knopf tours heidelberg

Germany Motorcycle Rentals and Tours

Germany is home to some of Europe’s most legendary motorcycling meccas from the iconic Nurburgring to the mythical B500.  

Motorcycle Rental and Tour Companies in Germany

Please contact the companies listed on this page directly for more information.

Knopf Tours

“ For over 30 years we have provided a dedicated service for motorcycle enthusiasts from around the world who love and appreciate the beauty of riding in Europe. We cover everything from rentals and transportation to insurance and storage for your motorcycle.”

Services:  Rental bikes, guided tours, accommodation, green card insurance, airport shuttle service, bike storage and servicing, transport to dealer, international motorcycle shipping.

Rental bikes:  BMW F800 GS, R1200 GS, R1200 RT. More models available on request.

Rental prices: Prices range dependent on model and rental time. Email Knopf Tours for a personalised quote.

Tours:  Contact Knopf for a bespoke and private guided tour. 

Insurance: Yes as it’s the law in Germany/Europe. 

Kit availability:  Knopf Tours have a small selection of kit available. There are motorcycle clothing and gear shops 25 minutes away if you need something specific, but it’s best to bring your own kit. 

Magellan Motorcycle Tours

Uk, ireland, france, germany, spain, portugal, austria, switzerland, italy, hungary, romania, slovenia, bosnia, croatia, greece, norway, sweden, denmark, morocco, usa, canada, cuba.

“Magellan prides itself on the best customer service in the industry. We treat our customers as if they were a part of our family.”

Services:  Guided, self-guided, private and custom motorcycle tours throughout the UK, Europe, North America and Cuba. Customers can use either a rental bike provided by Magellan or use their own bike on any of their tour services. 

Rental bikes:  A wide range of machines from the latest BMW R 1250 GS to the Ducati Multistrada 950 and Yamaha MT-09 Tracer. 

Rental prices: From £92 per day (rental bikes are included in the USA tours).

Tours: Tours start from £995. Check out their handy world map page to see what’s on offer. 

Insurance: Yes, if renting. 

Kit availability: No.

Check out Felix’s guide to Austria: 6 Things to do on an Austria Motorcycle Tour

MotoGS WorldTours

“ We are a Germany-based company that offers guided motorcycle tours south of the Alps, especially in the Balkans. Our tours for the Balkans always start in Split (Croatia). We also offer rental motorcycles for our Balkan tours, which can be picked up in Split. You can choose to take part in these tours with your own motorcycle or you can make yourself comfortable and travel stress-free by airplane to Split. And our tours in Colombia and New Zealand are absolute highlights too!”  

Services: Guided motorcycle tours throughout south of the Alps and Balkans. Clients can use either a rental bike provided by MotoGS or use their own bike on the tours. Airport shuttle and luggage storage is available at the Split branch. Visit their site for more info.

Rental bikes: BMW F750GS, F850GS, F900GSA, BMW R1250GS and GSA and R1300GS.

Rental prices: Prices are dependent on which model and tour duration. Visit their site for more info.

Tour prices: Prices always include a BMW F750GS (upgrades are available) and are dependent on which tour. Visit their site for more info on tour prices.  

Insurance: Insurance is included as a full damage waiver and theft, with an excess of 1,000 euros and a third-party liability insurance. The excess can be reduced to zero. A green insurance card for protection in all European countries is also included. Visit their site for more info.

Kit availability: Visit their site for more info.

FAQs on Germany Motorcycle Rentals and Tours

No, sorry. Mad or Nomad do not offer any rentals, tours or services. Please contact the companies listed on this page directly. 

This page displays motorcycle rental and tour companies from around the world. We do a lot of research into these companies before adding them and speak to the managers and owners. Many of the companies we have also used in the past or have met the owners while travelling.

While we have collected them all together in one place for your ease, we take no responsibility in your business with them. We’re simply showcasing companies in one easy-to-use place and are not involved with your dealings with them. Any business you have with these companies is at your own risk. We will not be held liable or responsible in any way.   

The best time to rent a motorcycle or join a tour in Germany is May to September. 

Take a video on your phone of the entire bike, do a walk around and film the condition of the chain, fairings, tyres, any bumps, dents and scratches. By doing so, you can’t get caught out and blamed for something you didn’t do when you return it.

Check the wheel bearings, chain, oil, coolant, brakes, clutch and that the handlebars are straight. Tyres need a decent amount of tread and should be suitable for the terrain you’re riding in. Take it for a short test ride and don’t feel pressured or rushed. Go with your gut and if there’s anything that catches your eye, speak to the owners immediately.

This is down to personal preference, where you’re riding and what’s available. If you’re renting or joining a motorcycle tour in the States and you’re going to be primarily on road, then you may want to opt for a big touring bike. If you’re headed to rural or mountainous countries and are going off-road in Central Asia for example, then go for a mid-weight single-cylinder. 

