REGISTERED IMPORTER
We were informed that these bikes were not able to be registered in the US unless they were imported by a US Authorised Registered Importer as they had to be converted to DOT NHTSA law.
I contacted Washington DC The Department of Transportation (DOT) NHTSA on behalf of Superbike Racing Inc. to become a Registered Importer and I filed all the documentation which was approved by DOT the US government NHTSA. Superbike Racing Inc became an approved Registered Importer (), we could now legally import these motorcycles and carry out any necessary conversion work in order to resubmit the documentation to DOT NHTSA so that the motorcycles could be legally registered.
In total three Ducati and two MV Agusta were imported into the US. All these vehicles went into US customs department and they were cleared by our customs broker in Atlanta that was registered with the US government. The taxes were paid, and the vehicles were released. When the vehicles arrived in Valdosta, Georgia we converted the bikes to US DOT requirements. The documentation photographs and fees were submitted to DOT in Washington DC.
All funds that were paid to Superbike Racing Inc went into the Corporation bank account. I did not receive any remuneration from the sale proceeds.
Fee charged per unit $5.000
COSTS FOR IMPORTING AND NHTSA
Each bike was air freighted from Italy at a cost of $1,000
Customs clearance $ 350
Federal taxes $ 285
Transport from Atlanta to Valdosta $ 150
NHTSA Conversion and documentation $ 50
Bike prep $ 150
Cost $,2435
Total profit $2565.00
As a Registered Importer we were also allowed to carry out conversion work on bikes that US service personnel had purchased motorcycles in Europe and wanted to ship them to the US. The majority of these vehicles were Harley Davidson's which were American bikes manufactured in America and shipped abroad and then shipped back to the US.
Before the Harley Davidson bikes left the US they were US spec motorcycles. When they were shipped back to the US they were US spec motorcycles. Every motorcycle that was imported into the US by Superbike Racing Inc. went through US customs and all the documentation was cleared by our US customs brokerage in Atlanta. All the taxes were paid documents and photographs of the conversion work was submitted to the DOT in Washington DC for approval.
Superbike racing inc was the only appointed motorcycle REGISTERED IMPORTER by NHTSA in the US.
Six months after going on the official register by NHTSA we had another 55 bikes in crates arrive at our location waiting for conversion work, these bikes were owned by U.S military service personnel stationed from all parts of the world.
During a period of two and a half years, not one vehicle was approved by DOT. Excuses were made that the photographs of the conversion work were not taken at the right angle, but numerous photographs were taken of the conversion work every angle. We submitted 50 photographs per motorcycle and we took photographs of all of the individual components that are used for the conversion and the components that were actually fitted to the vehicles. Everyone was rejected and so I made three visits from Georgia to Washington DC to sit down with the head people in DOT to ask them why they had not approved the conversion work for the motorcycles. They weren't interested. They gave me all the excuses they could think of and I pleaded with them and begged for them to help me so we could get these vehicles approved, but they weren't interested. There was no reason for DOT not to approve the motorcycles. Everything had been carried out to the letter of the law.
Every business decision regarding the running of the Mercedes Centre and Superbike Racing Inc required a directors meeting this was held on a weekly and bi-weekly basis. No decisions were made without the approval of the four directors:
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Carol Chambers Financial Director
Tom Chambers Legal Director
Andrew Wright Operations Director
Andrea Wright Director
I made three visits to NHTSA in Washington DC begging and pleading for help and assistance only to be to be shunned.
To convert a motorcycle to comply with the Federal law, a parts list and the part numbers were printed on a NHTSA form with the VIN number, make, year and model. The value of the parts was also required. Photos of the parts were also taken. When the parts were fitted to the motorcycle, photos also had to be taken. A fee was included and the package was sent to NHTSA for approval. NHTSA filed the applications and failed to acknowledge or respond and this went on for two years. I made three visits to NHTSA in Washington DC begging and pleading for help and assistance only to be to be shunned. To become an RI you had to take an exam and when passed, a letter from NHTSA was sent with a RI Number and the RI was put on the federal list of approved RI. has complied with all of the Federal requirements. I realized this was a waste of time and these motorcycles would never be approved my Registered Importer license was due for renewal in September 2004 and I sent a letter to notify them that I was not going to renew and terminating the license.
We contacted all of our customers and informed them we had terminated our license and that they should find other means of having their bikes converted to US certification and to contact another RI.