Sprint across the border and don't look back

[Barrie2777]

It has been over two months since I last tried to get my Sprints from the US and anyone who follows this site knows there were a few issues at the border that time. The US guys wanted me to jump through a few hoops and provide enough paperwork to consume several trees. So I did. After Bruce was good enough to register the machines in Wisconcin, I made a special trip to the border , 2-1/2 hours from my home one way, to give them copies of the original ownerships so that they could do the 72 hour search to determine if they were stolen machines. Nothing could be mailed. Last monday I returned to the border to find out if they passed the "stolen" search but they wouldn't tell me because they would only divulge the information when I show up with the machines. This does make a lot of sence because then they could enpound the machines , slap me in leg irons and haul me off to Guantanimo Bay for further questioning should the machine prove to be stolen. I met with Mike Ledger in Milford, NH, drove two of his HUS-SKIs and examined his collection before heading back to Canada. This was a 7 hour ride , one way all because the US guys tell me Canada customs needs their "stamp" on my documents!!!!! Don't get me wrong, but I had every intention of stopping at the US customs on my return trip so that they could examine the machines and confirm their authenticity but when at the border I found nowhere to park on the "leaving the US side" of the customs building. I could have made my way to the "entering the US" side but that meant driving against the flow of traffic coming into the US. I figured getting nabbed for a driving infraction may not bode well for my vacation planned in August. Another option was to pass on the "leaving US" side , do a "U" turn and get into the line up entering the US. Now how would I explain the snowmobiles in my trailer. One other factor in my decision was the statement by the border agent when I entered the US on monday. He said that an agent MAY DECIDE to inspect the machines when I bring them for export. YIKES!!!!! I decided to take my chances with the Canadian border...all in the name of research!!!! because from what I have heard from many sources the Canadian customs really are not that tough. In I went. They asked for the original ownership papers and a bill of sale, then filled out a registration form for each machine, gave me a bill for $28 for the tax and said good-bye. The four machine are now registered in Quebec in my name and can be plated as soon as I show the customs document at any motor vehicule licencing bureau. They did look at the machines in the trailer. The bottom line on this whole experience is this...if you are hauling your own machine for yourself from the US to Canada you are very unlikely to have a problem if you have a bill of sale. Having an original registration is a help but I feel it not necessary. My problems were multiplied because I was getting four machines and hauling a trailer which supposedly had snowmobile parts in it but they were not parts that could identified as snowmobile parts by the border agents on the first visit.

1972 BOLENS SPRINT 440, CARl KEIKHAEFER

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