Classic from the 30's - never registered

murphym7

Hi Folks,

Asking a question on behalf of a friend. He has just bought a classic from the 30's which has never been registered. He has been passed from piller to post so far - anyone been through this, and if so what are the steps needed to register the classic (bike). I know this forum is for cars but the process should be the same?

Any help much appreciated.

KTRIC

What sort of bike is it ??

murphym7

KTRIC wrote: »

What sort of bike is it ??

Its a BSA G14 - 1936 ish I think.

Silvera

Is it possible that it was registered but the plates were removed at some stage? ...or faded away? (most old Irish bikes had their reg numbers painted on in white).

If it was never registered, I'm sure you are entitled to apply for a 'ZV' or 'Year' plate. Personally I would opt for a 'Year' plate if the alternative is a 7-digit 'ZV' plate, i.e. ZV XXXXX. Such a large reg looks just wrong on vintage bikes/cars.

You will need proof of the age of the bike, e.g a letter from a vintage bike club confirming the year of manufacture. And probably a letter from a bike dealer confirming the chassis number
...or most likely you will have to bring the bike to an NCT station for physical inspection.

There is a thread over in the '4x4/Tractor' forum about a guy registering a vintage tractor - which may be of use to you.

corktina

you see a lot of bikes with three number ZVs. Maybe theres a series reserved for bikes?

galwaytt

corktina wrote: »

you see a lot of bikes with three number ZVs. Maybe theres a series reserved for bikes?

Its very straightforward . With proof of age, you just reregister it.....being a bike, it's a cheap process anyway.

carchaeologist

corktina wrote: »

you see a lot of bikes with three number ZVs. Maybe theres a series reserved for bikes?

Nope. You just get the next allocation.. and theres very few proper numbers left now.:(

macplaxton

corktina wrote: »

you see a lot of bikes with three number ZVs. Maybe theres a series reserved for bikes?

Er, don't think so. I went through this last month.

That's not to say they didn't do it in the dim and distant past with pre-87 registrations.

With ZVs, they were either from Carlow, Cavan, Clare & Cork or had buddies/family there....probably.

galwaytt wrote: »

Its very straightforward . With proof of age, you just reregister it.....being a bike, it's a cheap process anyway.

Straightforward with sufficient evidence. Without an original registration, it if it's deemed to be 1936 from all the acceptable evidence, it'll be deemed to be registered 1st January of that year.

Cheap process - VRT on an old motorcycle is NIL as motorcycles over 30 years old have a 100% depreciation discount applied.

Motor Tax for motorcyles over 30 years old is €22 now, but going up to €24 in January.

Sidenote: Three-wheelers such as Reliants, etc. are NOT cars for VRT purposes. They come under the same VRT regime as motorcycles.

Silvera

corktina wrote: »

you see a lot of bikes with three number ZVs. Maybe theres a series reserved for bikes?

If any logic had of been put into the original ZV system, 3-digit plates would have been reserved for vintage bikes and very early vehicles i.e. 1900-1915 vehicles.

carchaeologist

Silvera wrote: »

If any logic had of been put into the original ZV system, 3-digit plates would have been reserved for vintage bikes and very early vehicles i.e. 1900-1915 vehicles.

To be fair, when the original ZV plates were issued from the early '90s, there wasnt a massive scene for classics like there is now. It was adequate for its purpose at the time.

The big mistake was when that series was nearly exhausted just over 10 years on, that they just tacked on an extra number and made a mess of it completely. What should have been done is another unused series from the pre '87 alloctions be used. There was a few complete series' availible that would have freed up more space and still look authentic. It wouldnt take long for everyone to realise that there was a second series for imported cars. It would have surely also helped to curb the amount of taxbook ringing going on at the moment aswell. Year plate or 5 digit ZV, if you want your car to look somewhat original you dont have much choice do you.

Its a rediculous thing to have a registration series for imported classics thats meant to look authentic and original but is anything but. Small detail in the grand scheme of things, but still it could have been avoided with a small bit of thought.

I know im not the only one sick of a sea of ZVs at shows these days, and many of the supposedly 'genuine' cars are not.

macplaxton

I don't mind the the use of a ZV prefix, as it follows on the format with an unused series, but it should have been just up to the counties to use up the unissued numbers as there must have been loads in small places that didn't use up their original allocations.

Following the format though, was there anything preventing the authorities (apart from dim-wittedness) of flipping to a ZV suffix? xxxx ZV?

Whilst it's not been so much of a problem in the UK (because (relatively) they preserved their cars rather than running them into the ground / scrapping them and not raiding a load from their neighbours ), it still happens with age-related plates (be for imports or cars that have lost their original ID due to transfers) that any anorak can spot them a mile off, but it's less of an issue as they follow the old format.

Actually, never mind all the ZVs. One thing I do notice here is there aren't that many folk that bother to display their registration marks, whatever they may be in the prescribed format of the period.

murphym7

Thanks for all the replies lads - what is my friends first port of call? He was told Rosslare, email was then bounced to 3 other offices then back on the desk of the first guy in Rosslare!

hi5

Send the frame number and photos to the relevent club,get the year of manufacture verified.
Sign a sworn statment in front of a solicitor for no paperwork and never registered,costs about a tenner.
You could also fill out as much as possible of form RF134 and get it stamped by the Guards.
http://www.environ.ie/en/LocalGovernment/MotorTax/PublicationsDocuments/FileDownLoad,497,en.pdf
Present this to the tax office.

The problem for the revenue is its classified as a new vehicle with no paperwork or EU conformity cert.This should normaly go for an IVA which would generate paperwork and get issued with an 11 reg and be due VRT.
But this then conflicts with the fact that it was manufactured in the 30's this gives it vintage status,different VRT rate and a zv reg.
Hence the 'pillar to post' treatment.

Heres the tractor thread,
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056238772

corktina

can't you just find another bike of the same model on an Irish Reg and clone it, using the original taxbook.... ;-)