Canadian Registration expired : problems in Europe ?

[mart.math]

Hello everyone,

Got a bike stored in Costa Rica with Canadian plates (YUKON) right now.
I will keep heading South until Argentina, I am then planning to return to Europe (France).
The registration is expired, which doesn't really bother me for the rest of the trip down South, but I am more concerned about using a forged registration to enter France...
Especially because I would later like to import the bike in France.

Now I really doubt that the border guys know how a Yukon registration looks like, but you never know...

I could renew the registration, it is a pain in the ass but it's doable. What bother's me is that I would need to pay a year's insurance to renew it...

What do you guys think ?
Cheers in advance !

[markharf]

Personally, I'd keep it current even in South America. I used an expired registration document all over Latin America without anyone noticing....until they did. At that time, I was happy to be able to produce the current, valid document.

On the other hand, I didn't need to pay insurance in order to keep my bike registered. Is there another province which won't require this part?

Another way of looking at it: no one required me to furnish a genuine, current document; they merely demanded one which had the correct date on it. I could have manufactured such a document easily enough, and a lot of people do it this way. But I've also heard a report from a reliable traveler of aduana personnel comparing his registration to detailed samples in a book--including state-specific watermarks and stamps. I think that was in Central America. YMMV.

I'll add that when I brought my bike to Europe they definitely checked my registration validity as written. Would they have noticed a Photoshop fake? Your guess is as good as mine, but think about the consequences if they had: probably, they'd have held onto the bike, charging me storage fees, while I rectified the situation. Are you willing to risk it?

Don't know if my rambling is helpful, but I hope so.

Mark

[cruiser guy]

You need to call the head office of whoever registers vehicles in the Yukon. There will be a provision for registration without insurance when the vehicle is outside of Canada/USA. They will warn you that there is NO insurance coverage of any kind from them on the vehicle but you know that already. I know this option is available from 5 years spent in Guatemala with a B.C. registered vehicle. If ICBC and their pig headed ideas has a place for this then I'm sure the Yukon does!

It will not be common knowledge so you'll need to keep going up the ladder till you find someone in the know. You may need to "change ladders" if you get nowhere. Keep trying and you'll get the right answer. Are you in the Yukon now? If so it might be worth a personal visit to the offices of the registrar of vehicles.

I'll also echo the previous poster, you want current registration wherever you are. I've been caught once at the Mexico/Guatemala border with registration more than three months out of date (Mexico's grace period for travelers apparently). It cost me several days and several long distance phone calls to get a fax confirmation that I still owned the vehicle in question.

[Scrabblebiker]

Does your insurance company provide a refund for the time that the vehicle was out of the coverage area? (Canada and USA). I know this is available in BC, so maybe in the Yukon as well?

The question I'd ask myself is "do I really want to break the law and possibly commit fraud in a EU country?" I don't know anything about France but I'm guessing that if caught, things probably can't be smoothed over with some small pieces of paper changing hands either :-) The consequences could cost a lot more than the minimum liability insurance for Yukon.

My humble 2 cents worth.


...Michelle

[mart.math]

Thank you all !

I found a "cheap" insurance with TD bank ($67 for 5 months), did everything over the phone. I do need to fax them a couple of things under 30 days, but I already have my policy number and that's all I need to renew my registration.
I will try to cancel it anyway.

Cruiser guy, good info, I had no idea this was possible. I did call them up and told the true story, the bike being out of the country. They didn't want to hear anything, "I need proof of insurance to register the vehicle..." .
I did not try that hard though. Would be a good thing to find out, I'll post back here once I find out.

Hopefully I will receive my registration in the mail in a few days.
The amount of risk when arriving to Europe is just not worth the few dollars I would save...

Thanks again for the advice. Ride safe !