The Honda Owners Club

Hi folks,

Not sure if anyone can help with this one but I've been contacted by a member in our area who has a friend who is restoring an old XL600. Apparently there are no documents and this bike may not have ever been registered in the UK (could have been registered abroad).

Does anyone know how he goes about registering this bike? Is is just a case of contacting the DVLA with the frame number etc and letting them do the rest or is there more to it?

Any help greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Phil

Phil

If the bike has no documents or registration mark, you will first need to acquire a dating certificate to verify the bikes age. The classic secretary can provide this for you. You will then need a V55/5 form which can only be obtained from the DVLA or your local vehicle licensing office. This will need to be filled in, and taken or sent to said VLO with MOT and insurance certificates and of course the fee for registration and road tax. It's all fairly straight forward, I've done it a few times now. Sometimes the VLO will require you to take the bike in for an inspection, this is nothing more than to verify what it is, i.e. a bike and not an articulated lorry. I've only had one inspection and the guy just said "That's a cracking rebuild".

Regards

Chimpy

Thanks Chimpy, sounds spot on, I'll pass the advice along.

Regards,

Phil

Hi,

I’m in a similar situation, I’m planning to restore a MTX 200 and hopefully put it back on the road. It didn’t come with a V5, but the engine and frame numbers are (just about!) readable.

I’ve contacted the DVLA and they have told me that I need a ‘dating certificate’.
Does anyone know how recent / far back the Classics Secretary holds the database? – I’ve been led to believe that the bike is a 1984/85 model. Or do Honda themselves still have the records for these bikes?

You will then need a V55/5 form which can only be obtained from the DVLA or your local vehicle licensing office. This will need to be filled in, and taken or sent to said VLO with MOT and insurance certificates and of course the fee for registration and road tax

As I read this, you have to get the bike MOT’ed and insured before you can apply for a registration no. / number plate. Is this right?
How is it possible to get an MOT and insurance for a bike that doesn’t have a registration no. / number plate?

Also is it possible to get the registration no. first (and then immediately SORN it) and then get a MOT / tax / insurance at a later date?
The reason that I ask is that a lot of the decisions that I will make in restoring the bike will be depend on whether I will be able to get it back on the road – i.e. I’m not going to pay the expense of powder coating, new piston, rings etc if all I can use it for is as a field bike.

Any help would be appreciated.

Hi

The classic sectretary will have details of this bike, he has details of Hondas manufactured in the 1960s possibly earlier.

Honda UK also has this information available now at a cost, £30 I think.

You can get an MOT and Insurance just using the frame number as identification.

As far as I'm aware you must initially tax the bike when applying for the registration document.

Regards

Chimpy

From what I read in the various classic mags (mainly Classic & Motorcycle Mechanics), you get 10 days insurance on the frame number/VIN but have to get the V5 to the insurance company by then. It's touch and go whether the DVLA move that fast. So a bit of a lottery at times.

Not sure if it works the same way but I imported a bike & got insured on frame number then took it for mot & it was issued on frame number then went to dvla office to get tax & apply for log book then 3 days later got tax disc from dvla office new mot issued by dvla office with reg number & got V5 in post about 7 days later.Gave isurance company registration & got new certificate.

It really depends on the insurance company how long they give you. Mine gives me 14 days, but as I hadn't received the registration number on the last bike I did within that time, I just contacted them and they extended it another 14. It really isn't a problem, I've done it on many occasions and am just about to do it again.

Regards

Chimpy

Hey folks, really appreciate the welcome and the speedy responses!

Do any of your know what details are on the Classics Secretary database – would it say things like, when the bike first left the factory this engine / engine number was originally recorded with this frame / frame number?
The reason that I ask is that I can make out the engine number but the last couple of digits on the frame number have been scratched making them hard to make out – is that number an 8 or a 5 - type of thing.

Chimp Boy wrote:It really depends on the insurance company how long they give you. Mine gives me 14 days

If forum rules allow, is it possible that you can post here which company you use?

Is there any other brokers that other posters would recommend – I’ve read good things about “Carol Nash” insurance?

I don’t suppose that anyone knows whether there’s a list or database of test stations that do MOT’s for motorbikes? I’ve googled it, but can’t find one.

Many thanks.

gwernybwch wrote:I don’t suppose that anyone knows whether there’s a list or database of test stations that do MOT’s for motorbikes? I’ve googled it, but can’t find one.

Many thanks.

Yellow pages is where I would look.

I use Carol Nash and they also give HOC members a discount.

The frame number is more important than the engine number when identifying the bike. The data will only give the year of manufacture for a particular range of frame and engine numbers. To obtain a dating certificate you must provide both numbers in their entirity.

Regards

Chimpy

Having imported a car, I insured and MOTed the car on the VIN, then registered the vehicle at leisure. the only pressure is you wanting to get out on the road

Hi Phil

my son had to re-register his bike, he has a CB1 which was brought into this country from holland as a non runner for restoration. We had to get proof of its age using the VIn number from somewhere official which was appproved by the DVLA- I am sorry the exact place escapes me at the moment. Take the proof of age and some other documentation to the local DVLA office. I am sure that they will be able to assist and let you know what you need. I remember there being two ways to get the proof of age.

A) through Honda - which was very expensive
B) through the official approved person - not very espensive - but I cant remember the details off the top of my head.

If you need the proof of age for this project let me know and I will ask the guys at home


Reading what the likes of Chimpy wrote sounds very much like what we had to do. - Top advice -Chimpy - to the rescue - again!
Regards

Wendy

We are the not very expensive source of proof of age through our classic secretary.

Thanks for the replies, it’s much appreciated.

Yellow pages is where I would look

Thanks for the reply. The reason that I asked about a database is many of the motorbike MOT stations didn’t advertise in the yellow pages, as much of their business was by word of mouth. Since they moved over to electronic recording, I know that some have stopped testing, so I thought that a d/b might be easier to search.

The frame number is more important than the engine number when identifying the bike. The data will only give the year of manufacture for a particular range of frame and engine numbers. To obtain a dating certificate you must provide both numbers in their entirity.

Am I right in thinking that when the bike left the factory, the engine and frame numbers would have always ‘matched’ – i.e. the last seven numbers would have been the same on both the engine and the frame?
Or if there were say manufacturing issues, resulting in ‘matching’ frame or engine not being put together i.e. the frame was 5000035 but as there was quality issues with two of the engines, the engine that went into that frame was 5000038?