Bike Storage in europe

[chr999chr]

Looking at options to store my bike in central Europe. It would be nice to just jump on a cheap flight and be in the middle of Europe for a tour or even just a weekend blast.
 
1: If i store my bike i can still tax and insure it but what about the uk MOT?
2: If i register the bike in say Czech republic will it get complicated with a UK address
3: Is there any country that does not have a mot?
4: Anyone successfully got around these issues?
 
 
 

[rustyrider]

1. You can tax and insure it but it will have to come back to the UK every year for an MoT.  You may also have a problem with the insurance as a UK insurance company won't usually cover you for more than 30 days use outside the UK.
2. If the country you choose is anything like the ones I'm familiar with (UK and France) you must have a local address to register it to.  DVLA won't accept a non-UK address or a UK PO Box number but some countries might.
3. Doubt it if you are talking EU countries, regulations are getting pretty much the same everywhere these days.
4.  A mate lives in France and runs UK registered cars and bikes over there.  For them to be UK registered he has to have a UK address for them to be registered to (he uses his mother's address) but he insures them with a French insurance company who use the VIN rather than the number on the number plates.  MoT and tax are treated the same as speeding tickets and parking fines, they are ignored (although he does put them through the Controle Technique, the French equivalent to the MoT so he can show them to be roadworthy but they are shown as SORN with DVLA).

However, there was a case recently when a UK registered car belonging to an ex-Pat that had been over there for some time was involved in an accident.  There was an argument over who was at fault so a loss adjuster was called in.  He checked and found that for a car to be legal for use in one country it must be legal for use in it's country of registration.  So, as a UK registered car he asked for the MoT certificate and tax disc.  As it had neither, the claim was rejected.  So, although he had insurance it was pretty much worthless.

Strictly speaking, if you permanently export a vehicle to another EU country you must register it in that country within 6 months unless you can show that it returns to it's country of registration regularly so is classed as temporarily and not permanently exported.

[Phil]

If I was going to do that I would buy a local bike as it would be compliant with any local regs. I'd pick southern Spain as it would be possible to ride in the middle of winter in 15-20c, although the last couple of winters have been unusually wet. There are loads of decent roads to ride around there. You could even hop on a ferry to Morocco.

A heady €70 a month for storage here http://www.hispania-tours.com/info/motorbike-storage/ but it is only a couple of miles from the airport and they will pick you up for free.  I did a tour with them this year and can vouch for their excellent service. There must be cheaper options somewhere though.

[chr999chr]

Insurance and tax would not be a problem as i would insure it for 12 months to my home address and just tax it and sorn it as normal as well.
 
The only problem i see is the MOT if there was only some way to get around it.

[rustyrider]

It wouldn't be a problem to insure it but if the insurance company found out it stayed permanently out of the UK they would void the cover.  You'd have an insurance certificate but it wouldn't be worth the paper it's written on in the event of a claim.

As said, probably better to buy a locally registered bike and insure it with a local insurance company if you can find a local address to use.

[lew600fazer]

Insurance and tax would not be a problem as i would insure it for 12 months to my home address and just tax it and sorn it as normal as well.
 
The only problem i see is the MOT if there was only some way to get around it.

Your insurance as stated is likely to be limited to only so many days a year. If memory serves me right Carole Nash will do longer cover but pretty sure it is not more than 90 days at one stretch.
I moved out to live in Spain earlier this year and brought my Z100SX with me. Wish I had done my home work first, It was going to cost me €670.00 for insurance and to put it on Spanish plates was in excess of €1000.00.
My way to avoid changing the plates was to ride it back to the UK once a year get it MOT'd and ride back, at over 2000 miles return trip a long way to go for an mot.
In the end I sold the bike to a Brit who is riding it around now and running the risk of getting done. The same guy it turns out has no licence and rides like a man with a death wish. I have recently had the confirmation from the DVLA that I am no longer the keeper of this bike.
I ended up buying a new 2010 unreg Fazer 600 S 2 and having fun on that.
To actually think about keeping a bike in central Europe and jumping on a plane when you get cheap flights seems to me personally to be a bit daft, expensive bike /cheap flights?? If I was you I would check out bike rental surely that would be a better option for you?
I do understand where you are coming from seeing as the weather window in the UK is basically 4 months. Be advised that Central Europe gets bloody cold in the winter as well. I had a place in SW France not far from Carcassonne which is less than an hour from the Mediterrian and come winter time it is bloody cold and stays that way from mid October through to mid April. I now live on the Costa Blanca which in the summer is to bloody warm to ride during the day, I am not one of the idiots who will ride a bike in Tee Shirt , shorts and open toed shoes.
Lew 

[chr999chr]

Your insurance as stated is likely to be limited to only so many days a year. If memory serves me right Carole Nash will do longer cover but pretty sure it is not more than 90 days at one stretch.


How would they find out that it is not in the uk? Maybe if it was stolen from where it was stored it might get a bit sticky.
 

To actually think about keeping a bike in central Europe and jumping on a plane when you get cheap flights seems to me personally to be a bit daft, expensive bike /cheap flights?? If I was you I would check out bike rental surely that would be a better option for you?

