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Who's a jammy s*d, then...


Sunday Driver
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The time had arrived when I wanted to get my little GS500 twin out of the shed and registered in France ready for sale.  The Pan is also up for sale, clean and sparkling, French registered and ready to go.

So, I phoned Suzuki France during the week between Xmas and New Year and asked the woman there for an attestation de conformite.  She said send me a copy of your V5C.  I said, yep, it's ready to go - I just need to know how much to make the cheque out for.  No, she said, just send in the V5C.  So I guess it's free,then? I quipped.  Response was a veiled French sneer...

So, off went the paperwork to Trappes - expecting a reply in a couple of months. 

Yesterday morning, the attestation arrived! No invoice - nothing!

The certificate shows very little detail of the actual bike - just a load of various English/French/EC type approval numbers.  No mention of getting the headlamps changed or speedo checked by a Suzuki dealer followed by a trip to the DRIRE....

So it was off to the prefecture at Niort today to try my luck.  Arrived at lunchtime - but only five people waiting (makes a change from the usual Paddy's market).  Handed over the papers to the girl and then it started.....

Is this all?  Yes, that's all Suzuki said I'd need for registration.  Are you sure there wasn't another sheet with this?  No, there wasn't.  But what about the weights and things?  That's all there was. I didn't need extra sheets when I registered my Honda (hustle, hustle)...

Mmmm, says she.

Look, Mrs - why don't you try typing in one of those type approval numbers to see if it shows up on your computer?

Tap, tap, tap.  No, nothing.  Try another number.  Tap, tap, tap.  Nothing.  Try the last number - success. Smiles and phew's all round!  Computer throws up the whole spec for the carte grise.  Result!

Popped into HyperU at Parthenay and bought the new rear plate from my Portugese mate (third set of plates from him - I get free rivets now), then called into MAAF to change the insurance over from the Pan.  Upshot is, cover is changed over to the GS - but they'll continue to cover the Pan for another month on the policy whilst I'm selling it - free!

All in all, a good day.  With my luck, the sun will be shining in Saintes tomorrow......[8-|]

 

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Hi All. I had a similar experience a couple of weeks ago in Creuse with my Suzuki Sv 650. Suzuki sent me a letter of conformity,without payment,but complete with bike details and chassis no,and great big red cross across the page. Still,I thought,worth a pop! Went to hotel d'impots,and  not a mention was made of this,and then the same in the prefecture. Across the road to the no. plate shop,and back home to put on new French plates. Not even a headlight change,although the beam is dead flat,and may be the same on euro spec headlights!? RESULT!![:-))]
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You are lucky people. I had a C of C from BMW UK for my bike (free), and all the correct documents went back and forward to the prefecture about 5 times over a period of 12 months. I had given up and was going to keep the bikes on UK plates. Then I found this board and asked the question. The answer was that they must accept a C of C from anywhere in the EC, the poster gave me a link to print out. I gave it one final go with the printed link in my pocket, and the lady accepted everything without me producing the printout.

If I spoke better french I would have asked why it had gone back and forth so many times with the same documents.

Happy now that we have French plate on both bikes.

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[quote user="Sunday Driver"]

... then called into MAAF to change the insurance over from the Pan.  Upshot is, cover is changed over to the GS - but they'll continue to cover the Pan for another month on the policy whilst I'm selling it - free!

[/quote]

AGF has offered us this 'free month' too on our old car, now we have swapped the car insurance over to our recent purchase. But I have no idea what it means. What exactly does this insurance cover us for? And who can drive the car? Is it the French equivalent of short-term third party, fire and theft?

Any input gratefully received.

Sue

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  • 2 weeks later...

i believe that the conformance certificate should only be issued once the authority is satisfied that the bike has had the appropriate changes made to lights speedo etc... so once you have ther cert you have it all.

Triumph's route to import into France is:

Importing a motorcycle into France
The procedure for importing a motorcycle into France is as follows:
1) Change your bike to French specifications, at any Triumph dealer.
2) Send a copy of the invoice for labour and parts, plus your vehicle registration document (V55) to:

Eric Pecoraro
Triumph SA
19, Boulevard Georges Bidault BT G1
Croissy Beaubourg
77437 Marne-la-Vallée
Cedex 2
France 

3) Triumph France will then send you an "Attestation d'Identification". This document is the confirmation from Triumph that your bike conforms to French homologation rules. Take this document to your local "Prefecture" to register your bike.

If you require any further information about this procedure, please contact Eric Pecoraro at Triumph France, tel: (+33) 1 64 62 38 38.

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I have just registered my Triumph Thunderbird in France. Originally I wrote to Eric Pecoraro and got no reply, I then wrote to the same address but just heading it 'Service Homologation' and got a reply within a week. I bought a new headlight glass, sent a copy of the V5 and the reciept for the headlight back to them and recieved the 'Attestation' free of charge by return of post.

I had some entertaining moments at the Prefecture trying to persuade them that it was a motorbike and as a result did not need a Controle Technique but I am happy to report that having obtained my insurance today I am 'ready to roule'!

cheminot
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cool will visit the local dealer here 3xmotorcycles and get my mate to write a small letter on headed paper saying the bike is prepared for France (Eu) and sort it that way...  Luckely they also have the Yamaha franchise too so maybe I can kill two birds with one stone - just need to know who to deal with in france for Yamaha...
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