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[megavolt17]

Hi all,

I found out this week that I may well be going to Europe (Germany most likely) for the next 3 years.  What changes would I need to make to my bike to make it street legal in Germany?  I recall from prior tours there that loud pipes were frowned upon, my SE Touring Mufflers might just be OK...

It used to be that their Premium gas was around the same octane as our regular.  Are there safe additives to raise the octane if that is still the case?  Any other fuel considerations?

I am not sure if my Küryakyn Panacea Blue Dot Smoked LED Taillights and Turn Signals will be legal, especially if I have them set to flash when I hit the brakes.  Not sure what they will think of the amber directional arrow on the tail light.  I kept my stock lights just in case.

Is there a European GPS cd set I can purchase from the dealer?  I know categorically that CB radios are not legal to use so I'll just leave it turned off.

Is there a way to adjust the radio so that will pick up the European stations?  Most modern car radios can be set to the proper European AM and FM frequencies and gaps between stations.  I had a Chrysler van there for 3 years before someone told me the sequence of button presses to change it to the European specs - it would have been nice to have learned that trick 3 years sooner!

Thanks,

Megavolt17

[White Lightning]

MV17,

It sounds like you are a member of the military getting ready to do a 3 year tour in Germany.  If that is the case, you don't have to worry about conversion.  The military members, and anyone covered by the Status Of Forces Argreement (SOFA) between Germany and the USA are exempt from the German registration guidelines.  However, last year, military members were subjected to a United Nations document on the sound level your bike can put out.  They will let you slide at 95db, anything louder and you get rejected. 

If military isn't your status, then yes you are facing a PITA.  I will try to list as many changes you will probably have to make to your bike to register it here.
1. Lighting - no smoked turn signals - must be amber - no running lights authorized - I would put fingernail polish on one of the bulb contacts to disable.
2. Lighting - TopCase marker lights on bottom - must be disabled/possibly removed
3. Lighting - TopCase Brake light - must be disabled/possibly removed
4. Lighting - Mainbeam must have letter E - for EU designation
5. Lighting - No disco lights - i.e. no parade strobes
6. Lighting - you may have issues with your "flash" brake lights/blue dot smoked led tailights
7. Exhaust - The German CVO pipes are much quiter than mine, they even have some kind of butterfly mechanism in them for noise/performance considerations; think Corvette Z06.
8. Exhaust - I am not sure about the Catalytic Exhaust requirements
9. Electric - SPEDO - will probably need a Kilometers per hour gauge.
10. In some German states, your bike will be impounded if too loud.

They have same fuel types here, just the octane ratings are calculated a little different.
Regular (91) - Super (95) - Super Unleaded (98-100).

In the high-compression CVO 110 motor, I would run the Super Unleaded.
When traveling to the UK (which you should!), take octane boosters with you; the gas in UK sucks BAD and your bike will ping.  It is hard just to find Super Unleaded, and you will get strange looks when you ask for Super Plus!

I don't know about the GPS CD/DVD yet, I have yet to find out myself.  But since my friends and I all use Garmin series GPSs, mounted to the handlebars, I wasn't interested in the navigation DVD.  I will find out what the disk costs and let you know.  Expect it to be so high, that you could purchase a high end Garmin for a couple hundred more.  When it comes to GPS navigation, I swear by Garmin.  Until TomTom makes software for the PC that allows you to build customized routes you can load on your GPS, I won't even consider them. GARMIN GARMIN GARMIN!

CB Radio - The German bikes have CB, but work on slightly different frequencies and at much lower levels.  I don't know anything about the Harmon-Kardon radios, but if I were a manufacturer, I would build one radio capable of being programable for the region where it was going.  The dealerships might be able to set them to another region, with a special tool.
AM/FM radio works fine on my '04, as frequency stepping was minute enough, I haven't seen XM yet.  I don't know if the Harmon Kardon's have the ability to change frequency tuning between 9khz and 10khz.


Did I say Garmin, Garmin, Garmin, for GPS?

sloanm

[megavolt17]

Thanks for the info!

Yes, I will be stationed there for 3 years as a military member.  I guess I only have to worry about my noise level, but I think the Screamin Eagle Street Performance Touring Mufflers are well below the 95 db limit unless they put the sensor really close to where the exhaust comes out.  I wonder what the db level of my bike actually is - I would hate to have it impounded if it is louder than I think it is!  I do recall the Polizi with dish/microphone combos scanning cars as they went through the center of town.  Is 95 db the norm, or can some towns set their own limits lower?

Odd that the marker lights would need to be disabled.  I recall Eurospec Jeep Grand Cherokees had to have additional yellow marker lights put on just above the front wheel wells.  They did not like how Jeep used 1 light on a corner to serve as both the front marker light and the side marker light.  I recall only front, yellow marker lights were added, nothing on the rear.  Funny how a safety feature in one country is illegal in another.

Would the spot lights be legal only during fog?  A lot of us leave our fog lights on all the time (cars and trucks) and I recall tickets being given to Americans for using them on clear nights.  I wonder if they will consider the spot lights to be a kind of fog light.  I have a bad feeling I will need to disable the 3 flash sequence of my Kuryakyn tail lights.  I don't know if I can disable the directional arrows on the tail light.  They might be considered "disco lights"...

I think the CVO pipes with the butterfly valve are the same as used in CA with the catalytic converters.  They open the second (non catalytic?) pipe only above a certain RPM and throttle setting.

I imagine I will need to go to AAFES garage for warranty service... Sigh.  I remember the days of waiting 5 weeks for a new hose for my car because the part had to come from US by boat, only to realize that it was not even the hose that they ordered that was leaking.

