Moving to the UK

[BBBMLJ]

Hi

I'm moving to the UK early next year and want to take my bike with me (in a container with other personal items).

Has anyone had any experience with getting an overseas bike MOT'ed and Taxed in England?

I know it would probably be easier to sell it here and buy another one over there but I'm paying for the container so I might as well fill it.

I have emailed a couple of bike shops but they haven't replied.

Any advice or info would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

[J.A.W.]

You can legally ride around for a year as an international visitor, so deal with it when you've been there a while.. ( no data base/speed camera issues)..

You might want to find out what the deal is for private personal motor-vehicle importation duties-wise though..

Likely, the Pommy equivalent to LTSA (DVLA?) will have that data on its website..

[Big Dog]

I'll ask my in laws for some feedback but if I heard correct from them if it's rolling stock you pay duty on the new price. If it's got its wheels off and you declare it as parts nothing. There may be a limit to how soon you can register your parts though. I'll try an get better info tonight.

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[Big Dog]

If bringing in as rolling stock you need to be able to show you own the bike and when you purchased it. Or it sits on the dock until you can prove it. At a fee of course.
I don't recall why but having bikes on board definitely caused them some delays in getting their container released.
Their advice to me if I wanted to take my bike was to unload the bike at another port in the eu and ride it into the UK.

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[J.A.W.]

Hilariously, some bozo just pinged me with a -ve rep hit, for suggesting that an actual dedicated info site might be worth checking..
..apparently that amounts to dissing the forum membership - FFS, what a clown..

[slofox]

Hilariously, some bozo just pinged me with a -ve rep hit, for suggesting that an actual dedicated info site might be worth checking..
..apparently that amounts to dissing the forum membership - FFS, what a clown..

So here is a green to negate the effects of the red. I thought your replies were very useful meself. Ignore the loons.

[J.A.W.]

So here is a green to negate the effects of the red. I thought your replies were very useful meself. Ignore the loons.

Ta, bloody good of ya..

[BBBMLJ]

I'll ask my in laws for some feedback but if I heard correct from them if it's rolling stock you pay duty on the new price. If it's got its wheels off and you declare it as parts nothing. There may be a limit to how soon you can register your parts though. I'll try an get better info tonight.

Sent via tapatalk.

Brilliant - Thank you for your help

[BBBMLJ]

Ta, bloody good of ya..

'Approve' from me as well - thanks for your help

[J.A.W.]

Cheers, & all the best in Blighty..

[Big Dog]

You can legally ride around for a year as an international visitor, so deal with it when you've been there a while.. ( no data base/speed camera issues)..

You might want to find out what the deal is for private personal motor-vehicle importation duties-wise though..

Likely, the Pommy equivalent to LTSA (DVLA?) will have that data on its website..

A good starting point to get the legal lowdown is https://www.gov.uk/importing-vehicle...he-uk/overview and try and follow the twist a plot type instructions... go to the link provided to open a query with the DVLA.
Especially important if you want to import a bike over 10 years old.

[jonbuoy]

A good starting point to get the legal lowdown is https://www.gov.uk/importing-vehicle...he-uk/overview and try and follow the twist a plot type instructions... go to the link provided to open a query with the DVLA.
Especially important if you want to import a bike over 10 years old.

You get more bike for your money in the UK than you do in NZ. Just get one with summer miles only- a winter hack will have suffered with salt. Honestly its not worth importing your bike unless it has serious sentimental value.

[Big Dog]

The response. If you can prove you have owned it 2 years and will own it indefinitely just take it... bit only after considering is it worth it.

E.g. my bike is not. I can sell it here for about 5-6 k. I can buy an equivalent with less kms for about 3k-4k pounds. Cost of shipping weights that equation a long way from me taking it.
Less hassle and no 2-3 month wait for the bike to arrive.

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[smmudd83_1999]

If your bike has sentimental value than ship it. Otherwise it is a fool's errand. (it's a saying, I'm not actually calling you a fool)

Really, bikes are generally more expensive here on the used market. And the choice isn't quite as good (although that has improved somewhat in the last 10 years as big manufacturers are looking at developing lesser markets like us). There seems to be a minimum value that a half decent large-ish capacity working bike with Wof and rego is worth in NZ, like $3k. But you can pick up an OK decent size bike (600cc+) with road tax (rego) and MOT (wof) that doesn't want for anything for less than a grand (or 2k NZD) in the UK. I'm talking like big FZRs, old CBRs, old VFR750, BMW K75s.... In NZ, you only get bangers and project / basket cases for that.

eBay.co.uk is better than TradeMe, but the cretins behind the keyboard need treating with the same suspicion - no service history, walk away.
You can really get into the classic scene in the UK - choice of velocettes, moto morinis and lesser old stuff is a bit better.

I had a similar choice to make in reverse to you - I hail from the UK 5 years ago. I wish I brought my bike(s) with me, as my VX800 was sold for 800 GBP and it would have been worth about 4k here. And I sold my Guzzi California for 2400 GBP and it was worth a good $7k here, at least. But for you, the decision is opposite as you're going the other way around.

[Navy Boy]

Having just done this the opposite way around (Bringing 2 bikes from the UK to NZ) I would highly recommend not doing it unless the bike means an awful lot more to you than simply its monetary value.

One of mine was damaged at some point in its journey and I'm still having to wait for it to be repaired. It is stressful and any monetary gains you may/may not make are not worth it IMHO.

The used bike market in the UK is very good and you can pick up decent bikes for good money (Take a look on the motorcycle news website as a starter for 10) with the choice being plentiful.