We usually find lighter and cheaper rental bikes are better because they’re less stress, you don’t have to worry about dropping them all the time, are easier to fix and more fun.

For more info on choosing the right motorcycle for your trip, have a look at the below guide and also check out the adventure bikes page too. 

• How to Choose Your Adventure Motorcycle
• Adventure Motorcycle Guides

We recommend lightweight and comfortable gear suitable for the climate you’re travelling in. If you’re heading to a particularly cold place, then go for Gore-Tex pro laminate. 

But, the best all-round option is ventilated, light and comfy adventure bike gear. Take the thermal and waterproof liners out and leave them at home. Take a cheap pair of waterproof throwovers and a compressible down jacket that can be stuffed into a small bag. You can use both items as layering if it’s cold and rainy and they double up when off the bike and will reduce the amount of gear you have to take with you in your luggage. 

It’s always better to take your own bike gear over renting or using kit from the rental company. You know your own stuff fits, works and is comfortable – especially your helmet. The last thing you want is to get a few days into your trip and get a headache from a tight lid. 

Check out our riding gear article for more info on how to choose the right clothing and the guides section for our recommended kit. 

• How to Choose Your Adventure Riding Gear
• Adventure Bike Riding Gear Guides

Contact the rental or tour company and ask what luggage the bike comes with. Your bike might come with soft bags, hard boxes, a top box or nothing at all. 

You can often leave the gear you don’t want to take with you on the trip at the rental or tour company’s headquarters. So you can travel on a plane with a larger kit bag and just take the bag and gear you need on the bike. 

The type of luggage you need depends on the type of trip you’re on, how much off-roading you’re doing and how long you’re going for. 

A good option is to go for a waterproof duffle bag and a pair of Rok Straps as this type of luggage setup can be fastened to any bike’s pillion seat and you don’t need racks. And take an additional small and light rucksack for your important gear (camera, passport etc) so you don’t have to worry about it when off the bike. 

For more info on choosing your motorcycle luggage, check out our guide page below.

READ MORE: Adventure Bike Luggage Guides

Companies may offer motorcycle insurance as an optional extra, include it in the price or not offer it at all. This again depends on the country you’re riding in. 

It’s worth getting insurance if you can and ask what the excess is as you will usually be liable for damage to the bike. 

Motorcycle insurance is separate from personal travel insurance. This is incredibly important and you need to be very careful when choosing your personal insurance policy because the fine print often won’t cover you for bikes over 125cc, renting, touring or using a bike as your main mode of transport.

Check out our Admin section as you’ll find detailed guides on personal insurance, paperwork and safety on the road. 

READ MORE: Admin Guides

Read more on Motorcycle Travel in Germany and Europe

Thanks for checking out our Germany Motorcycle Rental and Tour Companies post. We hope you found what you were looking for. Here’s a few more articles on motorcycling in Germany and Europe that we recommend you read next. 

Click here for all of our Germany Motorcycle Travel Guides

How to Motorcycle From the UK to the Nurburgring and B500

Germany International Motorcycle Shipping Companies

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Problem Solved

How to fly and store your motorcycle overseas for touring, without using a shipping company, cheaply

In this blog post I will explain the steps required to ship your motorcycle overseas yourself and details about registration and insurance, required paperwork and preparation of the bike. Using specialized shipping companies is usually not worth it – they will not clear customs for you when you arrive and they don’t prep your bike when you deliver it to the airport, typically all the shipping company will do is book your shipment and provide you with some of the required paperwork, and taking a huge percentage for little effrort. You are left doing most of the legwork so I do not recommend using a shipping company unless they do these things. I have experience shipping a Honda 919 Hornet from Calgary, Alberta, Canada on Air Transat to Gatwick airport, London, UK in 2006.  I’m also including some information from friends of mine that have shipped their bikes from Vancouver to Frankfurt in 2010, and most recently Calgary to Frankfurt, Germany in 2012.  This post discusses flying your bike air freight one-way, and then storage overseas.   People often debate weather or not it is worth shipping and my answer is usually that if you are planning to use the bike in Europe for more than about 2-3 weeks, then it is a tossup in terms of cost.  If you’re going to Thailand, rentals are less than half the price so renting might be a good option.  Of course there is less effort renting, and less risk, however rental companies for bikes may make you put down a deposit of as much as half the price of the bike.  If you plan on going overseas on a regular basis or for long term, then shipping your bike there is a good option.

