NEWBIE Am i Crazy or overthinking this?

[TRSCRider]

Hi,

I Completed my Cat A Test (Direct Access) just before the pandemic (February) and have not ridden since.

I Live in N.Ireland and bikes are much cheaper and plentiful in England.

Would it be ill-advised for me to get a flight to England and drive the thing home?

Looking like a 4 hr drive (google maps) from my ferry port & i live a further 2 hrs from the port on the Irish side.

I intend to spend around £3K-4K on something like a Er-6n OR Mt-07 and it would

really take away from my budget if I have to get it shipped home!

Thanks

[Guest]

Hi.....I'd make your life easier by just buying there.

[TRSCRider]

Hi.....I'd make your life easier by just buying there.

 

Yeah? Part of me thinks if I'm posting this for advice I already know the answer!

I do own a van though, wonder if i could stuff it in the back of my vivaro.

Probably need some sort of ramp though- starting to look messy...

England just seems to be miles ahead on the offerings!

[husoi]

Call me crazy...

I would travel to England get either a cheaper bike than you would get there and enjoy a weekend trip back home.

Or, you can get a better bike for the same money and enjoy the trip as above

[dynax]

I doubt you would be able to do at the moment, everywhere is in or on the brink of going into a tier 3 lockdown, and most of the north west like Liverpool is already in tier 3, so i imagine getting a ferry across will not happen, and although you have a full A doesn't mean you have to ride a big machine, you can ride whatever just to keep your hand in so to speak

Btw hello and welcome

[S-Westerly]

If you're in NI as it's part of the UK it's no problem to buy in England and basically ride it home. Well Covid permitting of course. Just don't leave it unattended in Liverpool.

[rennie]

Hello and Welcome

I'd go for it! Covid allowing

[TRSCRider]

If you're in NI as it's part of the UK it's no problem to buy in England and basically ride it home. Well Covid permitting of course. Just don't leave it unattended in Liverpool.

 

Hahah i lived in Kensington, Liverpool for years so i know that's good advice!

[fastbob]

Hi,

I Completed my Cat A Test (Direct Access) just before the pandemic (February) and have not ridden since.

I Live in N.Ireland and bikes are much cheaper and plentiful in England.

Would it be ill-advised for me to get a flight to England and drive the thing home?

Looking like a 4 hr drive (google maps) from my ferry port & i live a further 2 hrs from the port on the Irish side.

I intend to spend around £3K-4K on something like a Er-6n OR Mt-07 and it would

really take away from my budget if I have to get it shipped home!

Thanks

 

As long as you don't go through Wales !

[TRSCRider]

Call me crazy...

I would travel to England get either a cheaper bike than you would get there and enjoy a weekend trip back home.

Or, you can get a better bike for the same money and enjoy the trip as above

 

That's it! I'm a little nervous but who isn't on the first trip. In a way this is why i want the bike - for trips like this!

Thanks for all your responses- i will post what i end up doing and a pic or two- covid pending ofc.

[TRSCRider]

Hi,

I Completed my Cat A Test (Direct Access) just before the pandemic (February) and have not ridden since.

I Live in N.Ireland and bikes are much cheaper and plentiful in England.

Would it be ill-advised for me to get a flight to England and drive the thing home?

Looking like a 4 hr drive (google maps) from my ferry port & i live a further 2 hrs from the port on the Irish side.

I intend to spend around £3K-4K on something like a Er-6n OR Mt-07 and it would

really take away from my budget if I have to get it shipped home!

Thanks

 

As long as you don't go through Wales !

 

Oh Know why is that? Is there any other way to Holyhead?

(Think i will go LP to Belfast save me the Irish leg.)

[TRSCRider]

Hello and Welcome

I'd go for it! Covid allowing

 

Thankyou! I'll be sure to post whatever i end up doing!

[bud]

Just plan it so you have plenty of time. Don't put yourself under pressure.

[fastbob]

Hi,

I Completed my Cat A Test (Direct Access) just before the pandemic (February) and have not ridden since.

I Live in N.Ireland and bikes are much cheaper and plentiful in England.

Would it be ill-advised for me to get a flight to England and drive the thing home?

Looking like a 4 hr drive (google maps) from my ferry port & i live a further 2 hrs from the port on the Irish side.

I intend to spend around £3K-4K on something like a Er-6n OR Mt-07 and it would

really take away from my budget if I have to get it shipped home!

