Aaaaarrrggghhh!!!! What is it with the DVLA in the UK??? I have been abroad most of my adult life. When I returned to the UK 8 months ago I included my South African registered Multi 1200S in my container of belongings. The bike is 100% identical to the bikes sold here, and the DVLA has given me nothing but dogmatic s**t about getting it registered. It is driving me mad!!! Export permits, import permits, VAT certificates, Registration docs, Euro Compliance papers, original factory build records, insurance proof and even the damn ship it arrived on have been provided to them, and now they want an IVA test to prove that the bike is suitable for British roads!!! This has been going on, backwards and forwards for months, and I am still no closer to getting a reg number. Plus to add insult to injury I have a ferry ticket for the TT, after waiting 30 years to go. A word of advice for anyone trying to import into the UK. Make 100% sure what you fully understand what's involved. It gets really time consuming, frustrating and expensive. I feel much better now, wish me luck guys:disrelieved:
It's a racket but you don't even have the option of paying a bribe to get past it! "The Trial" by Kafka is a good read. Available free from Gutenberg too.
I don't know mate. I left it all behind:smiley: Having lived in a crime ridden corrupt and dangerous place for so long I actually like life back in the UK. In this case I am simply flabbergasted at the fact that the paperwork has been back and forth, I have spoken to the DVLA call centre on several occasions and given them what they requested each and every time. Having been bikeless for 9 months, and with the weather improving I really need a ride:cry: Apologies if I stepped out of line, but thanks for listening:tongueout:
IVA is now sourced out to an independent contractor and as such the DVLA are not that bothered what happens now. The kit car market over here has been virtually killed off by IVA etc. Part of this is to stop stolen vehicles being recycled and it has been getting worse since 2003. Even after IVA you still have to face an MOT I believe and a vehicle inspection.
MOT was the first thing I did, using the VIN number. The bike passed first time. I am told that the IVA is to check that the Speedo is in mph and that the headlight faces the correct way. Last time I checked my bikes headlights face forwards
I know what you're going through, I had to register an imported bike with no nova certificate a couple of years ago, the paperwork went back and forth for months. Steve
You may well have already looked into it, but wouldn't Ducati be able to verify that the motorcycle they export to South Africa is exactly the same spec as UK bikes? Would that certification not be acceptable to the DVLA coming from the manufacturer?
My own experience with the dvla http://ducatiforum.co.uk/threads/registering-an-old-unregistered-bike.36852/ Steve
Showing my ignorance of importing, why are you without a bike? Would it not be the case you simply use the South African plate until a U.K. one is issued? Look around and we see plenty of vehicles on Romanian, Bulgarian, Polish, etc driving around and for long periods on those plates. The same in reverse would be like me touring europe for 6 months on a British reg. I'm pressuming it's an insurance thing then?
The MOT test covers headlight alignment and AFAIK a KM speedo is not illegal? Although you may need an overlay. I imported a Guzzi a couple of years back and it all went very smoothly (I was amazed actually) but it was from another EU state which I believe simplifies it? Also didn't need certificate of conformity due to it being old. At the first MOT I had a piece of tape over the headlight to correct the beam and this was noted by the MOT guy but passed.
I have moved vehicles between uk and will, and the COC ( certificate of conformity) was the paperwork that made everything easy. Try a dealer or ducati direct
Basically I have done all of the above. Including a Euro COC from Bologna, passed the MOT, insured the bike and provided all the paperwork requested. South Africa drives on the left side of the road, so the headlight alignment is ok. Ducati UK could not help, but did provide me with a letter to confirm the details of my bike, however they got the VIN wrong! I am British, and per the law here I traded my SA driving licence for a UK one. If I was South African I could use the bike with proof of ID or passport, plus the shipping details where it came in from abroad. However on a UK licence I can't and if I get stopped the bike will be impounded as I am now resident back in the UK and only allowed a very short grace period to register it. Thanks for all the input guys, but it looks like I am at the mercy of the powers that be here. Anyone wanna buy a spotless 1200s?:cry:
A quick update on this. SVA test done and passed, docs submitted 3 weeks ago only to be told that the DVLA have sent them back to South Africa for certification that they are real and not forged. This despite the fact that I have all the tax clearances, export and import paperwork. The DVLA clerk may just have caused me the biggest headache of my biking life, the postal service in South Africa is just about none existent, and mail can take months to arrive, if it does arrive it is quite often opened (especially from abroad) and even if they do receive it the chances of the idiots returning it correctly is pretty slim. Thanks for nothing Boyo
DVLA are very erm, "challenging" to deal with. A while ago my wife had to surrender her license for medical reasons. 18 months later she gets the all clear from doctors to reapply. All excited she fills the forms in and sends them off thinking she'll be driving in a couple of weeks. 4 weeks later she gets a letter saying there is a backlog and it will take 12 month to assess and approve. So she has passed her driving test, provided letters from specialists saying all's now good but they can't be arsed to issue a new licence. We went to MP screaming human rights and discrimination and he actually asked a question in parliament. Surprise surprise she got her licence back but had we not kicked off she'd still be waiting at the mercy of those muppets.
Just for a laugh ask one of them to give you their name when you are dealing with them - I've been unfortunate enough to deal with them a lot. If it's something common they are happy to do it, but two of them have explained to me in the past that their names are specifically unique that they will not supply it as I could find their home address around Swansea. I take it that they are so Bad at what they do, they think people will go to the effort of visiting their home address to 'explain' in person their grievance. Nasher
FYI according to the Equalitys Act 2010 it is illegal for an insurance company to increase a premium if the illness does not increase the risk of an accident. See Elilepsy Society website. I will be able to drive from the date agreed by my consultant using a letter from the DVLA called Section 88. This continues to be my right to drive while the DVLA contact my doctors to confirm my fitness. I will not get an official licence until that process is complete. With most illnesses the returned licence will only last for 1 to 5 years (or when you are 70) before you have to reapply and confirm you are still fit to drive.
