Importing a bike

Hi all,

I'm studying in England and I wish bring my bike around from Finland
(within the EU). I'm going to have the bike here for more than the
visiting period of six months, so I need to register it here.
I've just called the DVLA, and they told me that since I know I'm
going to be in the UK with the bike for more than those six months, I
need to register it immediately. The problem is, according to the DVLA
clerk, I can't first arrive riding the bike and then register it. I'd
have to have it sent over, which I obviously don't want to do when I
could do a bit of traveling riding it instead.
My permanent home address is in Finland, and will stay that way for
the coming years I'll study here. The easiest way for me to get a good
personal insurance was to get an extended travel insurance for a full
year. The insurance for my bike from a finnish angency is valid within
the EU. There's no problem with my driving licence either.
I was told I might somehow get a permission to ride the motorcycle
from the port where I arrive to the closest MOT check station, BUT I'd
need a UK insurance, which I'm not going to get with the bike in
Finland and in finnish register. The bikes a '00 model, VAT paid.
There're no yearly checkups for bikes in Finland, so I havent got a
paper saying it's safe for road use.
Any advice? Obviously the clerk wouldn't tell me if just arriving,
claiming to go back home within the six months if asked and
registering the bike, while officially a visitor, would be possible.
This is kind of vague too, because if it wasn't for the finnish winter
from december until mid april, I could well go back home riding the
bike on my holidays within that six months. How will these things be
checked? Will there be problems in actually registering the bike, i.e.
do I need some kind of proof of the date of arrival or something, or
will just plain "I didn't know I'm not allowed to ride here from the
border to have it registered" do? At the moment at the student dorm
there's a lithuanian guy who took an EU-covering insurance for his
bike for 12 months. The bike's in lithuanian plates and he's been here
since last september, no problems with the authorities yet.

Thanks for all replies

Antti

 

Antti Aalto

<Finland --> UK bike thingy >

emailed

 

Naah, it's not a grey area at all and the DVLA man was talking shite.
Just ride over on it and at some point (like when your Finnish
insurance is expiring or something) go through the formalities and get
it officially imported and registered.

 

"How to avoid importing a bike from one EU country to another, ever,
and consequently live in no fear of Gatsos" Be P.T.Kraut.

 

Ace

You think I could write it up and flogg on ebay?

 

Antti Aalto secured a place in history by writing:

For a Finnish bloke, you speak bloody good English.

Can't help on any informed basis on bringing the bike over, but having read
the thread am of the strong opinion you'd have no trouble bringing it over
and then registering it later.

 

Antti Aalto wrote in

big snip

I was on holiday with a French friend over Easter. He has been resident in
the UK for 17 years. He has an Aprilia Pegaso on French plates as his
regular transport in the UK. It is registered in France at his brother's
address. The bike is 3 years old and he has not had a problem with the
authorities even though he is technically breaking the law.

If I was a student in your position I'd just ride the bike in, say I was
visiting and forego any other formalities. That's what happens here at
Cardiff University from my observations at student residences.

 

If you really want to be totally legal, You can get the MOT and
insurance done with the Frame Number instead of the registration
number. Then VISIT your local DVLA office with all the documents and
they will issue you with a new reg. number, probably a Q plate. Take
money, they want it for the tax disc.
Personally I would ride it on foreign plates until I went home.

 

I doubt very much they would issue a Q plate, as that's for vehicles of
indeterminable providence and unprovable age.

If he were to produce documentary evidence (such as the Finnish
registration documents and an approved translation) then he would be
issued a age related plate

That's what a friend of mine intended to do, but she stayed longer than
planned and in the end (after a year) took her GDR registered car to the
local DVLC.

They gave her a UK age related registration. No problems. Can't recall
if she had to have an MOT or not as the car was only 2 years old IIRC.

 

Or people who've taken the piss with placement of black screws and
spacing of characters on "special" plates.

 

ogden says...

Like my ex's J4NY G plate on her Rover, with the addition of a black
screw under the 4.

 

What about non-EU countries, like...?

 

what was her name?

 

Victoria

 

<fx: squints>

Esmerelda, isn't it?

 

Ben Blaney

Not sure, but I have seen cars driving around here with Merkin and Saudi
numberplates [1]. I suspect it won't be really a problem as I assume your
average plod wouldn't know how to fill out the paperwork correctly with
foreign plates and such.


[1] Not on the same car obviously

 

Cool. I may speak with you about this in five years or so.

Bond-esque.

 

Or temporary import, or any other reasonthey deem fit.
I had a Q plate on a car I imported that was an insurance replacement
for a written off new car. Therefore I didnt have the sales invoice. I
did have the warranty book, stamped by the suppling dealer but DVLA
wouldnt accept that.

Probably.

 

There's no probably about it.

In 1996 I took my freshly imported Guzzi to the local DVLC office,
presented it for inspection with a fresh MOT, approved documentary
evidence of its age and it was issued an age related registration there
and then. In my case a '79 T.

 

darsy says...

Slut