Buying a bike in europe

[bacon]

Hey, bit of advice would be great. I'm currently living in Cologne, Germany until the end of the year and I'm dieing without a bike, not ridden my zx7r since august last year and its making me cry! I contract away from home so take the car instead, as I can fit lots of shiz in the back.

Anyway, as it appears this job has potential for long term I was thinking of buying a bike over here, aside the headlight direction and speedo (will it have a mph option as well?), will there be any difference to a uk bike? I'm considering a street triple R. Also upon returning to the Uk if I want to take the bike with me, how much of a pain is re-registering it?

The easy option is to just fly home and get my zx7r out here.....Donny would be pleased with the extra garage space too....assuming he doesn't mind sticking some tyres on it for me and getting it an mot!

[dsb79]

If your on the German net (working for a German company) then it will need Tuv testing and registering in Germany and when you return to UK registering with the DVLA. You could just take it over and ride on your insurance green card (not sure its called this any more) and just ride it back to UK every couple of months.

Also if your in Koln, your only just over an hour from Nurburgring.

Top tip, JHQ in Monchengladbach is on close down, try get a copy of sixth sense newspaper, guys are selling bikes for peanuts as its a pain in the ass moving with them.

Or try your luck in getting onto camp and into the NAAFI and looking on the notice board for sale section.

[dan_flash]

From the best of my knowledge (I'm German and have had motorcycles in the family for donkeys' years - my uncle, Hans Peter Schulze, is even a retired Super Bike racer - how's that for kudos?);

1) Yeah the speedo will have MPH as well, but in smaller font etc - much the same as UK motorcycles have KPH on speedos, but less-dominant on the display.

2) Similar market to here really, the usual culprits being lots of larger-engined Japanese motorcycles, cruisers with the older generations, pan-euros are also popular in West/South-West Germany (guessing due to the close proximity of France etc), etc etc.

I'm sure someone more experienced (looks at Teflon Mike...) could fill you in with typical brands and popular styles etc, but generally speaking it will not be much different to buying a motorcycle here.
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