Travelling with a bike registered on someone elses name
 

Hello,

Me and a friend are setting off from Paris to Cape Town around the 20th october. Both bikes (his and mine) are registered under my name. Before anybody suggests, it's not possible to transfer the bike to him because he´s not a resident in France.

Question is: Has anyone travelled in a similar situation? Have you encountered any problems? Any paperwork was done?

cheers,
Alex

well I guess someone will say it even though you said befor someone suggests it! lol

I don't pretend to knowthe French vehicle ownership laws bu surely not being a French resident does not preclude the sale (regardless of cash actually changing hands) of a vehicle ??

Bike registration
 

Alex

I have just come back from 6 weeks touring Germany, Netherlands and Denmark. I bought a bike while I was in the netherlands but their laws state that it can not be registered in my name as I am not a resident, same as you have in France. This is also the case for germany and Belgium, others I dont know. I was lucky that I could register the bike in my Mother-in-laws name. This proved to be no problems at all with the Authorities in these countries and I was even stopped by the police 4 time while in Germany (not for speeding!!). As long as the bike was registered and I could produce the papers for the bike it was OK.


I do not know what the situation would be in Africa though as I have never been there but as you will be travelling with both bikes in your name one could argue the point that you are employing your mate to drive your spare bike (just a thought).

Marty

Are you going through Egypt? If you are and you're using carnets it would be worth getting the carnets in seperate names. When I arrived there from Sudan earlier this year a couple we took the boat with had problems. They were driving a big truck with a motorbike in the back and both the truck and bike were registered and carneted in one person's name. Egyptian customs came up with a rule that one person can only bring one vehicle per year into the country and they wouldn't budge. It got sorted eventually but wasn't easy. I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem if you weren't bringing 2 vehicles on the same day, but presumably you'd be travelling together.

You could add a signed letter from the owner (you) that you agree that so and so is using your bike to the papers.

Hi alex.
im sure as soon as you leave france you can scan and print the new riders-owners name on the log book that should do it,
the world does not have a database of registered bikes in france.
that the normal for selling a vehicle abroad to a european, but the carnet might be difficult as only one vehicle per person for a carnet.

safe travelsbeer

Greetings all!

Thanks a lot for the replies! I guess it won´t be a (big) problem since we plan to be together at all times, border crossings for sure.
But I´ll prepare a signed letter and perhaps will go with Monsters idea.

Once you have the carnet in your friend's name, have him create registration paperwork in his own name -- much less confusion at border crossings. Better idea is to create new paperwork for your bike too, so the created paperwork is identical.

It would be surprising if you made every border crossing together during such a long trip. There's a good chance you may separate every once in awhile...maybe some time needed or just different interests in routes/sights.

Have fun!

Hi Alex:

My moto (Canadian plated, but I keep it in Europe) is registered in my wife's name. In 10 years and over 100,000 km of riding, I've never had any customs official or policeman ever comment on the fact that it's not my name on the registration papers.

Lots of officials look at the registration papers, but I think all they do is look to see that 1) you possess the papers, and 2) the description of the moto on the papers matches the moto itself.

I personally don't think that you need to do anything at all - I mean, the papers say that both motos belong to you, and presumably you will be present at any times it is likely that an official would want to look at the papers (e.g. crossing borders, purchasing insurance, etc.). It's not as if someone can suggest that your friend stole the motorcycle from you, if you are standing right there.

Of greater concern would be making sure that you get the insurance documents correct, so that they indicate that your friend is an insured rider of the moto that he/she will be riding. Out of an abundance of caution (you never know what might happen down the road), you might want to have both of you named as insured riders on each of the motorcycles.

Michael

Michael, is your wife's last name the same as yours? Where have you had the bike? Many countries don't allow anyone but the owner to pull temporary import papers. That doesn't mean there are not ways to skirt the rules, and it doesn't mean they are enforced. I'm just wondering.

Mark