European bike websites

serious3

Other than eBay.de/fr are there any other done deal type sites for looking at s/hand bikes?

blade1

There sure is
https://m.mobile.de/fahrzeuge/auto/?psz=0&vc=Car&dam=0&ms=;&mga_d188=DesktopHomepageAutomaticRedirect

They have an app as well.

batman_oh

Wouldn't buy in France as lots of restricted stuff I think. Mobile.de is the best German site and moto.it for Italy.

With the sterling as is the UK is probably a better bet now for most stuff.

homer90

https://www.autoscout24.com/motorcycle?genlnk=navi&genlnkorigin=gb-all-all-home

Spend hours on that god damn site.

serious3

homer90 wrote: »

https://www.autoscout24.com/motorcycle?genlnk=navi&genlnkorigin=gb-all-all-home

Spend hours on that god damn site.

Thanks, that's my evening sorted

landmarkjohn

I was looking at 2nd hand prices in Germany for BMW GS 1200 late last year and I didn't think there was any real value compared to Irish prices.

listermint

landmarkjohn wrote: »

I was looking at 2nd hand prices in Germany for BMW GS 1200 late last year and I didn't think there was any real value compared to Irish prices.

They maintain their price in Germany everytime i look.

galwaytt

I've bought a lot of bikes in Germany over the years and they do hold their value : they depreciate to a certain level and then level out irrespective of age.

So why buy then if on paper more expensive than here ? Condition, condition, condition. Simples.

No or very little winter use means corrosion is a non issue compared to the same age bike here.

serious3

And the TUV test means that they are well maintained

MSVforever

Prices in Germany are generally a bit cheaper than in Ireland. However if you factor in VRT and transport then you would break even.
As mentioned above the condition of the bikes are usually better as most Germans put their bikes away in the winter and they ve to be nct'd as well.

Hotblack Desiato

Importing from Germany is a pain in the hoop if you want to ride it back, you have to get a temporary number plate etc. A friend of mine did it and it was worth his while as the specific bike (BMW airhead) he wanted is hard to find elsewhere.

What I suggested to him was avoid the German red tape by bringing the Irish number plate off his other bike here and riding home on the bought bike using that. The reg no. wouldn't belong to that bike, but would be in his name, and the bike was insured anyway on his Irish policy using the frame number*. Foreign cops won't care unless they've stopped you for something else illegal you've done (and maybe not even then.) so if you were going to run into trouble anywhere, it would be here...! You could avoid that by taking the number plate off entirely when getting off the ferry and VRTing it as soon as possible.

* When I imported a used bike from the UK and rode it back I got it added to my policy using the frame number and let them know the Irish reg a few days later when I VRT'd it.

macplaxton

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

* When I imported a used bike from the UK and rode it back I got it added to my policy using the frame number and let them know the Irish reg a few days later when I VRT'd it.

When I've imported a number of used vehicles from the UK, the insurer has been happy to add it to the policy using the UK registration mark. Even the miserable ones that charge an admin fee (I'm looking at you No Nonsense/FBD) shouldn't (and in my case didn't) charge a second admin fee for the change from UK to IRL reg a week or three later.

Sometimes it's better to take advantage of the 30 day booking window, so you are registering at the beginning of a month to avoid getting short-changed on paying taxes for the whole month.

Hotblack Desiato

Bike road tax is low enough to be not worth stressing about time of the month...

listermint

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

Importing from Germany is a pain in the hoop if you want to ride it back, you have to get a temporary number plate etc. A friend of mine did it and it was worth his while as the specific bike (BMW airhead) he wanted is hard to find elsewhere.

What I suggested to him was avoid the German red tape by bringing the Irish number plate off his other bike here and riding home on the bought bike using that. The reg no. wouldn't belong to that bike, but would be in his name, and the bike was insured anyway on his Irish policy using the frame number*. Foreign cops won't care unless they've stopped you for something else illegal you've done (and maybe not even then.) so if you were going to run into trouble anywhere, it would be here...! You could avoid that by taking the number plate off entirely when getting off the ferry and VRTing it as soon as possible.

* When I imported a used bike from the UK and rode it back I got it added to my policy using the frame number and let them know the Irish reg a few days later when I VRT'd it.

I'm lost did you say transfer the reg from current bike over?

I thought the reg was only issued at point of VRT therefore you wouldn't know the reg until given to you

Hotblack Desiato

listermint wrote: »

I'm lost did you say transfer the reg from current bike over?

I thought the reg was only issued at point of VRT therefore you wouldn't know the reg until given to you

Yes. It's illegal (here) but you'd be legal-ish as far as the German authorities are concerned, foreign reg bike which is registered in your name and is insured in your name. I doubt they have the capability to look up the records in Shannon to discover that actually that plate belongs to a different bike owned by you. You'd have to have committed a pretty serious offence for them to be bothered to check with the authorities here.

AFAIK you are probably legal to ride here with no plate on a newly imported vehicle until you get it VRTd and get an Irish reg no. (or 'identification mark' as the RTA calls it.) The alternative is to ride around until then with a foreign reg which has no legal validity here (but under international agreements we agree to allow foreign motorists to drive here on foreign plates.)

Countries like the UK where the plate stays with the vehicle for life are fine for importing, it's Germany's weird system where the plate belongs to the owner not the vehicle which causes this problem.

Rob.CZ

Looking at the prices from this German site, I think it is cheaper to buy in Ireland.