Any chance to still get my extended warranty coverage overseas?  Or am I SOL for having purchased the extended warranty?

[MUFFMAN]

Remember, in Germany you have to run SQUARE tires.

[megavolt17]

Remember, in Germany you have to run SQUARE tires.

That reminds me, they do use different tires (H rated?) based on the maximum vehicle speed.  Most American car tires are not high speed rated, and can overheat and fail at extended Autobahn speeds.  I am not planning to drive 65 MPH on the Autobahn.

I wonder what the speed rating of the stock Dunlop tires are.  I might end up needing new, high speed tires for extended Autobahn cruising...

Does your Harley become unstable at high speeds, or does it handle OK?  I know mine buffets much more around trucks than my Road Glide did, but at 65 MPH it's more a nuisance than a safety concern.  At 100+ MPH that may not be the case.

[White Lightning]

MV17,

I will try to answer as much as I can, forgive me if I overlook something.
1.) Military members vehicles are not subjected to the same standards, except where noise is involved.  Here is the UN document on how they test and what levels http://www.unece.org/trans/main/wp29/wp29regs/r041r1e.pdf Basically, run RPM half way to redline, measure dB, validate not over threshold.
Stock US pipes are fine, a budy of mine just bought the 110 CVO RK.  He had to take the pipes off new bike and put on 2003 - 95CI Ultra to get it to pass.
The AirForce and Army have one testing station in Kaiserslautern, with a dB meter.  DON'T SELL YOUR STOCK PIPES, YOU WILL NEED 'EM.  Bayern, Germany is renown for the control on loud pipes by the Polizei.  If you can't fix the noise on the side of the road, you could get impounded.  A company in Belgium makes some really cool pipes with electrically actuacted butterfly valves that you control from pusbuttons added to the handlebars; expensive at nearly $2000 now.  95db is max, above and beyond what UN document allows, but they give you some space for wear and tear.  I am not sure what German law is, but many European bikers tear off the stock pipes and put on louder ones.  But they always keep the originals for bi-annual inspections.

Don't worry about marker lights, or fog lights, or blinkers, you are a military member of US Armed Forces who will be exempt from excrutiating German guide lines.  Another one of my friends had the same lighting set up you have and he passed inspection.  My friends and I normally run with the spots on, because we are more visable.  Some drivers coming from oposite direction hate it, but that's about it.  I have never gotten stopped for running with them on and I have over 26K miles driving my '04 Eglide in Germany.  Plus all of my friends have never gotten stoped or warned or anything.

Your warranty service will need to be performed at a local German Harley-Dealership.  There are lots of them here in Germany.  If you are talking about car warranties, you will need to check the fine print and find out if your car is covered world-wide and under what conditions.  As far as extended warranties go, you will have to read the fine print.  Most extended warranties are provided by third party companies and they are not worth it, many will give you a refund if you haven't started it; i.e. factory warranty still good.  As I just bought my 110 CVO, I ordered an extended warranty through AAFES.  Also, you might be able to get an extended warranty through AAFES for your stateside purchased bike.  Aprox. $1200 for three more years.  However, for all extended warranty work, you pay upfront and submit claims, each claim carries a $50 fee.  So if something small is broke, wait until you get many small things broke and submit under one claim.

TIRES - They are NOT square here.  I know the stock Dunlops have been driven up to 110 MPH by individuals I ride with.  But on any E-Glide, that is scary fast because of the buffeting going on.  As I haven't gotten my new CVO yet, 10 days and counting, I can't say how fast it goes or what it feels like, but my '04 Ultra ran 100MPH and it felt bad in long banking curves.

The sweet spot on the Autobahn for an Ultra is around 75 to 85 MPH.  You can occassionally go faster if you need to, I just never saw the need, PINS and NEEDLES, and WHITE NUCKLES above 100MPH.  The fastest I have ever gone on the Autobahn was about 175MPH on a bike made on an island in the Pacific Ocean.  :-) 

Enjoy your time while you are in Germany, if you come to the Kaiserslautern/ Mannheim / Heidelberg area, you can ride with our group.

[iski]

Remember, in Germany you have to run SQUARE tires.

With ONLY German air.  USA air will not work in Germany.   

[White Lightning]

USA Air flies here all the time!   

[iski]

But when they get to Germany, they fly over German air, I bet.

[megavolt17]

Perhaps this should be a separate topic, but I hate to start too many...

What is the best way to ship a bike?  I have seen them arrive crated with household goods, and then inspected and set up by the local dealer upon arrival. The dealer near me (Appalachian Harley Davidson) has not dealt with shipping bikes, but knows they have received ones from service members that were crated prior to shipping.

I have moved overseas twice prior, and I have not escaped a paint job and/or body work after the military shipped my car or van there or back.  I would feel even worse if they damaged my bike in the move!

Thanks!

[White Lightning]

MV17,

The military shippers typically put your cycle in a crate and put it in with your household goods.  If you have a lien holder, you may need to get authorization to ship the vehicle outside of the United States.  While your bike is in with your household goods, I believe you will be covered up to full loss value of your motocycle, up to 50K.  I think the 50K limit is the goverments total loss liability for your household goods.  They pack your bike very well, however, you will want to get a very soft plushy cloth to put over the paint.  My budy just had two bikes shipped in his household goods to Chicago and he said the paint looked dull when it got there because of the padded paper they use.  There is a company that makes a product called gator hide.  It snuggly wraps arround your bike and is padded.

Good luck.