DVLA registration woes

general_piffle

general_piffle

Senior member
Location
London/Hampshire
I’ve just had a letter back from DVLA turning down my registration application for the 750 GT I imported over from the Netherlands. Twats.

Plus, I still have to run it in. And I’m working.

My plans to ride it down are getting pretty tight. Might have to jump on a plane. Hmmm.
 
If I do make it down on the GT it’s about 900 miles so the rebuilt engine will be more than run in. There’s bound to be a decent mechanic in Breganze who can check it all over and change the oil before I head back, isn’t there?

I’d ask Riccardo but I imagine he’ll be booked solid!
 
did you get your registration sorted?
can I help that at all?
CLEM
(ILOC dating and valuation officer)
 
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CLEMTOG said:
did you get your registartion sorted?
can I help that at all?
CLEM
(ILOC dating and valuation officer)
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Thanks Clem. No, I sent the pack of documents back to DVLA for the second time yesterday. They're now asking for proof that the motorcycle was manufactured in the UK (I kid you not) and have directed me to contact Slater Bros (going to be tricky).

So, I've translated much of the Dutch registration document for them (the age of the bike was confirmed when it was registered in the Netherlands in 2018, having been imported from Italy). To show them the date and year of manufacture (Feb 28th 1969), what the Dutch reg was, and I've added in some other documents (including a copy of the original Italian sales/first registration receipt with the date clearly marked as October 4th 1969). They were trying to say I hadn't provided the import docs, which I had - so I've clearly marked these with Post-It notes and big colourful letters for the hard of thinking.

Oh yes, they also asked me to write to Aprilia, but I've added in a covering letter explaining lots of things including the fact that Aprilia (now Piaggio) doesn't have factory records for Laverda and they shouldn't need them anyway - because the bike was registered in the country it was imported from, the Netherlands.

This isn't a first registration. It was registered for years in the Netherlands. It should be straightforward but anything even slightly complicated has them buckling. Words can't describe how hacked off I am with their utter ineptitude. They really are the worst kind of box-tickers.

I don't know if you remember but it was exactly the same with my SF, which took three attempts, and many months, before being granted a registration. The difference there being there was no record of its registration from Italy, so I did need your help to date it accurately to 1971.

DVLA = Dullards, Vagrants, Laggards and Asses...
 
Fuk me, what an ordeal!! So glad I didn't have to deal with this kind of rubbish when registering bikes here (in Oz) - as long as the bike hasn't been listed as stolen, you only need a roadworthy certificate. Why the absurd fuss?/!! Serves absolutely no purpose!
 
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piranha-bro2 said:
Fuk me, what an ordeal!! So glad I didn't have to deal with this kind of rubbish when registering bikes here 9in Oz) - as long as the bike hasn't been listed as stolen, you only need a roadworthy certificate. Why the absurd fuss?/!! Serves absolutely no purpose!
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The absurd fuss is in part to justify their jobs, so they can be seen to have ‘something important to do’ when in fact if they employed some common sense the whole process could be a hell of a lot simpler and quicker, while still meeting the objective of registering legal, roadworthy, vehicles.

The other part is of course that British culture is bound by and thrives on red tape. If anything really important (like the choice of biscuits at council meetings for example) isn’t immovably strapped to the ground with red tape then legend has it that there is a mini seismic shift on Whitehall, leading to wailing, gnashing of teeth, and worse still spilt tea.
 
general_piffle said:
Yep. They have that. Along with the export/import documents relating to the actual shipping.
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I've never had any trouble getting a bike registered with a Nova and a dating letter. It seems the more documentation you give them the worse they are.
Oh just one other thing, if you have the Dutch registration document they will want the original and you won't get it back.
 
pf1 said:
I've never had any trouble getting a bike registered with a Nova and a dating letter. It seems the more documentation you give them the worse they are.
Oh just one other thing, if you have the Dutch registration document they will want the original and you won't get it back.
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Yes, they have the original Dutch registration document, they've had it since the start. I've done this before with an SF from Italy, that took about 3 to 4 months and 3 attempts.
 
"I've never had any trouble getting a bike registered with a Nova and a dating letter. It seems the more documentation you give them the worse they are.
Oh just one other thing, if you have the Dutch registration document they will want the original and you won't get it back."

