Long term bike storage in europe for non european bike
 

Hi guys,

Maybe some of you have read my replies and questions in other posts.

I decided to create this new post because i dint find info about what i am searching,

I have a south america registered bike and i am planning to send it to europe and continue travelling there and Asia.

But before travelling with the bike in europe I would need to storage it for a couple of months (six).

I have read other post where i realized storage in UK should be possible (wheatwhacker, http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...t-europe-64511), but didnt find info about long term in other european countries for non european bikes.

Does anyone know something about this?

I would really appreciate your help as i am now in mexico and already planning to cross my bike in may.

Thank you all for your help!!

Nicolas

stirage in France
 

hola Nicola


I offer storage in Tours (in a village nearby) for international traveller. You can even stay a couple days if necessary !!
its very central to reach most europeean country


let me know if I can help in any ways !
laurent

Hi Nicolas


I am not sure about the red tape and laws but I live in the UK and have a very large garage. I can store your bike no problem until you get here.


Just let me know what is involved.


Happy to help fellow travellers.


Jane

Here's how I see things
 

That thread is an interesting find with the interesting idea of a database of "offered" storage; it's a shame that it didn't develop. but, like most things, it needs effort and management to get good ideas into practice.

So, regarding your question, I think there are earlier threads on this within the HUBB, perhaps contained in the "trip paperwork" sub-section.
The search function on the HUBB works quite well nowadays so that may bring up other information.

Here's how I understand things to be regarding the EU, bearing in mind that Europe is not (yet anyway) one homogeneous, single entity.

I don't think it matters where the registration for a foreign owned bike lies in this matter.i.e. it can originate from anywhere in the world outside of the EU.

The basic concept is that a bike can be kept in a country of the EU for a maximum of 6 months without any form of penalty (such as having to pay import duty), after which it is supposed to leave the country.

The regulations apply across the EU (and I am pretty sure were introduced as EU legislation) but are administered by individual countries: so, if the bike moves on across national borders at the end of a 6 months period then no one is any the wiser in my opinion (and this assumes that the authorities have actually made a checkable record for entry into a particular country in the first place - for the Schengen agreement countries there would be no formal record of crossing national boundaries as a person, never mind with an accompanying vehicle).
On that latter point the French have very recently started to talk about re-introducing passport checks at national boundaries as part of their reaction to recent events in that country, but that's French politics for you!

See elsewhere in the HUBB for the thorny subject of insurance for the bike.

I hope that helps, and I hope that I am right in the essentials!

thanks
 

thanks guys for your offers and your help!

walkabout...

what i understand about what you say is that my bike could be only for 6 months in schengen area?

thanks again!

nicolas

I don't know for sure. EU law/regulation etc etc is something of a mystery to most people and is widely ignored at all levels in any case, by individuals, organisations and even national government(s).

The EU rules about vehicles have been in place for quite a long time, possibly longer than the Schengen agreement.
In worst case, you move a vehicle across a national border, such as into the UK which is not part of the Schengen area, and then take it back over the border later. But, there is an overall rule that the vehicle can stay somewhere for a maximum of 6 months in any 12 months: I know that this is widely ignored by Brits living in, say, France - on the other hand that is a case of an EU registered vehicle moving across national borders.

London, for instance, has 1000s of Polish registered vehicles with sign writing, in English, on the van sides for business advertising.
Confusion reigns in the UK also of course-
Foreign vehicles entering UK should be recorded, say councils - Telegraph

My own interpretation is that it is no more than 6 months in any one country within EU, so 6 months in Portugal, 6 months in Spain add infinitum. In Portugal if you are stopped by police you have to prove you have not had the vehicle in that country for more than 6 months, so keep ferry tickets and any toll road receipts from other EU countries to show it was elsewhere. I may be wrong but that is my interpretation from folks living in EU who have had visitors. In Greece vehicle is impounded and subject to huge fine or else crushed with administration fees to add insult to injury.

I am sure some one on here will correct me if I have got anything wrong.

Hope this helps
GM

I wouldn't/couldn't argue with that which I had in mind when I said "administered by individual countries".
However, there are not enough hours in the day, or months in the year, to find out what exactly was intended for this bit of legislation.
Apart from which, we are being assured that further such ideas will come along to provide one common approach to everything in the EU to do with roads, transportation and travel.
Alternatively, the whole thing will fall apart, rapidly or less so.

Meanwhile, it seems that the Portugese police take some interest in the matter or are somewhat concerned at least, or they have less than busy days?
Maybe the Greeks will have more to think about next week, but I would be a little surprised if a lot of vehicles have been crushed for over-staying their welcome to that country.
Vehicles are crushed in the UK also but for different reasons generally, and without a UK registration plate those reasons are very unlikely to apply.

thanks
 

Guys, thank you all for your help!

I will surely contact you when I am in Europe.

Cheers,

Nico

I have several non European bikes stored here in Ireland.
We have never had an issue with the bikes not being registered in the EU.

WW

thanks WW!

I will visit yoiu when i am Ireland!

Nicolas

Well we will find out this year what the legislation is. We went from Israel to Italy with our South African bikes and when we entered Italy I asked as many customs people we could get hold off for some kind of paper work but got absolutely nothing. No stamps, no papers nothing. We tried to find out for some information about keeping the bikes there but were unsuccessful to date.

So we kept them in storage in Germany since 2012. Then went back last year to tour France, Spain and Portugal and back to Germany. This year we will try to go to Greece, Turkey and then Iran and back to Germany.
So we will see what will happen.

Promise? :)

Here is my situation:

2012:
I shipped a 2003 Goldwing (USA Model, registered in Canada) from Canada to Frankfurt in May 2012 and rode in Germany, France, Switzerland, Andorra, Spain and ended in Portugal end of June 2012. I stored my bike there until end of March 2013.

2013:
Picked up the Wing end of March went to Morocco April for 10 days. Spent 5 weeks in Spain and Andorra. in May we took the ferry from Santandar to Plymouth and spent 5 weeks in the UK. Stored the bike July 2013 in Glasgow.

2014
Picked up the bike May 2104 and ferried to Holland. Drove to north Holland and then south to Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland and returned to Germany to store the bike from July 2014.

2015
Will pick up bike in Germany in mid August and drive through Germany, Italy, Slovenia, Bosnia etc to Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey. Will return to Italy mid October to store the bike until Spring 2016 in Milan or near Rome.

Questions:
Anyone know of a place to store the bike in Italy?

What if any political, licensing, registration etc problems exist with my scenario of having my bike stored in countries for 8 or more months at a time?

Will I be able to sell my Wing when I am done touring, probably spring 2016? I heard that the UK would be easier.

I appreciate any and all ideas, suggestions or contact information

Perfect,

As long as i can see there would be no problem to storage my bike!

Thanks all!