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bobbyraydomingo 31 Mar 2005 22:49

buying a bike in europe?
 
is it possible to buy, license and insure a bike in germany, or anywhere else in europe without eu citizenship. I am a canadian tourist who wants very badly to get on a bmw, somewhat legally. any info or references would be greatly appreciated.
thanks,
bobby

beddhist 1 Apr 2005 00:04

Welcome. This subject has been discussed extensively. Please search the forums here.

My understanding is that the UK is the easiest place to do this. As a bonus for you, they speak English. (I'm assuming you're not Quebecois.)

------------------
Salut from Southern France, the bikers' paradise,

Peter.

bobbyraydomingo 2 Apr 2005 00:01

thanks so much peter for the info...
bobby

RichardD 7 Apr 2005 11:47

How did you go with trying to sort out a buying etc in Germany? I am an Australian thinking of doing the same sort of thing. Also wonering if I can bring the bike back to Oz at the end of the trip (without getting massively taxed). Damn shame I don't have an EU passport!


Quote:

Originally posted by bobbyraydomingo:
is it possible to buy, license and insure a bike in germany, or anywhere else in europe without eu citizenship. I am a canadian tourist who wants very badly to get on a bmw, somewhat legally. any info or references would be greatly appreciated.
thanks,
bobby


Steve Pickford 7 Apr 2005 13:59

An American friend bought a K100 with my help last summer. Registering the bike in his name was easy as he had the use of a UK residential address. Insurance should not be too hard in the UK with UK registered bike.

Beware of taking a bike back home to OZ - for you to do, that exact model must have been previously/currently imported legally in to Australia - check out beforehand. Can't help on the import tax question though?

If you need a UK residential address for insurance purposes, let me know.

It maybe beneficial if you could pass yourself off as a Kiwi to avoid the various taxes levied on Australians over here?


Quote:

Originally posted by RichardD:
How did you go with trying to sort out a buying etc in Germany? I am an Australian thinking of doing the same sort of thing. Also wonering if I can bring the bike back to Oz at the end of the trip (without getting massively taxed). Damn shame I don't have an EU passport!


<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="">quote:</font><HR><font face="" size="2">Originally posted by bobbyraydomingo:
is it possible to buy, license and insure a bike in germany, or anywhere else in europe without eu citizenship. I am a canadian tourist who wants very badly to get on a bmw, somewhat legally. any info or references would be greatly appreciated.
thanks,
bobby



</font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


internetscooter 7 Apr 2005 14:18

Getting insurance for a UK registered bike is VERY hard for a non-resident. Buying is easy if you have a UK address to do a C/O.

I am frantically trying to arrange insurance now... here are the sources that I have uncovered and am trying to see if anyone will insure me http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/frown.gif If you find out something I don't please let me know...

Association of British Insurers (yet to contact them)
http://www.abi.org.uk/

Specialists in UK insurance for Australians/NZ (waiting on response)
http://www.duinsure.com

Tip - sort out insurance first and the rest will be easy!

Cheers,

Paul

Hope to have some positive advice soon http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/smile.gif

internetscooter 7 Apr 2005 19:21

OK - update...

Short version is: The UK is a very unfriendly motorcycle touring place! Don't attempt to buy a motorcycle in the UK for touring.

1) No insurance companys in the UK insure non-residents
2) Insurance companies outside the UK will only insure outside the country of registration, unless it is on a tourist plate.
3) The DVLA (http://www.dvla.gov.uk) inform me that they do not provide the ability to register a bike as a tourist (so this make the above not an option).

If someone can prove me wrong I would be very happy.

(Note: UK bikers your goverment needs a kick up the ^%&^%)



jcorker 8 Apr 2005 00:59

True! insurance is a nightmare in the UK. Here is my suggestion based on a trip I made last year.
Get a UK resident to buy the bike and reigister it in their name.
They put the insurance in place and insure you as another driver. Takes a bit of pressure but they did it, don't deal with the person on the phone - try to get someone like a supervisory person,or an underwriter. The persons answering the phone invariably do not know much other than if the caller askes for this - say that, if it's anything else, take a name then forget about it.
This worked for me. They provided a green card for europe and I was able to get break down and recovery insurance through the RAC which I used in Salamanca - no problems. 4000 miles later back in the UK arrange for the sale of the bike by the same trustworthy person.
One other thought is to contact the German Automobile Club. They do Green Cards on a monthly rate which is the bare minimum you need to operate in Europe. You will need get the registration document to them somehow in advance. I'll be in Germany in late May,if I can help get back to me jcorker@seascape.com
Good luck.


