did not bother anyone in Novosibirsk, including forensic experts.

The sports vehicle registration certificate, which is very similar to the real STS, has nothing in common with an official document

By the way, when I traveled on a motorcycle to Magadan in 2013, many of the right-hand drive Japanese cars I met in Yakutia had no license plates. However, I came across traffic police officers much less frequently—at least at a distance of 1,600 kilometers from Nizhny Bestyakh to the village of Yagodnoye, I didn’t meet a single one. But almost all drivers of “no-number” cars had a drunken look - and a mandatory gun in the cabin.

How many such “cloudy” cars are there in Russia? For example, a popular car portal in the east of the country returned more than 110 thousand (thousands!) of offers in the search engine with a note in the “documents” column: “no or problematic” - and this is only for the Toyota brand!

And the motorcycle market compared to the automobile market is a tear-jerker: our authorities simply have no time for it. This was confirmed to me in a private conversation by an officer of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, who was well aware of all the existing schemes for the sale of such “crooked” equipment. It would seem that to close the sewage motor stream it is enough to carry out several “test purchases”. But no one works on dubious advertisements: they say that the police do not have enough strength to deal with “black” car sellers. And in general, they say, the main blame lies with customs officers: in theory, such motorcycles simply should not exist in Russia.

And most importantly - and the saddest thing - according to my counterpart, the sovereign’s people themselves do not disdain buying “counterfeit goods”. After all, even if they are stopped on a motorcycle without license plates, then... They will simply let them go. And as long as those in power themselves are “above the law,” the situation will not change.

So, what is customs clearance?

Customs clearance or “customs clearance” is a set of necessary actions performed when any goods or transport crosses the border. The procedure consists of customs services, customs clearance, and payment of customs duties.

Why is customs clearance necessary? When moving goods across the border, customs clearance is a necessity. This is a kind of payment for the legal presence of cargo in the Russian Federation. In fact, this procedure was created to protect domestic producers from imported goods. However, in reality, customs activities bring the state up to 50% of income to the federal budget.

How do motorcycles enter the territory of the Russian Federation without customs clearance?

The scheme is quite simple, has been worked out for years and works flawlessly. There are several groups: some live permanently in Italy, others in Ukraine. The first ones steal motorcycles, dismantle them down to the last screw and put them in trucks heading to Ukraine. Cars cross the border without inspection by prior arrangement. These trucks with motorcycles are met by members of the group in Ukraine. The motorcycles are reassembled and put up for sale.

Something is sold in Ukraine, and something is sent to Russia. Of course, the border between these states is not as impregnable as in the case of Europe. Thus, assembled motorcycles enter the territory of the Russian Federation and are sold there under the guise of “not cleared through customs.”