OK so here goes. I'm looking into buying a new or very low mileage DR650 in the USA and then importing it and registering it here in the UK, for a 3 month trip starting in April next year.

I read the thread started by Alan Hopkins who succesfully imported one in 2015.

My concerns are : When Alan imported his we were still under Euro 3 emission rules, however as of the end of 2016 we are under Euro 4 emission rules which are stricter. I am wondering if the bike will now be rejected.

But then I also wonder how Alan managed to get the bike through the emission test in 2015 at all when Suzuki stopped selling them almost a decade ago because they didn't pass emissions then.

So I'm a bit confuddled.

I guess I am looking for certainty that I will be able to get it passed before going ahead and buying one, importing it etc etc.

I sent Alan a PM to ask about this but no response yet, I am hoping its because he's out of internet reach somewhere exotic enjoying his DR650!

Any guidance on the importing process, emissions testing, registration etc would be great. I read through the info on the DVLA website which seems fairly straight forward, its just the emissions test that concerns me. Perhaps there are other things I haven't considered that I need to know about before taking the leap?

aren't you guys going out of EU ?

Ha yes we are but that is not for a while yet and I believe the emission rules will remain unchanged. I want to get the bike asap, and have time to prepare and test it thoroughly before I leave end April next year.

Have a look here, UK rules seem fairly relaxed and you might not need it. I looked into it a couple of years ago and it seemed all I needed was an MOT on the chassis number, fill in a few forms with relevant fees and get it inspected.
https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-approval/overview

Thanks for the link, I've read right through all the DVLA info, but it won't say whether or not the DR650 will pass, only that it will have to pass an emission test before it can be registered.

What kind of bike did you look to import? It could be that whatever you were trying to import at the time had up to date engine technology and would automatically pass. Problem is with the DR650 and its antiquated carburetors, its omissions are equally antiquated.

I really don't want to find that having bought the bike and shipped it here to find that it won't pass.

Will keep digging until I can find someone in the DVLA to tell me what the deal is!

What about buying DR in USA, then registering it in a USA state as per normal, then with new title and registration in hand, in your name, simply ship it to UK (or EU) as a tourist with USA plates attached.

You can worry about registering it in UK later, after your trip. Meantime, you can leave and travel on the bike with a legal title.

If you can't do it in the UK, then perhaps you could ship it somewhere in EU as tourist vehicle?

As long as you have legal title in your name, you should be able to travel the world, get visas and TVIP's as needed with this title.

Many Americans ship their own bikes to UK or EU as tourists every year. Might be something to look into. ??

As a side note: A friend lived/traveled around EU over 10 years. He had TWO California registered bikes in UK and Germany, stored. He rode them all over UK and EU off and on for YEARS and was never hassled, ever.

NOW ... getting a USA origin bike legally registered is another matter, but looks like you may be able to ride round on USA plates for years without a problem.

But this was over 10 years ago, things may have changed in UK or EU.
Dunno, maybe worth a look.

But the real expert on this is Alan. I assume you've gone back and read the couple threads he had over a year or so ago. I chimed in a few times on those, mostly with DR prep tips.

But he really dug into this and figured it out and looked at several options.
I'm sure he will surface soon and hopefully can help you out.

I bought a new Honda XR125 from South Africa and had it shipped here but in the end found I could get the registration transfered from the same model bike I had scrapped and still had the V5.
A friend has just registered a Triumph 250 that came in from the US which was fairly easy but that might be due to its age, I'll see him later and ask.

I looked into this last year for a KLR. Then wrote it off so never did go through with it. I wrote up a bunch of notes on the process. If you pm your address i'll send it over (its a word doc).

The basic position ls that you get single vehicle approval at a test centre but can't ride the bike in the uk until you have this test done and then register the bike with the DVLA.


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Suzuki DR650R | eBay

I'm also looking at buying a DR650 in Europe - most of the ads I've seen so far are for bikes older than 15 years and lots of KMs, sometimes more than 50,000.

Lately I came across that one that was imported from the US: year 2014 and ~5000 KMs (although it's hard to check that as the original speedo was replaced by a digital aftermarket one).

Pros: Bike is already registered in Europe and has a larger Acerbis tank fuel + handguards + panniers mounts.

Cons: The digital speedo that makes it harder to check bike's history, a ding in the swingarm it seems... and the price. So yeah, that's over EUR 5300 / USD 6300.

Somehow it's hard to blame the seller: he had to pay at some point shipping (> EUR 500), import duty (10%), VAT (23% in Poland) and he went through the registration process...

On the other hand for EUR 6500 you can get a brand new SWM Super Dual, which is less charismatic and has fuel injection. But it's brand new...

