Reregister my bike in France - what to do

[nephilim]

Has anyone successfully registered their bike here in France, just wondered what the actual process was and approx cost and timescale. Hopefully I wont have to change the speedo as it has kpm aswell as mph on it but obviously the headlight will have to be?

[Bugsy]

What bike do you have ?

Make, Model, BHP, Age, etc

[nephilim]

Hi,

Its a Kawasaki ZRX1100, 1999 & I think 106 bhp.

[Bob T]

I think that loads of us have reregistered our bikes in France, both of ours now carry French plates. If your bike is a 99, then there will be no C of C for it and you may have to change the speedo. I bought new Faces on ebay for peanuts and changed them on ours, but you may be subject to some sort of Drire inspection. SD will be along soon to let you know. By the way if you have not registered it here and as you have lived here for more than a month you will already be riding it illegally.

[nephilim]

Thanks for the replys. If there would be no C of C for mine does that mean I cannot register it? By the way, how do you know how long I have lived here (scary!) - don't worry it is currently on a SORN and in storage.

[Sunday Driver]

This is what you need to do to import and register your bike in France.

Firstly, visit your local tax office and ask them for a quittus fiscale certificate.  This confirms there's no import VAT to pay and it covers you for riding your bike on it's UK plates for up to a month whilst you sort out the rest of the registration formalities.  You'll need to produce your V5C and a utility bill.  The certificate is free.

Then send the tear-off notification of permanent export slip from the V5C back to the DVLA.  That will also cancel the SORN declaration.

Next you'll need to write to Kawasaki Motors Europe N.V and request an attestation d'identite (your bike is too old for an EU certificate of conformity - the attestation covers French national type approval).  Their address is Parc d'Activites de la Clef de Saint Pierre, Rond Point de l'Epine des Champs, 178996   ELANCOURT Cedex.  Tel:  01.30.69.00.00.  Include a copy of your V5C.  They'll probably charge you 120 euros or so for the certificate.

There's no CT for bikes in France and if your speedo reads in kms, then you won't have to change it.  Kawasaki might insist you change the headlamp before issuing the certificate but that's up to them - they might not.

Finally, go to your prefecture, fill in a demande de certificate d'immatriculation form and hand it in together with your V5C, Zawasaki attestation, quittus fiscale, original purchase invoice/receipt, passport and a utility bill.  Pay the registration fee (reckon on around 160 euros) and they'll hand you your new carte grise.  Get a rear plate made up and rivet it to the bike then find some nice cheap French insurance.

That's it!

 

[nephilim]

Thanks a lot for that detailed reply, looks like I have a lot to do. Better make my way to the tax office! Thanks again.

[Nomad]

Sunday Driver (er Rider?) thank you for the post above, a subject dear to most of us 2 wheelers headed into french teritory (where is the spill cucker when you need it).

I have the same issue with a '98 reg Honda CB500S which is the property of the-lovely-wendy I assume I will have to follow the same procedure (but write to Honda) I have spoken to Honda UK who have confirmed that a CoC is not available but they were unable to supply an address in France to get the correct doc to go forward.

The FJR doesn't seem a problem as Yamaha UK are sending me a CoC.

The Rocket 111 I believe Triumph UK send you away to talk to Triumph France:

Triumph SA
19 Boulevard Georges Bidault BT G1
Croissy Beaubourg
77437, Marne-La Vallee
CEDEX2

 

PS does anyone actually have the recipt for a second hand bike and if not (I don't) then is this something which is going to cause a problem if you cannot produce one?

[Bugsy]

[quote user="Nomad"]

PS does anyone actually have the recipt for a second hand bike and if not (I don't) then is this something which is going to cause a problem if you cannot produce one?

[/quote]

A hand written receipt is acceptable for a second hand bike, something I'm sure you can arrange.[;-)]

[Sunday Driver]

Nomad

Here is the address for the CB500 attestation d'identite:

Honda Moto Europe (South)
Service homologation
BP46
77312 MARNE-LA-VALLEE Cedex 2

 

[Nomad]

Once again Ta muchly - where do you get all these addresses from ?  I have tried google but guess just not got the knack.

