[hennie.nijhuis]

Hello Ken;

Just kidding, as an anglofile I was disapointed , thats all.

Greetings, Hennie

[Ken the Sec]

Well I voted REMAIN - not so much for economic reasons but more for a lasting peace in Europe.  That went well!
Better stop now Hennie, or we'll get thrown out by the forum moderators for going off topic 

[hennie.nijhuis]

Perhaps Brexit was not a good idea after all

[Tom Snow]

Hello Ken,
I ride in a fair few events in Europe, some times I ride there on other occasions I take my bike in my van. I like many people had heard of lots of experiences good and bad regarding people traveling with bikes and cars in Europe since we left the EU. I spent a day digging to the bottom of the situation as it was in October 2021 and the bottom line is that now as we are no longer EU members the requirements are now the same as they were before we joined the EU.
In pre EU days I worked in Europe for about two months of the year and had to use a Carnet to cover the tools and spare parts that I had to take with me, so for me it was a familiar if not distant experience.
The bottom line is that a Carnet is required for any vehicles / equipment transported out of the UK that are to be returned to the UK, the items are included on a manifest (list), the Carnet is required by Customs and Excise in the EU (and other countries outside the EU) and is your declaration that the items on the manifest will be returned to the UK and not sold WITHOUT PAYING TAX by you or the purchaser.
So if you are riding your bike / driving you car there is every probability that you will ride / drive it back so you will not need a Carnet. However if you are transporting your bike / car then you could well sell it and return without it, as you have to check in at the customs office on entering the EU and leaving to get your Carnet stamped up any "missing" vehicles or equipment will be assumed sold and you will be asked to pay tax at a rate proportional to the declared value on your manifest.
It all sounds a bit complicated but its all about stopping people avoiding paying tax on items that are sold across borders, I accessed my Carnet via Birmingham Chamber of Commerce who were really good at steering me through what had to be done, the Carnet lasts for a year so just take the same bike and back up kit and fit in as many tripe as you can to get your moneys worth. There is more to this subject which you will learn during the acquisition of your Carnet or by speaking to a Chamber of Commerce.
Best regards,
Tom. 

[Ken the Sec]

There have been some scare stories about the need for expensive carnets if you want to take your bike out of the UK for a tour or event.  It should not be a problem if you are riding it, or if all transported machines are licenced to occupants of the transporting vehicle.  But will the customs officers at your port of arrival know this?  The National Motorcyclists Council https://www.uknmc.org/ is lobbying the Government on this:   https://www.uknmc.org/news/opinion-motorcycle-freighting-into-the-eu-progress-but-serious-issues-remain although this is fairly easy to navigate to from the home page and it will change as the situation evolves.

It may also be worth looking on the site of the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs https://www.fbhvc.co.uk/ of which our club is now a member.