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Hello Im planning on doing a trip from UK through western as well as central Europe. I will be buying a bike in UK and Selling it there. What documentation registration insurance will I need and what are the approximate costs.
Thanks Steve

When you buy a vehicle in the UK you have to register it in your name. For this you need a UK address, which cannot be a PO Box number. There is no charge for this.
Your vehicle must have an MOT (certificate of roadworthiness if over 3 years old. A vehicle may well have a current MOT when you buy it. An MOT lasts 12 months from the date of issue and applies to the vehicle regardless of change of owner. An MOT costs around £20 for a bike and is available from or via most dealers or garages.
You must purchase insurance. I can't help you with the cost as it depends on your age, driving history, engine capacity, your age, vehicle age and risk applying to the type of machine. You may also have additional complications if you do not have a UK licence.
Your machine must have road tax. Road tax lasts for 1 year from month of issue. Again it is applicable to the machine and can be transferred with it. A machine may well be sold with road tax. If you have to renew it or buy it straight away you need to have insurance (and MOT if over 3 years old). It is currently £60 per year for bikes of over 250cc.
As soon as you acquire a machine in the UK you must register it in your name and either make sure it is legal (insurance, MOT and road tax) or declare it off road.
Hope this helps.

Thanks for the advice, great help, also do you know if there are any problems crossing borders with bike within europe, Western/Central, Are there any other regulations?

You should have no trouble crossing borders with a UK registered bike within the EEC. You will probably find your insurance covers you automatically as well for EEC countries. So long as you are road legal in the UK you should be legal in EEC countries. Although there are rules about masking off the dipped beam and some countries expect you to carry spare bulbs, first aid kit, hi-vis jacket. Best carry them all to be on the safe side.
Paul

I've just bought a bike in the UK, it doesn't have MOT/tax/insurance. I am living in Spain at the moment (not resident) and was wondering would it be cheap/easy to register it in Spain? I don't know if this is allowed for foreigners. Also what are the requirements for registering a bike there that was previously registered in a different country? Any ideas?
Sean

You'll have to export the bike from UK (using the V5, if it's got one, if it doesn't you have to ring DVLA and pay £ 19.00 to get it IF the bike is already in your name, otherwise the last keeper will have to do it), then Import it to Spain under the EU reg's. However as far as I know you have to have the right to live in the contry (not sure about student visa, definitely not possible on a tourist visa)

HTH
Fernando

I don't know about Spain, but I do know Brits in France with UK registered bikes and cars. Officially you are supposed to re-register them once they have been in the country more than 6 months, but it is possible to insure a UK registered vehicle via French insurance companies and they apparently don't care where the bike is registered.
Bikes in France dont need an MOT and there is no road tax, so if you are stopped by plod all he really cares about is insurance. If you are unlucky you may get fined for not completing the import process, but I don't think it's a huge amount.
People I know with cars have the Control Technique done in France, declare them as exported them from the UK and their story is they are in the process of importing it but havent got very far.

Hello, Im a Canadian and am thinking of buying a bike in london for 2 trips throughout Europe over 2 summers and storing in UK for 10 months and selling. The Bike was registered in USA, anyone know of the paperwork involved? Is it possible to register in Canada? Also if required I am able to get UK citizinship as father was born there.
Thanks Steve

Sorry mate, no intention to be rude whatsoever, but have you actually read the replies on your own thread?

If so you already know what you need to register a m'bike in the UK - regarding registering in Canada I think an e-mail or a phone call to your local vehicle governament dept. would answer your quires.

Good luck

True I do know what is required to register a bike in the UK, however I do not know how to register a bike previously owned by an American or if It is possible to register a bike in Canada if it is not here, And by the way our vehicle registres here are privatized and its like speaking to the deaf and dumb. What I was hoping for was some advise on the process seeing that it is a complicated situation?
Thanks Steve

The nationaltity of the previous owner is not an issue!

The issues are;
Has customs duty been paid on the bike - ask the previous owner!
Does the bike need to meet any special requirements - headlight dips to teh left not the right etc. Some of these may be age related .. age of the bike.

As for reg it in Canada ... well your best places to persue that information. Keep asking .. best in writing ... registerd mail may get more attention.

I should have phrased that better, not just owned by an american but currently registered in the U.S.

The bike would have to be officially imported. Since you are a foreigner in the UK yourself I think you are setting yourself up for trouble. I suggest you buy a bike registered in the UK.

I read through the thread, and I don't THINK I found an answer to a question I currenty have: As a American on a tourist visa in Spain, how do I go about buying, registering, and insuring a bike for a two month trip? I'm currently in Madrid, and no one (not the natioanal police or any local motorcycle friends/dealers) seems to know.

Thanks,
EdsGoneSouth

P.S. I would be buying a bike currently registered in Spain.