Buy. Ride. Sell. Motorcycle tour through Europe for free

How easy is it to buy a bike, motorcycle through Europe and then sell it on your return for a profit?

The buy, tour, sell approach can be applied to a bike of any age, and we have motorcycle breakdown customers who buy 15-plate tourers to tour and then pass on, but what if your budget doesn't stretch that far?

The Honda VFR800fi is a silky smooth and bullet-proof V4 with armchair levels of comfort. Honda build quality is matched by flawless handling. The bike can feel like a handful in congested city centres, but remember this is a bike built open roads.

We found an exceptionally clean example on a T plate; the anniversary edition model was near mint, came with a mountain of paperwork and had covered a genuine 11,000 miles. As you'd expect, it ran like a Swiss watch. At £2,300 it was at the upper end of prices for an early VFR but the bike's reputation for exceptional build quality and reliability ensures clean examples retain their value.

With a range of 180 miles from its 21 litre tank,108 hp and a very linear delivery of power, the VFR is ideally suited to European touring, even when carrying a pillion and luggage.

The bike was never pinup material, but a good tourer needs above all to handle the trip without breaking down far from home. Whatever bike you set off on this summer, make sure you buy European breakdown cover.

On our return from the 1,000-mile trip from London to Santander, the bike was advertised on eBay and sold within two days for £2,500 - £200 more than we paid for it.

At this time of year there is still plenty of time left in the motorcycling 'season' to find the right bike, buy it, enjoy a European tour and then sell on. if you choose carefully you should be able to sell the bike for the same amount you paid for it. If you're canny, you can turn enough profit to pay for the trip.

Other bikes we considered included a mint Honda Firestorm with 7,500 miles for £2,000. We reckoned we could safely add 1,000 miles and sell on for £400 profit.

Motorcycle breakdown cover in Europe

Euro breakdown cover from the ETA is available for cars and motorbikes up to 20 years old.

The cover includes motorcycle hire for up to 14 days (maximum £60 per day). If your bike cannot be repaired within 72 hours the ETA arranges for you, your pillion and your motorcycle to be repatriated to your home.

The policy covers travel to Austria, Belgium, Britain, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Andorra, Liechtenstein, Monaco, San Marino and the Vatican City.

Cover for travel through any of the countries listed above is charged at the same rate. Get an instant quote

Whatever size of motorcycle you ride, continental Europe promises drier, smoother and emptier roads than those here in Britain. Who cares If you ride a small commuter bike? A weekend exploring the coastline of northern France is a blast whatever you ride. It’s all about embracing the spirit of adventure...

Motorcycle through Europe: It doesn’t matter what you ride

Don’t make the mistake of thinking you need a big multi-cylinder machine to conquer Europe by motorcycle. In the 1960s scooter riders thought nothing of crossing the channel to tour on two-strokes. And while Ewan McGregor’s adventure rides have done wonders for sales of the might BMW GS range, don’t forget that in 1980 two riders completed the gruelling Paris Dakar having ridden their Vespa scooters across 7 countries and 10,000km of brutal terrain.

Ferry routes

The cheapest and most popular option is to cross the channel by ferry or tunnel, but the route from Plymouth or Portsmouth to Bilbao or Santander is a civilised way to get straight to the incredible roads of northern Spain. Alternatively, you can put your bike on a train to Italy. A Dusseldorf to Verona Motorail train operates from July to August. Düsseldorf is less than four hours from Calais, or less than 3 hours from Hoek van Holland, Rotterdam or IJmuiden (serves by ferries from Harwich, Hull and Newcastle).

What do I need to take?

Whether you’ve got a full set of hard luggage, throw over bags or you are braving it with a sports bag bungeed to the passenger seat, pack smart - decide on what you think you need and then take only half that amount. At the first set of twisty roads, you will curse yourself if you have overloaded the bike.

Insurance

Don’t forget to sign up for a free European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) card at dh.gov.uk/travellers.

The EHIC card entitles you to free health care if needed and most travel insurance policies require that you have one.