Which Countries Don't Require a Handbrake? Or, Shipping to Foreign Countries

[nicholastanguma]

I've spent time researching this question on Google, but the closest thing to a definitive answer that I could find was: Japan, Australia, all of the UK and MOST of Europe require a trike to be fitted with a handbrake (parking brake to us Yanks), but not necessarily all of the European countries. I have a group of six people (each riding their own rig and each rig without a handbrake) that will be moving from the US to several international cities, from Tokyo to London to Rome to Paris to Madrid, etc, etc. And before you ask: no, fitting handbrakes to the trikes is not an option.

I've already found that both UK and European law allow foreign plated vehicles to remain up to six months without any legal hassles. But in order to get all six trikes into the cities where my people will be moving I need to airfreight from America into a country that won't stop them at customs for the lack of handbrakes, and from there have them trucked overland.

Basically, I'm in the unusual position of having an unlimited budget for shipping expenses, but a limited knowledge of where I can actually ship to.

Does anyone here happen to know which (European, especially) countries will accept our machines at customs? Or even better, perhaps a way to get through nanny-state customs despite the lack of handbrakes?

[oneup]

you may find there are more hassles than just handbrakes.. most countries wont accept vehicles without separate amber indicators on the rear. often tyres are not considered compliant unless they have the european standards marking eg E4... DOT rating may not be accepted...also speedometers in MPH may be an issue. headlights not E rated..etc etc
Its a minefield of potential disasters. cost me $3,500 in the end to get my USA trike road legal in Australia, and that was after i had the speedo converted to KPH.

hope you can get it happening...good luck..

[nicholastanguma]

you may find there are more hassles than just handbrakes.. most countries wont accept vehicles without separate amber indicators on the rear. often tyres are not considered compliant unless they have the european standards marking eg E4... DOT rating may not be accepted...also speedometers in MPH may be an issue. headlights not E rated..etc etc
Its a minefield of potential disasters.

Really? Even for some tourists just passing through? We'll be in each place less than a few months.