Importazione la mia moto dall'Inghilterra in Italia

[er-minio]

Originariamente inviata da fatbob

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I don't think I would get much for a rusty 2008 plate which is not even running very well, it needs a full service. But better the devil you know, it hasn't given me too much trouble in 14 years and I think the rust is mostly cosmetic. If I bought another bike in Italy I don't know if I would trust buying one of the same age because you never what what hidden problems it might have, so I could end up spending a lot more on the replacement.

I see your point. Yes, it could make sense to keep it in this case.

Who would you use for shipping?

I shipped my GS to Italy to get it fixed (long story) a few years back + we shipped my mate's GS shortly after that (we then rode both bikes back to London) and the HP2 from Rome to London a few years later.

I use a small Italian moving company called Mastrostefano.com
They are very good. Not sure if their prices went up recently and with all the brexit changes, but might worth a try. Not sure they speak that much English - have your wife ready on the phone

How much is a new LDH headlamp?

Not sure. My HP2 RDH headlamp costed 400 quid... from BMW.
But for a standard GS, eBay is your friend

Where would you buy a used bike in Italy? Probably have to be a dealer as I think a private sale would be too complicated and risky for me.

This forum has a buy/sell section. It is limited to (active) forum users. I don't remember the requirements off the top of my head, but it is about one year being a forum member or a set number of messages.
Generally the bikes you see in here are a bit better and from more trusted people.

My experience of Italy so far is that it is very bureaucratic and difficult to get anything done, or even get a straight answer to what you have to do.

It is.
Also: especially around vehicles there is way more red tape, costs, paperwork, etc.

I also saw another old thread on here about someone buying a used bike in the UK and bringing it back to Italy because they were cheaper in the UK, although that may have been due to a favourable exchange rate.

Depends on the bike.
My HP2 came way cheaper at the time.
I wanted an ABS version and there were none in the UK. So that was my main reason for getting one in Italy. But at the end, after shipping and importing it, it still costed me less than buying the same bike used from a local dealer.

Apart from the headlamp and shipping, the full cost of importing the bike was probably a couple hundred quid... or something like that, not much.

Then there is also the problem of the UK driving licence no longer being recognised in Italy

You sure about that?
I do have an UK license (converted my Italian one ages ago) and had no issues in Italy with it. I think there is an agreement between the UK and rest of Europe regarding the driving licenses.
I hope they don't cock that up too