I had the following email communication with the ADAC last week
ME TO ADAC
I´m British. My Honda Transalp motorcycle is GB-registered. I intend to park the bike in Spain/France and use it to tour southern Europe and store it locally in-between trips. I will fly to the bike, ride it, and fly back to Britain. This would save long journeys by road from England to the south of France and ferry costs etc.
Rather than insure it in Great Britain, I think it would be cheaper (the bike is of low value and is not worth insuring fully
comprehensive) and easier for me to buy your ADAC Greencard/ Grenzversicherung insurance for times when the bike is being used and leave it parked/uninsured away from a public road for the majority of
the time in southern Europe.
Is this possible?
I could buy your policy at one of your offices when visiting my family in Germany.
ADAC TO ME, PRETTY MUCH BY RETURN
it is possible to buy a green card insurance ( called Grenzversicherung )
for your motorcycle in Germany. The insurance is only a third party
insurance. We don´t offer a fully comprehensive insurance for foreign cars
or bikes.
When you arrive Germany, you have to go to an ADAC-Center with your identity
card and the motorcycle documents. Your motorcycle need a valid approval in
the U.K.
For a motorcycle the insurance cost 22,-- per month. The maximum time you
can buy it is 12 month.
Unfortunately it´s not possible to send an application in the post.
Best regards
ADAC-Schutzbrief Versicherungs-AG
Kraftfahrt- und Reiseversicherungen
Am Westpark 8
81373 München
Tel.: (089) 7676-5186
Fax: (089) 7676-4014
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So all seems ok, so far. But what about "Your motorcycle need a valid approval in the U.K." The closest German for "a valid approval" is "eine gueltige Zulassung". This could also mean "a valid registration".
So when does a motor vehicle have "a valid approval" in the UK? For it to be "validly approved" does it need an MOT (FYI, if you're not British: yearly roadworthiness check) and does it need to have its road tax paid?
As we Brits know, for you to be able to get a tax disk, you need to produce a proof of insurance AND an MOT certificate.
I was hoping not to have to get the bike back to the UK just to spend 15 minutes in a MOT inspection centre. The whole point of me trying to get insurance via the ADAC, was to avoid the cost/time of return the bike to the UK.
Any comments? The phrase "legal in country of origin" springs to mind.
cheers
ChrisB
PS. The bike is already parked in southern Spain!
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[This message has been edited by chris (edited 07 September 2005).]