I could'nt agree more, NEVER NEVER give them any more than the completed V55, a NOVA, a dating cert (from me) and the money, I very strongly recomend a "voluntary" MOT before you commence, using the chassis number for ID, this means that the bike has been inspected by government asproved officials, is raodworthy (a DVLA requirement) and in 100% of cases so far (where this has been done) the bike has not be subject to an "at home" DVLA inspection, or required to be taken to an HGV testing station

#so dont go it alone, get help from me and customs & excise (for a NOVA), who are realy much more agreable to deal with than DVLA.
CLEM
 
Sorry to hear DVLA are being officious twats, again. I have registered three recently and I only ever send them what documents they ask for and I inclose a letter explaining how I got the bike, where, when purchased, price and how I would like the process to proceed, please, many thanks, look forward to your prompt response. I’ve heard of a guy who imported a Lambretta and they are adamant that it’s not a real bike but a lot of bits that don’t make a real bike- now I had to email front, back side photos of my scooter which they accepted, quite how they know it’s my bike and not a library picture I dont know. Years ago when I was importing containers of bikes I used to get them registered on the day while I waited at the LVLO in Luton, think they would do up to ten at a time.
 
Don't they have a special team in Belfast which deals with private imports of historic vehicles? I read somewhere that they were very helpful.
 
I had two a while ago that were both originally new when registered with DVLA. A while later, both bikes went to the IOM and were registered there, (they have their own system) much later both bikes came back to the UK and an attemp at UK registartion was made, only to be rejected because their was no NOVA submitted, needed because the bikes had been imported from a "foreign" country. (total tosh)

The agreement between the UK and the IOM is that for all intents and purposes the two are treated as being the same territory, so no import or export taxes or restrictions, bloody good job too when you see how many Tesco trailers are shipped in and out every single day of the year. Many local traders and producers have lost out out big time, because of that, much to my regret, local butchers and bakers closing by the day etc, it might even be true that there is no longer a bakery on the IOM (Andy J?) and now they have taken over Shopright as well, (that was about 8 local minimarts) when they are al gone, all you IOM people (and visitors) will see massive price hikes, free enterprise? I dont think so.
CLEM
 
You’re right Clem it’s an absolute disgrace and fuck-up by IOM Gov that allowed Tesco to buy up Shopshite without any conditions being attached to prevent a virtual monopoly because they never enacted the IOM version of the competition act. A lot of local businesses have disappeared, including Ramsey Bakery, the largest on the island. All we have left are a few small artisan bakers. Several farmers have packed up, including egg and potato producers, many are complaining it’s too expensive to try shipping stuff off island to increase their turnover, and the meat plant is in a total mess with tons of meat being chucked away recently. To say the IOM is going to the dogs would be an understatement. 🙁☹️😡🤬
 
Obviously different countries have different rules (goes for states in Aus too obviously:LOL:) but I guess bureaucrats tend to think to varying degrees the same the world over.
I was always told be careful how much and what info you divulged because different sentences and too much info will lead down different rule paths. For example (here in Qld) if you tell them a bike has been imported it will be straight to get an engineers certificate and all the hoo hah.
On the other hand they don't have any records before the mid '70's (or might be later) so if you had a bike which had apparently been registered (somewhere in Aus) for a period prior to that it would usually just involve your friendly roadworthy man giving you a certificate, a couple of forms and bingo!! (Mmmmm)
When I registered the AE there was no record of any such thing as an American Eagle model of motorcycle on Qld transport data base for obvious reasons. Told them what it was, can't quite remember how I said I acquired it or its history (!), 2 of them spending 10 minutes deciding which rule flow chart they could follow a couple of keystrokes and there is now a 1969 Laverda 750 American Eagle model on the database (didn't even have to see the bike!).................................. (Easiest to describe it as Laverda with AE model designation, they like that type of thing)
 
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Shajota said:
Obviously different countries have different rules (goes for states in Aus too obviously:LOL:) but I guess bureaucrats tend to think to varying degrees the same the world over.
I was always told be careful how much and what info you divulged because different sentences and too much info will lead down different rule paths. For example (here in Qld) if you tell them a bike has been imported it will be straight to get an engineers certificate and all the hoo hah.
On the other hand they don't have any records before the mid '70's (or might be later) so if you had a bike which had apparently been registered (somewhere in Aus) for a period prior to that it would usually just involve your friendly roadworthy man giving you a certificate, a couple of forms and bingo!! (Mmmmm)
When I registered the AE there was no record of any such thing as an American Eagle model of motorcycle on Qld transport data base for obvious reasons. Told them what it was, can't quite remember how I said I acquired it or its history (!), 2 of them spending 10 minutes deciding which rule flow chart they could follow a couple of keystrokes and there is now a 1969 Laverda 750 American Eagle model on the database (didn't even have to see the bike!).................................. (Easiest to describe it as Laverda with AE model designation, they like that type of thing)
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Same in UK- barn find will be treated more sympathetically than a fresh import…my scooter was a Devon barn find, didn’t mention the Greek reg plate!
 
I have a Suzuki Super 6 that may have to be a barn find I think. I have a receipt from a guy in Wales who was selling it for a friends widow. It has high bars so that tells you something about its origin.
 
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