Importing a bike from Spain

[CorriganJ]

I'm trying to understand the rules for importing motorbikes. Basically, I want to buy a bike here in Spain (probably a ZZR600), ride it for 12 months, and take it back to the UK with me.

I think if you own it for more than 6 months you do not need to pay import tax?

Would I fall foul of any environmental regs with it being an old bike?

What else do I need to watch out for?

If its not legally possible to import the bike, would it make sense to just bring it over and leave it in the shed as a spare parts bike for a UK ZZR600?

[Ste]

Why would you want to bring it to the UK rather than selling it in Spain and then buying one in the UK?

[iooi]

Who knows what import regulations will be like in 12 months.
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Just because my bike was A DIVVY, does not mean i am......

[CorriganJ]

[Teflon-Mike]

What's the year of manufacture of the Spanish ZZR?
What instantly springs to my mind, is that there's good odds that the thing was 'exported' (first from Japan! but...) was probably first used and reg'd in either holland, germany or most likely UK anyway!
Due to the EU licence laws and local tax laws until harmonisation, particularly Spain and Italy had some rather punitive 'Protectionist'laws to support the domestic manufacturers, which is why Honda bought an italian manufacturer to make NS125's there, as well as Montesa in Spain to build bikes, mostly melody mopeds ISTR in Iberia, to get around the import laws.
A lot of UK 'big' bikes, then git bought up here 2nd hand and shipped out to countries in the EU that until harmonisation practically couldn't have them.
I wouldn't be surprised then if you brought a Spanish reg's ZZR into the UK, when you came to register it with Swansea and get UK log book, you got a letter telling you that it had been scrapped/permenantly exported, sometime i the early nauhties! Cos they still have the VIN on file!
However... that don't really help much.....
AFAIK on the tax score, you pay VAT on the UK value of the vehicle. How old and how valuable is the bike? We might only be talking a few pence, old ZZR's aren't exactly mega-money... which begs the suggestion, leave it where it is, and if you really want an old ZZR buy one that's already UK reg'd in the UK, save all the risks and pennies.
But haven't you got to get your licence first?
Chickens and eggs and ducks in a row, me thinks.......
Add on Ed:-
Other thunk that springs to mind is that apart from not having done your tests and got a licence to ride a big bike yet; where is your 'normal; place of residence? In other threads on getting your licence you suggest that its the UK and that you are doing tests, in the UK for a UK issues licence....
Registration of bike should match the insurance, should match the address on your licence.. if not you are opening a very large can of red-tape to get tangled in. Especially as UK is no longer an EU member state!
So where is your 'declared' place of domicile, and registration address for licence, V5 and insurance?
Paying the VAT or not, here, could be small fish in the fryer!
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[1198]

Fill in a lot of (seemingly endless and pointless) forms, get the bike MOTd and insured in the uk (on the frame number), send the lot off (including documents from Spain such as ownership documents) to DVLA with a cheque for their time and effort and for your uk road tax. They then complete this and send you a reg number. In my experience (a car from Spain) it turns into a monster faff and delay, with Dvla living up to their well earned reputation for pointless admin dragging the job out. It should have taken 6 weeks but it was a least double that. I’m not sure on the legality of driving / riding in the UK while it’s happening....
I’d seriously consider the idea of selling it in Spain and simply replacing it here personally.

[Minty]

Friend has just done it from Portugal. His biggest headache was getting Honda UK to confirm the manufacture date via the frame number. He got UK insurance on his bike beforehand with the proviso that he get the UK plate within 2 weeks.

Yeah, that really didn't happen. Took about 2 months in all.
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My fingers smell of your mum.

[CorriganJ]