Leaving a bike in Morocco

[Tim Cullis]

Hi Tim,
Hope you're well and apologies if this is covered in the Morocco knowledgeable.
In the next year or two I fancy taking a bike down to Morocco (probably a DRZ400S) and leaving it there indefinitely, maybe in Ouarzazate, so I can fly out and ride for a week or two without the time/hassle or getting the bike there and back each time. Timolgra mentioned that you may keep a bike in Morocco. If you do, I wondered how it works in terms of importing the bike, registration, insurance etc? I know southern Morocco very well to travel in as a photographer, but I've only done one bike trip there and that was on a bike hired in Marrakech (in fact I'm sure you recommended the hire company I ended up using).
Cheers,
Lee

Lee, I'm responding to your PM by posting on the forum so that the information is out there for everyone. There's a good thread about this subject on Horizons Unlimited.

You can have a vehicle in Morocco for six months in any one year and the clock carries on ticking whilst you are absent. You can't purchase a Moroccan-registered vehicle unless you have a residency. What might work is to buy a second-hand bike Moroccan-registered bike from Peter Grey at Wilderness Wheels (I visited him a couple of weeks ago and he has some coming up) and for you to pay him to store and insure the bike for you.

Same suggestion for Noureddine at Loc2roues.

Tim

 

[Lee Frost]

Thanks Tim. I'll look into it. Wondering if it would be possible to keep the bike UK registered, take it out of Morocco after 6 months to avoid breaking the law there and store it in Spain for the other 6 months - though there will obviously be restrictions in Spain too!

 

[Timolgra]

Theoretically yes it seems you could.

Can I keep my UK registered car in Spain?
Yes, but you can only keep it and drive it in Spain for a maximum of 6 months – after that you will have to get it registered onto Spanish plates. Remembering that throughout that time you have to ensure that the car remains fully legal with a UK MOT, road tax and insurance for the full period you intend to stay. If you decide not to put it onto Spanish plates then you have to remove the car from Spain as you are allowed only to drive it in Spain for 6 months in any calendar year on UK plates.
http://www.idealspain.com/pages/information/english-cars-in-spain.asp

 

[Lee Frost]

Hmmm, nothing's ever easy! Maybe the best option is to buy a Morocco registered bike from a resident, as Tim C suggests, and let that person store/insure it.

 

[Timolgra]

Hmmm, nothing's ever easy! Maybe the best option is to buy a Morocco registered bike from a resident, as Tim C suggests, and let that person store/insure it.

Much better idea ..... then you can sell me the DRZ

 

[Lee Frost]

No chance! That's a keeper

 

[merlings1200]

Theoretically yes it seems you could.

Can I keep my UK registered car in Spain?
Yes, but you can only keep it and drive it in Spain for a maximum of 6 months – after that you will have to get it registered onto Spanish plates. Remembering that throughout that time you have to ensure that the car remains fully legal with a UK MOT, road tax and insurance for the full period you intend to stay. If you decide not to put it onto Spanish plates then you have to remove the car from Spain as you are allowed only to drive it in Spain for 6 months in any calendar year on UK plates.
http://www.idealspain.com/pages/information/english-cars-in-spain.asp

I kept a UK registered car in Spain for 6 years, had it MOTED in Spain Insured it with a Spainsh company on UK plates even made a claim had no problems.
Never got stopped by the old bill

 

[Tim Cullis]

You are most likely to hit problems in Spain if you are often observed by the same policeman but we rarely see police in the rural areas. I currently have a Spanish-registered KTM 690 and a UK-registered Tenere in Spain which is primarily a 'guest' bike for riding tracks. But I think I will bring the Tenere back to the UK and buy a lighter-weight, smaller-capacity Spanish-plated bike to replace it.

So long as you are able to quote a Spanish address there's no restrictions on foreigners being able to buy a Spanish-plated bike other than you need a NIE (Número de Identidad de Extranjero) tax identification which is easily obtained, see http://spain.angloinfo.com/moving/residency/nie-the-application/

Linea Directa is the Spanish arm of Direct Line Insurance and operates with English-speaking staff and English documents. Their basic package includes roadside recovery and green card for Morocco and EU.