Quote:

Originally posted by internetscooter:
OK - update...

Short version is: The UK is a very unfriendly motorcycle touring place! Don't attempt to buy a motorcycle in the UK for touring.

1) No insurance companys in the UK insure non-residents
2) Insurance companies outside the UK will only insure outside the country of registration, unless it is on a tourist plate.
3) The DVLA (http://www.dvla.gov.uk) inform me that they do not provide the ability to register a bike as a tourist (so this make the above not an option).

If someone can prove me wrong I would be very happy.

(Note: UK bikers your goverment needs a kick up the ^%&^%)



motorcylingJim 21 Apr 2005 16:55

Hi there,

I'm a Canadian leaving next week for exactly the same thing. I am buying my R1200 GS in Germany, registering it as a non-resident for the purpose of export, getting full insurance, and then off on my trip for a year.

Bike: Highly recommend you contact Stefan Knopf (Knopf Tours) or email some of the fellow Germans on this site. They have all responded with gracious offers to help me find a bike. Stefan has been amazing help, and he also offers other services like tours, b&b, and insurance. You can also find bikes on the German autotrader site www.mobile.de. The advantage of buying a bike as a non-resident of Germany is that you are exempt from the VAT (16%) if you buy from a dealer and you register it as "for export".

Registration. Several Germans have checked, the dealer and Stefan have confirmed that I can register the bike for export. Once registered, I must leave Germany within 12 days and the bike cannot return (unless you re-register it at a cost and inspection. Find that info on another topic about paperwork)

Insurance. Knopf tours is arranging ADAC insurance which is their version of CAA/AAA. A good thing to have if you read what it offers. Finding insurance from a European company was impossible unless you are a resident. No insurance company in Canada would offer it. It came down to two companies, Motorcycle Express and Sunrise Insurance. Both of them were extremely helpful, and basically offer identical plans. They offer just liability (green card) or full comprehensive, theft, and liablity. Also, they have passenger and accessory coverage. My rate was very fair for a year's coverage. You can pre-arrange the paperwork, then finalize it when you acquire the bike and within a few days, you/they fax each other and you are ready to go. The very mininum you have to have is the liability green card.

Shipping back to home. I'm not planning to do that, but it costs about $1000 Cdn. to get it to Florida. I don't know about emissions compliance for Canada.

Good luck with your travels. If you want to see about meeting up on the road with another Canuck, email me at jimlimultimate@yahoo.com. I saw that there is also another HUBB rider from Canada heading to Europe, as I'm sure there are others - check the Travellers topic.
"Wrist cocked, Head up, Pegs down"

beddhist 21 Apr 2005 17:13

Nice & comprehensive post Jim. I'm sure the info will be useful for others following in your footsteps.

I'd just like to point out that http://www.mobile.de./ has been bought by Ebay. It is linked into the Ebay system and as a consequence it now costs money to post ads there. There are now less offers and prices have gone up (more dealers).

A free alternative is still www.motoscout24.de.

Have a nice trip.

------------------
Salut from Southern France, the bikers' paradise,

Peter.

bobbyraydomingo 5 May 2005 19:43

thanks guys, i will post new info as i go through the process in germany.
brd

Universalcat 6 May 2005 13:17

Does anyone know how prices on used BMW's in Germany would compare with in the US. I got my 1979 R100T in good condition for $2000 here in US and put another $1000 into it, now she's perfect. Anyone think I could get a good used BMW in Europe for $3000-$4000us ?

Sure would be nice to not have to deal with shipping.


Vaufi 6 May 2005 14:56

Try www.motoscout24.de

Unfortunately only in German.

Hans

Universalcat 9 May 2005 04:46

Thanks Vaufi.

It looks like it is indeed possible to find a good used BMW for cheap in Germany.

uc

Universalcat 19 May 2005 06:24

Quote:

Originally posted by motorcylingJim:
Hi there,

I'm a Canadian leaving next week for exactly the same thing. I am buying my R1200 GS in Germany, registering it as a non-resident for the purpose of export, getting full insurance, and then off on my trip for a year.


