The RAC do allow a bond, but for my new XT1200Z (to Egypt) it would be about £96k or about $150k

Anyway, I just did the insurance calculation and you get ripped off about 30% more than we do. I hate to say I but you just made me feel a bit better - sorry.

Edit: It is apparent that R.L Davidson have a tight monopoly on this, I wonder if our monopolies commision would be interested ! Or should I just shut up in case they pull out altogether ?
The sad truth is that they have no risk whatsoever as Lloyds will chase you for anything they pay out anyway - madness.

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New bike, Retired Nomad.

Glad I could help!

I just did the calculation for a $20,000 bike to Egypt and using the indemnity option would cost $17,880 up front with a return of $7,440 when you get back for a total cost of $10,400. For putting up the guarantee yourself you pay $11,600 up front (55% of $20,000 plus the processing fee) and get $11,000 back for a total cost of $600. When we rode to Cape Town our highest fee was actually for Tanzania at 100% of the value of the bikes. It's unfortunate that the RAC doesn't allow you simply pay the actual guarantee, not the insurance company's assessed value of 800%. To the best of my knowledge only Canadians and Americans can use the CAA but it can't hurt to send Suzanne a note and ask.

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Ekke Kok

'84 R100RT 141,000 km (Dad's!)
'89 R100GS 250,000 km (and ready for another continent)
'07 R1200GS Adventure 100,000 km (just finished Circumnavigating Asia)
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

www.ekke-audrey.ca

How did you go about putting up the fee ?
Was it actully at the border that you parted with all that money and got it back at the exit point ?

Perhaps you could give us the full story with all the little details. I ask, as Intend to go through Tanzania too.

Did you go through Kenya too, if so what happened there too.

Or perhaps you have scribed this previouly ?

Pretty Please

Edit: I just found the Tanzania Vehicle import Tax calculation, here http://www.tra.go.tz/documents/Motor...omputation.doc

For a 1200cc vehicle under 10 years old: Take the value, add 25% then add 5% then add 18% =1.55 value or 55% tax.

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New bike, Retired Nomad.

I've just taken a look at the KRA website, and stand corrected on the carnet issue into Kenya - according to thier information, foreigners temporarily importing a car into the country do indeed need to obtain a carnet - more info here: KRA - Customs Services Department - Frequently Asked Questions

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www.simba4x4.com

Hi,

The purpose of the carnet is to ensure that if you sell your bike in a country that you're travelling through that the customs duties will be paid. That's why the cost of the carnet is equivalent to the highest duties along your journey. If you use the CAA calculator and click on all the countries for a trip along East Africa and across to Cape Town you'll see that Egypt comes up as the highest cost country using the indemnity option and Malawi as the highest with the guarantee option. Kenya is on the list as requiring a carnet but isn't the highest cost so it doesn't figure into the calculation. If you were to parachute into Kenya with your bike you could use the cost calculator to determine that the carnet is 78% of the value of the bike.

A month before we left on our trip we applied to the CAA to get the carnet, having already confirmed with them the value of the R100GS and the F650GS. The highest duty was 100% of the value of the bike so for the R100 we wrote a cheque for $5,000 and the F650 a cheque for $6,000. A week later we received the carnets in the mail. When we returned home we had the Canadian customs officers fill in the back of the carnet (basically confirming that we hadn't sold the bikes anywhere) and sent the forms back to the CAA. A week later we received our $11,000 back.

Our next trip will be much more expensive as Audrey has a new F650GS and Iran is on the itinerary which will cost 250%. Audrey's carnet alone will be $25,000 with the guarantee option. This would be a good time to use the indemnity option as we would only need to come up with $6,000 up front rather than the full $25,600.

I hope that helps a little.

__________________
Ekke Kok

'84 R100RT 141,000 km (Dad's!)
'89 R100GS 250,000 km (and ready for another continent)
'07 R1200GS Adventure 100,000 km (just finished Circumnavigating Asia)
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

www.ekke-audrey.ca

I tried to get my carnet for my Australian registered bike from another country. This was not possible. I even have an address in Germany and the UK.

Dear All,

we need to fill in the following form:

EUROPA - E-mail

if say at least 30 of us get off our proverbial rear ends and do this, they might prod the R.A.C. with a big heavy stick and and we could get a cheaper carnet! .

the more people that winge and moan to them the better, also write to your MEP! Remember we get to vote the min or out again soon and this makes them listen, as they get jumpy near election time!

may the force be with us all on this one!

I've taken out a few carnets with the RAC over the years so I have some idea about the complexities and the costs involved but my chief memory of the process is how hard it was to get hold of anyone in their HQ who knew what a carnet was. Nobody knew what you were talking about when you rang up. I wonder how many they issue per year? Tens? hundreds? I'd be surprised if we're talking significant numbers of people.

I've no problem with complaining to the EU via your link above (and probably will) but would we not be better trying to get one of the vehicle lobby groups to take it on? I generally stay as far away from any sort of bureaucracy as I can so I admit I have no idea how a compaint to the EU might work its way back to the RAC but I kind of get the feeling the other end of the wire from any email I send to them isn't a sympathetic ear in the put right small injustices dept but a black hole of infinite depth. Unless you can come up with sufficient mass to change its orbit nothing will happen.

am afraid the "value it as low as possible " idea doesnt work . The Rac use various guides to figure out its worth , so unless its sub 2k you arent going to get away with it .
Looked at taking my Pan into Iran when id finished Georgia / Armenia - the cost was eyewatering so will give it a miss

I am not sure that the EU is the right party to complain to.

We would need to give evidence of the RAC directly requesting the ADAC to not issue carnets for UK vehicles (I think I have an email from the ADAC which admits this), or other mis-conduct. Surely the FIA / AIT should be the ones to hear it?

Otherwise, it's just a case of paying more for the 'pleasure' of living in the UK. For example, the Dutch pay absurd sums for road tax on large-engined vehicles, but I doubt a complaint to the EU over that would get anywhere.

__________________
4.5 years around Eurasia in a Toyota Hilux|http://eurasiaoverland.wordpress.com/
Pictures Here|https://picasaweb.google.com/113619413612674951960

The EU is the right forum for competition legislation and enforcement, and is is easily arguable that the R.A.C. is behaving in a anti competitive manor! where as Tax is entirely up to the state you live in.

Recently sky lost it's case against a pub landlord as she bought her premier league coverage from Grease.

This is a similar thing.

What ever you do, write to your MEP or EU compatition comission or pressure group. DO SOMETHING otherwise we will royally taken over the barrel time after time!

Hi OGR,

Nice to see a new 1200 Tenere getting dirty!

You might want to have a word with Paul and suggest the value of the bike is as it would be at the end of the trip. You know how the value of a bike will plummet when it's been taken out of the showroom then not seen a qualified mechanic for six months hard labour on the dark continent let alone a kosher Yamaha spare part.

It worked for my XTR!

Cheers,

Ian