Hi all! We are heading to the UK in September 2011 and will be travelling around the UK and then off to Europe for three months. We are looking for a bike 1000cc and up; including panniers -riding 2up. If you know of anyone selling a bike or can provide any information it would be greatly appreciated.

Have a look at UK ebay. I bought a low mileage Honda ST1100 with panniers and topbox and a full service history a few weeks ago for the equivalent of 3,300 aussie dollars. It's the second time we have bought a bike in the UK to tour Europe. The vendor said no overseas bids would be accepted but I hit the "buy now" button and phoned him to arrange payment. After I paid a 100 pound deposit via Paypal he gave me 10 days to get cash to him and collect it.

As I am a Ulysses Club member I asked a UK member to check it out for me. I sent the money to the Ulysses member who collected and paid for the bike and is storing it until we arrive in May. He says it looks and rides like new. Perhaps a Hubb member could check a bike out for you if you contacted the local Community through this site. Second-hand bike prices in the UK are low at the moment because it's winter, so it's the time to buy.

We'll be going back in 2012 to use the bike again before we sell it. You are one year too early, or you could have bought it off us if you were interested.

Thank you for the info. I will check it out.

Something that overseas visitors are not necessarily aware of when considering buying a U.K. registered vehicle for short term travel, is that all vehicles including bikes must be registered to the keeper at a U.K. permanent address within one month of purchase, and you have to prove residence at that address. The DVLA can easily check your residential status when you send in the V5 registration document for change of ownership. This is all linked into insurance as well. If you aren't shown as the registered keeper of the vehicle on the V5 reg doc, you probably won't get any cover, and you certainly won't get 'green card ' cover for European travel. It is illegal to travel in continental Europe without full correct documentation with you.

The laws have been tightened up considerably and all the U.K. systems for registration, MOT ( safety testing), insurance and licencing are linked by a sophisticated computer network.

It's not as relaxed as it used to be, and it's very easy to get caught now with the automatic number plate recognition system (ANPR) which shows the police immediately and automatically any vehicles which aren't legally on the road. In many cases vehicles have been seized on the spot and sometimes destroyed afterwards, depending on the offense.

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pongo is right it's a pain for a visitor to register and insure a vehicle in the uk due to the need for an address, plus the paperwork is not quick in coming back from the dvla which you would need to have with you when travelling on mainland europe.

I can only agree with all the above but have never heard of the need to prove residency, people in shared houses or living as lodgers are not necessarily registered there in any way and have no proof of where they live so how do they manage?

Hi there. Curious to know when this tightening-up came into effect. Also wondering whether it will affect some friends who are planning to ride in Europe in the near future.