Hey Jim,

How about an update?
Did the bike registation go as smoothly as anticipated? How about the insurance, how long is it good for and what are the costs?

I'm leaving in 3 weeks to do the exact same thing, straight to Germany to find a bmw and off on my trip (though im thinking 2-3 years.....
Would love to hear how it went.

Im searching the websites right now and am impressed with the available bikes for cheap....


thanks
g


[This message has been edited by Universalcat (edited 19 May 2005).]

motorcylingJim 13 Dec 2005 03:09

Hi there,

A more lengthy update will come. Sorry for being so long in this one... but I did want to point out to anyone buying a bike in EU for export - at least in Germany (and in Italy) you have a choice of a 12 day, 30 day, or 1 year export licence plate. I wasn't aware there was a 1 year plate, and only purchased a 30 day licence with taking a chance in non-German countries. As it turned out, I was stopped for random road checks in almost every country I've been in, and none of the policemen cared because the bike wasn't registered in their country. Then I went through Switzerland to get to Italy... viedotaped, stopped, interrogate for 3 hours, forced to give up my bike or get out of Italy, had to go back to Germany to get the 1 year plate (wish the German Registration told me I had that option in the first place) then now back in Italia enjoying the splendours of wine, women, and pasta.

Also, to note... I was involved in an accident with considerable damage to both my bike and the car... Sunrise Financial (one of two insurance companies I mentioned in an earlier post) were fantastic at taking care of everything. Very helpful and considerate. Also worthwhile buying the complete comprehensive and theft coverage for peace of mind, based on the number of warnings I get from Italians about my bike disappearing one night. I even locked it right in front of a police station in Paris, only to have the front duty desk officer tell me he honestly didn't think it would be safe, there?!?!

Lastly, another big thanks to Stefan Knopf (sponsor of this forum) who went above and beyond to help me when I got back to Germany. He had a million things to do as he was getting ready to go a his big trip that same week, as well as run his business and take care of his family, but he pre-arranged things, personally took me and trailered my bike to the Registrar and then the Licence Office, and hosted me in his B&B until I was ready to leave.

I will be looking into the costs and paperwork involved with selling it in EU, and will post info about it when I know.

beddhist 15 Dec 2005 04:00

Good grief! It just goes to show that in Europe it's best to cross the i's and dot the t's when it comes to paperwork.

doubleplay 22 Dec 2005 21:19

Jim,
Could you please tell what was the cost of one year export plate?

motorcylingJim 7 Jan 2006 04:41

Hi there,

The cost for registering for a year was very reasonable. I bought ADAC green card insurance through Knopf Tours, for the remainder of the year that I had to get, but base it on 12 months x whatever it is per month ($30? with Knopf, which by the way I concur with others who have said for the service and peace of mind, it is worth having him take care of it than try to speak German and make sure all the t's are crossed yourself). Once you have that green card insurance, the inspection and plate came out to something like $200. I'm sorry but my papers are not with me at the moment, but I remember it wasn't much at all.

If you buy the bike through a dealer, you could ask them to help arrange the licensing and plate, which they should do for you as part of the sale. Ask nicely and maybe they can help with the ADAC green card, if you don't happen to be buying the bike in Heidelberg, where Knopf is based at.

Sorry to sound like I'm giving him a plug, but it is more about sharing the knowledge of a good thing to fellow riders who want to do what I did. Knopf is a true biker himself, who happen to make a it into a viable business. But he is a biker, first, and the help he can give you with his experience of riding in Europe, where to go, maps, repairs, etc... he would be your best bet for getting advice on buying the bike in Germany. Oh yes, plus with the Excellent ADAC insurance, they will transport you and your bike back to your place of ADAC registration, which Knopf gives you to use as his address. So you're heaven forbid you are in a bad accident, you and the bike will be taken back to Heidelberg, which can be a godsend if you are in need of good healthcare or a garage and Stefan to help interpret.

If I didn't mention it before, the German way of handling money is archaeic. I had a bank draft, backed up by a fully covered Amex Platinum and they wouldn't accept it. I had to direct deposit the money into their bank account, and still they waited 5 days until it actually physically transferred into their account before they would give me the bike. So I suggest a certified cheque or equivalent made out to the dealer for an amount very close to what you want to pay, then maybe just pay the difference in cash when you finalize the deal. Saves you sitting around for a week waiting.

