Getting a bike to Spain, one way

[bob_summers]

Hi all

So I inherited my dad's gen 1 ZZR14 and against all better judgement I've decided to keep it. While I'm making rash decisions, I think I'm going to ride it from Cumbria to its new home in N.Spain rather than send it on a lorry, so about 7h to Plymouth, an unpleasant night on the ferry and a 3h ride along the coast to my house. Quotes are around 800-1000 to ship it, so price wise, inc ferry, fuel and flight, is around the same - what I'm not sure about is what I need to make it legal for the trip.

It hasn't been touched for a year, so it's sat there SORNed with a flat battery, no MoT, but was well looked after and in a dry garage.

What's on my to-do list to get it back? MoT, tax (can I get a month?), short term insurance/breakdown, a service would be wise, oil filters chain etc. I'm assuming doing all this once 'normality' is restored, so MoT stations open.

If it all turns out to be vastly more expensive or complicated, I'll just get it shipped. I'm not *that* desperate to do all those m-way miles. I would like to give it one last trip out to Wilf's at Staveley though, for sentimental reasons.

What do you reckon?

[rodbargee]

I know a man with a van that does regular spain trips hes called Ben and hes moved bikes for me and Others no complaints so far I can PM you a phone number... You have a PM

[bob_summers]

Rod, please do. I'm not fully convinced about riding it down yet - although as Harry says it will be a blast. If all 'this' has blown over by July I could take a week and make a mini tour of it.

Sensible decision is to sell the bike. I haven't ridden in 10 years. But in the grand scheme of things it's not worth that much especially in this climate. I feel like I need to give this a go.
Next-most sensible decision is to have it shipped. Saves doing things twice - MoT and 'tax' will need doing in Spain before I can re-register it.
The least sensible option is to jump on a freshly serviced bike and set off on a multi-day trip having not ridden for years! But it's the most appealing.

[erizo]

Go for it, it will be a cracking ride, maybe bring up a few good memories too.
Grab a brew by the lake, then set off.

Personally (because I'm lazy) I'd arrange for a shop to collect it, do a full service and MOT and then give it to me all ready to go.
You'll probably be tired at the end of it, but it's a great ride to do.

+1 on this.

When I came down here in ‘99, I rode down. I was living near Dover at the time, so got the chance to enjoy 2 1/2 days riding down through France and then onto Madrid (on a VF1000f). If it’s a permenent move, it’s a good way to get your head around a radical change of life.

Once here, your insurance will only cover you for a limited time, so check first exactly how long. If the bike is going to be permanently here, you will have to register it here with a Spanish plate. This involves going to the local traffic office (every major town has one) and filling in paperwork, then a trip to the local tax office to pay import taxes, then an ITV (inspeccion tecnica de vehiculos - Spanish equivalent of the MOT but way less strict) and then back to traffic to finalize everything. You will have to probably get a new headlamp lens to dip to the left, as a sticker won’t cut it at the ITV.

Do also remember that due to brexit, your UK license will only be valid for a limited time, so you will need to take the Spanish driving test and get a Spanish license - the window for a straight exchange expired in January.

So where abouts are you gonna end up?

[rodbargee]

Rod, please do. I'm not fully convinced about riding it down yet - although as Harry says it will be a blast. If all 'this' has blown over by July I could take a week and make a mini tour of it.

Sensible decision is to sell the bike. I haven't ridden in 10 years. But in the grand scheme of things it's not worth that much especially in this climate. I feel like I need to give this a go.
Next-most sensible decision is to have it shipped. Saves doing things twice - MoT and 'tax' will need doing in Spain before I can re-register it.
The least sensible option is to jump on a freshly serviced bike and set off on a multi-day trip having not ridden for years! But it's the most appealing.

Generation 1 or not it will still be plenty quick enough if you wring its neck, I found ben to be really helpful and a good egg, also I'd love to ride down there on one.

[Rockburner]

Rod, please do. I'm not fully convinced about riding it down yet - although as Harry says it will be a blast. If all 'this' has blown over by July I could take a week and make a mini tour of it.

That's the best idea yet. Turn it into a proper holiday.

[hilldweller]

against all better judgement

What do you reckon?

I reckon the world is not a fit place for it any more. Cameras cameras cameras. Very sad.

Have you looked at the problem of owning it over there ? Is it not a case of coming back to UK for an MOT or jumping through hoops to get it transferred to Spanish registration ?

[bob_summers]

I must admit, I am leaning toward riding it down

[mention]erizo[/mention] I've been here now for 10 years, País Vasco, so the bureaucracy is more-or-less straightforward. I wasn't aware of the headlight though, I thought newer projector beam units just dip downwards? Bugger, that could get expensive. Also wasn't sure if the speedo had KMH marked on it - almost certainly will have but last time I saw the bike I was thinking of selling it rather than keeping.

A mate imported his dad's VFR800 and it wasn't difficult, in fact it turned out it had been built in Spain in the first place.

