Purchasing a motorcycle in Spain
 

Hi people
This summer I will be studying abroad in spain for 5 weeks. I would like to buy a morocycle, preferable a honda xr, and ride it through Spain and morocco. Being from the US and having never been to Spain before, I have no idea how to go about doing this. Is it even possible for me to buy a motorcycle? What sort of paperwork would I need? What about insurance? Do I need a special licence to drive a motorcycle or will my IDP work? Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks,
-Casey

Hi Casey

There are Horizons Unlimited Communities in Barcelona, Costa del Sol, Madrid and Valencia. Suggest you try writing to them and describe what you want to do. http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/com...tEnglish.shtml

Unless you're a fluent Spanish speaker, you might find it easier to buy the bike in the UK and take it via ferry directly to Spain or through France.

I can answer a couple of your questions. The IDP doesn't actually stand on its own, you still have to show a valid drivers license from your home country.

As for insurance, Europe is all covered by 'Green Card' liability insurance. If you buy the bike in the UK, you can arrange insurance (liability and collision, etc.) that will cover you throughout the EU.

One final note - you should plan to sell the bike in the same country that you buy it. Personally importing a European vehicle back to the US is a MAJOR hassle.

Good luck with your trip!

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Susan Johnson

'One world, two wheels'
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com


[This message has been edited by Susan (edited 10 November 2003).]

Hi !!!!
Buying a bike in Spain should be easy . There are lots on offer , and at a reasonable price .

The paperwork, is mostly straightforward , and ASSUMING THAT THE BIKE 'got ITV valid(Spanish's roadworthyness test) , you can do all the paperwork in one morning .


You need : Carte Grise (gray card , which is the spanish doccument's for vehicle )
YOU NEED TO HAVE THIS DOCCUMENT SIGNED BY THE SELLER , aND THAT SIGN CONFIRMED IN A BANK . (that is , go with the seller to a bank , and have his sign checked there , should be free of charge) .

"Certificado Caracteristicas Tecnicas " , a greenish paper stating the weight , power , etc.. and the inspection log . MAKE SURE ITS GOT A ITV valid . OTherwise you can not transfeer the vehicle

With these 2 papers and A PHOTOCOPY OF THE SELLERS ' ID CARD ... you can register your bike in 2 -3 hours. The whole opperation costs 60 EUR + 4% of the agreed price (traditional to cheat on this and put a lesser ammount of money to dodge taxes , but dont go too far !!!!! ) .


If you need exact instructions , adress , assistance etc.. etc.. etc.. pls mail me .

Javier

Hi Casey,

Just a general thought: how long do you think it will take you to find, buy and register a suitable bike and how long to sell it? If you deduct these two times from the 5 weeks you intend to stay how much time does that leave you to use it? What happens to your bike if you can't sell it by the time you are leaving?

5 weeks seems a little short for a buy/sell action. Perhaps renting would be safer or even cheaper?

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Salut from Southern France, the bikers' paradise,

Peter.

Javier,
I also plan a trip to Marocco, Ageria and Tunis. Can you recommend some places in Madrid where I can buy a decent bike at 2000-3000 E to last for this trip? I was thinking at Honda Transalp or BMW 650 GS (2002-2008).
Thanks,
George

George, if you don't get a response you might try again in a new thread. THis one is ten years old.

I will be going to Spain in May 2023 for five months and would like to purchase a scooter or motorcycle. Is an International DL and a valid Moto license from California sufficient to drive in Spain? What are the steps necessary to purchase and register a motorcycle in Spain?

The rules since the first post of this thread have changed.

An American license can be used for up to 3 months, after that you would need to be a registered resident of the country and take a European motorcycle test. I got to see the look on a lawyers face a while back when she was told her American client had been driving here for 7 years on an American license ... the only time I've seen someone go that pale that quick was when they saw a dead body, lol

To purchase a motorcycle (or any vehicle) you need to have a padrón (empadrónamiento to use it's full name) which identifies your home address in Spain legally (that's also needed to have a bank account, etc). You will also need a NIE (foreigner ID number, also needed to do anything beurocratic in the country), a valid passport, the ficha technica (the physical details of the bike, which includes ITV roadworthiness status or confirms the bike is new enough not to need an ITV), the permiso de conducir (the registration document of the previous owner or there's an equivalent certificate for a new bike), a copy of the ID card of the seller (or legal document of a dealership), and a receipt of property transfer tax paid if it applies to the region you're in. There's also an admin fee of about 50 euros.

The purchase can be handled by a gestoria (paperwork management agency) or if your spanish is good you can do it yourself online and save a bit of money. If you buy a bike across a regional border then you'll also need a temporary permiso (and to arrange to pay taxes in your own area) in order to legally ride your bike home.

3rd party liability insurance is mandatory, Linea Directa provide insurance in English (and can insure a foreign plated bike), but they're rip-off merchants to go to them cautiously. Direct Insurance (no relation) are generally good.

Lastly there's an annual road tax, in Catalunya it's usually about 20 euros for a bike, it runs Jan - Dec but usually gets paid in March, and there's mild late-fees if it hasn't been paid ... whoever was the owner at the start of the year is liable for the tax. I don't know how it works in other regions!

One last thing, private sellers will be cautious (and have short patience) about a foreigner buying a bike unless you can speak the local language with some proficiency. Fraud is a thing, and I can't say I blame them for being careful, but it would make getting a good deal difficult.

Good luck! :)

I own a property in Spain, so I have the padrón and an NIE. I bought a new KTM 690 a few years ago and it took about ten days for the registration plates to arrive. I also bought a secondhand 4x4 and it took about three weeks for the gestoria to organise the transfer.

Your best bet is to buy from a dealer and make it a condition of sale that they organise all the paperwork.