The savings shipping by sea are usually not worth it.  Shipping by sea from Canada to Europe you are looking at about $800+ and an uncertainty factor at when the bike will arrive at port, and you may be responsible for storage fees at the destination if you are not there exactly when the bike arrives.  By air freight, you are looking at about $1000 to $1300 one way if you get a good deal, depending if you ship your motorcycle crated as non-hazardous (battery and gas removed), or stood up and strapped down to a wooden pallet provided at the airport, and labeled as hazardous (with battery and 1/4 tank of gas or less). Note that return shipping back to (for example) Canada, may be expensive, often even more expensive. You may find that shipping back to Canada costs double the cost to ship from Canada. Air Canada had a promotion a while ago where you could ship your motorcycle to Europe for under $1000, but return shipping was about double that. Usually shipping hazardous is your best bet as it will cost ~ $80 extra and you save yourself the trouble of the crate, battery purchase and getting gas issues.  This does not include the customs clearance at the other end which may run you about $200+. For additional information or specific countries for shipping to and from, I find searching Horizons Unlimited and ADV Rider indispensable.

Step by step what you need to do:

• Get quotes, choose an airline, sort out dates and times
• Get your bike ready with the luggage mounted (if luggage allowed).
• Get your international drivers license, travel insurance, Green Card Insurance ahead of time
• Prep your bike for shipment and get forms and sticker ahead of time
• Arrive, clear customs, don’t pay duty
• After your trip, storage or ship it back
• Going back for another trip – you do not need to renew bike registration

Quotes, Arrival Times

• Get quotes from various airlines on air freight for shipping the motorcycle.  Be sure to ask them exactly what they need done to the bike, what they need from you, and what paperwork they need you to have or fill out.  Often they will have options, hazardous or non-hazardous, and crated or strapped to a pallet with clear plastic wrapped over your bike to prevent damage and associated costs for both options.  It is usually only $80 more to ship on a pallet, they roll your bike onto a pallet and cut two holes for your tires to go in the boards and the bike sits pretty stable on it, they tie it down.  It’s much easier to just leave 1/4 tank of gas, battery disconnected but still installed.  If you ship in a crate you have to worry about taking the front tire off, windshield off perhaps, not shipping the battery and completely draining the gas tank and needing a jerrycan and new battery at the destination if you ship non-hazardous.
• If you decide to ship in a crate, you can find out the total crated weight of your shipment with dimensions by looking up the wet-weight specifications of your bike online or in the manual, subtract 3/4 gas volume weight, add crate weight, and determine crate dimensions.  A typical sport bike crate might be 30 inch wide, 42 inch tall, 89 inch long,  80 lbs.
• Usually you’ll want to arrive on the same day or within 1 day of the arrival of your bike. Make sure that the customs office will be open when you get there or else you’ll be wasting valuable time after arrival waiting for your bike.

Get bike ready, luggage considerations

• Read my blog post on minimal packing lists for motorcycle touring , to decide how much luggage and what type of luggage you may want to mount to your bike.  The blog post goes into detail about lots of things including electrical things.  You may be able to get away with a single top case if you pack lightly.
• Think about power on the bike, will you need a 12V power socket?  These are pretty easy to wire, you will at least need an all-weather socket with an in-line fuse, the whole arrangement will cost about $15.  You might also want to wire an automotive relay to your tail light circuit.  Here is a diagram that I drew up long ago for this.

Get International License and Insurance

• In Calgary, you can get an international drivers license which is good for 1 year for about $25 at AMA offices in Canada.  It takes 10 minutes.  The license is to be used in conjunction with your Alberta drivers license if you are pulled over overseas.
• Optionally you can purchase road side assistance insurance.  Knopf Tours out of Heidelberg Germany is a good resource for this.
• Full coverage or collision coverage, from what I have found, is quite expensive and probably not worth it.  Few people get it. I cannot recommend any companies that provide it as I am not aware of them.
• Be sure to get travel health insurance also, often it can be covered by your credit card for up to about 22 days. If you need longer coverage, look into the company called World Nomads , however look at their fine print, their terms may have changed such that motorcycle riding could now be designated as risky and costs extra.
• Your motorcycle registration documents do not need to be up-to-date. As long as you have proof that you own your motorcycle, that is all you need.

