Topic: Importing into the U.K.

[Blaize]

First off I realise this "belongs" in the international forum, but we all know there is infinitley more traffic here so bear with me.

 On to my prob. I recently moved to the U.K. from Seattle and brought my bike with me. Now I am readdy to title it and suprise suprise I have hit a rather large snag. I always wondered why it was so cheap ($400, running and on the road) and now I know why. The frame # does not match the title, not even close. Of course it has been fully rebuilt, it was a basket case before, and I am on the other side of the world with it now, so before the morality police jump on me here lets all just agree that trying to find out what the story is back in Seattle isn't worth the trouble.

 I have advised the DVLA here in England (to the rest of you following along, that is like the DMV) what has happened, and I have been honest with them about what has happened. I never compared the frame and title, and neither did anyone else with U.S. or U.K. customs so all my paperwork has the wrong # on it. they have told me how to fix it but I need "Dating Evidence" from either Honda U.K. or the U.K. honda owners club. Somthing on letter head stating that the frame # on it is in fact for a 74 cb750. then they (dvla) will inspect and confirm that the # is what it is ie:not tampered with

 So to all my U.K. brothers here, does anyone have a clue how to get in touch with honda or the "official" club? the #'s given me so far have come up dead for the club and calling the genral customer support # at honda could take all week just to have them say no.

  And yes I have considered just buying a parts bike here and tranferring everything to a titled frame. I may yet go that route, but thought I would at leat try this first.

[andy750]

Blaize,
I had a similar issue when I imported by US CB750K4 when I moved back to Oxford, UK. The frame number wasnt on the US-issued title (the engine number was on the title). I had to go to a DVLA vehicle inspection station/place in Oxfordshire - I was working in Oxford at the time (owned by DVLA) and have someone there inspect the frame and then they added this number to my new DVLA-issued "title". It was pretty straightforward and I didnt have to go through Honda UK or Owners club.

I would have thought the same would be true for you. What I would do is find out where in your area there is a DVLA inspection place and go and see them and talk to them directly. Calling by phone its easy to brush you off but turning up on their doorstep and talking to the manager of the place will get you known and he may even sympathize with your predicament.

As for the Honda owners club I just know the Oxford branch - http://www.hoc.org.uk/

Good luck!
Andy

[mcpuffett]

Hi Blaize i have written to Honda here in the uk to get a frame age related it costs about £30 and can take a while , i will have a look for the address later and send it to you  cheers Mick.

[bryanj]

Firstly ignore everything you have done and hope officialdom don't remember.

You will need a"Proof of year of manufacture" letter from Honda UK, 470 London Road, Slough Berkshire SL3 8QY TEL 01753 590 393. This used to cost £25 plus VAT  total was £29.38 but this may have increased.

When you "imported" the vehicle you should have declared it to Customs and excise and got a receipt for Duty Paid---If you didn't you now have to talk nicely to Personal Import department which i think is in Dover, declare a value and pay the duty plus vat.

You then get it up to UK MOT standard and have it MOT'd using the chassis number.

Ring DVLA Swansea and request a pack to register an imported from outside the EU vehicle

You get insurance using the chassis number---issued for a limited time only so get it last!!

Armed with all the paperwork, and a cheque book you go to a DVLC Local office where they May register it immediately OR make an appointment to "View" the vehicle. If you have a trailer it can be worth ringing them first and taking the bike to them DO NOT just turn up with it they get very pissy and, as with all Government departments, can make it difficult. Cost to register is I think now £50 plus the annual road tax cost.

Should you want to talk to me about this as i have done "Several" US imports ring my Mobile 07795162623 after 7PM Sunday to Thursday Inclusive NOT Friday,Saturday,Sunday as that's my time off with the dearly beloved

[James]

Well I was going to reply with the above, but I got called away to a meeting.........so I'll add this.....hope you brought your chequebook and your umbrella with you to the UK.

[mcpuffett]

Bryan beat me to it as well  , he knows what he is talking about as he helped me get my 1970 cb750 registered  good luck Blaize, let us know how you get on  , cheers Mick.

[Blaize]

Wow, I figured someone would know but I wasn't expecting that much. Thanks for all the help.

 I will get on the blower to honda tomorrow and see about setting up the "proof of year" letter. I did get the import paperwork from customs when it came into the country (though I am on a student visa, so no duty), trouble is they just read the frame # off of the u.s. documents and never actually looked at the frame. I spoke to them today and they gave me the address in dover to write to and get that straight.

