Registering Yamaha Diversion 900

[Pest]

Hi - Hope someone here can help! After much looking on the internet and talking to Yamaha uk I'm completely confused!

We have a 1996 Yamaha XJ900s Diversion which we would like to register as a French bike so we can leave it at our house in Brittany.  I'm told that the BHp can effect whether you can register it but not how much BHp ours is 90.

Yamaha uk say that it is too old for a Certificate of Conformity but don't know what I need to do without one.

I am also unsure who to use for insurance in France. Our house is insured through the bank (CMB) but when I enquired about insurance for a French 125cc scooter we were thinking of buying the cost of insurance was huge(more than the bike!) We asked a couple of other companies about insuring the scooter GAN was one but they would only insure it if we had other items ie car/house insured with them. Any suggestions?

Kinda hoping someone might be able to give me an idiots guide(as that is obviously what I need) -

If we do get the bike sorted  and even if we don't and it remains forever Anglais - we will be around Morlaix dept 29 area from September are there any bike meets you know of?

All advice greatly appreciated

Nikki

 

[Bob T]

1st, The bike is below the bhp limit so there will be no problem there.

2nd, You will need to contact Yamaha, France to obtain the C of C. They will charge for it.

3rd, Most insurers will cover it, I am with MAFF, but there are many more.

Not sure where Morilaix is, best to put you department number in your signature.

I had a 900 divvie in the UK for a year or two, mine was the dark red colour and it is a very nice looking bike. I sold it when the chap who used to live down the road started riding his BMW R1150RT to work. It was 30 miles, and when we set off together, he would disappear in the distance, get to work and be drinking tea when I had not even got my leathers off.

[Pest]

Hi Bob

Thanks for the quick response - will Yamaha France issue a c of c on a 1996 bike? The impression I got from Yamaha uk was that the divvie was too old to be issued with one - (it's young at heart though!)  If I can get the cert from Yamaha France what do I do next? and if if I can't  what do I do ?

hope you can help

Nikki

Ps Morlaix is in Dept 29 not far from the Plymouth/Roscoff ferry

[Bob T]

Yes they will issue one. It is to show that the bike conforms to the French market specification. The reason that Yamaha UK won't give you one is that it was not an EU requirement in 1996.

Once you have the C of C, and the import form from the Hotel d'Impots, you take these with a proof of address to the local prefecture and they will issue a Carte Gris.

There is little option if you don't go through this procedure, as keeping the bike here on UK plates would be illegal. You would need to return to the UK for MOTs and tax, neither of which apply to French registered bikes.

[bmt]

You will get an Attestation of Identity, rather than a Certificate of Conformity, because of the age of the bike.  This is to formally identify your bike as being of a Make and Model previously available in France and specifying its national type number, but is not as all-encompassing as a C of C.

Beyond that, the procedure is similar: you will need to have the bike inspected by DRIRE, but that is a pretty informal affair (well, it is at Niort -- your experience may differ ...).  The one I was involved with took longer to get off the trailer than it did to inspect.

It's not a difficult process, though occasionally frustrating but worth doing if you're partial to the bike.  No doubt Sunday Driver will be along with chapter and verse: he knows the ropes better than most.

I have found insurance to be somewhat cheaper than in UK, with a higher level of cover (e.g., automatic cover for clothing/accessories/helmet accident damage and to a higher limit; automatic breakdown cover).  Shop around and don't accept an agent's initial quote -- they usually add every imaginable option, which may not be what you want/need and can quickly inflate the price.

[Sunday Driver]

Follow BMT's advice and write to Yamaha France for an attestation d'identité, enclosing a copy of your V5C. Here's a sample letter:

Yamaha Motors

Service homologation

1, ave du Fief - Z.A. les Bethunes

95310  SAINT OUEN L'AUMONE

Messieurs,

J'ai une moto anglais que je voudrai immatriculer en France et j'ai besoin d'un attestation d'identité.  J'attache une copie de mon certificat d'immatriculation étranger.

Je vous prie d'agréer, Messieurs, l'expression de mes salutations distinguées.

(signed)

They'll probably charge you 120€ for the attestation.  They may also ask you to provide a garage letter certifying you've had the headlamps adjusted before they'll issue the attestation.  If not, just take the attestation with the rest of your papers to the prefecture and they'll probably accept it as OK.

 

 

[Pest]

Ta v muchly for all the above -

Sorry to still be being a bit dim but what/who are the DRIRE? I imagine there will be a charge for whatever it is they do - does anyone know how much?

Nikki

[Bob T]

Not sure about the Drire, SD will proably be along soon - he is a vwery knowledgable biker!