[Sunday Driver]

It's the address where I got the attestation for my Pan European from.

Here's the contact details for the rest of the [url=http://www.drire.gouv.fr/national/vehicules/constr-moto.htm]motorcycle manufacturers[/url].

That's my secrets given away.........[:(].

 

[Nomad]

okay I now have a certificate on Conformance from Yamaha for my FJR and this is what I did...

I phoned Yamaha on 01932 358000 and asked for a Certificate of Conformance for my FJR, they asked for the Frame no, which I didn't have to hand so gave my Reg no and he told me the Frame no.  said they could issue a CoC for this bike but that I would have to write to them - I asked if I could send an email to which he said yes - so I sent an email to [email protected] on the 12th Apr

with the following text...

Good afternoon,

Further to our telephone conversation today regarding a certificate of conformance for my 2001 FJR1300 Reg No *******  Frame No ************. could you please send one to:

My Name & Address here...
*******
**************
*************

Thank you.

I recieved the certificate yesterday 18 Apr.

 

A last question though.  when registering in France do you have to have owned the vehicle (Car or Bike) for a minimum period for it to be a personal import to exempt it from import tax - I am not sure of the rules?

[Sunday Driver]

Result!  See, the system works!

There's no import tax if the bike's coming from within the EU.  As it's more than six months old, there's no French VAT to pay either.  [:D]

The quittus fiscale certificate you get from your tax office certifies that there's nothing to pay.

One down, just two to go.......[;-)]

 

[samanta]

I have a ducati 750ss currently in UK, but I'm hoping to get it here soon,

I've heard stories about difficulties with old dukes, is it as straightforward as all other bikes?

[:)]

 

 

 

[Deauville]

Bob - I can't find 'faces' on e.bay (except a certain R.Stewart) give us a clue how you found kph clock faces?

[Bob T]

Perhaps I should have explained a bit more. I got the speedo faces from ebay.de, and not from ebay.co.uk. I am not sure who the seller was now, but it would not be difficult to make them myself. They are printed thick card that has been laminated, but you wouldn't know that if you saw them fitted. Try taking your original faces out and scanning them so that you can edit and print them on the PC.

You can see what ours look like if you look here: CLICK HERE. Look in the bike mods catagory.

[Deauville]

Godd idea about scanning the existing dials - but you've obviously never had dealings with a Deauville! I had to change the plugs once and it took the best part of a day to take the fairing off to get to the little blighters! Taking the speedo head off doesn't bear thinking about, but thanks again. BTW tomorrow's the day it gets (hopefully) it's carte gris, so any day now I shall be looking for ride-outs. WHEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

[baldeagle]

Going slightly of post here, smiling at what you say about plugs on your Deauville!! I have had 4 Goldwings since 1989 and last year bought my current 1800.

Service history was a bit iffy so I decided to give it a good going over. With the help of an American owners site, I was sure I had my work cut out.Sunny morning right frame of mind, time to do the air filter.

By mid-day I had so many pieces scattered over my lawn,in an order for re-fitting I could understand, and all bolts on cardboard pushed through in the correct order, my french neighbour visited, "was I confident I could put it back together", what if it rains?, he walked away shaking his head and came back every hour to check on progress!!

Anyway eventually finding the air filter in the bowels of the bike, under a mass of wiring connectors, it was changed and bike put back together, everything worked, surprise, surprise and it went much better for a new filter,but begs the question, "why Honda making a bike for massive mileage cannot make a part like the air filter which needs regular changing more accessible, service costs, maybe?".

Anyway, got my carte gris yesterday, many thanks to SD, was told by Honda Paris I needed to change my injector box? 1075 euros, plus lights 1000 euros, a quick call to Honda UK and a certificate of conformity sent f.o.c. with a part inside saying, "for use in any EU country without modification" just may be worth trying if you are trying to re-register your bike and its a recent model.Saved me a bomb, ride safe.

[Bob T]

baldeagle, is your bike over the bhp limit? Were there any questions about that?