Prep bike for shipment, and get forms

• If you use a crate, there is the issue of getting and moving a crate (for example from Walt Healy in Calgary for about $75), and if shipping back after the trip, storage or buying a new crate, and you often need to remove the wind screen and the front tire to make a bike fit into a crate, so that leads to the issue of putting the front tire back on overseas in a cargo bay.  However a crated bike is often the cheapest way for shipping.
• The other option is on a pallet which I prefer because you do not need to remove the tire, and you can have more luggage  mounted to your bike when it ships, luggage containing tools for example that might have otherwise made you go over the checked baggage weight allowance in the airport.
• When shipping hazardous you leave less than a quarter tank of gas in the bike, and disconnect the battery. When shipping non-hazardous you would need to remove the battery all together, and remove all of the gas and provide a letter from a dealership who did this for you.  Again, Walt Healy can do this for you. However, this poses an issue at the cargo bay overseas when your bike arrives.  You’ll have to figure out how to get a battery, and gas at the other end.  Maybe you’ve got a friend that can get these things for you waiting for you there?  My preferred method is shipping hazardous (with appropriate sticker and paperwork) on a pallet.  It may cost a hundred dollars more but I think it’s worth saving the hassle.  They do the work for you, loading the bike on the pallet.
• Be sure to bring the bike to the cargo terminal at least 48 before if flies out, or per instructions they gave you.
• You need to leave an extra motorcycle key with the bike before it ships so that if the pilot wants to check to make sure there is no gas in your tank he can do so.  I suggest you have 3 sets of keys at least, two for yourself and one for the cargo terminal.
• Usually they will want the bike clean and free of bugs.
• Bring the original title or bill of sale for the bike.  You may also need “proof of insurance”.
• Hazardous Goods label (number “9” sticker) one for each way, as well as copies of hazardous goods forms (that is, if you are shipping it as hazardous goods).  It’s about $50 to get the dangerous goods documentation.
• Photo ID, and written permission from any Lien-holder to take the bike out of the country.
• On return shipments, customs entry forms you recieved at the port of arrival.

 Clearing Customs

Request when your bike is being shipped that the “Airway Bill” description include the following text:

“USED PERSONAL EFFECTS AS UNACCOMPANIED BAGGAGE’

“USED MOTORBIKE”

This will apparently help avoid delays once the bike arrives at the destination.

• Be very clear with everyone you deal with, that you are only temporarily importing the motorcycle and that it will be return shipped.  This way you do not pay any duty fees on the value of the bike.  Even if you do not plan on returning the bike to your country right away it’s probably in your best interest to pretend you are shipping it back soon. As long as you don’t sell the bike (which in itself may be difficult or impossible to do as you are not a resident of that country), I don’t think there is any issue.  This is a topic open for discussion and research.
• Find out when the customs office is open.  You can arrange to have a freight agent handle clearing customs for you for a fee of a couple hundred dollars, or you can go to the customs office and clear the bike yourself for usually about $60.  Customs offices are often closed to the public on certain days of the week.  For flying into the UK, I believe it is now mandatory that a Customs Broker clear customs for you.  If you want to help out your broker or attempt to clear customs yourself, you will likely need to fill out temporary importation form C110 .  More forms can be found on their customs website .   A customs broker will charge you about $200 to do almost no work at all, but it is probably worth the money to save you the hassle.  They simply fill out a couple of forms and fax it off to customs to clear you.
• I suggest you allow for up to 2 days of waiting time to clear customs unless you’ve got it all researched and figured out ahead of time.  I didn’t plan things ahead of time in London Gatwick and I ended up staying over night in a hotel until I could find a freight agent and the customs office opened up.
• Keep a copy of the paperwork for when you are shipping the bike back.
• If you don’t have any friends overseas to store your bike, consider Knopf Tours out of Heidelberg Germany.  Or if you prefer, in Bulgaria there is a significantly cheaper storage (and cheap liability insurance!) company called Moto Camp .
• Be sure to take notes or photos of your bike before you leave it there, this way you can have a record of things like tire tread wear, chain or sprockets wear and parts that need replacement, so you can be prepared with tools and/or parts next time you go. These photos might also come in handy if you plan to sell the motorcycle while you are away.
• Fill the gas tank full and add an appropriate amount of fuel stabilizer.
• Drain the oil. Oil can be refilled just prior to your next trip.  I usually don’t worry about flat spots developing on the tires in storage because I have not witnessed them (2 years at a time, Michelin Pilot Road 1 and Pilot Road 2 tires).

Going back another year

• There is no need to renew your registration for your motorcycle before you go back overseas to ride it. The police overseas do not care that you are not paying your home country this tax. So all you need is to get your Green Card insurance for the countries you wish to ride in. Be sure you carry proof that you own the motorcycle (bill of sale, or title, or registration paper that is expired, depending on what you have).
• Arrange for your battery to be recharged, or arrange for the purchase of a new battery. Arrange for oil to be filled in your bike.

14 Comments on "How to fly and store your motorcycle overseas for touring, without using a shipping company, cheaply"

• Minimal packing lists and gear suggestions for motorcycle touring – day, multi-day, multi-week, camping, Europe, Thailand… | Thinkbox 12 years ago Permalink

gave this a quick read at this point and will certainly be going over it in fine detail later. It looks very well written/organized.

I am considering shipping my bike [bmw f800gs] to europe [ i.e. italy] for a 3 week ride in 2015. After reading some of your article I now am thinking of storing it there in italy [with friend] to go back for a future ride.

