Post by hippo008 on Feb 9, 2022 11:53:52 GMT -5
It finally arrived.
For those just jumping into this saga some background. In 2021 I purchased a Honda Dio Baja XR from Japan at a dealer auction. I went through the process of having the scoot imported from Japan to the USA. Importing a foreign vehicle is not easy, even within "friendly" countries like the USA and Japan. In my case I imported my scoot under the "25 year exemption, informal import" rules. Basically if the price paid of the vehicle is less than $2499 USD and the vehicle is older than 25 years old you essentially skip all the DOT, EPA, CBP and IRS red tape. Once the cargo lands in the US you need to file specific paperwork in a specific order to get your cargo released. After it has been inspected by Customs and Border Patrol for any illegal objects/substances, somebody with a WIX identification and clearance needs to come to the port and take custody of the cargo. After all of that is done you now have a road-illegal but legally imported scoot.
To make the scooter road legal is completely dependent on the state in which you reside. Here in Massachusetts any vehicle capable of traveling over 30MPH with 3 or less wheels is considered a motorycle and must be titled, registered and carry insurance. To register an imported motorcycle in MA you need a complete chain of custody from the original owner to myself. I will also need the original Japanese bill of sale, the original title and the original seal of the Japanese Government registering the vehicle to a specific owner. Here comes the first (and second) major problem. Vehicles under a certain displacement and age were never issued titles by the Japanese government. Japanese vehicles of a certain age also do not use the ISO standard 17-digit VIN number. All the Dio's I have seen come with whats referred to by the Japanese Government as a 12 character "Chassis Number". Massachusetts HATES these chassis numbers and simply cannot wrap their heads around the concept of a vehicle not having a title. Ive tried six ways to Sunday to get a foreign scooter with a chassis number issued a title. With the current system your best bet (and my current plan) is to register the vehicle in the great Maple Syrup state Vermont and then transfer that registration to Massachusetts. Ive done this a few times now with great success.
If there is interest I will write a detailed post about importing scooters from Japan and what to expect.
Now onto the exciting parts
To understand the Dio Baja you first need to understand the Dio model lineup. The Dio, like many Honda products, are made in generations. They are still made and widely available overseas. The models most tuners are excited about are the AF18, AF27, AF28, AF34 and AF35 models. The AF18 models are usually the most popular with a wide variety of aftermarket parts available. The AF27/AF28 models use the same engine as the AF18 but have a different frame, body style and came with different options like a disk brake in front. You can checkout some of my other build threads to see an AF28 and AF27 being built up. AF34 and AF35 models use a different more modern horizontal 2 stroke engine design. Here is where the Dio Baja comes in. All other dios were meant as practical, cheap road going scooters. For some reason in 1993~ Honda decided to produce a AF28 Dio with an offroad slant that took cues from its lineup of dirtbikes at the time. It came with more aggressive styling, a completely redesigned headset with bare handlebars, a front disk brake and knobby tires straight from the factory. By all measures this scooter was a flop with the public and was sold for one year and only in Japan. The next two years they offered AF28 Dio's with the Baja headset but without the rare white body panels, offroad tires and white styling pieces.
In terms of rarity the Dio Baja is possibly the rarest model of Dio next to the G* / G Dash. The G Dash was a Dio also only sold for one year that was completely different than all other Dios. It used a unique frame, body, gauges, suspension, etc. It was designed for race use and supposedly had a ported motor directly from the factory. Im tempted to say the G Dash is the rarer model but its hard to know. I contacted Honda Japan directly about both of these models to see if they had any additional information but they had nothing. For perspective the dealership auction I purchased this Baja from sells about 3000~ Dio's of all kinds a year. They will sell maybe 10~ Baja's and even fewer G Dash models that same year.
To say im excited would be an understatement.
The scoot arrived in port just a few days ago. The shipper sent me a few photos. I am arranging shipping from Philadelphia to my residence in Massachusetts. Heres some shots for you. I will update this thread as the shipping progress unfolds.
Peep the RD500 in the right hand corner. Very nice.
In terms of rarity the Dio Baja is possibly the rarest model of Dio next to the G* / G Dash. The G Dash was a Dio also only sold for one year that was completely different than all other Dios. It used a unique frame, body, gauges, suspension, etc. It was designed for race use and supposedly had a ported motor directly from the factory. Im tempted to say the G Dash is the rarer model but its hard to know. I contacted Honda Japan directly about both of these models to see if they had any additional information but they had nothing. For perspective the dealership auction I purchased this Baja from sells about 3000~ Dio's of all kinds a year. They will sell maybe 10~ Baja's and even fewer G Dash models that same year.
To say im excited would be an understatement.
The scoot arrived in port just a few days ago. The shipper sent me a few photos. I am arranging shipping from Philadelphia to my residence in Massachusetts. Heres some shots for you. I will update this thread as the shipping progress unfolds.
Peep the RD500 in the right hand corner. Very nice.
