Touring bike hols using a van and trailer

[T.C]

Carnet de Passages en Douane (CPD).
The document is like a Passport for your bike, I was not aware they were still in use, I have traveled to Canada, Mexico and no one asked me for anything other than current Rego and proof of basic insurance.

When I traveled thru South America in 1980 with my 74 triple I had the Carnet, 90% of the border/customs officials plus cops and military officials had no clue what they were looking at. Offering up a couple of Marlboro cigarettes got us thru crossings pretty quickly, military roadblocks usually required the whole pack, traveler tip, when the Marlboro pack was empty just refill it with the cheap local cigs, no one knew they just wanted a smoke. You just had to be sure when they stamped your passport they also stamped the carnet, usually had to show them where on the page.

The Carnet cost money a lot, so you guarded it like your passport.

The way a Carnet works goes like this, it allows you to cross borders without paying import duties and discourages you from selling your vehicle in a foreign country. You must purchase a bond to get the carnet from a certified agency, I used the Australian Automobile Agency/ RAC. the bond cost 150% of the certified value of the vehicle(certification by a dealer) and you get all your money back when you return the carnet to the agency with all the official stamps in order.
The trick was for a budget world traveler like myself who did not have the cash to outlay 150% of the value of my Laverda was to have the West Australian Laverda dealer low ball the Laverdas value, thank you Bruce mate, $600 was a fair estimate, cheers
So after doing South America and getting up to a duty-free country, the USA, the Carnet was not needed I returned it to the Auto club and got my $900 back with interest, I really needed the money.
Some things were just easier and a lot simpler back then, ? Te gustaria un ciagarillo Americano Marlboro

Now, too many people in the world,

Great story re the carnet and how easy it was back then Dave

In the early 90's we used them to import Landcruisers into Dehli out of duty free Dubai, which we then drove through India, then Nepal and up to the Tibetan border where we sold them at a nice profit to the Chinese "occupiers"
All on the carnet system.

Only time Ive ever profited from dealing with the Chinese thats for sure….

Did this many times until one overly inquisitive customs agent in Dehli took it upon himself to put a stop to this illegal activity.

4 brand new 80 series Landcruisers confiscated, 12 hrs being integrated in a Dehli lock up, ensuring court case which dragged on and on .
Only to have the judges original finding of not guilty overturned ( due to political intervention)

So that was the end of that lovely enterprise, a whole heap of fun was had driving them through India and Nepal thats for sure.
Never saw the Landcruisers again

Good times indeed Dave

Viva la carnet

 

[piranha-bro2]

Never saw the Landcruisers again

Viva la carnet

The judge was seen driving one, the prosecutor another, the customs dude the third one and the jailer the fourth

 

[rodbargee]

Hopefully post 30 has it sorted

 

[CLEMTOG]

pre Brexit , I remember many continental trips with race sidecars, (I was spanner man) they were all in vans of course, and all of them were UK registered, usually using the reg from the donor bike that provided the engine and that chassis number stamped on the steering head, but later when "race" engines were used (TZ700/750 and later still 350's) it became a bit more of a problem, so a cheap Yamaha commuter was bought, and the engine numbers used on the race engines and the chassis number that the log book showed, it was rare to be asked to show the ID numbers, but it did happen, and I can only remember having to take the outfit out of the van and onto the ground the one time, it was never on the continent when crossing borders, it was always UK customs at Dover.
CLEM

 

[Perry]

People employed by the customs or police services are not generally part of the elite of a nation. The more of them you have, the more hassles you have. More borders, more hassles.
We are however for most of us fortunate to live in countries where these people are not given scope for any initiative.
Leave them initiative, it's a lot worse. Corruption and violence.

Paul

Quite right. I was a copper for 30 years and every time I showed some initiative I immediately became corrupt and violent . You really had to watch out , it was a bugger.

 

[Rob]

Well I didn't use a trailer but successfully took a van to Italy last year and back with two bikes in the back. Travelled through France & Switzerland. No-one asked to see the logbooks, insurance or MoT certificates I was carrying ... I didn't even have to open the van doors for a cursory inspection.

Covid requirements were equally relaxed... could have saved a fortune on testing! The only pain was having to complete the UK PLF which has clearly been designed by an intelligent idiot.

As usual, a shed load of mischief and misinformation had been stirred up online back then. The situation regarding 3rd party shipping of bikes for track days is apparently more of an issue. Subsequent action by the BMF and others has helped clarify things.

Discounted carnets were - and maybe still are - available through an ACU deal with the Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce. Way cheaper than the £910 I paid for a CDP to ship my GS to Cape Town and back