Question for UK riders.

[jed1]

Hi there UK riders,

Im planning on heading over to the UK in May next year to purchase a VStrom 650 for a 6 month UK/Europe/Russian journey. Ive been perusing the UK Auto Trader website and it seems I wont be short of bikes to choose from!! Which brings my to my question. I note that there is a requirement to have a (yearly??) MOT and tax certificate for a motorcycle. I was wondering, will I need to purchase a motorbike that has at least 6 months MOT/Tax or will I be able to pay those whilst Im out of the UK (Im assuming not as I believe that MOT is a mechanical inspection)? If this is not possible, am I able to purchase "extra" MOT/Tax or get the MOT/Tax renewed prior to both/either being due for renewal?

I hope these questions make sense.

Kind regards, Jed.

[John933]

Originally Posted by jed1

Hi there UK riders,

Im planning on heading over to the UK in May next year to purchase a VStrom 650 for a 6 month UK/Europe/Russian journey. Ive been perusing the UK Auto Trader website and it seems I wont be short of bikes to choose from!! Which brings my to my question. I note that there is a requirement to have a (yearly??) MOT and tax certificate for a motorcycle. I was wondering, will I need to purchase a motorbike that has at least 6 months MOT/Tax or will I be able to pay those whilst Im out of the UK (Im assuming not as I believe that MOT is a mechanical inspection)? If this is not possible, am I able to purchase "extra" MOT/Tax or get the MOT/Tax renewed prior to both/either being due for renewal?

I hope these questions make sense.

Kind regards, Jed.

Your question make's sense. Your best bet is to get the seller to put a year's MOT on the bike. Then you can pay for a year's tax. Can be done at any Post Office. The cost of the tax is to do with the size of the bike engine. The larger it is the more it cost. The top rate is 1000cc and over. For that size bike it's about £80, That's a good guess.


The problem you are going to have is a UK home address. You will need one of these to register the bike to. And get you insurance registered to. To get road tax at the Post Office, you will have to show them your V5 ( ownership of bike ), Insurance, and a MOT, Certificate.


Hope this help's
John933

[g6snl]

Yes get a bike with tax and mot as much as possible. It will make life easier for you. Just your insurance to get sorted after that. I'm sure if you use the search you will find the info on that here some where.

sent with tapatalk.

[jaamoo]

Hi jed1, I flew into London last May and picked up the vstrom I purchased whilst still in Australia. The MOT was still valid for a couple of months but the tax had expired. I just called into a post office as the previous post explained and paid 44 pounds for half year as I plan on putting it in storage after my 6 month trip.
Whilst I was in Northern Ireland I had an MOT test as I would be in Europe when it expired. Cost 22 pounds. You can have the MOT done anywhere in the UK.
Just to confirm what has already been said, you do need a UK address to have have papers etc sent to.
Motorcycle insurance can be a little more difficult. I had to tell a couple of pork pies on the internet application. They ask whether I have lived in the UK for 3 years. I accept if I make a claim they most likely will knock it back as I have not been truthful with the application but I accept that. My intentions were to get that piece of paper that allows me to travel through Europe as it's a requirement.
Having said that I've been as far as Turkey and no one has asked for it nor have they been interested in it when I've volunteered it. But I have had to pay for green cards in Croatia and Turkey, €10 and €30 respectively.

[chris gale]

Jamoo
Getting your claim knocked back. Would be the least of your issues . You have committed a fraud , which would be check able if stopped by the police , eg me . You would have your bike seized , be arrested and as a foreign national with no fixed abode held overnight for court .
Feel free to take your chances if you like but pulling stunts like that will get you in deep shxt if things wrong .

[liammons]

Originally Posted by chris gale

Jamoo
Getting your claim knocked back. Would be the least of your issues . You have committed a fraud , which would be check able if stopped by the police , eg me . You would have your bike seized , be arrested and as a foreign national with no fixed abode held overnight for court .
Feel free to take your chances if you like but pulling stunts like that will get you in deep shxt if things wrong .

This is something that has always puzzled me.

For years I worked overseas and never had a fixed address(owned no property and was out of the country for the majority of the year), I just used my parents address for such things as driving licence and for insurance on a car that I used if in the UK or on a couple occasions when it was worth my while to drive to where I was working.

How could I have done it differently/ 'correctly'? I think its just a technicality, and with all due respect of no great consequence. The bike is owned by a real person and the insurance, tax and mot are done and paid for, where is the fraud and who is he hurting?

[jed1]

Thank you all so much for the prompt replies, this was an area that did cause me quite a bit of confusion and its all significantly clearer now. I think it would probably be prudent of me just to purchase a bike that does have the required remaining MOT/tax, as has been suggested as it'll (hopefully) be one less thing for me to worry about.

I have previously made some inquiries with the UK DVLA (Dept of Vehicles and something, something?) and they wrote back and informed me that for purchasing a vehicle in my name, they will accept a "care of" address (friend, hotel etc) as long as I have the permission of the owner/occupier to provide that address.

As for insurance, I was not yet aware of the requirements, however am a little clearer now - but I still need to do a bit more research in this area. I do want to try to do everything 'by the book', but I can see a problem if insurance companies wont cover me if Im not a UK/European resident. Still not sure what Ill do there - especially if Im required to have insurance to travel through Europe..?! I have heard of a European insurance company (I believe they're a Swiss company) that specialise in motorcycle insurance for international travelers, but I cant think of their name off the top of my head.

You have all been great, thanks again.

[jaamoo]

Chris Gale
OMG. I'm glad I don't live in your world, it sounds scary.