There will be costs involved for a few things, but in the long run it ends up much cheaper than having to pay for road tax and MOTs, we found the insurance much cheaper here too.

[Sunday Driver]

The DRIRE is the French equivalent of  the UK's VOSA.  They are responsible (amongst other things) for all matters concerning type approval and they carry out single vehicle approval inspections for vehicles which do not have EU or French national type approval.  The SVA test costs 87 euros.

In your case, if the bike is a standard UK spec (not a 'grey' import) then a DRIRE SVA inspection won't be required.

 

.

[Pest]

ok so have I got this right - I need to

1 Contact Yamaha France and ask for Attestation of Identity (thanks for the letter by the way that's brill) cost €120

2 Get an import form from Hotel d'Impots

3 Take both above with elec bill or somesuch proof of address to the local prefecture and get a carte gris

4 Get new french number plate made

5 take the carte gris to insurance company for insurance.

6 stick little green insurance sticker on bike

7 ride like the wind!!! ok I know it's a divvie!!

Anything I've missed?

Ta Muchly

Nikki

[Bob T]

Looks good, but you missed the UK log book which also needs to go to the Prefecture.

You can insure the bike on UK plates while you are getting paperwork together, and just tell them when you have the French number.

[Sunday Driver]

And the prefecture will want to have a good laugh at your ugly mug on your passport too....[;-)]

 

[Pest]

Thanks very much for all your advice on the subject - it actually doesn't sound too scary so will give it a go in my best franglais when back in September and keep you posted!

I know Bob said he uses MAFF for his insurance - haven't actually come across them but will see if there's a branch in our area - anybody else got insurance company suggestions?

Regards Nikki

[Sunday Driver]

I use MAAF for my car and campervan, so the two bike policies get discounted by 40%.  The girls in my local office refer to it as Dave's 'fleet'.  [8-|]

Two claims so far on the car - broken fog lamp and a cracked screen.  Both claims sorted immediately with no loss of discount under glass replacement. 

They are a mutuelle rather than a commercial company.  Prices are pretty good. 

 

[Bob T]

I did of course mean MAAF, I don't think that the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) do insurance!

[Pest]

Hi Bob and Sundaydriver

Haven't tried MAAF - do you think I will have a problem only insuring the bike with them. When we were thinking about buying the french scooter we asked Gan (and I'm sure one other but I can't remember who) about insuring it and they said they would only insure it if we had the house or a car insured with them. The house is insured through our bank and their scooter insurance was huge €500 for a 125cc  ok we didn't shop around very much and in the end we decided against buying the scooter - it was only an idea as a run around and we couldn't be bothered with the hassle.

What do you guys think - fount of all knowledge[:D]

Nikki

[Bob T]

I used to have everything insured with the bank, but they won't cover bikes so I insured them with MAAF. When the car insurance was due, I moved that to MAAF and saved about 25% over what the bank wanted. When the house insurance was due I moved that too and it was half the price with 3 months thrown in for free.

So the answer is yes, they will cover just bikes, our BMW R1100S's cost about €135 each for a years insurance.

Does that help?

[Pest]

Thank you for all your advice - will definately put into practice when back in September.

Pity we're a 'bit' far away for a ride out -

Nikki [:)]

[Punchie]

Hi Pest

I brought my 1995 900 Diversion over to France with me and registered it here in the Charente in 2002 and still have it. First I obtained from Yamaha Paris a cirtificate of conformity , the address in Paris can be had from any Yamaha dealer over here , 2nd a cirtificate from the Marie as proof of Habitation , also a form from the local Tax office to declare there is no tax to pay on this bike , then after recieving the Cirtificate of conformity booked the Divvy into the DRIRE test centre in Nersac ,after the DRIRE checked over the Bike , I only had to change the Headlight , I then went to the Prefecture with my old Log Book and , all the papers accumalated and some dosh and got my new Carte Grise with new French number.  Whereabouts are you and best of luck .

Punchie

[Pest]

Hi Punchie

Thanks for the info, am definately going to try and register the divvy when we are back in September - although we spend about half the year in England  it will still make life much easier than having to bring her back for mot's etc. Plus hubby  has a minor heartache everytime he has to put his precious on the ferry! We are based in Finnistere about 45mins from the Roscoff/Plymouth ferry - quite a way from Charente, I think to far for a ride out anyway!

Thanks again

Nikki

[bikerboy]

Am just going to start the process on my 900 Divvy, will let you all know how I get on , or maybe come back here for help !!!!  SD are you reading this ??

Live in North Charente, near Ruffec/Confolens/Civray.

 

Maybe a get together for anyone close ?

[Sunday Driver]

Watch out for Bugbear's rideout announcements.  We usually start off from Sauze Vaussais, which is not too far from you.