[Sunday Driver]

Good result for the bald one.....

A nice test case which has confirmed our earlier musings ( ramblings!) about bike conformity. 

In this instance, the bike was a post 1998 Wing which was built to EU specification under EU Whole Vehicle Type Approval.  Honda France mishandled his application for an EU certificate of conformity by insisting on the power rating modifications - which was clearly in breach of the regulations for EUWVTA.   Rather than argue to toss with them, a quick call to Honda UK produced the certificate which was sufficient for registration at the prefecture.

Note that some post 1998 UK bikes were allowed to be sold without EUWVTA up until July 2003, so it's best to check this out before bringing your bike over here. Non EU approved bikes still have to conform to French national type approval and be under 106bhp....[:(]

 

 

[baldeagle]

Hi Bob, well I can only tell you, as always it seems, this issue is not clear cut!! I hade a Yamaha Thunderace 1000 here and obtained insurance after showing the broker all the paperwork saying clearly it was 148bhp. BUT on trying to re-register Yamaha told me it was impossible in France and I was uninsured, any accident my fault or not and I would have been in trouble so back to the UK it went and was sold.I eventually got a refund on part of the policy and havent seen the individual who sold me the insurance at my brokers since!!

Back to the wing,I dont know where they measure bhp,crankshaft or back wheel.? I have seen many posts on ex-pat websites of people registering "higher powered" UK bikes here.I use an American website on 1800 wings and they say, 104 bhp at back wheel , 118 at crank. I cannot confirm this as accurate.

My Uk supplied Certificate of Conformity, shows 19cv, my carte gris, says 81 kw puissance nette maximale en kw si disponible? (available)and 16(what I dont know) puissance administrative nationale. So with all these different numbers and values swimming around in my head!! all I can say is I am pleased to be able to put French plates on and be legal?

I ride with SD and he may be able to throw more light on it but my honest belief is ,try it, every case seems to be different, long story but briefly, I had an BMW 1150 GS here, changed lights, not essential in my mind as adjustable for left or right but necessary to get French cofC, changed speedo, my choice,85 bhp so no probs there, I was abroad so a mate, fluent french speaker took all the papers but was unable to register, on my return took all the same papers, came out with carte gris, no probs. I am totally confused, sorry for rambling but all part of the "French experience" I think.

[Bob T]

Thanks baldeagle, it is still as clear as mud in my mind! I asked because of something that SD said when we talked on skype a while ago. If the bike is OK for Europe then the French must issue a carte gris. I therefore assume that if one was to buy a 130 bhp bike in the UK and bring it here with a C of C, then one should get a carte gris without further modification. Is that how you see it?

I assume that the power is always measured at the crankshaft, as with cars.

[baldeagle]

Bob, yes I read it exactly the same way, but my only concern is with the scenario I mention in my first paragraph, I have spoken to several french bike dealers, the guy at Yamaha Niort was adamant about my "lack of insurance" so what happens if you run someone over with your french reg 180 bhp hyabusa? will they inspect engine internals or just check chassis no?.

I spoke to a scooter dealer and we were discussing kids tuning them with mallosi kits up to 80 cc and loads more power and speed (relative) he said police would confiscate and crush if found out.

Another point is why would a serious french biker buy a 106 bhp Busa or R1 here, at the same price as the UK,when he could go and buy one new in the UK at full power and come back here if what SD says is correct and register it with no problem, the more I think about it the more confused I get, regards, Brian.

[Sunday Driver]

Remember, there are two issues here.  First is type approval and registration.  The second is insurance.

The standard power limit in France is 73kW but Bald Eagle's Wing is 81 kW.  However, because it has EU WVTA it must be accepted in France according to EU law.  His Thunderace probably didn't comply with EUWVTA - that's why he couldn't import it here.

In terms of insurance, it depends on the insurers.  If they are prepared to insure an 81kW bike (which is fully legal here, having been registered at the prefecture) then it's up to them.

With regard to 180bhp Busas, I suspect that French insurers just won't cover them.  Either that or the French motorcycling public are less concerned with outright power like they are in the UK....