Good luck with your trip!

beddhist 7 Jan 2006 22:02

Actually, the German banking system is light years ahead of everything else I have seen. We have used direct transfers for decades, when in other countries this was unheard of. But, like in most places, it only works within the same country. Cheques have now gone out of use altogether and everyday payments are made with EC cards, accepted in most places. Normal credit cards are not often accepted, which is a big drawback for visitors, like I am now. The reason are the banks, which charge big fees. Don't know why.

airhead 18 Jan 2006 02:56

friends,
buying, insuring and licensing a bike in germany is very easy, but for insuring and licensing you have to be a german resident.
if you are not, there are basicaly 2 ways:
#1 find somebody in germany, who will insure and license the bike for you.
in contrast to other countries anybody (foreigners included) with a valid riding license is allowed to ride bike insured and licensed in germany without beeingmentioned in the papers.

#2 buy a temporary insurance at a german motoring organization and show your bike at a road traffic licensing department for registering.

if you need help in buying, insuring or registering let me know.

regards..
-=airhead=-

beddhist 18 Jan 2006 15:32

You are quite right, airhead, but I need to repeat a warning here:

if the bike is not registered in your name you can't easily take it out of the EU. You need written authorisation from the owner, the details vary from countr to country. Dto. for carnet.

if you use export plates the bike must leave Germany within a short period and is not supposed to come back. Rego is deleted from the German database, meaning paperwork if you want to re-import it. Also, some countries do not recognise/accept export plates. This includes ITALY!

airhead 19 Jan 2006 04:08

freunde der landstrassen und schotterpisten,

maybe there is some confusion about the term "export plate", because people mostly use it for exporting bikes. its is popular, because it allowes a short time insurance and registration. the difference between a regularly plate and an "export plate" is that the expiration date is stamped on it. in both cases the bike is registered and insured on your name, you have the insurance green card (gruene versicherungskarte) and the motor vehicle registration card (kfz-brief), which proves, that you are the legal owner. additionally you should have the contract of purchase with the previous owner.
if the registration time has expired, you are free to insure and register again. you can even get an ordinary insurance and registration.

regards...
-=airhead=-

tmentzelo 23 Aug 2006 21:37

Hello,

I am yet another Canadian who is travelling over to Europe with hopes of purchasing and riding a motorcycle through Europe.
The airplane I'll be on arrives in the U.K. at the end of September, but it appears that registering and insuring a bike in Germnay is much less complicated than doing so in England (even though I have almost no knowledge of German).

I do not yet have European residency, but my plan is to travel to Greece, by motorcycle, where I can acquire a European passport because of my heritage. Is it possible to re-register and insure the bike in Greece (or somewhere else in Europe) once the temporary export plates expire? This seems to be the purpose of the temporary export plates. If the bike I wish to acquire works out for me, I have plans of shipping it back to Canada at a later date -- I have plans of a Canada-South America trip in the near future!

(By the way, the bike I'm looking for is a 1980's BMW R80 g/s Paris-Dakar. There is one near London that is looking good, and there are a couple for sale in Germany, however, my skills (or lack thereof) in German language make it hard for me to interpret the advertisements.)

Any advice is greatly appreciated, either directly to my e-mail, or through these posts.

Thank you.

mollydog 24 Aug 2006 01:15

If you want tips about buying in the UK, post back and I'll detail some options.
Basing out of London is NOT a good idea. London is just too big.

tmentzelo 26 Aug 2006 20:10

Patrick,

I would love some tips about purchasing a bike in the UK. :)

-Tommy

mollydog 26 Aug 2006 23:40

when I arrived. I first spent a week in Paris doing the tourist bit then hopped the

tmentzelo 2 Sep 2006 21:33

I have decided to go to Germany to purchase a bike - the U.K seems to be very difficult to register and insure a motorcycle.

Airhead: I would really appreciate some help purchasing/registering a bike in Germany. I am ideally looking for a pre-1995 BMW G/S Paris Dakar... something I would very much like to export to Canada at the end of my trip.

A final question on registering and insuring in Germany. If I were to purchase a 1 year export plate (or even a 30 day one), do I have that amount of time to leave Germany? Or is it a reduced time. And once I leave Germany, would it be easier to re-register the bike somewhere else in order to bring it back in? (Im just thinking that it is easiest to export the bike through Knopf tours..)