  And it has already passed its mot. When I built it last year I knew it would be coming over here, and as nobody checks anything in the states I just wired it to eurospec then. All I had to do to pass the mot was replace the headlight. And that is where all this started, the mot tester did read the # off of the frame and so none of my papers line up. if it hand't been for that I would have it registered by now (with the wrong number of course)up.

 Thanks for all the help, I will let you guys know how I get on

[jonbuoy]

Hi Blaize/Brianj,

Blaize Did you get any hassels with your custom seat?   I'm bringing my 750 Cafe back to the UK with me in a months time, I have a fibreglass tank and seat - I'm hoping the MOT tester won't notice the tank is fibreglass as they have been banned for a while in the UK.  Brian what do you think the chances of them noticing are?  If the do spot it I will have to buy a second hand steel tank and fit it just for the MOT - not ideal.  Also my indicators are not E marked.

[malcolmgb]

hi Blaize, can you give me an idea of how much it cost to ship your bike over here to the UK, I keep hoping to find a CB450 over there I can bring back on one of my visits.

[Blaize]

Well as you can see in the picture I dont even have the seat padded at the moment. I did everything on this bike and I cannot bring myself to spend the $ to have it covered. At some point I will give in, but for the moment I am sitting directly on the fiberglass. The tester didn't even mention it. The one thing I did have trouble with is that I never did fit the latch, just the hinges. Apparently the seat cannot be "loose" and has to be secured. I just ran a long zip tie around it (with the tester watching) and that was ok. As to the tank you are on your own. My lights all came off of other bikes. They are oe from a yamaha dirtbike I think, but they look orig enugh that he didnt even pause. The seat being from glass didn't phase him at all.

 Having said all that I am in Lymington below the New Forest so the tester is at a pretty small and pretty slow little shop, you know as well as I do that it all depends on the outlook of the guy doing the test.

 malcolmgb- I shipped a VW bus over with me when I moved an I managed to get the shipping co to lash the bike to the inside front wall of the container for $200 extra as long as I didnt hold them responsable for any damage. So I put the tank, mirrors, and seat in the bus and supplied them with an old blanket to wrap around the bike. all came out ok.

 I do remember them saying that in order to have them liable against damage they would have to "crate" it at an additional cost of $450 and it would have bumped me up to the next size container. between the two it was more than I had invested in the bike so I took my chances figuring I could fix whatever happened for less than what they wanted.

 I did look into shipping just the bike but the prices were all over the map. If you ask the big companys they are all thinking of the H-D market and looking for a TON of money, I even had one tell me that it didn't cost much more why dont I just fly it over!?!?
 

[bryanj]

To be honest not only would i not pass a glass tank i wouldnt ride with one either unless i knew who layered it up and with exactly what resin

[jonbuoy]

Well as you can see in the picture I dont even have the seat padded at the moment. I did everything on this bike and I cannot bring myself to spend the $ to have it covered. At some point I will give in, but for the moment I am sitting directly on the fiberglass. The tester didn't even mention it. The one thing I did have trouble with is that I never did fit the latch, just the hinges. Apparently the seat cannot be "loose" and has to be secured. I just ran a long zip tie around it (with the tester watching) and that was ok. As to the tank you are on your own. My lights all came off of other bikes. They are oe from a yamaha dirtbike I think, but they look orig enugh that he didnt even pause. The seat being from glass didn't phase him at all.

 Having said all that I am in Lymington below the New Forest so the tester is at a pretty small and pretty slow little shop, you know as well as I do that it all depends on the outlook of the guy doing the test.

 malcolmgb- I shipped a VW bus over with me when I moved an I managed to get the shipping co to lash the bike to the inside front wall of the container for $200 extra as long as I didnt hold them responsable for any damage. So I put the tank, mirrors, and seat in the bus and supplied them with an old blanket to wrap around the bike. all came out ok.

 I do remember them saying that in order to have them liable against damage they would have to "crate" it at an additional cost of $450 and it would have bumped me up to the next size container. between the two it was more than I had invested in the bike so I took my chances figuring I could fix whatever happened for less than what they wanted.

 I did look into shipping just the bike but the prices were all over the map. If you ask the big companys they are all thinking of the H-D market and looking for a TON of money, I even had one tell me that it didn't cost much more why dont I just fly it over!?!?
 

Well its a Dunstall and has been sealed I'm confident enough with it, besides if I was that obsessed with my personal safety I'd be driving a Volvo.  Steel tanks aren't impervious either.   You'll have to let me know which MOT station - I'll be leaving the bike in Christchurch.  Have you been to the little Motorbike museum on the way to Lymington  from Christchurch  can't remember which village its in - New Milton?  I don't mean Beaulie.