CBSA offers a free document — Form BSF407 (the form long-time riders may still know as "Y38") — that records your motorcycle's VIN and proves it was already yours in Canada before you left. Bring the bike (or at least its VIN and ownership papers) to a CBSA office before you go; an officer records the details and signs off. There's no expiry date.

Without it, a border officer on your way back has no easy way to tell your five-year-old bike from something you just bought abroad — worst case, you get asked to pay duty and tax on your own motorcycle. With the form, that conversation doesn't happen.

• No export declaration needed for a personal, temporary trip — you're not permanently exporting anything.
• Licence: a valid Canadian motorcycle licence is accepted in the US; you do not need an International Driving Permit to ride there.
• Insurance: most Canadian auto/motorcycle policies extend coverage to the US automatically, but confirm this with your insurer before you go and ask for a certificate of insurance you can show if asked. Coverage limits and what counts as proof can differ state to state.
• Bring your BSF407 (see above), your bike's registration/ownership, and your insurance proof. That's the whole kit for a US trip.

Mexico requires a Temporary Import Permit (TIP) for any foreign-plated vehicle, arranged through Banjercito (Mexico's official vehicle-permit bank). Key points from Mexico's own guidance:

• The permit is tied to how long you're authorized to stay in Mexico, and requires a refundable deposit.
• You cannot sell the motorcycle in Mexico while on a TIP — it must leave the country with you.
• You must formally close out the permit at a Banjercito exit module when you leave, or the deposit is forfeited and you can be fined or have the bike impounded if you overstay the permit.
• Canadian and US insurance is generally not recognized in Mexico — plan on buying separate Mexican liability insurance before you cross, widely available online or at the border.

Apply for the TIP online through Banjercito's official portal before you travel, or at the border crossing itself — check current requirements directly with the Mexican Embassy or Banjercito, since permit rules and fees are updated periodically.

• Export declaration required for exports to anywhere other than the US — filed electronically through CBSA's Canadian Export Reporting System (CERS) or G7 EDI. The bike's VIN must be quoted on the declaration. There's no dollar-value exemption for vehicles — this applies regardless of what the bike is worth.
• Exporting to the US is lighter-touch: no formal export declaration, but you must be able to show the VIN documentation to CBSA if asked.
• If the bike is financed, get your lender's written release before you export or sell it — a lien follows the vehicle, and moving a financed bike out of the country without clearing that first can be a breach of your loan agreement.
• The destination country's import rules are separate and vary enormously — emissions standards, age restrictions, duties, and paperwork are all set by that country, not Canada. Confirm directly with the destination country's customs or transport authority before you ship or hand over a bike, ideally before you finalize a sale.