Thanks

 

As long as you don't go through Wales !

 

Oh Know why is that? Is there any other way to Holyhead?

(Think i will go LP to Belfast save me the Irish leg.)

 

Well no . Holyhead is IN Wales .

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

In answer to the original question - Yes, of course you're crazy. So go for it. Life's too short not to do crazy things.

[NeilM]

Strange that.

I see a fair few NI reg plates over here and for sale in the smaller dealerships.

So i assumed it was cheaper to buy over there and import.

Also bear in mind.

Depending where you live in NI you then have the journey home through some of most potholled roads in the UK...LOL

[daveinlim]

Hi,

I Completed my Cat A Test (Direct Access) just before the pandemic (February) and have not ridden since.

I Live in N.Ireland and bikes are much cheaper and plentiful in England.

Would it be ill-advised for me to get a flight to England and drive the thing home?

Looking like a 4 hr drive (google maps) from my ferry port & i live a further 2 hrs from the port on the Irish side.

I intend to spend around £3K-4K on something like a Er-6n OR Mt-07 and it would

really take away from my budget if I have to get it shipped home!

Thanks

 

I did this with a car. Flew from Belfast to exeter. Bought the car and drove back. I did it as the car I wanted never had many for sale locally and the one in England was a great deal so worth the trouble.

However if you're spending £4k on a bike you're not going to save much coming over to England. The cost of a ferry over and back plus fuel, food, tolls etc. And in the end you might not like the bike at all and be a waste of time. For popular bikes like a mt07 or er6n there must be some decent ones closer to home. Also (if I remember correctly) you will need to register the bike at the DVA in NI which probably costs something too.

[Six30]

yeh but in the summer

[TRSCRider]

Strange that.

I see a fair few NI reg plates over here and for sale in the smaller dealerships.

So i assumed it was cheaper to buy over there and import.

Also bear in mind.

Depending where you live in NI you then have the journey home through some of most potholled roads in the UK...LOL

 

Interesting, a assumed it was a economy of scale thing.

Mostly looking at auto trader and then the dealer website of those i find on auto trader.

I will certainly exhaust all local leads first. Thanks for your input.

[TRSCRider]

Hi,

I Completed my Cat A Test (Direct Access) just before the pandemic (February) and have not ridden since.

I Live in N.Ireland and bikes are much cheaper and plentiful in England.

Would it be ill-advised for me to get a flight to England and drive the thing home?

Looking like a 4 hr drive (google maps) from my ferry port & i live a further 2 hrs from the port on the Irish side.

I intend to spend around £3K-4K on something like a Er-6n OR Mt-07 and it would

really take away from my budget if I have to get it shipped home!

Thanks

 

I did this with a car. Flew from Belfast to exeter. Bought the car and drove back. I did it as the car I wanted never had many for sale locally and the one in England was a great deal so worth the trouble.

However if you're spending £4k on a bike you're not going to save much coming over to England. The cost of a ferry over and back plus fuel, food, tolls etc. And in the end you might not like the bike at all and be a waste of time. For popular bikes like a mt07 or er6n there must be some decent ones closer to home. Also (if I remember correctly) you will need to register the bike at the DVA in NI which probably costs something too.

 

That's a fair point, I certainly will exhaust all local options before i make the effort to travel.

Had a nosy and it appears you would be correct up until a few years ago- only have to notify them, but i would not have thought to check this!

https://www.gov.uk/importing-vehicles-into-the-uk

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

[Throttled]

Relatives in NI have bought a mix of cars in NI and Scotland and just buy them depending on what was cheapest at the time, taking into account travel costs. I find England tends to be cheaper than Scotland, but only recently by so much it was worth the transport costs to buy from down south. I got a car from a dealer in Coventry.

[techniques]

Covid permitting, sounds like an adventure. A friend moved to Europe mainland last year and was shopping for a car. The model he chose in his city could've been had in England for £2k less. I remember trying to convince him to fly home (via Ryanair), see his family, and drive back in his new car.

I'd definitely do it. Ad-ven-ture.

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

Probably not entirely relevant but my brother in law lives in Barbados and it's cheaper for him to buy a car in the UK, ship it to Barbados, pay the import duties etc. Then he runs it for a few years and can sell it for what he paid for it new.

Might not work in NI though.