Can an Aussie buy a UK bike and travel Europe?
 

Hello! Hopefully I'm not repeating others questions - I've been searching through the paperwork section here but am still looking for some answers.

Have any non-UK residents (specifically, Australians) had success buying, registering, insuring, etc., a second-hand bike in the UK and then travelling through Europe? I will have an IDP, but am mostly worried about insurance.

First problem is proof of residency when registering at the DVLA - do people just rely on friends' addresses? I could be there up to 6 months, but plan to be either staying in hostels or camping, i.e., won't have an address to give.
Second, will insurance companies actually insure non-UK residents? I've had a look at some of the links I've found on threads here and on Lonely Planet (Carole Nash, Down Under Insure, Bikesure), but it's hard to find cover for bikes, non-UK licences, and more than 90 days European travel, all in one company (also I am 22, which might pose a problem). I'm still investigating/contacting various companies, but any further pointers would be appreciated!

I'm starting to see how shipping a bike might be easier in terms of insurance, but it's a lot of extra money and time that I'd like to avoid if possible!

Any info would be amazing.
Cheers,
Stevie.

Stevie,
:rofl: when I read this! Sorry.

You will see why if you read this thread:-
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-vehicle-61877

ps
For the insurance issue, the most recent reference I have to this is post number 172 in this thread (the "sticky" grand daddy of them all about insurance):-
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...cheap-34822-12
For the registered keeper (RK) address issue, there are loads of ideas about that in the sticky threads within this forum.

Anyway, the Canucks can sort it out, so can you:-
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...and-bike-62949

Thanks for the links, Dave!

Clearly the process is a bit of a pain, but doable. Good to know. :)

Stevie.

Stevie, I had very similar circumstances - Aussie with a UK reg bike.

After phoning dozens of companies who all said no, this guy came to my rescue and negotiated a policy.

He's a broker and a biker.
St.John Canfield-Payne
CanfieldPayne Insurance Consultants Ltd
Tel: 01342 302422 Fax: 01342 301432
The Cravens, Ship Street, East Grinstead, RH19 4DX
jcpayne.canpayne@tamcentraluk.com

Easy as !
 

G'day Stevie,

Read your post and have been there done that !

In my experience, and I guess I'm fortunate to have bought from the right bloke and... I have friends in the UK which I might add....makes all the difference because an address in the UK is the stumbling block.

My advice is to buy privately and ask if you can use the vendors address to register and insure you bike, cheeky yes but it was offered before I had to ask and it worked for me. Offer your details and leave a few quid to forward mail. The whole process took place at the local post office and took an hour before I was on the road.

I have just returned from buying a bike in Spain ......... It took 10 days and it was difficult and very frustrating! Again the vendor offered his address ! However it could have taken a month and consider myself again fortunate to have completed the task in just 10 days. Thankfully you will have the advantage as they speak english in the UK, well kinda !

As far as insurance goes I would try Alliance, they have been great in the past and even in Spain it was a painless exercise, the price was 250 Euro for 12 months, sure I could have cancelled after I left and claimed a rebate but I just might go back :-)

Get in touch should you require any more info.

Regards Dave

There is absolutely no problem buying a bike in Ireland and riding it to Europe. If anybody needs help, don't hesitate to contact me.
My email is sfadvmoto@gmail.com

Stevie,

I am in EXACTLY the same boat as you, but 34y/o, Aussie, full motorcycle license.

Thanks to everyone who has replied to this thread. And thanks to Wheatwhacker, who I've 'met' over on ADVRider - he comes with resounding accolades from everyone who's dealt with him and seems like an absolutely top-shelf guy.

The bike I want to buy is an 07 Isle of Man Edition K7 GSX-R 750, and unfortunately, there does not seem to be any for sale in Ireland :'(

Hi, I would like to buy a used bike in Ireland next May, ride it around Europe for four months, then re-sell it back in Ireland? Can you help me with this? Thanks.

Mark Renshaw
Phoenix, Arizona USA

MYTH BUSTED: Aussie bought bike in UK easy!
 

I have just bought a bike in the UK, from a dealer, insured it, and got tax and am a legal bike owner in the UK.

Arrange insurance through Bennett's (bad rep, but you're paying for the paperwork) - state bike is garaged, costs HEAPS less. All you need is an English address to register bike to, i used friend's parents place, and they dont even send you mail there if you dont want - all email.