I am wondering if you have any updated info since when you wrote the article?

p.s. tenative plan this summer is:

july: ride ottawa to james bay [and “some” of trans taiga rd] and back over about 8-9 days

aug: ship bike to whitehorse and ride back to ottawa via anchorage; “highway to the sun” montana; yellowstone nat park; mt rushmore SD.

Yes I have a tidbit of updated info: I believe that if you are a Canadian shipping your own bike with Canadian plates on it, that you do not need to have your registraion up to date. All that matters is that you have a bill of sale (or title) and Green card insurance (I get mine through ADAC, Germany). I know that this is the case for South America, and I believe it is also the case for most if not all places overseas. This is great, saves the hassle of getting registrations updated. Sounds like you have a great trip planned, I’ll be riding highway to the sun this summer as well, apparently it’s worth it for the views but it’s really slow-going with all the traffic.

What I mean by this is that if you keep your bike in Europe for an extended period (years), you don’t need to keep updating your registraion nor updating the year sticker on the plate. (Correct me if I’m wrong, pretty sure though).

Great information. Thank you! How long can I leave my Canadian Bike (1200RT) in Europe with Canadian plates on it? Re: ‘Registration’ January 22 /14 answer. So I do not need to renew mw reg sticker in Canada every year? I will load out of Toronto, and fly into Frankfurt or Munich…Any tips on those arrival points as far as German Customs is concerned?

For registration I have been getting mixed information. Myself, I call up my insurance company (State Farm) and get about 1 week of temporary insurance so that I can renew my registration for that year and put the new sticker on the plate of the bike each time I go to Germany, short term, as a tourist. In Germany I also get Green Card insurance. Here is a website that agrees with me: https://www.shipoverseas.com/us/more/how-to-ship-a-car-overseas-faq.html

However, some people I’ve talked to think it is not necessary to update registration, and that you can just have proof of ownership (such as old registration papers or Title or Bill of Sale) and your Green Card insurance. So I can’t give you a definitive answer, but to save you money I think it would be a great thing to know as temp insurance and registration can be a nuicence.

As for tips at the port, I haven’t flown personally into the port in Frankfurt, but I have a friend who has and I think he may have cleared customs by himself by going into the customs clearance office at the airport, be sure they have hours that are open to the public when you arrive. I believe it was not too difficult for him. When I imported my bike it was through London, UK. I had a freight agent (who I had to find and pay for), clear my bike through customs. It consisted of a form that stated I was to keep the bike in the UK no longer than 30 days, as a temporary importation for travel purposes. I would expect you would have something similar. When I did mine, I took the bike and went to other parts of Europe with it which did not require any sort of forms, therefore the fact that my bike is still in Europe but not in the UK any more should satisfy that form… however, I don’t think I would be worried about all of this if you were to fly into Germany and exceed the importation time allowance as I can’t see how they would be able to check up on you.

Interested in attending the Isle of Man TT 2016 from BC. For sentimental reasons, I’ve decided to take my bike instead of renting a one in Douglas. Because of the time line, its a question of either shipping by vessel vs airfreight to the UK. Your thread is great advise and wondered if you had anything thing to add Curtis besides what you’ve already suggested. Thx Scott

I’m moving to thailand and I am trying to take my Hayabusa there, any info for airfreight too thailand?

I want to fly my Harley Road King to Europe this August for a 2 month trip I understand that Air Canada has a special on that if you fly with the bike out of Calgary to Frankfurt or Paris the cost is under $700.00 one way as long as I fly on the same plane.I have found insurance and green card from Tour Insure that I can pay from here with Visa or Master card. I found that I can get full comprehensive insurance. I intend to leave it parked at a friends place for use in 2016 for an other 4 months of riding. I just wonder about getting the bike out of customs in Frankfurt has anyone done this and what are the hurdles I have to be able to overcome. Also does anyone have any advice on different oddities in there driving laws. I intend to be all over Europe and follow the Grand prix motor cycle racing in 2016

Hi Luke, Like you I plan to be in Europe motorcycling in 2016, so I am very interested in your experience in 2015. What can you tell me about the Air Canada special you mention and any difficulties that you may have experienced? Very much appreciated. David Campbell

Hi David My Husband and I want to ship our bikes in 2017 for several months and would love to hear some tips from your experience in 2016 Brenda Kopnitsky

Hi Brenda, We too are looking at a similar journey. Probably leaving our bike in Greece and using it as our in Europe vehicle. Just wondering if you have any info on best practice for which country to arrive in(easiest) and least expensive way to get full coverage insurance. We are not too keen on getting just 3rd party. Our bike is a Moto Guzzi Stelvio 2014 so not interested in having to replace it at our cost. Any advice would be appreciated, Cheers Sten

