advice for buying, registering, insuring bike in Europe by foreigner

jimbol

New member
Hi,

I'm an American who wants to get a bike with sidecar and do a European and Scandinavian road trip. Estimate of about 2 months on the road.

Can anyone help me understand the necessary details relating to legally owning and operating a bike in Europe as a foreigner? Where could I buy and register a bike with the least trouble, and where could I find insurance for the same?

I'll be in Italy at the start of June, when I'd like to kick it all off. I could go to pretty much any euro country where I could get it the purchase and insure done.

If it's possible, I'd be interested in then exporting the bike to the USA, but if too problematic, I'd sell it on after the trip, or find a storage option till the next time I'm there.

Thanks for any help/advice that you have to give!

Jim
 

ColinTheCop

Adventurer
Here's my take on the UK.

To own a UK vehicle you can drive it anywhere in Europe on your UK insurance, most insurance companies give you 90 days for free and you can pay to extend it.

I'm not sure if there will be an issue with you not having a UK drivers licence when you come to insure a UK vehicle in the UK. I guess students and the like can do it so there must be a way around it. I'd contact these people - www.adrianflux.co.uk This is the insurance company you go to when you have something weird or unusual. They will insure things other companies avoid. If it's possible, they will know.

I think your biggest problem though will be a lack of residential address. To buy and register a vehicle and I guess ultimately insure it, you will need some sort of registered home address in the UK. If you have family or even a friend in the UK that would do the job. You wouldn't necessarily have to live there, just a contact address.
 

Tony LEE

International Grey Nomad
I've owned a UK vehicle by using a friend's UK address, but since the vehicle was overseas, getting insurance wasn't an issue. I know Australians who have had problems getting insurance because they couldn't provide a UK licence with no fines over the previous two years.
We have a German registered motorhome which we have driven all over greater Europe over the last 6 years, but foreigners can't register and insure vehicles in the EU so we have an arrangement with the RV company we bought it from that they register and insure it in their name (insurance is more expensive of course) and we pay them a "management fee" for looking after things.

I know a group of Brazilians who have bought a MH in Italy, but they had to use a local Italian to act as proxy. Another Australian uses a friend in germany so as to be able to "own" their German-registered motorhome. We have similar problems in the USA because not all states allow aliens to own and operate a vehicle in that state. We own a Montan LLC and the company owns and operates the RVs so that solves the problem.


There are companies in the UK and in Holland who do Buy-Back deals for those wanting to use a motorhome for a few months, but I don't think a motor cycle with sidecar would be on their inventory list.

I know you probably aren't interested in using a car, but a couple of French manufacturers will lease you a brand new car for a couple of months complete with roadside service for a crazy low price.

Europe has a great insurance system that covers the whole of greater Europe (including Morocco and Turkey), but I believe the UK has no real equivalent so may need to get extras added to your insurance across the channel. Some also have pretty restrictive "away" periods as well.

We joined ADAC, the German roadside service company which covers you and the vehicle all over greater Europe as well, and that includes medical evacuation and vehicle return, but once again, you need an address. Bit under 100 euro a year
 
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