Get MOT (i got mine from dealer) and was in and out of post office within 10 mins. £30 at post office.

Easy.

Sorry have held out for so long, i've been waiting to make sure it all worked before posting this.

Enjoy!

Just came on this post.
For what it's worth, Mark's bike is sitting in my barn right now awaiting collection this summer.
It's not a very complex thing but, does take a lot of trust from both the buyer, seller and me. So far, there have been no hiccups and every transaction has gone smoothly.
For less than the cost of shipping, you can easily buy a bike here in Ireland or the UK, ride it, drop it, smack it, whatever, and sell it when your done.
No shipping stress, no waiting for your bike at a port, no being without your bike for a month, no expensive rental issues, no huge payments for a scratch on a rental, zero stress. Of course the bike you buy may have an issue here and there but, really, it's all part of the immersion experience.

AUS resident with UK insurance thru BIKESURE
 

Hi there,

Thought this might be of interest and renew the topic of bike insurance for NON UK RESIDENTS IN THE UK:

After much exhausting research I have managed to insure with BIKESURE.
They specialise in specialist schemes for all types of situations...so they do the searching for you and find a company which WILL insure you.
They cover UK and EU travel.

All other links mentioned in this forum would NOT insure a NON-UK resident with a UK registered motorbike.

My situation: I am an Australian resident with a full motorbike license and an international driving permit, touring through UK/Europe and beyond.
I found a motorbike in the UK that I wanted...purchased it with all the necessary paperwork. I don't have a permanent address here but I did use a local address for insurance purposes (a friends) however I did explain that I am touring and camping and don't plan on being at the address given.

They don't mind...just be honest! Thats what touring is about right?!

Quote was done over the phone in less than 15 mins.....

OK.....so heres the bit you're wondering about: 'How much did it cost?'
REALLY REALLY REALLY EXPENSIVE...
For 3 months third party coverage - the cost was 386.80 POUNDS!!!!!!

They only do 3 month periods in which you can renew after that time
Thats about what I would pay in Australia for 2 years for full comprehensive !!!!!!!!!!!
(but Ive swallowed, accepted and just want to get on the road now)

BTW They don't allow you to pay monthly for a 3-month policy...

About £4 per day for the cover, without doing accurate maths.
The price might still depend on other factors that you haven't mentioned herein - the amount of riding experience for example.

Did you need to have an IDP for this cover? (I don't particularly care what the answer is, but others may).

As a general point, UK insurance cover is becoming ever more "automated" in the sense that it is liinked into computer records - just the way of the world.
So, yes, they don't actually care where you are living/registering the bike so long as there is a UK address where the bike itself is deemed to be based - a UK postcode for that address then determines the statistics for how much chance there is that the vehicle would be stolen from that area, while parked outside at night, or parked on a drive way or, better still, parked in a garage.

Good to know that obtaining such insurance is still possible though.

ps Bikesure is a UK broker of course - they advertise fairly extensively in the UK motorcycle press.
IIRC, I have read somewhere that they are the specialist brokering arm of a bigger company but I can't remember which one (not that it matters to this thread, but that is the service that you are paying for).

Ehm, not truth, we could insure your with third party liability policy for 3 months for a lot less (check our website for details), so you could get insured with more money for gas and travelling,

Cheers
Dooby

It's EASY
 

Hi there 4 years ago I sold my Honda A.T to a Brisbane lad who arrived in the UK the day before he bought it, He sent me a message through eBay and explained what he wanted to do and asked if I could hold the bike for a month. Having been messed about many times by eBay dreamers I only agreed because he sent me a £300 deposit, but being a member on here and a keen overlander I went the extra mile preparing his bike before his arrival and allowed him to register the bike at my address and he got his insurance documents by email using my address.
We kept in touch for 6 months or so whilst he was touring and even maintained contact for another year or so when he returned home. So in essence all you need is to arrange an address with a friendly Brit buy your bike and away you go, as far as I am aware you can use your international license for a year throughout Europe Russia and the Kazaks so no worries there.
As the Nike advert says JUST DO IT.
keep upright Billy

We here t Motofeirme, have sent plenty of aussies and other nationalities on their euro trips without any issues.