Hi Sten and Rita, it’s been a while since I made this blog post, things may have changed. Last I was riding my foreign bike in Europe was just about 5 months ago, in Croatia. I realize you want full coverage, but if anybody does want just liability coverage, Moto Camp ( http://motosapiens.org/motocamp/ ) has the best deals. For full coverage Knopf Tours offers about 300 Euro per month, which I believe is excessively expensive, I don’t know any other cheaper options, although I have not extensively searched for full coverage. I arrived in Greece in 2008 on a motorcycle by taking a ferry directly from Italy, from Venice to Igouminitsa – I do NOT recommend from Venice!!! It was almost a 3 day ferry ride, horrible! To make the ferry ride short (less than a day) I’d recommend from Bari or Brindisi, to Igouminitsa. If you need advice about riding in Greece please don’t hesitate to ask. If you are interested in having adventure travel booked for you, my wife rides the world too and is a travel agent specializing in booking custom adventure requests: https://www.facebook.com/ChasingAdventure/ and http://chasingadventure.ca/

Excellent comments and questions….thank you all. I had been plying the internet looking for an answer to the registration issue without any luck til I hit this site. My questions surrounded Canadian bikes stored in Europe sold to another Canadian. In Ontario, in order to transfer title the bike needs to be “saftied” at a site designated by the Province which according to them would mean shipping it back home for the mostly visual 30 minute, $70 inspection to obtain the required certificate…bloody nonsense ! The Ministry will not even accept sworn affidavit of completion of the safety inspection by a registered motorcycle dealer in the EU as an equivalent. Good to hear the police in the EU are not interested in enforcing our bureaucracy.

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Germany - Knopf Tours

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Tried to reply to post by Satkins93 but those threads are too old. I shipped my '04 with 134,000 miles with Stefan in February from Orlando. Bike should be in Heidelberg now, I will be there May 21st. Still waiting to hear from Stefan, to make sure I have everything I need. Probably need to give him a call in the next couple days.  

I drove an Army semi around southern Germany in the middle 60s and would love to ride my Wing on those same great roads. If you pass by Boblingen-Sindelfingen honk for me. Google Earth shows that the Panzer Kasern where I was stationed is still standing and is now a shopping and residence location.  

gray red rider said: I drove an Army semi around southern Germany in the middle 60s and would love to ride my Wing on those same great roads. If you bpass by Boblingen-Sindelfingen honk for me. Google Earth shows that the Panzer Kasern where I was stationed is still standing and is now a shopping and residence location. Click to expand...

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Motorcycle storage in Barcelona

Discussion in ' EMEA ' started by kalikali , Sep 13, 2019 .

kalikali Been here awhile

I am looking to keep my bike in storage for 8 months in Barcelona. Any suggestions? I generally leave them in a self storage unit but from what I was told many don't allow it, some dio. Any tips? Also, is there any 3rd party insurance available to keep the USA plated bike safe while in storage from fire or theft?

pip_muenster curious

IMTbike stores bikes, the are 300m from the central station, quick and easy to get to from the airport. I stored my bike without issues, I think it was insured, too. Beware, that their monthly storage fees are per calender month, e.g. SEP-15 to OCT-15 would be 2 months ... I would email them for details. There seem to be a lot of ExPats from the UK. You may have luck finding private storage on the British forums.

Tuff Tunica Moto-Skiveez creator

I'm in the same situation. I currently have two motorcycles in storage at Knopf Tours in Heidelberg. The concern I have now, is that this location is somewhat prohibitive if you plan on any trips during the winter months. Having something in Spain where you could ride in Jan-Feb is very appealing. In addition, from Heidelberg we've ridden most of the Alps, etc. many times. Ready for something new, coast of Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Southern France. Having a bike in Barcelona would be much better for a starting point than Heidelberg.

MrVvrroomm Long timer

https://www.hispania-tours.com/info/motorbike-storage/ Toured with Hispania Tours in 2016. Recommended.

Tuff Tunica said: ↑ I'm in the same situation. I currently have two motorcycles in storage at Knopf Tours in Heidelberg. The concern I have now, is that this location is somewhat prohibitive if you plan on any trips during the winter months. Having something in Spain where you could ride in Jan-Feb is very appealing. In addition, from Heidelberg we've ridden most of the Alps, etc. many times. Ready for something new, coast of Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Southern France. Having a bike in Barcelona would be much better for a starting point than Heidelberg. Click to expand...

Btw, how does it work with most of these storage spots , do you have to give them a key or do you disconnect your battery, take the key and maybe they give you an assigned spot so they don't have to move the bike?

kalikali said: ↑ Btw, how does it work with most of these storage spots , do you have to give them a key or do you disconnect your battery, take the key and maybe they give you an assigned spot so they don't have to move the bike? Click to expand...

