Hey guys,

I was in my shed looking @ my Bikes (906 & K100RS) as I am currently stalling in the process to sell my K. I have a buyer lined up & everything but i really don't want to part with her. Why sell the BMW? well there is just me that rides & I only have 1 bike registered (Paso of course). I do not ride enough to justify both on the road (kids, mortgage etc) & that got me thinking that if rego was cheaper I would have both on the road. That got me thinking of the rest of you & wondering what is involved in registering your bikes & how much it costs in your part of the world.

Here in New South Wales, Australia we have a process (everything this government does is a process) in 3 stages, all with an associated cost. The process is as follows:

1. "Pink Slip" - (Vehicle Roadworthy Certificate) this is required for any vehicle more than 3 years old. it involves an inspection by an authorised inspection station (ussually the local garage). They check lights, tyres, brakes, suspension, window tint (yeah they place a light meter in the car to make sure enough light is able to get in :screwy: ) rust etc. this costs $17 for a bike & $28 for a car.
If the vehicle fails it must be repaired & returned to same inspection station for re-assessment.

2. "Green Slip" - (Compulsary Third Party Certificate) This little gem of an idea covers actual bodily harm to all occupants or any person NOT the driver of the vehicle that is injured as a result of this vehicle being "at fault" involved in an accident. This is offered by authorised insurance companies & prices vary considerably from company to company. factors included incalculating this cost includes age, sex, experience, location of registered owner & in some cases also the youngest driver. Basically they are assessing your likely hood of having an "at fault" accident & charging you for this likelyhood. Green Slip prices for my Paso currently vary from $262 to $453 a year (for my Patrol they vary from $256 to $440) this is interesting as 80% of all motorcycle accidents are single vehicle accidents involving only the rider who is not covered by this premuim & yet we pay as much (a lot more if I was under 30) as a 7 seater car :confused:

3. Registration Fee This is paid to the Road Traffic Authority for the privelidge of driving legally on our poorly maintained roads for another year. Paso costs $95 while the patrol (cars are based on weight ) costs me $354 every 12 months.

This whole process costs me $388 for the Paso (would be same for BMW) & $638 for the Patrol just to be on the road for the next year. This does not include vehicle insurance or running costs.

I am wondering if this is expensive & complicated compared to others. How does this compare to registration in your part of the world?

(for comparison to your part of the world 1 Aus Dollar us currently worth 76 cents US)

Red,

In South Africa we have a Certificate of Roadworthiness (COR) that must be performed on change of ownership. This can be done at a municipal testing centre or a private test centre. I have only used private test centres since they have been opened. I think the cost of the COR for a car was R250 (AUS$ 50 or US$ 38) and for a motorbike it was R100 (AUS$ 20 or US$ 15).

We used to have a similar 3rd Party insurance scheme but a lot of people didn't bother. The Government got around this by applying a fuel levy, so the more fuel you use the more you pay. It seems fair, but doesn't take account of your age or ability.

The yearly license for cars is based on weight. My son's MK1 VW Golf weighs 850kg and cost R144 (AUS$ 28 or US$ 22) and my 1.8 tonnes (1800kg) Mitsubishi Space Gear cost R296 (AUS$ 59 or US$ 45).

I think the yearly license for motorbikes is just a straight amount of R63 (AUS$ 12 or US$ 9) as this was the charge for both the Paso and my son's 125cc scooter.

It seems that we are a bit cheaper here :thumbup:

Paul

Well, here the states it probably differs from state to state a little bit, but here in New York, it works like this:

Upon purchase, you pay to get the bike (or car) registered and titled to you. Title fee depends on what you bought, and I think with used vehicles of any kind, it's basically the tax you pay on the price. That's why sometimes, if you buy a used car, the receipt will reflect a lower value than you actually paid, just so you don't get dingeed at the DMV (Dept. of Motor Vehicles).

Otherwise, yearly, we pay to register the bike. I think this is $14 a bike (or it's $28; I forget - I have bikes, so I either paid $28 total, or $28 each). Anyway, all NY motorcycle registrations expire in April, like it or not. So that pretty much forces everybody to pony up for the new riding season. These reg tags are colored stickers that go on your plate.

We also have an inspection sticker that expires one year from the date it was inspected. Sounds similar to your Pink Slip, red. Usualy costs $10-15, and they're supposed to check all the lights, brakes, etc. Depending on where you go, I've had a mechanic walk out of the back shop, look at the bike and say "yep, it's a motorcycle" then hand me the sticker. These stickers usually go on your front fork. Most put them down by the brake caliper, but that makes me nuts, so I have them put mine up between the triple trees.

And then there's insurance - same as your Green Slip. I pay $400/yr for year-round coverage on both my Paso and my Monster. They factor in all the same things yours does - age, geographic location, type of motorcycle(s), amount of experience, male/female, driving record (speeding tickets are frowned upon and inflate your rates for years). Some companies like to charge extra (of course!) for modifications, but mine in particular will cover any aftermarket equipment provide I have the sales receipts to proof I had them.

So while I'm 34, live in a moderate-sized city and pay $400/yr for 2 bikes - an '88 and a '97 - both 748cc; I've heard tales of 21 year olds living in say - Connecticut - driving new Yamaha R1s and paying $4500/yr for the single bike. Age has its perks!

Jake

Also in NY with 4 bikes. Pay abour 600 per year for insurance, that has VERY highe levels of liability and collision only on the '02 748.

Inspection is $10, just had it done and registration for the year is $14.