Buying a bike from mainland Europ

Gazza09

Hi All,

Has anyone ever bought a bike in mainland Europe? I have seen a bike in France but communicating is extremely difficult and wondering about logistics on getting it back to Ireland?

Any information would be great.

Thanks in advance.

Jeff2

Just get details and insurance then go over and ride it back.
Tunnel to England and ship to Ireland.

You will need to pay vtr on it with in a few weeks.

Del2005

Just make sure you get a full fat bike if buying in France. They restricted bikes to 100bhp but it looks like the law was planned to be changed, but I'd rather see an official release rather than the link below.


https://www.autoevolution.com/news/france-lifts-100-hp-ban-on-euro-3-motorcycles-106522.html

Only issue with buying from the continent is that the lights will blind other road users here due to the beam being flicked up the wrong way. See if it's easy to flip the flick or try for a flat beam. You can get beam benders but IMO they look tacky, they are fine for a few weeks away but not for long term use.

Zascar

What are you buying? Mate of mine bought an SP2 in Germany. It was a minter - I told him to just get it shipped back. He decided to go over and get it and ride it home. Pissed rain the whole way back - he regretted not shipping it.

GBX

What would Frances version of Donedeal/Adverts be ?

Effects

GBX wrote: »

What would Frances version of Donedeal/Adverts be ?

Le Donedeal.fr

frozenfrozen

deal c'est finis

two wheels good

Jeff2 wrote: »

Just get details and insurance then go over and ride it back.
Tunnel to England and ship to Ireland.

You will need to pay vtr on it with in a few weeks.

Don't overlook ferry options.
Cherbourg, Caen, Le Harve, even Dieppe to N'haven.
Depends where the bike is of course, but there are a lot of tedious miles involved - on both sides - using the tunnel.
Cherbourg to Rosslare too

frozenfrozen

I think there can be problems now trying to start a policy on a bike without it being on irish soil so you would have to be sure your insurance would let you do it

two wheels good

frozenfrozen wrote: »

deal c'est finis

marché faite (fait?)

Del2005

frozenfrozen wrote: »

I think there can be problems now trying to start a policy on a bike without it being on irish soil so you would have to be sure your insurance would let you do it

Don't some European countries offer transit plates with insurance?
People are constantly going to the UK to buy and getting insurance so it's obviously not that difficult, most companies will only cover for 30 days on the foreign reg. But you only have 30 days to VRT and with bikes there are no surprises on cost once it's not considered new, <6k km or <6 months old.

frozenfrozen

Del2005 wrote: »

Don't some European countries offer transit plates with insurance?
People are constantly going to the UK to buy and getting insurance so it's obviously not that difficult, most companies will only cover for 30 days on the foreign reg. But you only have 30 days to VRT and with bikes there are no surprises on cost once it's not considered new, <6k km or <6 months old.

I think it is just carole nash that won't cover a bike until it is on irish soil, you could then leave and go travel for your 30 days etc but the policy can't start outside ireland

don't think other insurers have a problem with it and it looks like a new thing from CN

http://www.biker.ie/forum/showthread.php?t=240232

CJhaughey

I say Fnck CN, if they can't insure it on a VIN number then they are a poor company.
If you buy in DE you can get transit plates and 30 days insurance straight away.
In fact you will have to as the plate follows the owner not the bike.
I'd buy in Germany if I was looking for a bike, they have a strict test, and tend to look after them well. Buy from a dealer and get it delivered to a French port and pick it up here in a Van.
You could always fly over and inspect it if you want to, riding back at this time of year just wouldn't appeal to me.

Gazza09

Del2005 wrote: »

Just make sure you get a full fat bike if buying in France. They restricted bikes to 100bhp but it looks like the law was planned to be changed, but I'd rather see an official release rather than the link below.


https://www.autoevolution.com/news/france-lifts-100-hp-ban-on-euro-3-motorcycles-106522.html

Only issue with buying from the continent is that the lights will blind other road users here due to the beam being flicked up the wrong way. See if it's easy to flip the flick or try for a flat beam. You can get beam benders but IMO they look tacky, they are fine for a few weeks away but not for long term use.

Could you just get secondhand UK/Irish headlights or would that lead to more issues?

Del2005

Gazza09 wrote: »

Could you just get secondhand UK/Irish headlights or would that lead to more issues?

If they fit them no problem. Getting 2nd hand headlights will be the issue as most bikes then to have collisions to the front.