 
I did check the price of renting a bike its around £130 per day most have limited miles and you have to leave a large security deposit. The bike is only worth 2k and with a bit of searching flights can be obtained for under £100.
 

[Pat]

Your insurance as stated is likely to be limited to only so many days a year. If memory serves me right Carole Nash will do longer cover but pretty sure it is not more than 90 days at one stretch.


How would they find out that it is not in the uk? Maybe if it was stolen from where it was stored it might get a bit sticky.
 

In the event of an accident &/or claim they will ask for evidence of ferry/chunnel bookings.

[Phil]

How would they find out that it is not in the uk? Maybe if it was stolen from where it was stored it might get a bit sticky.
 

I'd make sure I was covered if I was riding abroad. If you have an accident which is your fault and you aren't covered you might be spending longer in the country than you would like.


http://carolenashuk.epticahosting.com/selfcarolenashuk/template.do?id=80&name=Is+there+a+limit+to+how+long+I+can+ride+abroad+for%3f

Is there a limit to how long I can ride abroad for? The length of time you can ride abroad for varies by insurer and can be anything from 30 days to the full year. This information is shown in your Policy Schedule.

[Phil]

I think with my current policy I'm only insured fully comp abroad if I tell them the dates, maximum 30 days for a trip I think. Otherwise its the equivilent of TPO. I've told them its kept at my usual home I reckon I'd not be covered if it was actually kept abroad.

[rustyrider]

It certainly wouldn't be covered for theft if it was stolen from storage in a foreign country because they ask where it is kept.  When I renewed my insurance recently they had it down as kept in the garage at my home address and had to check if it would make a difference when I told them that due to the amount of crap in my garage I actually keep it in a locked shed.  As it is alarmed, chained up and the shed is locked it made no difference but even if I decided I couldn't be bothered to put it in the shed and it was stolen from my garden, it wouldn't be covered.

[Gordo]

Never mind the insurance, tax and MOT, you have the issue of importing a vehicle and the requirement to register it within a specified period.

The simplest way I can see to do it is to ride out there in the spring and bring it back six months later. That way, insurance permitting, you're in the clear on all counts: registration, tax and MOT.

[lew600fazer]

Your insurance as stated is likely to be limited to only so many days a year. If memory serves me right Carole Nash will do longer cover but pretty sure it is not more than 90 days at one stretch.


How would they find out that it is not in the uk? Maybe if it was stolen from where it was stored it might get a bit sticky.
 

To actually think about keeping a bike in central Europe and jumping on a plane when you get cheap flights seems to me personally to be a bit daft, expensive bike /cheap flights?? If I was you I would check out bike rental surely that would be a better option for you?

 
I did check the price of renting a bike its around £130 per day most have limited miles and you have to leave a large security deposit. The bike is only worth 2k and with a bit of searching flights can be obtained for under £100.

I have a solution for you. As I live in Spain all year round and I am only 50 mins from Alicante airport . I can offer you undercover parking , keep the bike on an optimate, Do airport runs etc! Show you the best roads in the area. Bike storage €30.00 a month, airport service €60.00 return
I have a one bedroomed apartment I rent out €150.00 a week. We have a 8x4 mtr swimming pool.
We live in Northern Costa Blanca between Caple and Moraira.
If interested send me a PM. and anyone else interested.
Lew

[solorider]

Ebike insurance state 365 days a year euro cover

[chr999chr]

Ebike insurance state 365 days a year euro cover

Ok thats the insurance sorted now the mot. So i ride it out one year and ride it back the next year for the mot.
 
My problem is time and cash. It normally takes me around 3 days to get to the Alps or mid Germany from the North of Ireland then 3 days to get back so i have wasted a week already. I am looking to explore eastern Europe or even a bit of Russia. I could hire a bike but at £1000 per week limited mileage and £1000+ security deposit makes it all a bit unattractive.

[BBROWN1664]

Alps or mid-German in three days? Are you pushing the bike there?

How about getting a friendly foccer near London/dover to store a bike for you? It's only a days ride down to the alps/mid Germany from there and you avoid all the crap that goes with the storage in Europe.

[lew600fazer]

Alps or mid-German in three days? Are you pushing the bike there?

How about getting a friendly foccer near London/dover to store a bike for you? It's only a days ride down to the alps/mid Germany from there and you avoid all the crap that goes with the storage in Europe.

As it appears the lad lives in N Ireland , the fastest crossing is Larne to Carnryan in Scotland 1hr 30 mins and then a 500 mile track down through the UK, another 1 hr 20 min Dover /Calais ferry and if he does that in a oner on the road time is likely to be min 13 hours. Reckon I would be feeling a bit tired after that, certainly a numb bum and bored shitless mile munching down the motorway. Your suggestion friendly foccer in Dover area has a lot going for it. But a bit confused with the cheap flights bit in earlier post. Touring Eastern/Central Europe you are still looking at summer time late spring to be touring over there as come mid September it is going to cool rapidly, speaking from experience here as I know how bloody cold it gets in SW France.
lew