Thanks again.

-Tommy

Paul Narramore 5 Sep 2006 10:11

I was interested to read Mollydogs experiences about however when he applied for insurance cover over the phone, the person at the other end clearly didn't recognise his US accent. If he HAD recognised it, I wonder if he'd had been so successful. Also should a serious accident occur and a claim was made on the insurance company, what would the companies reaction have been when they discovered they'd insure a non-resident rider from another country?

This interests me as a friend in the US wants to by a bike in the UK and leave it here for extended periods. He intends to fly over and ride it around the UK and Europe.

My advice to him would be as follows - (and please someone correct me if I'm wrong) -

DRIVING LICENCE - His US driving licence is valid for any stay for up to a year and would be perfectly acceptable in Europe also (as my old faded pink UK one was last year)

BUYING A BIKE - Straightforward online.

REGISTERING THE BIKE - He intends to leave the bike in a friends garage here so I can't see any problems having a "Joe Bloggs, c/o 1 High St, Newtown" type address.

TAXING AND MoT TESTING THE BIKE - A friend would need to do this on his behalf.

INSURANCE - When I rode across the US for three months earlier this year, I got my insurance in the US but at $300 for three months fully comp, it was expensive. If Bennetts are happy to insure US riders, that's fine, but I'd like to hear it from them and that they wouldn't regard it as a bit dodgy. When he's lying in a hospital bed in Italy with a wrecked bike outside, it would be reassuring to know his insurance cover is waterproof.

mollydog 5 Sep 2006 21:41

In the future I intend to buy another bike to keep in Europe. So I'll go through
it all again someday. (if the USD ever comes back against the UKP and Euro.

Paul Narramore 5 Sep 2006 23:00

Thanks Patrick, that's very helpful and I'll pass the information on to him. As for not bothering with insurance in southern US states.....cripes!

Tigerboy 13 Oct 2006 23:24

Ducati in England
 
I have a similar predicament. I have a Ducati Darmah stored in England, and last month, I originally intended a 3 week trip. I bought the motorcycle sight unseen (a mistake as it turned out), and had the bike registered in a friend's name since he was storing it. I got the insurance through Stefan Knopf, because you can buy as little as one month for $50, a pretty good deal.

Unfortunately I had mechanical problems with the bike, so I had to cut my trip early (see my blog at www.tigerboy.com). I had to take a bike to a specialized Ducati repair shop as it's more work than I can possibly do on my own without a proper workshop and they could not fix it sooner than a month. That is why I returned home.

My friend could no longer store the bike, because he had to give up his place of business due to the steep increase in rent. So, I found someone else local (southern England) willing to store my bike, at a cost of £5 a week. Sounded reasonable. I also decided it would be better to have the bike in my name, and as mollydog pointed out, this is easily done.

I've just contacted the DVLA to find out what is acceptable for insurance, in order to get the tax disc. I'm hoping the ADAC insurance provided by Stefan Knopf will be acceptable, because my future trips are likely to be under a month. The idea is that I'd buy 6 one-month or 2 three-month certificates for example, and present that as evidence of insurance. I'll update my post once I hear back from the DVLA. After my trip is over, I could return any unused insurance certificates for refund, and also get a pro-rated refund on the unused time on the tax disc. The minimum amount of time you can buy on the tax disc is 6 months.

If the ADAC insurance will not work, it sounds like Bennett's is the next choice. $350 a year for full coverage is very good, however I'd only get 3rd party liability. Of course if I went that route, it would be nice if they would give pro-rated refunds on cancellation before the policy expires.

Quote:

$300 for 3 months is expensive but for a foreigner its not too bad.
Many US companies won't touch insurance for non US residents.
Frankly I wouldn't get it at all.
I was at a BSA rally in Ohio in August and there were a number of Brits on tour with their Vintage BSAs. They had shipped their bikes over from the UK to attend the International BSA rally near Boston using a single container, and got a pretty nice group rate that way. They all had British number plates. I asked them how they dealt with insurance and they favorably mentioned 'Carol Nash'. This must be a company (or individual?) that handles overseas insurance for travelling Brits. I didn't ask how much they paid.

