Help out with information about owning a bike in Sweden

[Python]

Hey all, My name's Petr, this is my first topic on the forum, and I've specifically registered to ask it. I was actually looking for a dedicated Swedish forum of XRV 750 owners (since I ride that bike) but couldn't find one, so this xl-forum.se is the most relevant thing I found based on my bike type.

I would love to ask locals (the Swedes) a bunch of questions and I will appreciate any answers, really. Here's my situation and my questions.

I will be moving with my wife and kid from Saint Petersburg to Sweden in a few months (I was offered a job in Göteborg) and really hope to stay in your beautiful country as much as possible. As I mentioned, I own a Honda Africa Twin RD07 bike. I love the bike a lot and own it since 2014 when I ordered it directly from Japan.

With my move to Sweden, my family will need some supporting money so the decision was to sell one thing or another (or both) - our car or my Africa. Needless to say, I hate thinking about selling my bike. I know it's old and analogue, but you know - Africa rules, how many pleasant trips I had with her.

So now, after a long intro, here are my questions. The answers will actually impact our decision - either to sell Africa or keep it and take it to Sweden with me:

1. What will be the size of the yearly transportation tax for owning an old Africa Twin XRV750 in Sweden? Approximate. Rough estimates will do.
2. Will I be able to register the motorbike at all with the local transport authority, given that it was manufactured in the year of 2000.
3. If we speak about Göteborg, where will I be able to park the bike while in the city? Do you really have only paid parking? Are there no possibilities to park the bike for free in the city? How much the parking will cost me if I use the bike for going to the office in the city center every day? Rough estimates will do.
4. What is the situation regarding parking the bike at home, where one lives? I mean, where to park the bike as you go home? How much the parking opportunities will cost me? For example, in St.Petersburg, I rent a garage and it costs me a very little budget, something like 500 SEK monthly.
5. I know that Göteborg and Stockholm are the two cities with congestion taxes. Is it too expensive to drive to the city center in the morning and back home in the evening every weekday with this tax? If I cross the entire city from one side to another - does this mean that I will be charged for crossing several zones, or only for crossing one?
6. What are the rough estimates of the costs for basic motorbike maintenance works? For example, how much does it cost to change tires, to sync carburetors?
7. Where do people store their bikes in the winter time and how much on average it costs?
8. Are there any other bike-related expenses that I will need to consider (obviously, I know about petrol prices and all the maintenance parts, but that's fine)?
9. What is the procedure for getting a Swedish driver's license of category A (motorbikes)? I don't need the details, mainly how do the theory and practical exams look like? (I ride motorcycles since 2012 but I heard moving to Sweden will require me to obtain a local driver's license pretty soon).

Kind regards,
Petr

[ajje]

Welcome, I'll try to answer some of your questions.

1. The tax for a motorcycle in sweden is SEK 180 plus SEK 75. If a motorcyle is 30 years or older it's just SEK 75.

2. Registration shouldn't be a problem, since it's "flyttsak" (moving goods) it should be even easier than if it was a regular import.

3. I don't know that much about parking in Göteborg, but i do know that they have quite a lot of free parking spaces dedicated to motorcycles.
https://goteborg.se/wps/portal/start/pa ... ing--karta

4. Don't know

5. Motorcycles are exempt from the congestion tax.

6. I don't know the maintenance costs, i do all the basic maintenance myself.

7. Get studded tires and use your bike all year round

8. Insurance is mandatory, A "roadworthy inspection" is mandatory every second year.

9. You need to get a Swedish license within one year. The theoretical A exam is only available in Swedish, but you should be allowed to have an interpreter present. (B exam is available in several lagnuages, English and Russian included). There's two mandatory courses you must take at a driving school, (Risk 1, theoretical, and Risk 2, practical driving. totally about SEK 4000)
Then there the practical test, divided in tho stages, first a manouvering test (low speed and high speed) and then a test out in traffic.

[Python]

Thank you very much, ajje!

May I clarify a few points?

1. 180+75 SEK - that's monthly?

2. OK

3. That's great to know these parking spots exist!

4. So where do you store your bike? Smth. like a privately owned garage?

5. Also nice knowledge!

6. That's very reasonable.

7. Ha ha, true!

8. Any rough estimates for this? In terms of money.

9. Thanks, that's very valuable. As for practical tests - which bike can a student use? Only the school's or his/her own too?

[ajje]

Sure

1. No, that's yearly.

4. Well, I live far from Göteborg, and have my own garage at home. I have no idea how the apartment/garage situation is in Göteborg.

8. The insurance can vary quite a lot depending on the type of bike and the age of the owner. I think i pay about SEK2000 a year for full insurance of the Varadero, and i'm 50 years old.

9. You can use your own if it fulfills the requirements:
1. Be able to go at least 100km/h
2. At least 50kW and 175kg
3. At least 595 cm3.

[Python]

Thank you, I appreciate the help! Seems ike alright to me, so I can keep my Africa.

[Nesse]

More information:
1: https://www.transportstyrelsen.se/en/ro ... of-origin/
9: https://www.transportstyrelsen.se/en/ro ... g-licence/

[Daniel]

Hello!

The biggest issues usually is; Where to park your bike.
Another one would be to accuire the driving licence, but if you really can drive it is a matter of "going throug the process", with its costs.

Depending of where and how you live, you might want a closed parking or a garage. Maybe a bicycle room can do for some time... At rented apartments you usually add the rent for a parking lot, if available... Garage is maybee a bit harder to get your hands on.
In city you are probably going to choose public transportation?

Going around the city there are a few free motor cycle parkings, but often it is more convenient to use car parking with the fee. GEt the app in your phone and add vehicle/license plate (parkering göteborg), and you are pretty much covered.

Gothenburg climate in winter is a lot of freezing and thawing and freezing again. So they use ALOT of road salt. Aluminium and salt has a special relationship, so most (I guess 99%) of us park the bike in som winter storage/any garage during salt season.

Good luck!!