Personally I think you're just baiting the bear there Alex! - but it would be nice to hear what they have say to that particular issue...

Of course no-one wants to break the law intentionally, so it would be nice to know the 'official' line... but the whole situation does go to show how snowed under we have become with petty legislation, that really serves no useful purpose other than to line the coffers of the government...

I'd say the chances of getting stopped between the ferry port and your home on the return journey from a trip is miniscule in the UK these days!

xxx

it is, but the chances of getting caught by a DVLA camera is rather higher. you often see them beside mainroads.

Don't you love this country...

xxx

actually that & redlights is the ONLY time i agree with cameras on the roads. not only do they check for tax, more importantly they check for insurance. the more uninsured people off the roads the better, its bad enough when mr retard tries to kill you & has a policy to buy you a new bike.

Well said!

I just SORN'd mine when I left for the Americas and had no trouble at all when i came back. I booked an MOT where I came off the ferry and got some UK insurance sorted while i was in Holland before I left Europe.

On my last trip from Singapore, my insurance co wouldn't given me any insurance for the EU from Turkey onwards back home, they said I had to arrange it from the UK and not while I was on the trip so had no insurance at all that time. I got ins for Turkey at the border but at least I tried...

[QUOTE=... but the whole situation does go to show how snowed under we have become with petty legislation, that really serves no useful purpose other than to line the coffers of the government...

I'd say the chances of getting stopped between the ferry port and your home on the return journey from a trip is miniscule in the UK these days!

xxx[/QUOTE]

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Mike


www.singapore-scotland.blogspot.com
www.argentina-alaska.blogspot.com
My little Vid: India/Pakistan

BMW R1150GS
Suzuki DR650 SE: Ride it like ya stole it. Oh, somebody just did...

I agree uninsured drivers are a potential menace - however, the UK doesn't make it any easier - you cannot insure a vehicle with an UK insurance company unless it is registered in the UK - therefore, if you are traveling to the UK on a foreign machine, you have to get your insurance (minimum 3rd party) in mainland Europe... how stupid is that?*

It just goes to show that all the UK authorities are really interested in is revenue from their automatic number plate recognition systems - they don't have our personal interests at heart, all they care about is fleecing the motorist for as much money as they can get, especially the moment you don't comply with their ill thought-out legislation!

*I had to insure my US registered motorcycle in Germany, before I could ride it in my own country! While presumably the UK authorities considered that a vehicle traveling overland to the UK would have to pass though another EU country first (and thus obtain their insurance there) - what they failed to realise is that the UK is a major European port for sea and air freight, and many travelers from outside the EU will ship via the UK... who are then faced with the potential problem of not actually being able to collect their vehicle from the port!

Almost every other country in the world insures vehicles based on the VIN (chassis) number, so there is no need to register the vehicle in the particular country if you are merely a temporary visitor, you just insure it on the chassis number...

I'd suggest it is no coincidence that the UK has the highest proportion of road traffic cameras of any country in the world, and 20% of ALL the CCTV cameras in the world...

xxx

Well I figure if you're going to contact officialdom you may as well do it properly, so bear-baiting is fine by me (in the virtual sense). Mind you it occured to me last night just after I mailed, why am I doing this? I don't even live in the UK anymore! It should be up to one of you UK residents really.

I guess I just like to get an answer to these questions, so that when the next person posts about SORN-ing, we can just say "Go look at the sticky". Mind you they'll probably change the rules, and the sticky will be out of date, but...

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I didnt know a lot of that about trying to get into the UK JMo & Piglet, ive not travelled enough to learn these things. i agree with your comments about how shite the rules here are too.
all i can say is as we dont have traffic cops enforcing any level of driving standards nowdays its good that we have something to try & make the loons who shouldnt be driving able to pay for the damage they do.

personally i wouldnt trust anything to do with the British legal system further than i could throw gorgon slackjaw broon. too many bad experiences with them.

In addition to road Tax and MOT issues you'll need to consider vehicle registration.

I spoke to the DVLA about an imminent motorbike trip through Mexico, Central and South America (April '09 for 12 months +) and they informed me that "if exporting the bike for less than 12 months it remains registered in UK but if over 12 months I send them section 11 of my V5 (Notification of Permanent Export)". I wanted to keep my V5 intact (to reduce questions at border crossings on my trip) so they were happy for me to send them a photocopy of my V5 with a letter, stating I'm taking the vehicle out of the UK for 12 months or more and I'll re-register it on my return. Send to "Exports Department, DVLA, Swansea, SA99 1BD".

Haven't given returning the bike to UK much thought yet but if I decide not to risk it from UK port to home I'll get the thing transported all the way home in a van/trailer I guess.

Ollie

Greasy Sproket

Ollie, you don't need to though, both Harley Rider and myself have contacted the DVLA with very specific questions and both had the same reply, see post 16 on this thread.

All you need to do is write them a letter, no doubt a photocopy of your V5 would be handy to enclose, explaining you're off on a trip but not permanently exporting to any one country and your vehicle will remain registered in the UK, but you won't be liable for fines concerning tax-discs as you're not driving in the UK. You'll keep your full V5 for any stroppy border guards, and when you return you just go and MOT and tax it.

Nice and easy.

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FWIW, here's my 2 penn'oth

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...mot-road-32649

My understanding of EU law is that you should be able to get EU Green Card insurance anywhere in the EU, regardless of where the car is registered? I know there was some debate about this in my case (whether I could or couldn't buy it at the Russia/Latvia border with a UK-registered car) but I fronted up to the border and was sold it no problem.

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...ght=green+card

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www.overlandcruiser.wordpress.com

I know this is not necessarily helpful, but I followed the instructions laid out, and sent a letter to the address given with all the relevant info.

I followed this up this week with a phone call to check it had been placed on file, and found there were no notes there, and no record of my letter!

I explained the situation and the woman was adamant that I should EXPORT the vehicle. She was a nice lady and listened to my argument, and said she would double check and ring back. She did and she says that they are 100% sure that this is the way to do it. When we return to the country we just have to contact them to re-inport it.

I didn't have enough knowedge or time to argue and hence we will do this. Not sure if we will pay a price at a later date....

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Ollie

www.jollyfollies.com

Land's End to Sydney 2009

That is utter nonsense! You are not 'permanently exporting' the vehicle, just using it away from this country for a while... filling in that paperwork is as bad (actually worse) than not filling it in at all?!

The UK government is hell-bent on gathering statistics and revenue, and paperwork shunting in a desperate attempt to keep the public sector employed...

Just because they don't have the correct tick box for the very few people who are able to travel away from the UK for an extended period, it all goes to sh!t - computer says no...

Personally I agree with what TonyP suggested in the first page - don't ask the DVLA anything! It's only going to cause you more hassle than you need...

xxx

Why can't they just make up a story (sorry their minds) and stick to it. It was all looking like there was an easy and quick way to do things in a fashion that satisfied the mindless ones and now this.

Because I've got too much time on my hands I've e-mailed the person who replied to me and Harley to see a) if he's still there and b) what's the story, morning glory.

We'll see what happens.

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Hey Ollie,
We simply drove out of the country, said nothing, and when we got to Turkey we sent the SORN back to the UK.
Also did the same for our road tax but included a note explaining we were in Turkey and heading East plus asked for the refund cheque to be sent to a family member! No prob's.
When we got back we simply did the usual MOT, got insurance and filled out the SORN form that had come through in the post whilst we were away.
It wasn't an issue BUT that was last summer and things can change.
Hope this helps a little.
Dave