The downside about storing a bike in Spain for use primarily in Morocco is the relatively high cost of the ferry from Spain to Morocco and the need to ride 700+km to get to the southern parts of Morocco (assuming that's where you're headed). It's far easier to fly EasyJet into Marrakech and get the CTM bus to Ouarzazate.

 

[Lee Frost]

You can also fly into Casablanca from Gatwick and Heathrow then on to Ouarzazate with Royal Air Maroc. I bet the bus journey to Ouarzazate takes a while, over the Atlas Mountains via the Tichka pass! Basing a bike in Ouarzazate is what appeals to me, so the whole of southern Morocco is accessible without a huge ride there and back.

 

[Two wheels good]

There is a good train service between major cities. Well, I only have experience of Casa to Marrakech but it was very enjoyable.
And don't overlook the long distance bus services. CTM and Supratours are two major companies. Very reliable. (Don't expect the booking offices, bus stops to be located together) Internal flights were not extortionate but just a bit too expensive to justify and they weren't direct. Anyway, overland was more of an adventure.

 

[Tim Cullis]

Ouarzazate isn't on the train network. I've taken the CTM Marrakech to Ouarzazate bus a few times and it's about 4.5 hours including stops, so wipes out most of a day.

 

[Two wheels good]

Set me thinking about the MA rail network. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rail_network_in_Morocco.svg

It shows a high speed link south from Tangiers heading for Casa I suppose. More track in the east than I expected . And what's in Bouarfa that justifies the rail link - gas? potash?

 

[luke scott]

I kept a UK registered car in Spain for 6 years, had it MOTED in Spain Insured it with a Spainsh company on UK plates even made a claim had no problems.
Never got stopped by the old bill

I have a mate in "Traffico" (traffic polis) in Malaga and he tells me that you can't do a UK MOT test in Spain. I'm no expert being a paddy but I'm guessing he is correct. There is a good trade in dodgy mot certs on the Costa.
But on a lighter note I can put you in contact with bike storage 250m from Malaga airport at €2 a day in a safe warehouse.

 

[Tim Cullis]

And what's in Bouarfa that justifies the rail link - gas? potash?

I went exploring the line south to Bouarfa earlier last January, it was used for military support and hauling coal. A write-up and pics: http://www.morocco-knowledgebase.net/forum/showthread.php?t=333

 

[Two wheels good]

Thanks Tim. I've seen those photos before. I look fwd to actually reading the blog later.

 

[restandplay]

Hi
Some considerable rubbish posted here. You cannot ITV a UK registered car or bike in Spain. Therefore without an MOT obtained in the UK it would be illegal to drive it on Spanish roads. Yes keep it and drive it for longer than 6 months and you risk the vehicle being confiscated and if involved in a bad accident having an extended stay in a Spanish jail. You can drive in the UK without insurance etc but you also risk the chance of being locked up. Why be a smart arse and encourage people to break the law. I have had a home in Spain since 2004 and know loads of Brits that think the law does not apply to them and they are normally the same bunch that when back in the UK are the first to complain about the immigrates not respecting our laws.

Derek

 

[Keith24GB]

I will be riding down to The Gambia in Jan 2017, so I'm playing around with spitting the trip into 2, due to time restraints. Perhaps ride down to Morocco in Sep/Oct and leave the bike there, then return by flight in Jan to continue the journey. By doing this not only will I save a 4/5 days travel, but dogging the cold in the Spainish mountains. Does anyone have any suggestions where I could leave the bike within easy excess to return flights back to the UK? Also does anyone know what sort of weather conditions I will be confronted with heading south? Not bothered about the heat, it's more the cold/snow if the route needs to go over the Atlas Mountains !

 

[Tim Cullis]

Have a word with Hana at motoadventours.com