Keeping a bike in Europe
Discussion
My in-laws live in Bavaria and are surrounded by ribbon-smooth country roads.
I always yearn to be on two wheels whenever I’m here and the weather is good so have started thinking about buying a bike to keep here.
Has anyone done this and got any advice?
Presume it would need to be a German bike and registered here but can’t begin to figure out all the insurance/address/servicing intricacies.
Or could I somehow keep a UK registered bike on my existing insurance here?? Impossible to service/TüV I guess?
I always yearn to be on two wheels whenever I’m here and the weather is good so have started thinking about buying a bike to keep here.
Has anyone done this and got any advice?
Presume it would need to be a German bike and registered here but can’t begin to figure out all the insurance/address/servicing intricacies.
Or could I somehow keep a UK registered bike on my existing insurance here?? Impossible to service/TüV I guess?
ApexCult said:
Have the in-laws 'own' and insurer the bike with you on the policy?
Potentially an option, albeit none of them have a bike licence which may make insuring difficult? Don’t know really.The other thing that puts me off is that we’re only here for a few weeks a year, so can’t be doing with spending all that time organising servicing etc.
I suppose the thing to do is get something like an XR400 that can go decades without being serviced so I can do it sporadically.
Disastrous said:
Potentially an option, albeit none of them have a bike licence which may make insuring difficult? Don’t know really.
The other thing that puts me off is that we’re only here for a few weeks a year, so can’t be doing with spending all that time organising servicing etc.
I suppose the thing to do is get something like an XR400 that can go decades without being serviced so I can do it sporadically.
Have you looked into just hiring a bike out there - sounds like you're not fussy and a local dealer might rent you a part ex cheaplyThe other thing that puts me off is that we’re only here for a few weeks a year, so can’t be doing with spending all that time organising servicing etc.
I suppose the thing to do is get something like an XR400 that can go decades without being serviced so I can do it sporadically.
KTMsm said:
Disastrous said:
Potentially an option, albeit none of them have a bike licence which may make insuring difficult? Don’t know really.
The other thing that puts me off is that we’re only here for a few weeks a year, so can’t be doing with spending all that time organising servicing etc.
I suppose the thing to do is get something like an XR400 that can go decades without being serviced so I can do it sporadically.
Have you looked into just hiring a bike out there - sounds like you're not fussy and a local dealer might rent you a part ex cheaplyThe other thing that puts me off is that we’re only here for a few weeks a year, so can’t be doing with spending all that time organising servicing etc.
I suppose the thing to do is get something like an XR400 that can go decades without being serviced so I can do it sporadically.
Disastrous said:
Potentially an option, albeit none of them have a bike licence which may make insuring difficult? Don’t know really.
The other thing that puts me off is that we’re only here for a few weeks a year, so can’t be doing with spending all that time organising servicing etc.
I suppose the thing to do is get something like an XR400 that can go decades without being serviced so I can do it sporadically.
Ribbon smooth roads would be wasted on an XR400, and an XR400 would be wasted on ribbon smooth roads!!!The other thing that puts me off is that we’re only here for a few weeks a year, so can’t be doing with spending all that time organising servicing etc.
I suppose the thing to do is get something like an XR400 that can go decades without being serviced so I can do it sporadically.
Great trail bike, not so good on roads - harsh, hard seat and close ratio 5 speed box, I did the Lands End road trial on mine, my KMX200 used the previous year was better on the roads.
Something like a ER6/SV650 (and trickle charger) would be better.
graham22 said:
Ribbon smooth roads would be wasted on an XR400, and an XR400 would be wasted on ribbon smooth roads!!!
Great trail bike, not so good on roads - harsh, hard seat and close ratio 5 speed box, I did the Lands End road trial on mine, my KMX200 used the previous year was better on the roads.
Something like a ER6/SV650 (and trickle charger) would be better.
True. I have one here and I just like that you can leave it lying in a ditch for decades, fill the tank with a half pint of vodka and you’re off. But yeah, something a bit more civilised would be better.Great trail bike, not so good on roads - harsh, hard seat and close ratio 5 speed box, I did the Lands End road trial on mine, my KMX200 used the previous year was better on the roads.
Something like a ER6/SV650 (and trickle charger) would be better.
Riding out there not really an option. We have a 20 month old and time is of the essence sadly
Tribal Chestnut said:
Van/trailer and take it with you each time?
Nice idea but slim chance I’m getting that past the wife - another bike, maaaaaaaaybe, but a van on top? No chance haha.Tbh, if I take this week as an example, we flew here early doors Friday and I’m heading back a week later so can’t really spare the time travelling.
We’ll be back for a fortnight in June I guess but I would really need it to be something that is just here and ready to go.
Thinking about finding a local Indy and seeing if they’d be up for storing/maintaining for an annual fee or something. Is that a thing??
Disastrous said:
Thinking about finding a local Indy and seeing if they’d be up for storing/maintaining for an annual fee or something. Is that a thing??
Not really, I suspect it would be cheaper to hire one of theirsDad deals in cars and periodically he'd have tourists ask - he always sold them a car and agreed to buy it back for £xxx in say a month with no more than say 10k on it, but that was usually a month rather than weeks to make it worthwhile
Insurance might be an issue too - my sister visits from Oz for a month, no problem when she had her UK license but now she has an Oz one, it costs loads to insure her ie £300+ for a month on a £1k car
Keeping a bike doing nothing for most of the year is a big hassle, i know, including the ZR400.
Fuel going off, batteries dying, brakes seizing, cables corroding and going sticky..you end up losing half your holiday getting the bike working properly. I'd either get the bike to Germany each trip or hire.
Only tging I'd store elsewhere is a bicycle with all the experience I've had of this type of thing over the years.
Fuel going off, batteries dying, brakes seizing, cables corroding and going sticky..you end up losing half your holiday getting the bike working properly. I'd either get the bike to Germany each trip or hire.
Only tging I'd store elsewhere is a bicycle with all the experience I've had of this type of thing over the years.
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