[mention]hilldweller[/mention] I'm not sure there are any more cameras now than there were the last time I was riding? It may be so.. I don't really notice as I drive a van with half the horses of a ZZR14 and very rarely trouble the legal limit

[hilldweller]

@hilldweller I'm not sure there are any more cameras now than there were the last time I was riding? It may be so.. I don't really notice as I drive a van with half the horses of a ZZR14 and very rarely trouble the legal limit

I've just driven to Benidorm and back. Just got out in time and then a French speeding ticket drops through the letterbox. 86 kmh in an 80. Your bike will rocket past that in first gear won't it ? The good news, €45 and no points.

Well I seem to have seen a massive increase in cameras over the last few years, loads quite sneaky small grey things. It's just so easy for them now with digital cameras, just plant them and watch the bank balance grow. Not only that the penalties for speeds I used to do are really silly, prison and your vehicle crushed in some places.

[Yorick]

Once here, your insurance will only cover you for a limited time, so check first exactly how long. If the bike is going to be permanently here, you will have to register it here with a Spanish plate. This involves going to the local traffic office (every major town has one) and filling in paperwork, then a trip to the local tax office to pay import taxes, then an ITV (inspeccion tecnica de vehiculos - Spanish equivalent of the MOT but way less strict) and then back to traffic to finalize everything. You will have to probably get a new headlamp lens to dip to the left, as a sticker won’t cut it at the ITV.

The ITV here is very strict. Must be 100% standard. Standard silencer etc and even the back end must be standard. Most folk put on tail tidies, but they fail straight away.

When I imported my 2013 gsxr1000, it had a flat beam. Took nearly a year to get through as it confused them LOL

[bob_summers]

Yeah the ITV is a sod. Run by the Germans (TuV) - every mod has to be homologated, even a towball. Last time the van was in I was chatting to a bloke having a retest as they'd failed his bike for having a double bubble screen I was in for a retest as a glowplug had put the engine light on - instant fail, they won't do the emissions with an engine fault. Our local centre well known for being strict - owners of older stuff tend to drive to Pamplona (2h round trip) as it's more lax.
Things like campers are a nightmare, everything needs inspecting by an engineer. I tried to import my classic VW and because it had been left the factory as a panel van and was now full of mods - pop top, windows, bed... the cost was prohibitive and it went for scrap in the end.

That said, as it's drive-thru, you get to watch them do it and it does feel like VFM.

[Yorick]

Yeah the ITV is a sod. Run by the Germans (TuV) - every mod has to be homologated, even a towball. Last time the van was in I was chatting to a bloke having a retest as they'd failed his bike for having a double bubble screen I was in for a retest as a glowplug had put the engine light on - instant fail, they won't do the emissions with an engine fault. Our local centre well known for being strict - owners of older stuff tend to drive to Pamplona (2h round trip) as it's more lax.
Things like campers are a nightmare, everything needs inspecting by an engineer. I tried to import my classic VW and because it had been left the factory as a panel van and was now full of mods - pop top, windows, bed... the cost was prohibitive and it went for scrap in the end.

That said, as it's drive-thru, you get to watch them do it and it does feel like VFM.

Everything goes through the same building here. I went with a pal a while ago and there was the tourist mini-train from the sea front, complete with 5 carriages

[erizo]

Once here, your insurance will only cover you for a limited time, so check first exactly how long. If the bike is going to be permanently here, you will have to register it here with a Spanish plate. This involves going to the local traffic office (every major town has one) and filling in paperwork, then a trip to the local tax office to pay import taxes, then an ITV (inspeccion tecnica de vehiculos - Spanish equivalent of the MOT but way less strict) and then back to traffic to finalize everything. You will have to probably get a new headlamp lens to dip to the left, as a sticker won’t cut it at the ITV.

The ITV here is very strict. Must be 100% standard. Standard silencer etc and even the back end must be standard. Most folk put on tail tidies, but they fail straight away.

When I imported my 2013 gsxr1000, it had a flat beam. Took nearly a year to get through as it confused them LOL

round here it depends on where you go.

my normal `friendly´ ITV station has changed hands, so i went to the local one that supposedly was pretty easy going.

the engineer took one look at all the mods on the lardmobile, shook his head, and that was it.

i´m currently putting the standard pipes and filter on it ready to do an homologation of the mods through a brother in my ex-club who runs a shop south of Madrid, then i don´t have to worry about the ITV again.

it´ll be about 400 euros, but then it´s done and dusted.

[bob_summers]

Another daft question, but here goes: I need to transfer the ZZR into my name and SORN it (it's already sorned but I gather I have to do that too), with a letter explaining that it belonged to my late dad.
My sister has the v5 so I'd have to ask her to do it, but given the situation I'd rather she didn't stand in the post office queue on my account!

I think I know the answer, but can this be done online?

I guess the sending of a physical paper v5 is what stops people just randomly transferring or scrapping each others vehicles but it's worth asking