Gazza09

CJhaughey wrote: »

I say Fnck CN, if they can't insure it on a VIN number then they are a poor company.
If you buy in DE you can get transit plates and 30 days insurance straight away.
In fact you will have to as the plate follows the owner not the bike.
I'd buy in Germany if I was looking for a bike, they have a strict test, and tend to look after them well. Buy from a dealer and get it delivered to a French port and pick it up here in a Van.
You could always fly over and inspect it if you want to, riding back at this time of year just wouldn't appeal to me.

No I would definitely be getting it couriered back....any ideas on rough prices or who to get? trying to track down a cbf 600 (A2 licence) with full fairing, panniers and top box. seem impossible in Ireland/UK to get one

Gazza09

Zascar wrote: »

What are you buying? Mate of mine bought an SP2 in Germany. It was a minter - I told him to just get it shipped back. He decided to go over and get it and ride it home. Pissed rain the whole way back - he regretted not shipping it.

Looking for a CBF 600 with full fairing

CJhaughey

Have a look at mobile.de it's a massive site with loads of bikes

Cienciano

Get an app called autoscout 24. Really handy for searching for bikes on the continent and it notifies you when new ones come on the market. Overlanders ship bikes back from their depot in Germany for about €500 and lots of German dealers included nationwide delivery for cheap.

CJhaughey

Gazza09 wrote: »

Looking for a CBF 600 with full fairing

I don't think they ever came as a factory fully faired bike, the S has a 1/4 fairing
Some might have a semi-aftermarket fairing from Boxer design like This one but that wouldn't have been that common.

Riva10

Good website for Motorcycles for sale
https://suchen.mobile.de/fahrzeuge/search.html?vc=Motorbike

galwaytt

Not in the very recent past, but I used to bring bikes in from Germany regularly. I always had them shipped to my door. If you buy from a dealer, most will strap them on a bike pallet for you no problem and you can get them shipped. Overlanders are good too and I'd probably use them if doing again.

Some models I did get a deal on and got them to change the headlight.

If nothing else it avoids the whole number plate and insurance issue not to mention time. I think shipping works out cheaper.

Bikes from Germany are also fine-weather only usually due to winter weather so mileage is usually low too.

colm_c

I've brought in bikes from the uk a few times.

IMO, it would want to be something very special to be going to as far as France, given the language barrier, insurance, shipping and overall hassle etc.

Maybe different if you were going to make a bit of a holiday out of it and do a bit of touring while you're there.

galwaytt

colm_c wrote: »

I've brought in bikes from the uk a few times.

IMO, it would want to be something very special to be going to as far as France, given the language barrier, insurance, shipping and overall hassle etc.

Maybe different if you were going to make a bit of a holiday out of it and do a bit of touring while you're there.

Look up a company called Unit 5 Motos on Facebook. They source bikes all over France for subsequent sale in UK, usually smaller 2-stroke stuff.

They recently started blogging their on the road buying trip in France and it's a bit of an eye opener to me...........buying from a shop might be ok, but buying private seems a bit risky sometimes. ...

Realgonekid

galwaytt wrote: »

Not in the very recent past, but I used to bring bikes in from Germany regularly. I always had them shipped to my door. If you buy from a dealer, most will strap them on a bike pallet for you no problem and you can get them shipped. Overlanders are good too and I'd probably use them if doing again.

Some models I did get a deal on and got them to change the headlight.

If nothing else it avoids the whole number plate and insurance issue not to mention time. I think shipping works out cheaper.

Bikes from Germany are also fine-weather only usually due to winter weather so mileage is usually low too.

+ 1 on that. About 2 years ago I came very close to bringing in a bike from Germany. Had a deal done with Overlanders to collect and deliver to Ireland. Savings on the bike it's self were massive compared to the same bike here. I could save €2k and go up 2 years on a Z1K

galwaytt

Realgonekid wrote: »

+ 1 on that. About 2 years ago I came very close to bringing in a bike from Germany. Had a deal done with Overlanders to collect and deliver to Ireland. Savings on the bike it's self were massive compared to the same bike here. I could save €2k and go up 2 years on a Z1K

out of curiousity - you say 'came very close' - did you not do it in the end ?

Realgonekid

galwaytt wrote: »

out of curiousity - you say 'came very close' - did you not do it in the end ?

I wanted a 2015 or 16 Z1000 as I had a 2007 already but my head got turned by a 2015 BMW s1000r in Duffy's. I do a bit of work with them on and off and I got a great deal on it. I also and got more for the 2007 Z I had so if made the deal a bit sweeter.

So between one thing and another I bought here cause there was no real advantage to buy in German when it came to the S1KR.