There are a few ways to get a motorcycle sold in Europe to the United States and title it here as long as it conforms with EPA and DOT standards. DOT is more difficult to comply with because of turn signals from what I understand. Obviously, there are expenses involved. There are quite a few expats from Europe here in Florida with their cars and motorcycles. Actually, there was a Honda Xadventure sold by a German expat, her in Lee County, to a guy on ADVrider. I think it made its way to Hawaii now and has been registered here, Texas and HawaiiWell, if we want to stray just a bit from the intent of the original post of @mzflorida (who wanted to get info on the C 400 GT), in my opinion, for North American riders the AK550 is looking like the maxi-scooter to get.
Here's a nice summary of the maxis available in the UK (and, as I say, never mind the rankings -- it's just a good compendium):
Top 10 Maxi Scooters 2022
You can join me in this new article as we take off and count down the Top 10 Maxi Scooters flying high for 2022!www.lexhaminsurance.co.uk
But to get back to reality for those of us in North America, here's a post I wrote just yestereday, on the BurgmanUSA forum. This was my long response to someone who said that the AK550 looked good, but also that his current 650 Burgman was serving him well. If anyone has a few minutes to spare, I mention the Big Burger (no longer manufactured), the C 400, and the AK:
On the one hand, I agree with you, re both "that direction" and "a single thing."
OTOH, I had actually -- sort of, kind of -- started shopping around, for that very 550.
Not that there's anything wrong with the Big Burger -- and SO much right with it -- but It was in the back of my mind that I was riding a 14-year-old scooter, and that if the belt or tranny went south, I'm much too old and much too lacking in equipment (no lift, for example), strength, patience, and talent to fix it.
I had done my usual annual letter and phone call to Yamaha, asking them to bring the TMax to North America. As usual, no hint of any change in that situation.
And then I had done some emailing to Kymco, asking where there was a 550 in stock, so I could at least SIT on the freakin scoot before I ordered one. (There's a Suzuki dealer maybe four miles from me, where I'd get my oil filters and suchlike, who also happens to sell Kymco. But they only have the little ones; the owner offered to order a 550 for me, but I put that off.)
In any case, Kymco never got back to me, after several attempts. And I couldn't locate a showroom model within a thousand miles or so, if at all. Much as @rjs987 has detailed his rides and maintenance and satisfaction with the 550, I refuse to order a bike that I haven't at least sat on, at a dealer's, Americade, the NYC Cycle Show, etc., no matter how much I read about one. (My first sit-down on a Big Burger was at the NYC show in late 2006 or early 2007, as was my first sit-down on a Victory Cross Country Tour, in late 2011; I bought both a few months after each test-sit.)
And then the wife and I did a couple of weeks last May on the 400 Beemer, and she said that she liked the ergos -- top box backrest, feet position, seat, etc. -- so much that she thought I should get one. And that was all the encouragement I needed.
I must say that the Big Burger has more storage, more oomph, and more stretch-out room than the Beemer.
On the third hand, the C 400 GT handles better than any bike I've owned (including, I believe, the most lean angle), is surprisingly (to me, anyway) peppy and smooth for a small thumper, and has modern amenities such as a TFT display, turn-by-turn even without the optional nav, and throttle-by-wire.
And what is perhaps most pleasing to me -- right up there with the handling -- is how much I appreciate the loss of 140 lbs. or so, compared to the Burger (and the Kymco has some of that weight-reduction going for it, too, of course). Maybe it's a geezer thing -- I'll be 75 next month -- but I was surprised at how heavy the BB felt, moving it around the garage, for the month or so that I had both bikes.
And it may cost money, but it's also comforting having an established dealer network around (vs. the Kymco). Part of that is the I'm-getting-too-old for maintenance aspect (even though I still enjoy doing electrical farkles). Also comforting is having a three-year warranty; I've already ponied up, BTW, for a factory extension on that.
So if the BB doesn't happen to outlast you, and BMW is still making the 400, keep it in mind, is my suggestion.
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