Rhode trip guided by voices Supporter

I have 2 bikes stored in Malaga with these folks. Very happy so far.... https://www.solmoves.com/

dooby aka Frgich; www.lobagola-mototours.com Supporter

VTbeemer Traveler

dooby said: ↑ We're (Lobagola MotoTours) located in Zagreb/Croatia, 1,5 h from Alps and 2 h from Adriatic coast. From there you can ride along the coast, to Montenegro, Albania, Greece, Turkey, or you can catch a ferry from Zadar to Ancona, and then ride Tuscany and catch a ferry from Genoa to Barcelona, or catch a ferry to Algeria, Sardinia, Sicily and Corsica. Also catching a ferry to Tunisia from Genoa is available. From Genoa you can get direct ferry to Morocco, and from France from Marseille to Algeria as well. We provide support all along the coast, insurance, service points and also logistics and support for Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. BR Dooby Click to expand...

dooby said: ↑ We're (Lobagola MotoTours) located in Zagreb/Croatia, 1,5 h from Alps and 2 h from Adriatic coast. In the last 2 years we were heavily pushing our clients to come and ride in European winter, hence why we have provided insurance platform from Gibraltar to Black sea. We trailer you from our storage to the coast which is just 2 h ride or you can take cargo train from Zagreb-Split. Our storage is 300 m2 of underground facility where we keep our own rental/tour fleet and also motorcycles from our clients and 4x4 as well. From there you can ride along the coast, to Montenegro, Albania, Greece, Turkey, or you can catch a ferry from Zadar to Ancona, and then ride Tuscany and catch a ferry from Genoa to Barcelona, or catch a ferry to Algeria, Sardinia, Sicily and Corsica. Also catching a ferry to Tunisia from Genoa is available. From Genoa you can get direct ferry to Morocco, and from France from Marseille to Algeria as well. We provide support all along the coast, insurance, service points and also logistics and support for Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. BR Dooby Click to expand...

Rhode trip said: ↑ I have 2 bikes stored in Malaga with these folks. Very happy so far.... https://www.solmoves.com/ Click to expand...

VTbeemer said: ↑ This brings up a side question I have. The Algerian overland borders are closed to unaccompanied Americans. ( I looked into this while in Morocco last year.). Curious if Algerian ports would allow entry to unaccompanied Americans arriving by ferry? Maybe Americans are not even granted passage on the Algerian bound ferries? The OP is American so thought you might have experience with this. Dan Click to expand...

Tuff Tunica said: ↑ Dooby, That is good news. Thank you for sharing. I have ridden in Croatia many times. And I have taken the ferry from Ancona to Zadar. It was a great experience. Actually last year we spent a week in Slovenia (Julian Alps) then much time in Croatia. This was in early October and it was fantastic! The crowds were much smaller than normal "tourist season." I have had my motorcycles with Knopf Tours for 10 years now and it's time to relocate. We are considering Spain as this opens up much riding and to fly to Barcelona is easy from most US airports. This saves a day or so on both ends of our trip. And being American, we usually only get two weeks for a vacation. Out of curiosity, how much do you charge? Again, I am interested in long term storage. Say five years or so. Thanks! Click to expand...

Tuff Tunica said: ↑ Rhode trip, Thank you for the input. How long have you stored them with them? Do you have US plates on your motorcycles? Thanks! Click to expand...

Piggdekk love speed, hate rush

I live 15 km from Barcelona, and have spare room in my own garage for a couple of bikes. PM if you're interested. luca

gummit n00b

Do you still have space to store a motorcycle near Barcelona?

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GREEN CARD INSURANCE

F or traveling with your own motorcycle or car in Europe OR sending your vehicle by air-/sea freight, by European law you need to have a "Green Card Insurance policy". Police and customs will ask for it, no Green Card insurance, no traveling in Europe.

What's a Green Card Insurance?

The "Green Card Insurance" essentially is a simple third-party liability insurance valid in most of the European countries. It's the legal requirement to drive on European roads and therefore mandatory for both European and Non-European registered vehicles to create a seamless insurance coverage. When a damage occurs, caused by a third party, it's covered by their insurance and same way around when you cause damage to a third-party.

The Green Card insurance coverages are: EUR 2.500.000€ for bodily injuries, EUR 1.000.000€ for property damage and EUR 50.000€ for financial damage. There is no coverage/compensation for a claim against other drivers in the same travel group.

However, damage that you cause on your vehicle by yourself e.g. by crashing, theft or causing an accident with a third-party is not covered. You can additionally get a "Full Comprehensive" insurance to cover those damages.

Adding a Comprehensive Coverage

Choosing the "Full Comprehensive" coverage includes the Green Card Third-Party Liability insurnace but also covers the damage you cause by yourself, theft and fire damage. Since the self-participation/deposit and the exact coverage amount for cars and motorcycle differs, you will receive those specific information after your personal inquiry. Please notice that none of these two insurances are or act like an insurance for personal damage, medical travel insurance nor a breakdown roadside assistance insurance. Please make sure you are covered sufficiently before flying to Europe and starting your trip. 