Good points! I'd probably go for the SWM! As good as the DR650 is (mine has
over 60,000 miles on it) it would be more fun to try a new bike.

I don't know much of the history or SWM ... but if it looks good and rides good,
give it a try. Post up here what you find out!

Regards DR650 ... you can never truly know exact Odometer reading even with standard speedo. It takes literally 5 minutes to unscrew the speedo drive cable ... and sadly lots of unscrupulous owners have been known to do this!

You will learn more by looking at the bike carefully. I can tell the riding history of a DR by looking at it ... but I know the bike well and have seen MANY of them over many miles ... from brand new to 60K miles. Certain things can't be hidden.

Actually, that price is not to bad considering a new DR650 here now will cost OVER $6500 with tax and fees if bought new. Sure, you could find a older one for less ... but for a 2014 model ... not bad.
(I'd still buy the SWM!)

I get your point that inspecting the bike can give a hint on how much the bike was used. I'm not sure though I could make the difference between one bike that had 20,000 easy KMs on tarmac and another one that had only 5,000 but on rough trails.

Now what's putting me off is the ding in the swingarm that the seller omitted to mention. No idea how that could happen.



Re. the SWM, it's not available yet in Poland unfortunately.

Looks like a VERY nice DR650. I would not worry about the swingarm ding, no idea how that could happen.

If you have never ridden the DR650 I would try to get a test ride. The bike may surprise you. It's quite good on high speed motorway ... and great on tight back roads in the mountains.

Reliable, easy to work on yourself ... and will last a long long time.

But a test ride should help you make up your mind!

Hi John. Sorry I missed your message. I don’t spend much time on here any more but I left you a long phone message and a long reply to your pm.
UPDATE see you bought one, well done. I haven’t regretted buying mine for a second. I rode loaded up with kit and spares I hadn’t had time to fit like suspension springs front and rear, carb kit, lowered pegs etc. It was all day comfortable, I did the HUMM (badly) and crashed snapping clutch lever, bending gear lever and twisting the forks. I went a fair old whack but the bike started straight away and I bent the levers back and loosened the forks and bounced them straight. No real damage and I was so glad I was on a skinny bike as I fell off in sloooooow motion. It really is the ideal bike. Newer are all much much heavier, they have to be with all the crap they have to install. Likewise the XTZ is pure concrete in comparison ie. no comparison. It’s a peach of a bike and covers distance in comfort loaded up once you’ve done the mods.
I was told (by whom I can’t remember) that the bike would pass the emissions test and it did too on the standard pipe. Then I put a Gixer titanium on and did essential carb mods. It’s having to come back from Spain for its first mot so I’ll update on that soon.
The test centre in Derby where I had to get the bike uk tested was straight forward and the guy was really helpful. Yes a government department helpful! He’s probably been sacked by now for ‘conduct’ but track the place down and phone them up. I got step by step info on what I needed to check.
No idea about euro 3/4 as my bike was imported pre that but I will say it’s proved impossible to transfer it to a spanish number plate as it now lives in my place in Spain because it’s a USA import and therefore no Enumber. Unbelievable that I got it into Europe yet can’t transfer it between member states. It’s a right old Farage!
I’ll be back in a week from now so can drag out my paperwork for you.
Ask away.

__________________
have fun with your helmet!

Hello,
I am quite new in this forum so I apologize if the same topic has already been discussed.
I had a DR650 imported from the USA but had to sell it 7 years ago when I became a father and had no time to ride it.
Now, I decided to prepare for a long trip across Europe and of course my first choice was the DR (brand new or a low mileage one).
However, I am facing some issues in my EU state (Bulgaria).
I can organize the import from Canada/US, but unfortunately I won't be able to register the bike as it does not meet the Euro4 regulations which seem to be applicable in my country (and probably in all EU states).
Reading this thread I understand a few people (Alan Hopkins and Flying Dutchman) have managed to go through the registration process.
Therefore, I am considering the option of Importing the bike into the UK, registering it there and changing the registration plates in my country (should not be a problem I hope).
I first tried with Bridge Moto, but they said they were no longer importing DR650s into the UK.
I also talked to the guys from "Motorcycle Giant", but they seem to import rare bikes only from Japan and unfortunately the DR is not offered on the domestic market.
My two questions to the knowledgeable people in this thread are:
1. Is it is still possible to register a DR in the UK (MSVA, tweak the carb to meet EUR4) ?
2. If 1. still holds true, do you know of any reputable UK bike dealer I can rely on to import a DR into the UK?

Of course, any other options are welcome.
Thanks a lot

Philip