They usually test a ski extensively before releasing it, granted it's not usually here in the US. Find it hard to believe they'll dump a ton of $$ into something like this. Hell, for all we know, it might not even be a US model.
It's like Honda and there CBR a few years back, it was called a CBR fireblade except in the states. Only difference was obviously jetting, emissions, graphics and colors, usually cams were different due to emissions. Yet a fireblade here in the states brought wayyyyy more $$ then a standard CBR. Had a buddy when I lived in Phoenix goin to school who scored a fireblade from Canada, def had more power and way less "hoses" under the tank then a US model, and way less then a CA model.
CA changed their law so people would stop crossing the border to buy something, then bringing it to CA. Idk about know, but when I lived in AZ in 02-03 you didn't have to register your vehicle in that state if you were a full time student. But being a CA resident, CA wouldn't let me register anything unless it had atleast 7,000 miles and passed an inspection. Inspection was a joke, but they also smog bikes in AZ and they don't in ca.