Personally I think it is extremely foolish to travel in ANY country without proper insurance. It's not so much if you get pulled over by the cops (some ask for evidence of insurance, and others don't), it's when you are involved in an at-fault accident. You would be in a heap of trouble if you did not have evidence of insurance, and the police got involved. Some countries like Mexico will detain you until the whole legal proceedings are sorted out, which can take months. I don't think it's worth taking the chance.

mollydog 14 Oct 2006 04:47

hey are the best deal I found in terms
of most bike for least amount of money.

motorcylingJim 20 Dec 2006 00:13

About the insurance, just to help clairfy... Stefan Knopf provides Green Card insurance, which is a liability insurance required by EU countries. The type of insurance offerred by Bennets and Nash, unless I'm incorrect, is about insurance coverage for things like theft, accident, injury. They may also sell Green Card insurance, too, but I don't know. There is a significant difference, and in cost, between Green Card liability and comprehensive (theft, crash, etc) coverage. I have both insurances for my trip, and as far as I have experienced, it is only the liability insurance that is required for licencing.

Tigerboy 8 Apr 2007 22:40

Bennett's only insures UK residents.
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by mollydog (Post 109948)
I had a totally different experience than others here regareds obtaining insurance in the UK.

In 2001 I bought a '99 Triumph Tiger. I called from a friends' house near
Oxford to Bennett's insurance, one of the best. They never asked if I was Amercian and I never offered. They never asked for a Driver's license number or any other form of local British ID. My British friend could just as easily have called for me and "been" me. But no need.

I have some bad news. Apparently Bennett's must have changed since then, because when I called them they specifically asked me if I was a UK resident, and they don't insure non residents. They did refer me to two other companies that might be able to help, however:

Norwich Union
Direct Choice

I'm going to contact them soon, and I will report if I have any luck.

mollydog 9 Apr 2007 02:43

Good luck guys, hope you can all work something out. Please post here with any news!

Tigerboy 12 Apr 2007 12:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by mollydog (Post 132491)
I believe if you have a local address and perhaps just say you are here on a work contract, you may be able to get insured. Not sure if now need to prove you status somehow. As I posted above, I had no problem at all and I bought my bike from a London copper who was very familiar witht the system.

Unfortunately I'm not in the UK on work contract and the questions all the companies seem to ask, are how long have I been living in the UK, and then if I'm a resident or not. So, I tell them that I'd be visiting 2-3 times a year and I'd like to have the bike taxed and insured while I'm over there and no one seems to offer insurance to non residents. I've been burning up the phone and the long distances charges to the UK are adding up (!)

When a company can't help me, they transfer me over to 'Call Connection' which I think is a call center representing UK insurers, so they do a search and come up with a list of companies that might be able to help. The fact that I don't have a UK license really limits the choices, however here are a few companies I have not yet tried:

Motorcycle Direct 0800 294-5065
Ramsis (sp?) 0800-144-4310
Harts ins. consultants 0800 781-4484

These look like toll free calls in the UK so I was wondering if someone in the UK could call these numbers and see if they will insure a non resident. I'd prefer to get a 6-month policy but would consider a full year if that is their minimum, as long as the cost isn't too outlandish (already, if they do write a policy, I'd probably be in their highest risk category, not having a UK license or previous UK insurance history).

Hopefully there's a solution to all of this, but right now, the prospects don't look too bright. I might have to simply sell the bike as I won't be able to ride it.

Quote:

The only answer is basic state provided liability insurance for everyone. In the US at least this would eliminate a bunch of problems.
Yes and no. The State might require you have one of their driving licenses and be a resident, in which case the buck stops at them, leaving you nowhere else to go.

Or it could be a more favorable situation like in Japan, where, for motorbikes under 250cc, the insurance is attached directly to the machine, not the person who is operating it. I've found that it's pretty easy to buy a used motorbike and use a friend's or the bike dealer's address to register. I found this was actually the way to go, because it's very hard to rent motorbikes in Japan. But when I travelled Japan, I just ended up borrowing my friend's scooter and his insurance, attached to the vehicle, automatically covered me.

Not that simple in the UK, unfortunately.

oldbmw 12 Apr 2007 21:05

[QUOTE=
Or it could be a more favorable situation like in Japan, where, for motorbikes under 250cc, the insurance is attached directly to the machine, not the person who is operating it. I've found that it's pretty easy to buy a used motorbike and use a friend's or the bike dealer's address to register. I found this was actually the way to go, because it's very hard to rent motorbikes in Japan. But when I travelled Japan, I just ended up borrowing my friend's scooter and his insurance, attached to the vehicle, automatically covered me.

