Import · Japan → USA

Importing a Honda CBR1000RR to the USA: cost breakdown

A litre-class Fireblade lands cheaply once you know the duty is zero.

Priya Nair
By Priya Nair, Motorcycle import researcher · 6 min read
Honda CBR1000RR — Japan → USA cost guide
Honda CBR1000RR. Photo: Rama. · CC BY-SA 2.0 fr via Wikimedia Commons
Quick answer

A Honda CBR1000RR costs about $17,820 all-in to import on the Japan → USA route in 2026 — a $14,000 purchase plus roughly $3,820 in shipping, 0% duty, compliance and registration.

Route
Japan → USA
Est. all-in cost
~$17,820
Duty & tax
0% duty
On a purchase of
$14,000

The 1000cc engine means 0% duty; freight and crating dominate.

Japan-spec bikes can differ from US models — confirm EPA/DOT conformity first.

How much does it cost to import a Honda CBR1000RR?

Every line below is a researched 2026 estimate in USD. We start from the $14,000 purchase price, add marine insurance at about 1.5% and ocean freight, then 0% US duty on the declared value, and the broker, compliance and registration fees. Change the purchase price and everything else scales only modestly.

Estimated landed cost — Honda CBR1000RR, Japan → USA, 2026
Vehicle (purchase price)$14,000
Export agent & de-registration$500
Professional crating$400
Ocean freight (crated, LCL)$1,400
Marine insurance (~1.5%)$210
Over-800cc bikes enter the US duty-free$0
Customs broker & port handling$410
EPA / DOT entry & compliance paperwork$150
Inland transport & registration$750
Estimated all-in landed cost$17,820

Into USA the duty is light — there is none at all on this one, so tax is the small part of the bill. It is shipping (about $1,400), compliance and registration that make up most of the roughly $3,820 you add on top of the $14,000 purchase price — around 27% before you turn a wheel.

How to import a Honda CBR1000RR, step by step

  1. Agree the purchase and secure the title/export paperwork in Japan (an export agent or auction house usually handles de-registration).
  2. Have the bike professionally crated and booked onto an LCL ocean sailing (or share a container to cut the per-unit cost).
  3. Confirm eligibility from the build month — the US 25-year DOT exemption is calculated month by month, not by model year.
  4. Clear US customs and pay the 0% duty (over-800cc motorcycles are duty-free), then file EPA Form 3520-1 and DOT Form HS-7 at entry.
  5. Arrange inland transport, then title and register in your state — a few states add emissions or kei-vehicle checks.

Is a Honda CBR1000RR legal to import? Rules & compliance

EPA 3520-1 and DOT HS-7 required; a US-certified equivalent is the smoothest path.

Frequently asked questions

Duty?+

0% over 800cc.

Conformity?+

Easiest if a US-certified equivalent exists.

What is the total estimated cost to import a Honda CBR1000RR?+

About $17,820 all-in for a $14,000 example — the purchase price plus roughly $3,820 in freight, insurance, duty, compliance and registration. Your figure shifts with the exact price, route and exchange rate.

Read next