Hi There,

Planning a european trip starting and ending in the UK for approx 3 months length. Want to know if as a foreigner (australian) i can buy, register get insurance etc in the UK. Also want to know if anyone knows of any bike dealerships that will do a guaranteed buy back of the buy back of the bike?

Any pointers would be great.

Thanks,
Travis.

There's plenty of info on this ownership & insurance question on the HUBB already - have a look around. (Short answer is yes, and yes.)

A guaranteed buy back? Now why would any dealer do that? And even if you could persuade one, then the offered rate would be very low indeed. Maybe others know better, but I can't see how this option could work for either party.

But the solution is easy - buy a bike to ride, then sell it at the end. If you find something fairly cheap in the first place, you won't lose too much on resale. You speak the language; the systems are easy. No worries. Give yourself a fortnight at the end, minimum. London is a big town; and the seasons aren't as important to prices as your home.

If you know something about bikes, all the better, but even if you are not too knowledgable, I wouldn't worry too much: take advice, be prudent, you should be okay. Bikes in UK are better maintained than most places in Europe. Ebay has lots of cheap bikes. If you are touring Europe then you have a huge range of possibilities. You can find a runner for under two grand (GBP) and sell it for similar I am sure.

By the summer you'll doubtless get a pound for 2AUD, which will help too.

Good luck,

Simon

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Simon Kennedy
Around the world 2000-2004, on a 1993 Honda Transalp

I agree with Simons' points: Yes, it would be a great service if bike dealers in the UK would provide such a service, but in truth, I don't reckon there is one that is up to the task, among the big ones that is. If you do find one, then you can be sure that the deal will be in their favour.
I think it used to be the case, many years ago, that some dealers did do such a thing for riders who visited from the USA - this was when the $US ruled the world and I reckon that they paid handsomely for the deal.

Try looking through here, as well as the for sale thread:-
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-swap-or-rent/
This linked thread has not been in use for long, but it came about because of your type of interest.

Good luck with the searching,

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Dave

Thanks for the replies guys.

Actually i live in HK not in Australia so i'm getting screwed at the moment as the Hong Kong dollar is pegged to the US.

I'm not super bike savvy only in my second year of riding and don't know how to do any maintenance.

I wouldn't be expecting them to buy it back at the same price as i bought it for. The bike would have more natural wear and tear on it and I would take a hit for the convenience of not having to mess around at the end servicing it and taking the time to find some one to buy it.

I guess I could just buy the bike and take it to any shop that would buy it? Or do most shops only do trade-ins?

I not rich but i'm more time poor if you like. I'd rather spend those 2 weeks on the road than trying to sell it.

Guess i'll have to call around some more of the dealers?

Remember that dealers have to pay taxes and make profits both ends, selling and buying, so what they can offer you - even if they are generous (and they're not) - is immediately 30 or 40 per cent lower than private. This is certainly the case for selling - you'll get a better price on ebay than from a dealer.

There are plenty of people who will give good advice on what bike to buy on this site. You could ask? A ten year old multi-cylinder honda with something of a service record, would be my suggestion as a starter, but that depends on what you are after. There's a place on this board for "what bike?". Lots of help around here - for how to prep the machine, where to go, what to take, you name it.

Simon

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Simon Kennedy
Around the world 2000-2004, on a 1993 Honda Transalp

Hi Travis,

Me and a mate (both Australian) will be riding around Europe from July to November this year. I had similar issues to sort out (my mate lives and works in the UK so not so hard for him). I ended up buying a bike through this website which was very reassuring and has worked out very well. I plan to sell it in the UK when I finish my trip, hopefully via this website again. I looked a lot on ebay and other classifieds in the UK but the peace of mind of buying from here won over in the end.

Insurance is a real pain in the ass for non-UK residents. I am getting a green card through Knopf Tours which has received some good words on this site. That is about the equivalent of our 3rd party compulsory insurance in Australia, and covers all EU countries. You might be able to get it cheaper, b/c Stefan at Knopf is an agent but personally I am happy to pay for the good word of mouth. He has insurance for breakdown and theft also.

We are starting and finishing in the UK, going by ferry to Denmark, riding around Scandinavia, via Russia if we can sort out visas and then down through Eastern Europe and back via the Adriatic coast and anywhere we missed on the way south. Trip starts July 10 and ends in late October. Would be keen to catch up if our paths cross.

Cheers mate,
Damien

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Keep passing open windows...

Hi Damien,
Hope you have a great trip. The uk insurance thing is a pain in the arse. Did you get your mate to buy and register the bike in his name?
As much as I can find out if you aren't a uk resident then the insurance companys don't want to know you. You mentioned Knopf. Will they get you insurance for a uk registerd bike riden by a mad Aussie? I'm interested in any info you have on this. Again have a good ride and keep it upright.
Cheers James