Katana Owners Club U.K.

Some years ago ..more than I thought to honest, I bored you but hopefully amused you with the process of registering one of my 650's on French plates as it resides there...
In summary because there is no MOT and tax on motorcycles in France all I had to do is insure it.

Sadly due partly to the French centralising everything ( privatising is a more honest phrase ...**Mr Macron you should have looked over the water first mate**) Motorcycles will now need an MOT or CT (control technique) by April 15 2024 ...bit short notice for me as I found out a few days ago ( That will be on me partly but my insurance should have let me know ...as all vehicle must be insured continuosly I have been with then from day 1..)

So as it's over 30 years old I can apply for a vehicle of historic interest status ..the Kat fits as it's no longer made , it's original spec, then it would only need a CT every 5 years ..The test is much like our MOT but E numbers are important on lenses etc..and costs what ever the inspector charges , the recommondation is 50 euros but it is important to agree the fee first ..
There will be 6000 CT centres that do M/Cs in France ..( look at the size of the place).
To get this status I need to get a letter from Suzuki France ..again or from their version of VJMC ...at 80 euro's then send off the forms to receive more forms .. total cost much the same as the original registering and with the same complication I shouldn't wonder.
So there is a grace period as my bike is made before 2007 and thats August 15 2024.. and just getting a CT will be 50 euros give or take and a retest every 3 years ..

Is the answer, bring it home re-register it on UK plates and put it on historic class then for legal reasons take it back to France when I'm gonna use it in the Taliban bus.. ( It'll only be insured for 30 days ) but won't cost tax or MOT ..
Now I know bringing a vehicle from EU to UK ain't easy anymore , but I found hidden in HMRC text that there is a form to bring in a vehicle that was previously registered in UK back and shouldn't cost . I just need to find out from DVLA if I'd get my old Registration number back , so No fee from them . Maybe reissue of V5 fee.
My only issue is that I won't be able to ride it home , no CT no insurance ..once this side ..No V5 ...so put it in the Taliban bus is the option though it will mean taking off the wheels and sliding it up a ramp I need to make as it's a tad too tall for this bus..doable though!

I'll let you know ,

Gosh, you must really love that bike. I‘d store it as long as it takes and try and get me something similar in France in the meantime.

The only reason this bike resides in France really is because I have no where else to store it, So you kinda read between the lines as per it's residence after it is sorted .
As for buying something similar in France , I couldn't afford to .

Break it for spares and then put the money towards a bike?

I don't need to break a perfectly good machine and I don't need anymore bikes I've got 8 Katana's.!!
Breaking just means holding parts for years selling to people who reckon it's tooo much anyway ..but you know that eh?

Up date ...sodding frogs .. So I went to a local CT centre ..( mot inspection bay) and asked if they could do it during the 2 weeks I was in France recently.. Nope ...checks carte gris ..( log book) and says it's not due until December because that's the first registration date! I obviously said I wont be around then ...but they weren't willing to do it until then because they are protesting about the extra work load with out consultation.

Clucking bell … bureaucracy at its best !!

Favourable!!!!
I've just returned from visiting my 650 While there I retried to gain a CT.. On the Monday Chris Kneeshaw and I drove to Mayenne to collect plasterboard and try to book in said machine.. The first CT (MOT) basically said "NON.." so we drove to the furthest side of the town to the 'moto specalist CT venue'
After enquiring if they could do the test a Qui was forth coming ... most excellent...
What day he asked ..Wednesday I replied..Qui...what time pointing at calander on screen ...1430hrs, Qui excellent ...so after a more taps of the keyboard 1330 tomorrow (Tuesday) he says ...leave it with us and collect at 1730hrs WHY ASK?
Anyway it meant the car had to do 60 miles there and back twice or I'd have to stay there 4 hrs and there was work to be done .
It passed with a few advisories ...
You couldn't make it up .. There is corrosion of front of Frame ...it's not it's Suzuki shite welding and spatter...the footpegs are 'insecure' No they aren't they are rubber mounted!!!!!
When I pointed out it is a 1982 machine and they are all like that , the inspector said it's a 2017 bike on the Carte gris (V5) only when I pointed out that I registered it in 2017 after importing from UK did he understand.. Anyway 60 euro's lighter and I've got 3 years to source a spacer to stiffen up the footpegs ..

I'll probably reimport back to UK by then , at least any inspector here knows a 40 year old machine from a 7 year old one!

That’s some complicated story!! Good read btw!

Mon deu we have success the bike is now back on UK plates ,,, infact it's original plate..

The whole story will be in the next Pride , but it's on historic and costs nothing ...