Keeping a bike in France?

[-Savage-]

Hey folks. My parents are moving to retire in France, and I would like to have a bike kept at their house in France to use when I visit.
I don't know what the best way to do this would be.

Should I buy a bike here in the UK, have it registered to me, and "store" it at my parents property in France, or should I/my dad buy a French bike, register it to him and then arrange insurance for me to use it when I go over?

I heard of some laws governing French bikes like a 100bhp limit etc, so I don't know what the best option would be.

Riding over on the bike each time is probably the most simple of options, but it is not what I am looking to do. I live in N.Ireland so it's not just as simple to hop over the channel as it would be from England.
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My Bikes - - - Royal Enfield 500 with sidecar, VFR800, CBR600FX,
Peugeot Speedfight 100, Kymco Hipster 125, GSXR750K5, Jawa TS 350

[CaNsA]

[almostthere]

After the bikes been there 6 months you would have to get it registered onto French plates, would be easier to buy a frog bike and leave it out there
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Beer, It's the reason I get up every afternoon
www.mfairco.uk

[-Savage-]

Thanks guys, it will be next year before I'm looking to buy a bike I think CaNsA. Funds are a bit stretched as it is lol.
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My Bikes - - - Royal Enfield 500 with sidecar, VFR800, CBR600FX,
Peugeot Speedfight 100, Kymco Hipster 125, GSXR750K5, Jawa TS 350

[indylead]

Hi there, I've been lurking on the forum a while, and finally decided to register so I could add a few points.

I moved over to France three years ago and re-registered my bike over here (a BMW F800GS)

If you have a newish bike (and I can't remember the dates) things are easy: all I needed was the Certificate of Conformity from BMW. This was free to get hold of once I found the right phone number to call - the chap mailed it the same day and it was here within three days. In theory, you are supposed to get the CoC with every new bike, however this is bs and you have to ask. Some manufacturers charge you.

CoC, V5, proof of ID etc and a cheque and I soon had a french registration and was told to go and get a plate made up.

For my bike, I did *not* need to put the bike through a controle technique. My bike even had 'handed' dipped beam headlights however this was not, and was never a problem. Instead of paying for a new headlight unit, simply realigned by hand.

Bikes without a CoC, or those over 100hp - I'm not sure what happened. As CaNsA said, it'll be the controle technique I expect.
The six-month thing mentioned is basically what you get on your UK insurance as a general rule. The problem is that UK insurers want the bike to be mostly in the UK; French insurers may insist on a French plate. There are exceptions if you search around. I insure through AXA as there is an English-speaking office nearby.

The 100hp limit is in place here as mentioned; I had the pleasure to be charged €500 more on my new bike to have it restricted. There is a rumour, and only a rumour, that it might be going soon - I have no idea.

Buying a French bike over here would be the 'best' route. It also makes you less of a target to thieves and general hassle. Not that I have had either.

Where are your parents likely to be? Lots of great roads over here - I'm biased towards the Pyrannees, but then I get to play there most weekends.

Drivers here tend to be more aware of bikes than in the UK, probably due to the numbers. I've had two people pull out on me in three years and 40k miles. That was a daily occurrence in Bristol.

If I can help with anything else, ask away. Can't guarantee I can help, but can always ask around.

[almostthere]

the six month rule is for road tax you need a french registered bike to pay french road tax
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Beer, It's the reason I get up every afternoon
www.mfairco.uk

[indylead]

Private vehicles don't pay road tax here since 2001 (the vignette). Part of any road toll is a tax, though.

Forgot to say: on insurance - there are some places that will take a UK no claims bonus and translate it into a bonus for France - after 13 years you can get 50% off - again, it'll depend on the insurer. Mutuelle de Motards was the first place I used, and they took my UK (car) no claims bonus and applied it to the bike - which worked nicely in my favour. Axa were a little more careful, alas.

[c-m]

[bikertomm]

There's a 100bhp limit in France?
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07' Honda Hornet now full powaah! My guide on performing an oil change!