To inquire for Comprehensive Coverage for a car, we need the value and manufacturing year of the car first. 

Coverage throughout Europe

Both the Green Card liability insurance and the Comprehensive coverage have limited coverage in the former Eastern Bloc countries. Please find the list of covered/not covered EU countries below and inquire to confirm the coverage of your desired travel countries, if you are planning to purchase an insurance. 

Complete List of covered and not covered EU-countries

Insurance for an EU-registered/plated vehicle If your motorcycle or car is registered in the EU, the green card insurance will not be valid in the country of registration for example: If you have a motorcycle registered in the U.K., we can provide you with a Green Card, that is valid in all other regularly covered European countries except the U.K.

Can I get insurnace for a motorcycle or car that is registered NOT in my name?

Please note that the Green Card will be in the name of the person on the registration and you will be added as an additional driver. We need a written statement of permission from the registered owner to drive the vehicle during your trip to ensure its a mutual agreement. We also highly recommend that if you are not the person on the registration, you carry the statement  with you while traveling, since police might ask you about your relation to the bikes and its owner and you may face difficulties  without it.

How long do I need insurance coverage?

As long as your vehicle touches European legal roads, you have to have insurance. You don't need coverage e.g. if your bike is stored in a facility over winter.

You can get a Green Card Insurance in periods of 30/60/90 days up to one year of coverage. There is no shorter period of coverage possible than 30 days. For example: Should you require a Green Card insurance for 41 days, you need a 60 day policy to cover you sufficiently. Each period is 30 days and starts whenever you want to ride on European legal roads. If you run out of coverage while traveling, we can easily issue you a new insurance policy.

Once an insurance card is active and the coverage period has started, it can't be canceled, cut short or edited anymore. This is a policy of the insurer, not Knopftours. Whether a refund for a cancelation of a policy is possible or not has to be decided from case to case.

How much does a Green Card insurance or Comprehensive  policy cost?

Since prices may vary from customer to customer, insurance coverage, duration or vehicle specs, we hope you understand that it's best if inquire directly with us to get a personal insurance quote based on your application. 

When should I apply for an insurance? We genuinely suggest you inquire with us as early as possible and start the application process prior to your travels to ensure that there is enough time. Of course we try to help you out as well, when the insurnace is needed very urgently. The insurnace documents are fully digital now, so there is no need to wait on paper documents being mailed to you anymore. We send out the insurnace papers via email as soon as the insurance is issued, so that there is no delay on your side. Since there are still some old-fashioned police, customs or border officers around in Europe (especially the more East you go), we highly recommend still printing out the actual insurance card twice to carry with you on your motorcycle/car when traveling.

Is there a minimum age for the insurance?

Yes, your age is important for applying for an insurance.  The minimum age for receiving an insurance coverage is 21 years. Between 21 and 25, there is a +25% surcharge on the insurance cost. Applying with 65 years old or above, anything I have to pay attention to? If you are 65 years or older, you can still get insurance coverage but the insurance company needs a medical note from your physician that you are fit to drive. This can be a very basic statement and doesn't have to be fancy. If you meet the age group 65+, please let us know when inquiring about insurance, so that we send you an exemplary formulation. Without this letter we can not issue any insurances. It is very hard to receive a medical note abroad from a physician abroad, so please take care of this prior your travels. How do I apply for an insurance? To start the process of obtaining an insurance through us, ideally you write us an email with your travel plans. The Dates, countries you want to visit, rough vehicle information, etc., the more precise you tell us about your endeavor, the better we can get an understanding of what insurnace coverage you need or qualify for. Feel free to ask any questions you might still have about the insurance or else.

We need a completed application form from you to give you a personal quotation for the insurance coverage you've selected and to proceed with the insurance. You can receive the application form by email or you find it above.

After our quotation we will wait for a direct confirmation from you about the insurance coverage, the total quote and the starting date/duration of the insurance before we proceeding with any credit card payment or issuing the insurance. So feel free to send us a completed application form early on, to safe time when the insurance is more urgent. 

The insurance will only be issued with prior successful payment. Payment can only be done by VISA or Master Card credit card. No bank transfer.

It is absolutely crucial to  fully and honestly complete the application form and  sign the

form on the bottom where it's indicated in order to validate the policy coverage.

Please make sure to either type or write very clearly and legibly. We don't take any

responsibility for any errors on the insurance card resulting from ineligible handwriting

or a mistake on the application. In the case of a claim/accident, please remember

that  Knopftours is not the claim office.

Hardtstraße 78

Heidelberg, Germany

+49 6221 7272308

+49 172 978 6218

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Operating times:

Mid April - Mid October  Off-Season: limited service only 

Operating hours:

Mon - Friday: 8am-6pm Saturday: 8am-1pm

Sunday : limited  service

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