Help Needed - Info on buying a bike in Europe
 

Hi Everyone,

I have a mete stuck in Germany at the moment after his engine blew. He is looking to buy a bike somewhere in Europe and continue his journey to Mongolia.

Is it possible to do this? How long would it take?

I told him that he would probably need someone else (resident of that country) to buy it and register it in their name and then provide him with a notary letter. Am i right in this?

Thanks
A

It's a very tricky one. The situation across Europe is that only residents of a country can legally register a vehicle in their name, visitors without a permanent address strictly speaking can't. There are however one or two people who might be able to help you with this issue. ( contact Kyrnos or Wheatwhacker). You could get someone to buy a bike and register it in their name and then lend it, but it will have to be their insurance and the user as a named rider, the named rider can't insure a vehicle not belonging to him. Your mate might be better off and quicker to source another engine for his bike, saves having to muck about with bureaucracy.

The problem too is, if he buys an engine the numbers won't match up with the log book, and in most places everything has to tally up, Balkans, Russia, etc, are a lot more stringent than the UK, I know this won't help you out but it might help being refused entry. Andy.

Surely it woul be handier to fly back to Ireland and get another bike?

Even allowing for getting the tax book back, it only takes 3 days to drive to the far side of Germany from any where in Ireland, so he'd be back where he is now in max 14 days with no headaches?

Ya liammons, I totally agree that that is probably the best option. What about just buying the same bike again and putting his plates on it? He still has log book. I know its a bit risky but I have never been checked for VIN or engine no. at any boarder.

I've never had the engine number checked, only the frame number. I'd get a motor as a last resort and risk it. We all know what he should do though - the right thing !!

He may well be OK doing that, but runs the risk of getting his bike seized anywhere along the route (even in EU,they do check particularly on that Germany to Poland route as it is a popular route for stolen vehicles out of the EU.

Could someone not get him a bike over the weekend and start the whole ball rolling with the tax book monday? Shannon are pretty quick at the moment, about a week turnaround time a couple times lately and one was an import getting its first Irish book.

I don't think I would chance the plate swap TBH, you are also in a hoop insurance wise if you do that. The wrong PC Plodski (though is there a right one:nono::nono::nono::nono:) could really throw the book at you then.

Whats two weeks anyway?

Though I suppose wing it if his schedule is very tight (if its a case of that or no trip at all),but like I say I wouldn't like to chance it. And I'm not too fussy!!

Not sure how he did it but he bought a bike in Hungary and drove onwards. Now in Turkmenistan!