Imports and reg letters

I've owned a couple of grey imports in the past and both have registrations
related to their year of first reg in Japan.

If I were to import a bike built in 1985 and registered in Japan in 1985,
for example, it'd be on a B plate (like my import NS400) as that was the reg
letter in place on 1 Jan 1985 in the UK and if it had been built and first
registered in Japan in 1990 then it'd be on a G plate (as is the FZR250RR
that was Kate's, then mine, then Mucks and now Andy Bonwick's (I think)).

But what are the rules regarding vehicles that were built in 1985 but never
registered in Japan? Say, an NS400, imported brand new, unregistered, to
the UK in 2000. Would that still be on a B plate? I would have thought it
would be a V, W or X as it has never been registered anywhere else and,
therefore, would be brand new when SVAd on arrival.

Can anyone clarify this for me?

TIA

Dave

 

As Timo says, you can get it on an age-related plate, which will run
from the date of manufacture. All you'll need is a letter from a
recognised vehicle dating authority, such as Honda UK, the Vintage
Japanese Motorcycle Club, etc. There's usually a small charge for this.

This helps avoid a whole load of hassle with emissions regs, etc. And
AFAIK SVA *shouldn't* apply, especially as the NS400R was officially
imported into the UK.

 

I should know the answer to this one given my experience with the
Voxan. That was manufactured and registered in France in 2000. As it
was not registered in the UK until after type approval for motorcycles
was bought in during 2003 it had to have an MSVA test. As it had been
registered *anywhere* more than three years before I put it on the
road in the UK it also had to have an MoT.

There is a cut off for not needing an MSVA (as 'classic' or vintage
bikes could never pass it). Can't remember it though.
Google MSVA amd type approval to get a definitive answer.

 

<TOG@toil>; <>; <>
wrote in message

Thanks for the replies from both yourself, Timo and Pete.

The reason I was asking is because of this:

eBay item 320061466137

full link:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/HONDA-NS400R-...oryZ9806QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

There's *so* many things not right with it, I was just wondering if the
age-related plate betrayed previous owners in Japan or if it really could
have been new and unused when imported to the UK.

Esp with all the non-standard/just plain wrong bits it has for, allegedly,
the best, lowest mileage NS in the UK......

It makes my NS4 that I just sold a bargain (£250 with a load of spares).
Although mine is, admittedly, in bits it's got a damn sight more standard
parts than this one, yet racked up around 9 times the mileage.....

Dave

 

() gurgled happily, sounding much like they
were saying :

<waves>
I did exactly this with a '62 VeloSlowlex. Never registered in France -
because, of course, it didn't need to be.

The V5 has First Registered - 2000, Declared Manufactured - 1962, New At
First Registration... (and an age-related plate)

10 years.

 

I really don't know the bike well enough to determine what's 'wrong'
with it.

If it runs fine, it might be OK.

 

TOG@toil, ,

Honda Owners Club will do this sort of thing - well they did when I was a
member up until 2000.
http://www.hoc.org.uk/ £18 membership fee and the certification is usually
done FOC if it's just a paperwork excercise.

Paging Stritchy