Not that simple in the UK, unfortunately.[/QUOTE]

seems in france it is a similar thing for ALL vehicles.

Tybalt 26 Aug 2007 21:19

This is all so very confusing to me. Would somebody please clarify!

1) I am an american with no residency outside of the US. I already have an international motorcycle license. I find a bike at MotoScout24: Motorradmarkt - Motorrad, Roller, Motorräder, Mofa, Moped und Quad-Bikes that I want to buy. I fly over with the Euros in cash and give it to the seller. The bike is used! (is there a restriction to hold old etc?) They give me what? (well call it "Title" for now)

2) I take "Title" WHERE EXACTLY to file for export plates for one year? This then is all I need for registration? What else do I need to give them?

3) I contact Stefan and purchase Green card insurance for 6 months. I want comprehensive as well so I call who? (well call it "Comp Insurance")

At that point am I done?

You all seem to be so very knowledgable but Im just getting bogged down by the 100 forums Im looking at and trying to plan this out.

THANKS!

Walkabout 26 Aug 2007 22:08

Bike Insurance in UK
 
A few months ago I switched my ins to this broker:-

eBike Insurance - Bike and Classic Bike Insurance from eBike Insurance

Until you take out a policy there are no phone numbers etc etc.
Everything is done online; only when you take out a policy do you get contact details for claims etc.

I have dealt with them, by email, once or twice about my policy, changed the policy details online and have not had any problems. They are very competitive on costs as well.
In summary, anyone can get a quote from anywhere in the world, anytime.

ps I used to be insured via Bennetts but like most other brokers they got too greedy with charges for mid-term changes of policy etc etc.

cpeely 15 Jan 2008 00:20

European Trip with a US License
 
Judging by the comments that go back many years, things have either changed significantly over time or like many customer service interactions, vary greatly 'depending on who picks up the phone'. So my question is... I'm planning a 4 month trip around Europe this summer. My twin already has a bike In England that I can use, it's insured "FOR HIM", taxed and MOT'd. I've had a bike license in the US for 8 years, but do not have a UK bike license. His current company will not insure foreign license holders (even though I'm a UK Citizen (not a resident)). Am I better off transferring the ownership of the bike into my name (to make border crossing / Police interaction easier) and trying to get insurance (bearing in mind I'm not a UK resident, nor do I have a UK Motorcycle license)? Or should I just get 'added' to my twins policy? Question is, which is cheaper and am I really going to get that much hassle if the bike is in my twin brother's name.

Sadly we're not identical or I'd consider just taking his license and f'it.

Cheers All

Chris

El Aleman - Jens 15 Jan 2008 09:30

Hey guys - I did it!
 
Hi,

A friend of mine - Canadian came over, we bought a BMW and we registered it on his name in Germany. It is not so easy - but possible! 1st you need somebody to help you if you don`t speak German....Most of the time the registration office doesn`t know how to do it! That is the main problem....

When would you like to come??? I live 45 min. from Frankfurt Airport, can pick you up and help you to find a bike, and help to register it(Hotel room everything) You should calculate 1 week!
(finding bike, paperwork etc....)

Really no problem for me, but you have to advice me when(I am working outside Germany).

You could do it in May for example and visit the very 1st HU Germany Meeting(I am the Organizer).

Let me know what you think - Jens

Wheelspin 19 Jan 2008 10:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by cpeely (Post 168429)
Am I better off transferring the ownership of the bike into my name (to make border crossing / Police interaction easier) and trying to get insurance (bearing in mind I'm not a UK resident, nor do I have a UK Motorcycle license)? Or should I just get 'added' to my twins policy? Question is, which is cheaper and am I really going to get that much hassle if the bike is in my twin brother's name.

Chris

It depends which borders you are crossing. They will not ask for bike papers going from the UK in to Europe, and once in Europe you won't cross any 'borders' as you mean it unless you go outside the Schengen countries. Which is a hell of an area, so maybe you don't have a problem ? I went through lots of Eastern Europe before some of them were in Schengen, and before some of them were even in the EU - the only place they even asked for them was leaving Hungary heading for Romania (not in the EU at the time). Even there I don't think they were bothered about names - just checking you had the papers - which you will have. Relax....


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